2025 MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ | Hybrid Car Review

While we’ve only ever reviewed the EV-version of MG’s popular ZS model, each time we’ve been behind the wheel, it’s been a pleasant experience.

However, with other, newer offerings on the market, the ZS had moved into the “a little bit dated” department. Still good, but there are better options. Now, MG has released a hybrid version, and we’re testing the top-spec $39,990 Essence version here.

What We Like and Dislike About The 2025 MG ZS Essence Hybrid+

What we like	What we don’t like
Design Price vs. features General driveability Interior finish and design Interior space for size of car Performance Seamless transition for EV/hybrid Turning circle	Power issues (to be resolved) Lane Keep Assist Adaptive cruise control a little jerky

What’s In The 2025 MG ZS Hybrid Range?

If you want a hybrid MG ZS, there are two models available;

Excite – $36,990

Essence – $39,990

Both are powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that has a hybrid assist system. This means the maximum combined power output is 158kW, with combined torque at 465Nm. The MG ZS Hybrid is front-wheel drive only, and has a three-speed “hybrid transmission”.

Since the power train is the same and both are front-wheel drive, the only difference between them is extras fitted to the Essence model.

2025 MG HS Hybrid Colour Range

You can buy your MG ZS Hybrid in one of 7 colours:

• Dover White
• Sloane Silver
• Lunar Grey Metallic
• Emerald Green Metallic
• Brighton Blue Metallic
• Diamond Red Metallic
• Black Pearl Metallic

There is no additional cost for changing your MG ZS’s colour.

For a full list of specs and options available for the 2025 MG ZS Essence Hybrid+, head on over to MG’s New Zealand’s website.

How Does The 2025 MG HS Essence Hybrid+ Compare To Its Competition?

Make/ Model	Engine	Power/ Torque kW/Nm	Seats	Fuel L/100km	Boot Space litres	Price
Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Limited AWD	2-litre 4-cylinder petrol hybrid	112/190	5	4.9	390	$53,190
Peugeot 2008 GT Hybrid	1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol with hybrid assist	100/230	5	4.9	434	$49,990
Kia Niro HEV Earth +	1.6-litre, 4-cylinder petrol-hybrid	100/230	5	4.9	434	$49,990
Ford Puma ST	1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol, mild hybrid	125/248	5	5.7	465	$47,990
Honda HR-V Sport	1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol- hybrid	96/253	5	4.3	319	$45,800
Hyundai Kona Elite AWD Series II	1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol	146/245	5	7.7	371	$45,490
Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid	1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol hybrid	139/375	5	5.1	255	$40,990
MG ZS Essence Hybrid +	1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol hybrid	158/465	5	4.7	443	$39,990

Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.

First Impressions Of The 2025 MG ZS Hybrid+

It’s a nip and tuck for the new 2025 MG ZS, but boy, what a difference it’s made to the car, lifting it instantly into 2025. I got quite a few positive comments from people about the design of the car, and it’s especially punchy when finished in the stunning Brighton Blue Metallic of our test car.

It now doesn’t look that much smaller or different to the new MG HS that Rob recently tested, and as a potential buyer, I think I’d be hard-pushed to go for the bigger HS model unless I really needed that bit of extra space.

Around the back is something we all hoped would die out this year: fake exhaust tips. Other cars can do without them, and they look so try-hard. I wish MG (and others) would drop this terrible design feature. Still, that’s a personal view and once inside and driving, you can’t see them anyway (even though the OCD in me knows they’re still there…).

What’s The Interior Like In The 2025 MG ZS Essence Hybrid+?

It’s a pleasant experience when you open the door of the new MG ZS; the interior design and luxury has improved massively. Gone are much of the cheap and nasty flat black plastics, replaced by softer surfaces where it’s practical.

Our test car had the (no cost optional) white interior, and this only helped the new ZS lift its game. That white is on the seats, doors and dash, with the seats carrying a black/white pattern. It was always a pleasure to return to that white interior. Some might say it’s too hard to keep clean, but the seats are perforated vinyl, so a wipe with a damp cloth is all it takes, if needed. The driver’s seat in the ZS Essence is powered for adjustment, while the passenger’s is manual.

Not that the previous ZS was badly put together, but fit and finish certainly seems to be an area where MG has focused for the new model; gaps and joins are spot on, there’s nothing that creaks or groans, and you would likely think you were in a $50K+ car, not one sitting at just under $40K.

