MG ZS review - Engines, drive & performance

The MG ZS is solely available as the Hybrid+ model from launch and that’s no bad thing – it’s the same hybrid system the brand used in its MG3 supermini. We loved it for its smoothness and generous power figure in that car as it made it feel punchy and surprisingly fun to drive.

While the MG ZS Hybrid+ may be a larger, heavier SUV, there’s still more than enough power to get you around. Most of the time the electric motor is powering the wheels with the petrol engine only chiming in from time to time when you put your foot down to overtake, join a motorway or make it up a steep hill.

The powertrain is rather unconventional in that it makes use of an automatic gearbox with just three speeds. That does mean that it holds onto gears for an inordinate amount of time, but it’s still fairly nippy to drive. Because the electric motor pulls so much of the weight, the MG ZS delivers its power instantly and feels relaxing and easy to drive, much like an EV.

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Like an EV, you also benefit from regenerative braking tech – here there are three levels on offer, helping to put energy that would otherwise be lost to braking back into the MG ZS’s battery. 

The steering is well set up for a relaxing drive, too. It’s not the most responsive when travelling in a straight line, but the benefit to this is that it doesn’t feel twitchy with your inputs and isn’t so easily upset over bumps and ridges in the road.

The suspension is also well balanced. Our initial impression was that it felt firm, but then once we hit road imperfections and potholes we found it did a great job of smoothing the ride, too, making it a great all rounder.

Our biggest gripe is with the tyres. On the tyres fitted to our test car there was lots of tyre noise making it into the cabin over 30mph. While drivers who do the majority of their trips around town under 30mph might not find it too much of a problem, those driving longer motorway journeys would find the Renault Captur or Toyota Yaris Cross much better suited.

Petrol models

A pure-petrol version of the MG ZS will arrive later down the line, but details are still to be confirmed for this model.

Hybrid models

From launch there’s just the one MG ZS Hybrid+ version on sale, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. Combined they produce 197bhp and offer sprightly – but not sporty – performance.

Electric models 

Although the previous MG ZS was offered with an all-electric powertrain, the brand has chosen to focus its efforts on just petrol and hybrid versions this time around. A replacement for the ZS EV will arrive later based on the underpinnings of the all-electric MG4.