MG ZS EV Luxury Review: Now Acceptable At Its New Price

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The new RM 99,999 sticker price of this MG ZS EV has certainly changed the value calculus for this aging e-SUV.

Now this here ladies and gentleman, is the MG ZS EV. And the reason why most will have a hard time recognising it is because, despite having been on sale in Malaysia for half a year already, this all-electric SUV hasn’t exactly been the fastest-selling vehicle off the lot over here.

There is nevertheless a good reason though, with that being for this e-SUV, while only having landed locally a few short months back, was actually first initially introduced nearly 6(!) years ago already (with there incidentally being an all-new model just released as well). Due to how fast the EV space is progressing too, even with it coming in at nearly RM 25,000 less than the BYD Atto 3, this MG unfortunately just does not have either the tech specs or cool kit adequately entice buyers away the aforementioned segment stalwart.

Though with MG Malaysia having recently announced that it is currently offering up to a RM 26,000 “discount” off the ZS EV’s RM 125,999 price tag, this e-SUV technically could be yours right now for just RM 99,999! And thus with this rather tempting five-figure price then, the question to ask now is whether this MG is finally worth considering?

Well… having recently spending a weekend with it, the answer this writer can give to that question is a pretty firm yes.

In fact, this admittedly older-fashioned MG here at its new promotional price point is actually a rather tempting proposition to one buying demographic in particular: the average (older-generation) Joe who might enjoy the high refinement and low maintenance quality associated with an EV, but are somewhat intimidated by all the fancy new technology that is par for the course with these high-tech cars.

Interior

To kick off with why the MG is a now a car that should be considered, this Chinese EV (expectedly) does offer quite a lot of kit for its RM 99,999 price tag. Among the more notable features present in this five-figure car includes a large panoramic sunroof, a digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch floating central display, a wireless charging pad, electrically-adjustable driver’s seat automatic headlights and wipers, as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system.

For a RM 99,999 car too, the build quality on the ZS EV is decent enough and it does feel relatively premium within. Its soft touch dashboard sets the tone for an upmarket immediate initial impression upon stepping into this MG, with this tone to then be continued by its stalks and switchgear having good weight to their actuation. Its seats are also the old school cushy kind as well, which certainly adds a certain level of luxury to the cabin.

Though being nitpicky here, the (faux) leather upholstery and steering wheel covering is not the nicest to the touch. It also absorb quite a lot of heat too, and has inevitably lead to some sweaty backs (and steering using one’s fingertips) upon driving off in it after leaving it under the hot sun for a while. Not having reach adjustment for its steering wheel is far from ideal, as is for the central screen to be a tad low-res and slow in its response time.

On the topic of the central screen however, it is a prime example of how this old-fashioned MG actually could work in its favour. Such is as one doesn’t really have to mess with the display for anything much really, as there is instead a bank of delightfully tactile physical toggle switches right below it that controls the all the major audio and ventilation-related settings that one would typically want to adjust.

With there not being a million different settings to fiddle around with and even an old-school start stop button too, this is a delightfully simple-to-use car that even the oldest of dogs can be taught to easily operate in under 5 minutes… something that can’t be said for any other EV (or most modern cars in fact) on the market today, which instead requires at least a week-long intensive course to just get into their heads how to switch the radio station or turn off that annoying bong that comes up when changing lanes.

Exterior

Moving on to its exterior meanwhile, the ZS EV is quite a striking looking thing, especially in the Volcano Red of the test car here. Don’t be deceived by its boxy SUV-ness however, as this MG is not actually quite as big as its looks might make it out to be.

While space is decent up front and the large panoramic sunroof does lend an airy impression to its cabin, it was however surprising to note though that a six-footer was just brushing the roof when seated at the rear row. Its boot is also not the biggest too.

In short, despite measuring in on the outside close to a HR-V, the MG ZS EV instead felt closer to the smaller WR-V in terms available space.

Driving

Thanks to it lacking the usual noise and vibration from an engine up front, the overall refinement of this MG ZS EV is just one significant step above the equivalently-priced ICE cars on the market right now. And just having the luxury to sit in silence and enjoy the still-ness while slowly crawling through one’s daily commute is really a plus point that cannot be understated, especially in this particular price bracket.

What more is thanks to its EV-ness, it can actually be decently pokey car too. It certainly gets up and goes quicker than anything else under six-figures on the market right now (0-100 km/h in 8.0 seconds), with there decent enough grunt leftover to see this MG be capable attaining and maintaining speeds deep into the triple digits as well.

Though while on the topic of pushing this MG, its moderately weighty but somewhat numb steering meant that the confidence to do so largely fell on the Michelin tyres that were fitted on this test car. It has to be said too that even with this more atas rubber than what is usually fitted on cars of this price bracket, there is still a notable degree of road roar emanating from the footwells, particularly at highway speeds.

Moreover, it will be on the highway that one will discover for this MG to have a ride so soft and bouncy that one might wonder if all four shock absorbers were indeed blown. Just to finish up picking nits on its drive here also, this writer found that the ZS EV’s throttle pedal is a tad bit too light on its actuation and just lacks the expected spring-back resistance that one would normally expect.