It was good to see restrained use of piano black in the new model, it’s only around the gear shift. Too many brands are slapping it all over their interiors, and for me, that’s a mistake. It collects dust and fingerprints so badly. There’s a new gear shift in the ZS, and it’s, well, bigger. MG says it’s a “Sleek Electronic Gear Lever” and has gone away from the current trend of tiny little toggles to change gears, to a much bigger in-your-face shifter.

To the left of the new gear shifter is a semi-rubberised flat pad, that I thought was for a cellphone to sit. It’s not a good idea to put your cellphone here; a little too much acceleration and it goes flying. There’s another place in front of the gear shift for your cellphone to live.

Front seat passengers in the ZS have access to a single USB-A and USB-C ports – it’s fantastic when manufacturers include both types. Up on the mirror is that rare but desirable feature: a USB-A port, for your dashcam or radar detector. There’s also a 12-volt socket at the front of the console.

The steering wheel is a flat bottom one, not that the ZS has sporty intentions. It’s perforated too, and feels great to the touch, although there is only tilt adjustment, so it doesn’t telescope in or out.

Those in the rear have access to a nice amount of leg, shoulder and headroom – even with the full-length panoramic sunroof. The sunroof has an electric cloth blind, while the front part is a tilt/slide electric panel.

There’s a single USB-A port for rear-seat passengers to charge their devices. The rear seats are very comfortable, and I expect they would be just fine for a long trip.

Access to the boot is via a nicely low loading height and is a large 443 litres with the rear seats up. Common for 2025, there’s no spare under the floor, but you do get both a 12-volt tyre pump and a tyre repair kit.

What’s The 2025 MG HS Essence Hybrid+ Like To Drive?

With a very decent 465Nm of torque, you’d expect the ZS Hybrid+ to be pretty damn peppy, and on the whole it is. It gives its best when you floor it, and possibly that’s a good thing; we’ve struck a few test cars lately that are a bit too responsive on the gas pedal, meaning a bit of a jerky drive until you get used to it. The car’s 0-100km/h time is 8.7 seconds; not a rocket ship, but commendable all the same.

The 1.5-litre engine is relatively quiet when it’s working, although some of the hills of Transmission Gully made it work hard, and while not noisy or obtrusive, wasn’t exactly a model of smooth and quiet. I guess that highlights an issue with our test car; when the EV battery got too low, the performance would drop right off, to the point where I could only do 75km/h on one of Transmission Gully’s steeper hills – the petrol engine is not too powerful, and relying on it alone means the car struggled up hills. Apparently, MG is releasing an update to fix this issue where the car’s systems will not let the EV battery get too low. It makes you wonder why they released the car in the first place, with such an issue.

As per most MGs, you get to pick from 3 drive modes; Eco, Normal, and Sport – with the car always reverting to Normal when you start it. With so much torque, Eco mode is a very easy drive, and if the car defaulted to this, most people wouldn’t notice. Sport mode ramps up performance, with wheel spin from a standing start easily achievable. 

While the performance of the new ZS Hybrid+ is very good, don’t expect it to handle the bends like a sports car. While it feels pretty safe most of the time, if you push too hard, understeer kicks in, with lots of body roll. It all feels fine and safe, and the reality is most owners will simply tootle around town anyway.

The ZS Hybrid+ has an EV battery and so it can maintain 100km/h in EV mode on the motorway, if that battery has enough charge. There’s no control over the EV/hybrid system, so just get in and drive it. If the EV battery gets too low, the engine will start and drive the car, as well as charging the battery. This is not a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), so you can’t charge it at home or anywhere else.

The transition between the three modes (EV, hybrid, or engine-drive) is seamless and generally perfect. At times, you don’t know what the hybrid system is doing until you check the dashboard out. That’s an excellent result.

I had thought the 3-speed “advanced” automatic transmission would be a bit of a dog, but honestly, I barely noticed it was only a 3-speed. It’s masked well, although the transmission gets a bit slushy on full-throttle acceleration.

While you cannot control the hybrid system, you do have some control over brake regeneration (regen). There are three settings to pick from, with 1 being the lightest and almost coasting. Switching to 3 will obviously see much stronger regen, with more charge going into the batteries when going down a hill (for example). This is not one-pedal driving, but still decent regen all the same. To change regen levels means going into the infotainment system, which is a bit painful. Some wise soul had programmed one of the two ‘favourite’ buttons on our test car’s steering wheel to cycle through the regen levels, and that was perfect. There are no regen paddles in the ZS Hybrid+.

