1st MG ZS EV RUNNING COSTS PRACTICALITY
A great first electric car from MG, although there are still some flaws in its execution
KEY to any EV is its battery. This determines the usable range on offer, as well as the car’s performance, and in the ZS EV the engineering and tech are pretty good given the price. The 44.5kWh battery total means around 40kWh of usable capacity, and MG claims 163 miles on a full charge.
The battery supplies a 141bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels. This is 7bhp down on the Leaf, but then the MG is 41kg lighter. The ZS EV ’s performance on test was more than adequate, with the 353Nm of torque (33Nm more than the Leaf) delivered instantly for strong and smooth acceleration.
It sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds,
0.4 seconds faster than the Leaf, but by 60mph the MG’s urgency tails off (its top speed is only 87mph). Acceleration from lower speeds is more important to more people, and in this instance, the ZS managed 30-50mph in 2.7 seconds, compared to 2.8 seconds in the Leaf, so there’s little to split them. This acceleration is what makes smaller EVs like these easy and fun to drive in urban areas.
They are helped by single-speed transmissions. With no gearchanges, you just squeeze the throttle and go. There are three driving modes in the ZS: Eco, Normal and Sport. Eco and Normal are the nicest, because the throttle response ramps up in each setting, and it’s a little too aggressive in Sport.
There’s a bit of motor whine as you lift off, but otherwise refinement is pretty good – and this extends, mostly, to the ride. The ZS feels fairly soft, bouncing a fair bit with loose body control, but at least the chassis deals with softer undulations in the road smoothly; bigger, harsher bumps cause the wheels to rebound rather aggressively, with a cheap, slightly crude feel to the way the dampers deal with controlling the wheels.
The Leaf isn’t immune from this either, but it’s better than in the MG. The ZS’s steering is light and imprecise, but acceptable, and makes it easy to navigate around town. It’s no driver’s car though.
Top-spec Exclusive trim features air-con, keyless operation, adaptive cruise, an eight-inch touchscreen set-up with sat-nav and smartphone connectivity, a panoramic roof, heated seats and some great safety tech for the money as part of MG’s Pilot system.
Inevitably, given this kit tally and the solid engineering underneath, it’s the level of quality of the rest of the car that comes in for questioning. The interior plastics are hard and, although they feel robust, they don’t feel particularly high in quality. But then this does keep the price down, which is key at this level of the market.
DRIVING
ZS EV offers a choice of three regenerative braking settings. The top ‘3’ mode is quite aggressive, but you soon learn the rate of deceleration and modulate your driving to use only the accelerator pedal.
BRAKES If you do need to use the brakes, the pedal is very sensitive, which means it’s not the easiest to modulate. The brakes are grabby and bring the car to an abrupt stop if you’re not smooth. Based on electricity at 13p per kWh and 12,000 miles a year, you’ll spend £433 on both, given they returned the same efficiency of 3.6 miles per kWh. This means real-world ranges of 144 and 130 miles for ZS and Leaf respectively.
DEPRECIATION Our experts predict the MG will retain more value after three years or 36,000 miles. It’ll hold onto 47.9 per cent (£12,925) while the Leaf is expected to retain 38.2 per cent (£10,688). The ZS was designed with an EV in mind, so the charging port is located neatly in the grille, as on the Leaf. The battery is mounted in the floor between the wheels, so there’s no compromise for passenger space or boot capacity.
BOOT The ZS boasts a deep 448-litre load area, but this also means there’s quite a lip to lift bags over. However, load volume on offer with the rear seats in place is 48 litres up on the Leaf. The SUV body style means it’s also much roomier inside. Visibility is better, while rear head and legroom exceeds what the Leaf offers. Yet the MG is no more difficult to park. In fact, it’s actually shorter than the Nissan.
INTERIOR & TECHNOLOGY
Quality is an issue, but infotainment is good. The eight-inch screen works well enough. It’s fairly responsive and bright, and the graphics are sharper than the Nissan’s.
CONNECTIVITY You get nav, but CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and easy to use. A rear camera is included, too. One issue we have is that you can’t show speed and range at the same time – you have to switch between them.
OWNERSHIP
MG Pilot includes AEB, lane-keep and blind-spot assist, lane-departure and rear cross-traffic alert, plus traffic-jam assist. This is a lot more tech than the standard three-star Euro NCAP-rated ZS.
WARRANTY MG’s seven-year /80,000-mile vehicle warranty also covers the battery. Meanwhile, Nissan offers an eight-year/ 100,000-mile battery cover.