Segment: Small
Production years: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
The MG ZS was the tuned version of the Rover 45, a car that shared its underpinnings with the Honda Concerto. It was developed and launched soon after BMW sold Rover in 2000.
The cooperation between Honda and Rover didn't last too long. But it was long enough so the two car-makers could develop some interesting cars together. The Honda Concerto/Civic and the Rover 400/45 was just an example of a good marriage. But after BMW bought the majority stakes in Rover Group from the British Aerospace in January 1994, the Japanese company slowly pulled out from Rover in 1995 after 20 years of cooperation. Then, in 2000, BMW sold Rover and Land Rover brands. The British company was on its own.
The MG ZS looked like a boy-racer dream but built in a factory, not in a garage. Over the simple body of a Rover 45 sedan, it installed a new front bumper, side sills, and a big wing in the back. A set of 17” light-alloy wheels was installed. The octagonal MG badge was pinned to the hood and that was the exterior of the ZS.
Inside, there were more tuning-fashion items such as the silver background for the dials and red needles. The sport-bucket seats featured two-tone color upholstery, where one of the colors was the car's body color. That won on the coolness factor.
For the mechanical part, a stiffer suspension was a good improvement. For the engine compartment, the ZS was available with the same engine as the Rover 45, plus something more: a 2.5-liter V6 engine taken from the Land Rover Freelander. It was a quick and appreciated car on the market and, mated to a 5-speed manual, it could top the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 7.3 seconds.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.8L 5MT (117 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1796 cm3 |
Power: | 86 KW @ 5500 RPM 117 HP @ 5500 RPM 115 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 118 lb-ft @ 2750 RPM 160 Nm @ 2750 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 122.4 mph (197 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.7 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 205/50R16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 178.3 in (4529 mm) |
Width: | 66.9 in (1699 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58.2/57.4 in (1,478/1,458 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.1 in (2619 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.7 in (119 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.4 cuFT (464 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.33 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2480.2 lbs (1125 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3615.5 lbs (1640 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 24.2 mpg US (9.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 40.5 mpg US (5.8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 174 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.5L V6 5MT (177 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2497 cm3 |
Power: | 130 KW @ 6500 RPM 177 HP @ 6500 RPM 174 BHP @ 6500 RPM |
Torque: | 177 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM 240 Nm @ 4000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 139.1 mph (224 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 7.7 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 205/45R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 178.3 in (4529 mm) |
Width: | 66.9 in (1699 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58.2/57.4 in (1,478/1,458 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.1 in (2619 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.7 in (119 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.4 cuFT (464 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.33 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2722.7 lbs (1235 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3791.9 lbs (1720 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 16.7 mpg US (14.1 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 34.6 mpg US (6.8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 24.7 mpg US (9.5 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 227 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0 D 5MT (100 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1996 cm3 |
Power: | 74 KW @ 4200 RPM 101 HP @ 4200 RPM 99 BHP @ 4200 RPM |
Torque: | 177 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 240 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Diesel |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 116.1 mph (187 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 205/50R16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 178.3 in (4529 mm) |
Width: | 66.9 in (1699 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58.2/57.4 in (1,478/1,458 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.1 in (2619 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.7 in (119 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.4 cuFT (464 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.33 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2711.6 lbs (1230 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3791.9 lbs (1720 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 54.7 mpg US (4.3 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 43.5 mpg US (5.4 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 150 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0 D 5MT (113 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1996 cm3 |
Power: | 83 KW @ 4200 RPM 113 HP @ 4200 RPM 111 BHP @ 4200 RPM |
Torque: | 192 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 260 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Diesel |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 119 mph (192 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 10.2 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 205/50R16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 178.3 in (4529 mm) |
Width: | 66.9 in (1699 mm) |
Height: | 54.3 in (1379 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58.2/57.4 in (1,478/1,458 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.1 in (2619 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.7 in (119 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.4 cuFT (464 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.33 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2711.6 lbs (1230 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3791.9 lbs (1720 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 54.7 mpg US (4.3 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 42 mpg US (5.6 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 150 g/km |