In all honesty however, this ZS EV goes, stop and steers well enough. And that is more than good enough for the average person to comfortably go about their average commute.

Also, the MG Pilot suite of driver aids — which includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring system, automatic emergency braking — that comes standard with this e-SUV is actually decently capable. But more blessedly here is for it to be one of the less intrusive systems on the market, and (likely thanks to it being from an older generation) switching these things off once will see it stay off forever!

Charging

Moving finally on to the elephant in the room for most people regarding the MG ZS EV, its range and charging capabilities are both undoubtably and unfortunately small and slow respectively. A realistic 280-ish km on a single charge (WLTP rated 320 km) and only a maximum DC input of 50 kW is totally blown out of the water when considering that the (admittedly more expensive) Atto 3 claims close to 480 km and can take up to 88 kW DC input in its recently updated form.

But while the MG may not be comfortably to make it to Penang from KL on a single charge, its middling range estimate is nevertheless to actually more than sufficient for any average Joe’s weekly commute. What more is that while a 50 kW DC fast charging peak means that any interstate top ups will be twice as long for half the distance to any more modern EVs, this is to be a non-issue for those who will treat this e-SUV as a city car and slowly charge it at home overnight.

Now admittedly here, it is worth highlighting that this writer has recently just slagged off the smart #3 Pro for having a similarly short leash as the MG. Just remember though that the ZS EV currently only costs RM 99,999, so some compromises should be excusable. (And in all honesty too, this is not exactly a car that one will want to willingly spend long interstate trips in anyway)

Final Thoughts

To concisely conclude the review of this MG ZS EV, one of the most succinct (and certainly impactful) ways to do so is by stating that it should at least be considered by anyone currently in the market for a Honda WR-V or Proton X50. In fact, this e-SUV makes a pretty good case for itself to anyone who is just looking for an car for not a lot of money.

This MG’s all-electric drivetrain is after all a clear step above in terms of refinement relative to its equivalently-priced ICE counterparts, with its inherent EV-ness also bringing with it low maintenance costs and good get-up-and-go to make it an easy car to drive and live with. What more is that it comes with all the bits of kit to offer the good impression that one got more than they paid for, with its slightly more old-fashioned approach to its technology making all these features a doddle to actually use on a daily basis too.

The only question now is the uncomfortable one regarding resale value, with buyers who are looking at cars in this price point likely to be more conscious about the imminent chunk of change that will be going poof down the line. And going by the second hand prices of BYD Atto 3s these days, the MG really has to do the hard sell on its aforementioned plus points to prevent the more fiscally-prudent buyers going back to the Honda showroom.

Side Note: The Golden Question

As most will probably have heard of already given its rather intense promotional campaign, Proton is soon to debut its all-electric e.MAS 7 rather soon. And from a recent preview, it can be said that this first-ever EV from the Malaysian marque is an impressive machine that is leaps and bounds better than what this comparatively ancient and smaller MG offers.

Looking past all the glitz and glamour however, one has to also admit that its RM 120,000 estimated price is perhaps a bit too rich to actually help it in achieving its aim of forwarding the national EV agenda.

And this neatly leads onto the MG, which is more perhaps actually be something that Proton should be selling instead. This ZS EV admittedly far from the best EV in the world, but it is nevertheless good enough at a price that many more Malaysians at least think about transitioning to an all-electric motoring future.

To put it simply, it would have truly been golden if Proton could have gotten something from Geely that could be sold locally for around the RM 80,000 mark. Though maybe that is to come in the future with the smaller e.MAS models…?

Odds & Ends

The MG ZS EV is likely one of the few cars on the market today (irrespective of price) to still feature a whip-like long antenna sticking out from its roof.

Changing the driving modes (Eco, Comfort and Sport) distinctly changes the available pick up the car has. It also however changes the range estimate.
Aside from having three driving modes, there are also to be 3 strengths of regenerative braking to choose from with the MG ZS EV. What more is that the toggle to adjust the regenerative braking is labeled KERS, as in Kinetic Energy Recovery System (something F1 fans from the early 2010s will be familiar with)

This MG e-SUV features a Volkswagen-style external boot release from the central flip-up badge

The cruise control stalk is hidden behind the steering wheel where in such a way where one has to feel their way around using it, but it’s quite intuitive to use once familiar with its actions: push forward/backward on the stalk itself to activate/deactivate, press the button on the end to set speed

Despite being a cheap car (and one of Chinese origin), the MG ZS EV has keyless lock/unlock functionality on both front door handles.
The MG’s sunroof blind doesn’t close automatically once the car is switched off. Something that has since become commonplace on newer and posher cars these days.
There was more than one occasion where decreasing the volume using the steering wheel controls somehow rewinds to previous track instead.
There is a screen on the MG’s digital instrument display that rather interestingly shows motor rpm, in addition to the current and voltage output of the battery.

There’s no driver’s grab handle on the MG ZS EV.
While it is perhaps a tad old school now this MG use a wire for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay integration, it does also mean that it is just the case of a simple unplug and replug if it fritz out.
There is a customisable button on the MG’s multi-function steering wheel and it could be set to call up Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. This is really useful when having switched back to the car menu (through the physical ‘home’ toggle switch) for something or another and wanting to then quickly switch back to Waze.