2021 MG ZS Electric pricing and features

MG’s freshly introduced ZS EV electrified small SUV has claimed the title as Australia’s most affordable battery electric vehicle, muscling out the previous cheapest zero-emissions option, the Hyundai Ioniq.

The Chinese-made ZS EV is priced from $40,990 plus on-road costs ($43,990 drive-away), which undercuts the cheapest electric Ioniq by about $8000 following a price increase for the small sedan of about $4000 late last year.

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Exact details and lead times have not been released for the newest electric vehicle to be offered in Australia, but dealers will likely divulge more information to interested customers. Expect local versions to share much in common with the version that is already on sale in the UK.

That includes a 44.5kWh lithium ion battery offering arrange of about 262km, 105kW and 353Nm of torque. Those relatively mild figures may align with the fairly benign outputs of the other ZS variants, but don’t be fooled. With a 1500kg kerb weight, the ZS EV is relatively light and capable of doing the zero to 100km/h dash in 8.5 seconds.

That makes it almost the fastest model in the MG line-up, closely behind the top-shelf GS which gets to 100km/h in 8.0s.

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With a 50kW charger, an 80 percent charge for the ZS EV is possible in just 40 minutes or, with a more commonplace 7kW socket, a full charge can be pumped in a little under seven hours.

Seventeen-inch, laser-cut alloy wheels are standard fare, as are three driving modes and regenerative braking to boost range.

An 8.0-inch touchscreen carries over from the other variants in the ZS range offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity and a rear-view camera. A large panoramic sunroof is available as is leather-look upholstery.

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Front passengers are offered an accommodating 1070mm of legroom and 1043mm of headroom while those in the rear seats have a similarly generous 920mm and 995mm respectively.

The ZS EV is covered by MG’s seven-year warranty that also covers the lithium ion battery. You also get roadside assistance for the same period if you ever forget to charge it.

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There are also decent levels of driver assistance technology including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, lane-keep assistance and stop-start traffic assistance. Blind spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert is available but not yet confirmed as standard.

While not expected to represent a volume variant, the brand’s first EV in Australia will add to an impressive 2019 sales tally during which, MG jumped 177 percent over 12 months and, with a growing range of enticing SUVs and a little hatch, is expected to continue into 2020.

MG has not revealed pricing for the ZS EV once the first 100 have been snapped up. Full details are expected soon.

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