MG ZS review - Practicality & boot space

The MG ZS might be relatively affordable, but it’s still an SUV, and its proportions should see it fitting in with family life. The boot is a decent size and there's plenty of space inside for five occupants, while a light 'Urban' power steering mode makes low-speed manoeuvring remarkably easy.

MG ZS interior space & storage

Settling behind the wheel isn't as easy as it might be. Although the steering column can be adjusted for angle, it doesn't adjust for reach. Thankfully, there's a lot of fore and aft adjustment in the driver's seat and most will be able to find a comfortable position without too much fuss. The driver's seat, incidentally, is nicely supportive and well-padded.

MG boasts that the ZS has around 80mm more rear headroom than average in this class of car and this claim seems to prove accurate in the metal, although the Dacia Duster is roomier still. There's space inside for four adults to travel without feeling too cramped, while a fifth can take a seat in the middle of the rear bench, providing they don't mind rubbing legs with those on either side. The hump running through the middle of the car’s floor is also fairly small, so there’s decent room for feet, even for a middle passenger. Rear visibility isn’t great, mind, so the 360-degree camera of the Exclusive trim might be a must for some drivers.

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Boot space

Still more generous is the MG's boot space, which, at 448 litres with the rear seats in place, is 26 litres more than offered by the Nissan Juke. The rear seats split and fold in the usual 60/40 manner, and total cargo space when the rear seats are folded out of use is 1,375 litres – 100 litres more than the Renault Captur. While the electric version of many cars has a smaller boot, the MG ZS EV bucks this trend, with a bigger 470-litre boot. However, its seats-folded size of 1,100 litres is slightly smaller overall.

There’s also a good amount of under-floor boot storage, but it’s bare plastic, so loose items can slide and rattle around.