MG ZS EV Review

Practicality and Boot Space

In transforming the ZS petrol car to the all-electric EV version, there has been no negative impact on the car’s practicality. In fact the ZS EV has a marginally larger boot than the petrol version at 470 litres (the petrol’s boot measures 448 litres) and there’s 1,100 litres on offer with all the seats folded – that’s a pretty decent amount of space for such a compact SUV. There’s a moveable boot floor, too, and with the floor in its highest position there’s space to store the car’s charging cable. There’s plenty of space in the back seats although the middle passenger will find it a little tight, and the glass roof (standard on the top-spec Exclusive) doesn’t eat into the headroom too much. The steering wheel only adjusts up and down, though, not in and out, meaning it’s hard to find a comfortable driving position.  

Tech

Every new MG ZS EV  comes with a new iSMART system, which offers connection via a smartphone app at last - this was a key omission on the old car. 

Many vehicle functions can be controlled via the app, including vehicle status, battery charge level, if the car is locked or unlocked, or the alarm has been triggered. Owners can use the app to remotely lock and unlock the car, set the air conditioning and heating, and activate the windscreen demister when required. It also lets you schedule charging to optimise lower rate energy tariffs.

At the heart of the infotainment system is a 10.1-inch tablet-style touchscreen, with new graphics and improved functionality. There's no doubt it is an improvement over the old system, but it is still frustratingly complicated to use compared to rivals. Hopefully owners will get used to its foibles after a few weeks. 

The New ZS EV also sees the first over the air (OTA) software updates from MG. Owners will receive any new software updates, including new features and improvements, through iSMART.

Safety

Tested in 2019 by independent crash testers EuroNCAP, the ZS EV scored the maximum five stars. More than that, it notched up a range of impressive scores: 90% for adult protection, 80% for child protection and 70% for the standard safety assistance systems. In fact, the ZS EV got a higher score than its petrol-engined sister car and that’s because of the range of safety systems the EV gets as standard (the entry-level petrol ZS misses out on some). The EV gets lane keep assist (which helps to keep the car within its lane on the road), city braking (at speeds of up to 12mph the car will brake automatically if it senses an imminent crash), and, pretty impressively for a sub-£30,000 car, adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist. The latter is rather clever and allows the car to follow the one in front, braking and accelerating as and when it needs to.