Speaking of the infotainment system, well, it’s come a long way and is all the better for it. The home page alone (while the same as the MG3 we recently tested) is a big improvement; you get direct access to SatNav, some basic AC controls (fan, temperature, AC on/off), audio, and shortcuts to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

There are also hard buttons below the centre screen for front or rear demist, AC on/off, and volume up/down. It feels like a good mix of physical and digital controls. The actual user interface of the infotainment system is crisp, and it responds quite quickly, too.

One of the AC controls on the infotainment system is for the front seat heaters – and these are single stage, only. I can’t remember the last new car I tested with heated seats that were not 3-stage, so this feels like a step backward. As expected, when using the heated seats, they pretty much fry your ass. On=very hot.

Having built-in SatNav is a nice feature, and a move away from some brands that are forcing buyers to use their smartphone instead. It works well too, although it was a bit of pain to use any voice commands in the ZS Hybrid+, as it only works if you have your phone connected via a cable and are using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. So we’ve got built-in SatNav, but you have to connect your phone via a cable to use voice commands.

Back to driving the 2025 MG ZS Essence Hybrid+; visibility is excellent, with a large rear window, bigger side windows and almost normally sized front pillars, commuting in rush-hour traffic is a breeze in the ZS. The dashboard is crisp and clear, if a little busy. You can select from a variety of options to display on the right-hand side, such as fuel economy, tyre pressures, energy flow etc. However, it didn’t seem to matter which screen I picked, within seconds or minutes, the display would revert to the driver assist screen. I could never work out how to make the car stick with the screen I wanted.

The turning circle is a tight 10.5 metres, helping that city driving nicely. The car is very easy to live with day to day.

Cranking up your sounds on the commute will reveal a sound system that’s actually better than you’d expect, with nice separation and reasonable coverage over all frequencies.

I hate to end on negativity, but the ZS Essence Hybrid+ had a few issues while I was testing it. While the adaptive cruise control generally works well, it can feel like a brake on/brake off experience at times, making for slightly jerky travel. The steering assist too is a little jerky; holding the steering wheel with steering assist turned on, and you can feel the car doing little left/right adjustments constantly. It feels a little strange, and doesn’t feel smooth.

Like some other Chinese brands, our test car also sometimes struggled with turns into turn bays. With an indicator on, the car would give the steering wheel a jerk back in the other direction – but just once, so that’s not too bad. Come on, MG; if I’ve got my indicator on, then Lane Keep Assist should turn off.

Fuel economy was around what we had expected to achieve. While MG suggests a rating of 4.7L/100km, after 600km of driving we managed 5.3L/100km. It’s about what you’d expect from a 1.5-litre hybrid.

Mention has to be made of MG’s 10-year, 250,000km warranty. While others are now starting to offer this, they did it first, and it’s an absolute sign of their commitment to the brand. The fact that the warranty is transferable is a big bonus. Roadside Assist is included as well, for the 10-year period.

READ ON TO CHECK OUT OUR SUMMARY OF THE 2025 MG ZS ESSENCE HYBRID+.

2025 MG HS Essence Hybrid+ – Specifications

Vehicle Type	Small 5-door Hybrid SUV
Starting Price	$39,990
Price as Tested	$39,990
Engine	1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol with hybrid assist
Power, Torque kW/Nm	158/465
Transmission	Three-speed automatic “Hybrid Transmission”
Spare Wheel	Pump and tyre repair kit only
Kerb Weight, Kg	1,400
Length x Width x Height mm	4430x1818x1635
Boot Space / Cargo Capacity, Litres (seats up/seats down)	443/1,457
Fuel tank capacity, litres	41
Fuel Economy, L/100km	Advertised Spec – Combined – 4.7 Real-World Test – Combined – 5.3 Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+
Towing Capacity Kg, unbraked/braked	500/500
Turning circle metres	10.5 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+
Warranty	10 years, 250,000km Anti-perforation and paint – 7 years, unlimited km 10 Years Roadside Assistance
Safety information	ANCAP Rating – 4 stars – Link Rightcar.govt.nz – 4 Stars – QUE871

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