MG Motor UK ZS review

This is the new, second generation version of the MG ZS SUV, now in hybrid form only. It’s a different model to the firm’s similarly named ZS EV, hence its official title of MG ZS Hybrid+. 

You might remember the ZS badge from the bad old days of yore, when it was glued onto a heated up version of the Rover 45 family hatch. MG Rover had been suffering for years and was finally put out of its misery in 2006, at which point Chinese carmaker SAIC snapped up a chunk of the remains.

Ancient history, surely? 

We mention this only to provide the context in which the new ZS has made major steps forward: the previous car was exactly as you’d fear a mid-2010s, low cost Chinese SUV to be. But the new version looks sharp, has upped its standards inside and has dragged itself into competitive shape. 

Come for the price (it’ll cost you from £22k to £25k) but stay because it's surprisingly decent – unlike bargain basement cars of the recent past, the MG ZS doesn’t ask you to make any undue sacrifices. A sign perhaps of the larger volumes that MG is dealing with these days, that it can spread the cost savings more thinly.

Must be something terrible about it though?

Strangely not. Sure, it’s fairly generic looking, but the small SUV segment is the most dangerously congested part of the car market. You have to work really hard to stand out. 

If you want the detailing of, say, a Skoda, then you’ll have to pay for one – the Kamiq is the Czech carmaker’s entry into this particular fight, but it’s another that you’ll struggle to pick out of a line-up. Takes all sorts, doesn't it?

Come on. The drive must be awful.

Not even that. Okay, so your expectations are probably quite low at the outset, but the ZS goes, turns and stops dependably. What more do you want from a cheap car?

If we were to criticise, then there’s a whiff too much torque steer that should have been tuned out: 193bhp/343lb ft from the hybrid powertrain is hardly overwhelming, even if it manages 0–62mph in a respectable 8.7 seconds.

The ZS will melt into understeer if you try to push it. But why would you? It’s an MG SUV.

The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and e-motor are helped along by a 0.9kWh battery that runs the car in EV mode for solid chunks. You’ve got three different strengths of regen available, adjustable via a steering wheel button. It’s not magically refined, but it rewards careful driving.

So it’s good value then? 

That’s more like it. The purchase price is strong (and helps it into the 27 per cent BIK band) and 115g/km CO2 means you’re not getting stung on VED either. On the 20 per cent basic rate, you’ll only be paying around £120 a month of tax on a company car scheme.

Official fuel consumption is rated at 55.4mpg, which we were unable to match when driving the car in colder weather. But the hybrid setup did have its moments around town. 

The MG’s sternest competitor is the Dacia Duster, which has added a bit of lifestyle cool to its budget credentials. The Dacia is more expensive than the ZS in hybrid form, though, and the electrical assistance takes away from its charm.

Outside of that, you're likely looking at the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008, and Renault Captur. The car we like most in this clan is the Ford Puma, but obviously that's more money.

We already knew from cars like the MG4 and Cyberster that this was a manufacturer on the up. Up was the only way MG could possibly go, but still. The ZS Hybrid confirms the trend with a solid entry into what is the most congested part of the entire new car market.

The ZS is competitive because of its low price, of course, but you won’t feel shortchanged. And the hybrid powertrain helps save on petrol too, which extends the gentle wallet argument even further.

This is very much a head-driven purchase: if the ZS gets your pulse going even slightly, you should see your doctor. But at least it's not a car you'll be embarrassed to be seen in now.