It may have not been in the New Zealand market for long, but the MG ZS EV seems to be everywhere. There’s no doubt that being the cheapest new EV you can buy helped things along for a while, and then the Clean Car Programme rebate really kicked in for MG, with all stock being sold out and long waiting lists.
That’s not to say the MG ZS EV is perfect. When Rob reviewed the car in 2021, he found it to be great value, but with shortcomings. A frustrating infotainment system was a lowlight, but overall the car seemed well made and it drove just fine. I drove the car after Rob and found pretty much the same scenario. Great value, sure, but definitely a first effort.
With BYD now in the market and almost undercutting MG as the cheapest new EV, something had to be done. Enter stage left the 2022 MG ZS EV. DriveLife headed to Auckland to the launch of the updated model, and as a bonus, we’d be driving one back to Wellington after the event, and then reviewing it over a couple of weeks on the Daily Drive. A single day’s drive for over 650Km in the new MG ZS EV will surely be a good test of the new model, and then using it as a commuter will tell us if it has improved enough to gain its crown back.
From the airport, it was a ride in the current-gen MG ZS EV, the driver very happy with his car. I was in the rear of the ZS EV, and it reminded me just how much room there is back there – plenty of legroom for all. This car had held up well over its many Km of heavy use.
MG In New Zealand In 2022
Patrick Bourke, Country Manager for MG in New Zealand, gave us the rundown on MG in general. He claims that the MG3 now has 36% of the market share in its segment, with the ZS at 12%, and the bigger HS at 7%. Those are pretty good figures for a car brand that’s been here for just 3.5 years.
They now have 14 dealers across the country, and obviously, all those dealers push the fact that MG has a 7-year unlimited KM warranty, with “no hidden exclusions”. That warranty applies across both their Internal-Combustion Engine (ICE) models and their EVs.
In New Zealand, Patrick says that demand for the ZS EV “eclipsed most other markets”, and he suggests New Zealand is well ahead of the rest of the world in this respect.
Cameron Morgan, Technical Manager for MG in New Zealand and Australia tells us that the new ZS EV also has a new slogan: “EV Now Easy”. The new model has undergone some design changes, with a closed grille, a sports kit for the body, LED headlights and taillights, and 17” sports wheels.
NEW 2022 ZS EV
We will see two models in New Zealand, the Excite and Essence, with Excite being the base model. There’s a new iSmart app for the car, the MG ZS EV now has a 500Kg towing capacity, and Vehicle To Load (V2L) capability. You will need an adapter to use V2L but there’s no pricing for this yet, other than “approximately $500”. You can run household appliances up to 2.4kW on the V2L adapter. Great stuff in a power cut.
Standard equipment over both models includes:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane Keep Assist
- Traffic Jam Assist
- Automatic LED headlights
- Keyless entry and start
- V2L Capability
- iSmart app
- 360-degree camera
- LED daytime running lights
- SatNav
- 10.1″ centre touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability
- 17″ diamond cut alloy wheels
Over and above the Excite’s equipment levels, the Essence adds:
- 1.3-metre panoramic sunroof
- Heated front seats
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Automatic Wipers
- Roof Rails
- Qi Wireless Phone Charging
- Synthetic Leather Seats
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
A long annoyance of the current ZS model range is the infotainment system. It’s slow and painful to use. MG has listened to motoring journalists and buyers and claim they have improved the system. Both models sport a 10.1” centre touchscreen, with a 7” “virtual cluster” for the driver.
MG’s “MG Pilot” safety assistance system has been upgraded and the car has undergone improvements to decrease noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in the cabin.
The charge port has been moved to the side of the front grille. It was in the centre under the MG badge and was often a pain to get open. Now, it’s a simple flap arrangement.
Battery size has increased to 50.3kWh and MG says that will deliver a range of up to 320Km (WLTP figures), up from 263Km. Maximum power has also gone up, now 130kW (previously 105kW). They claim power consumption has gone down to 17.3kWh/100Km.
