As opposed to the Morris Garages of the good ol’ days, MG currently specialized in two areas: cheap vehicles and cheap electric vehicles. The ZS in the video below embodies both, a front-wheel-drive subcompact crossover that can be had with either internal combustion or as an EV.
Over in Spain where our friends at km77 are based, the ZS Luxury 1.5 VTI-tech retails at under 20,000 euros, which means less than 21,650 dollars at current exchange rates. Higher up the spectrum, prospective customers are presented with a 1.0L turbo three-cylinder mill, an optional automatic transmission, and the electric version of the B-segment SUV.
The pictured vehicle packs 106 ps (105 horsepower) at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 141 Nm (nearly 104 pound-feet) of torque at 4,500 revolutions per minute. Not exciting by modern standards, but on the other hand, remember that we’re dealing with a naturally-aspirated four in a crossover that competes against the Renault-developed Dacia Duster.
The multi-point injection 1.5 is connected to a five-speed manual rather than a sixer, and the rear end is a back-to-basics torsion beam instead of a multi-link setup. As you can already tell from this information, the ZS is cheap for a reason. The cheapness doesn’t carry over to the factory-issue tires, namely Michelin Primacy 3 ST rubber boots that measure 215/55 by 17 inches at every corner. The P3ST may not be the best tire out there, but do remember that even a mediocre Michelin tire is pretty darn good.
In the slalom test, the Michelins really come into their own, helping the underpowered crossover finish the slalom test in 25.7 seconds. For reference, the more powerful Nissan Ariya e-SUV needed 25.5 seconds. Also worthy of note, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport clocked 26.1 seconds in similar conditions. So yeah, those tires are good enough.
The moose test may come as a bit of a surprise to naysayers. The vehicle’s reactions were good on every pass, with the stability control doing its job without interfering. The most speed km77 carried into the moose test is 77 kilometers per hour (47.8 miles per hour), a result that puts more expensive cars to shame. For example, the Range Rover Sport P510e couldn’t do better than 69 kilometers per hour (43 miles per hour).
Even though it comes with one of the best warranties in the biz, the ZS can’t escape the harsh reality of being built at a cost. The nasty interior plastics and somewhat dull exterior design are further attributed to the company that owns MG these days. Chinese automaker Nanjing Automobile acquired the British marque in 2005 following the collapse of the MG Rover Group, then Nanjing Automobile was acquired by SAIC in 2007.
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation is one of the Big Four state-owned automakers from the People’s Republic of China, the other three being FAW, Dongfeng, and Changan. SAIC's Maxus brand is also present in Europe, their latest addition to the range being the Maxus T90EV pickup truck. It promises 354 kilometers (220 miles) of range as per WLTP.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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