2021 MG ZS EV Electric Vehicle Review

The rise of [now Chinese] brand MG in its only few years on sale in Australia has been interesting to say the least. Launching (or should we say relaunching?) in 2016, MG’s rise to sales success has been extraordinary. In September 2020 alone, MG’s sales were placed at 13th in the country, which is remarkable for such a new brand to Australia. But now that the brand has struck a loyal customer base, it’s launching not-so-mainstream products. Enter the 2021 MG ZS EV.

The ZS EV is the electric version of the brand’s hugely popular ZS small SUV. While the regular ZS is priced in the low $20,000 bracket and the turbocharged and updated ZS T around $10,000 more, the ZS EV is priced from $40,990 plus on-road costs (officially $43,990 drive away) which makes it the cheapest electric car on sale in Australia. Combine this with its SUV body and that the MG brand is in vogue with many Aussies right now, and the ZS EV has a real chance of success. But is it worthy? Read on. 

Price & Equipment: 8/10

Up until now, MGs have been sold on price but the 2021 MG ZS EV is priced from $43,990 drive away, which sounds expensive for a small SUV. Yet for an electric small SUV, it’s very well priced. Consider this: the Hyundai Kona Electric, which has a lot more range as standard, costs above $60,000. The Nissan Leaf? $49,990. The Hyundai Ioniq, which is the former cheapest EV in Australia? $48,790. 

When MG initially announced the ZS EV for Australian sales more than a year ago, the launch price was $46,990 drive away and now the car has arrived, it’s somehow been made $3,000 cheaper. So what do you get for your money? Well, unlike the regular ZS and the MG3, the company’s ‘MG Pilot’ active safety kit is standard – this includes auto emergency braking with forward collision warning and pedestrian detection, auto high beam, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and speed sign assist are all standard equipment. 

In addition to that, synthetic leather upholstery with heated front seats, a six-way electric driver’s seat, six airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt nav, a reversing camera, keyless entry and start with auto-folding mirrors, a panoramic glass roof, an electric parking brake, a rotary dial transmission selector and three driving plus three regenerative brake modes are standard kit. The only option is which colour you’d like: ‘Clipper Blue’ (unique to the EV), ‘Diamond Red’, ‘Regal Blue’, ‘Dover White’ and ‘Pebble Black’ are available – the first three are an extra $500. 

What’s it missing? Well there are a few items of equipment on offer on much cheaper small SUVs (that are admittedly petrol powered) including climate control (the ZS may appear to have it, but it doesn’t), digital radio, rear air vents or a rear centre armrest.

And while the ZS T is around $10,000 less expensive, it does offer quite a lot more standard kit including LED rear lighting, a digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, auto wipers and a 360-degree parking camera – that’s in addition to its updated styling and massively improved interior design and quality. 

Performance & Range: 8/10

Under the bonnet of the 2021 MG ZS EV is a 105kW/353Nm electric motor that drives the front wheels. This is fed its juice by a 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack that’s mounted under the floor to not impede on interior space. Its kerb weight is 1,532kg, which is 237kg more than the ZS T. These factors combined with the usual electric instant torque means that the ZS EV feels spritely behind the wheel – 0-60km/h is dealt with in just 3.0 seconds and 0-100 in just 8.2 seconds, which is around five seconds faster than the regular ZS 1.0L turbo petrol. 

Of course, range is the biggest issue currently faced by electric cars and the 2021 MG ZS EV is capable of a WLTP-official 262km – though MG says up to around 370km is possible in urban conditions using a lot of regenerative braking, which feeds the battery pack quicker. How does that compare to electric rivals? The Ioniq manages 311km and the Leaf 315km, though they’re a good $5,000+ more to buy. 

Charging the 2021 MG ZS EV is completed in as little as 45 minutes up to 80 per cent using a DC charging station, though most will use a 7.2kW household socket and that takes around seven hours. 

When out on the open road the 2021 MG ZS EV felt very mature and didn’t have the usual characteristics of a sub-$20,000 small SUV on which it is based – it hugged the road well with its Michelin Primacy 3 tyres and the performance was exceptional.

More on the performance – when exiting corners the 2021 MG ZS EV had that instant torque electric vehicles are known for. Behind the wheel it felt more powerful than the claimed 105kW. 

Ride & Handling: 7/10

While the ride is on the firmer side due to the added weight of battery packs it is still quite compliant and would be absolutely fine for day to day use. You do feel the bumps in the road and around town speed humps and driveways can upset the ride but the 2021 MG ZS EV definitely isn’t what we would call uncomfortable.

Something that may shock you is that the 2021 MG ZS EV handles remarkably well. It corners flat without any issue and although it isn’t the lowest and most balanced chassis in the world, it still feels spirited in the twisty bits. The standard Michelin tyres add decent levels of grip to the mix, giving confidence in corners.

Interior & Practicality: 7/10

The interior of the 2021 MG ZS EV is a nice place to spend time. The dash is soft to the touch and the door pulls are leather. The seats are supportive and it is a very comfortable vehicle to drive. The centre console consists of two cup holders and a decent sized centre console that isn’t hard to reach when driving, there is also an ample of interior storage for the front seat occupants.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is easy to use and the bright colours of the main menu are a nice touch compared to some dim systems we have used in the past. The menus are user friendly and although at times where it can take a little bit to load a screen, the system is great for day to day use and Apple CarPlay and Android auto are displayed well.

The rear occupants will be enthused to know that there is a generous amount of rear seat room but although there aren’t any rear air conditioning vents there is a single USB-A port between the two front seats that the rear occupants can share – the newer ZS T has two in total. The luggage capacity of the 2021 MG ZS EV with the rear seats in place is 359-litres, which is more than ample for this segment – this opens to 1,187-litres with the second row seats folded.

Finally, the standard panoramic glass sunroof is excellent, but there’s no proper blind to shield passengers from the harsh Australian sun – just a thin perforated blind, which just isn’t strong enough. This means that occupants must pump the air-con, which reduces range.

Service & Warranty: 7/10

The standard ZS/ZS T (/every other new MG) has a seven-year/unlimited km warranty but the 2021 MG ZS EV’s warranty is reduced to five years (eight years for the drivetrain).

We aren’t able to comment on the service pricing of the 2021 MG ZS EV as it has not been released to the public yet – we’ll update this article when it’s been announced. 

2021 MG ZS EV DiscoverAuto Rating: 7.4/10

The 2021MG ZS EV is an important car for Australia as it brings electric vehicles closer to the reach of the average Aussie. With great value, lots of standard features and a good warranty backing the 2021 MG ZS EV, we can’t see any reason as to why it shouldn’t sell well. It drives well and is in no way intimidating to get behind the wheel for first time EV drivers. Would we recommend the 2021 MG ZS EV for those looking to switch to electric power? In one word: yes.