To answer the prayers of many, a towbar will be available for the ZS EV, although the cost is not yet finalised.
2022 MG ZS EV: DESIGN
Up front, there’s a new logo, and the closed grille lowers wind resistance. While the previous model had halogen headlights, the latest gen has LED headlights. Michelin Primacy 3ST tyres are used for better handling and grip, and there are new laser-cut alloy wheels that are optimised for less wind resistance.
The new car has front and rear air deflectors for better wind noise reduction, and around the back there are now LED taillights. Admittedly, the rear of the car looks a lot more modern and fresh, just with those few changes.
The top-spec Essence model has a full-length panoramic sunroof with an electric blind, and it’s over one metre in length. This should let a lot of natural light into the cabin of the ZS EV.
In the boot, there is 359 litres of space, and that increases to 1,187 with the seats down.
Colour options include Brighton Blue Metallic, York White, Pebble Black, Sloane Silver, and Diamond Red Metallic.
2022 MG ZS EV: Specifications & Pricing
Along with V2L capability, the new ZS EV will take up to 80kW on a fast charger, while the motor puts out 280Nm of torque and MG claims the car will get to 100Km/h in 8.2 seconds. A rotary dial is retained for selecting a gear.
There will be two models available, the base Excite at $49,990 driveaway, and the top-spec Essence at $53,990 driveaway. Both have a 50.3kWh battery pack, and an identical drivetrain of the 130kW electric motor and front-wheel drive.
Both will also come with MG’s “unmatched” 7-year warranty for battery and vehicle, something that they have over any BYD models at the moment. They also offer 7 years of WoF checks, and 7 years of Roadside Assistance.
The new MG ZS EV is on sale now, and MG Motors New Zealand claims that stock levels are increasing. MG says they have over 1,000 pre-orders for the new model, with 60% of those being the Essence. Most pre-orders are coming out of Christchurch, and MG NZ goes on to say that Christchurch is consistently their top-selling region.
2022 MG ZS EV: DRIVE TIME
Piling into the base-spec Excite we hit the road west towards Helensville. The MG ZS EV feels much like before to drive, although on that short trip, NVH seems improved. One thing that has improved radically is the entire infotainment system. It’s so much faster and much more intuitive. While it wouldn’t have taken much to improve the car from the old system, the new one feels current in design and use, and speed isn’t really an issue anymore. It did feel like at times, some buttons took a solid press to get them to work, but the long trip home will only prove this, if it’s true.
I must admit, I spent some time looking for the heated seat buttons, but not finding them. Then I realised we were in the lower-spec car, and it doesn’t have them. Looking at the spec sheets, it’s worth spending the extra $4K to go for the Essence, and I can see why 60% of preorders are for the top-spec model.
Wind and tyre noise is very well subdued, far more so now than in the ‘old’ model. At 100km/h, conversation is easy and there is no extra noise from anywhere to drown you out in the slightest.
On the return trip, I took to the driver’s seat. The new MG ZS EV is still lively, bearing in mind it’s front-wheel drive only. This means a spirited getaway from a stop sign can result in some tyre squeal.
Overall, it feels similar to the old model, but in ways hard to describe, different. I think the new ZS EV is more refined than the old one, and it’s obvious that MG has put thought into NVH and reducing it where possible.
Fist impressions are very positive. While MG needed to do something to fend off BYD, they have done that. The 2022 MG ZS EV looks great on paper, looks great on price, and on a short drive at least, performs very well. Those who have previously shunned Chinese-built cars need to take a drive in this one.
On getting back to Auckland city, I took the car to the free Vector fast charger on Hobson Street, and charged it to 100%, ready for the 650Km drive home tomorrow. That will be a great test. Keep an eye out for our full review.
Be sure to join our monthly email newsletter list so you don’t miss a single car review!
