The MG ZS EV brings affordable electric motoring to the masses with its competitive price tag, and impresses with its range and features

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SINGAPORE

British brand MG, now under the ownership of China’s SAIC Motor Corporation, made its return to the Singapore market at the Singapore Motor Show in January 2020, and the MG ZS EV was one of its first launch models during its reintroduction locally.

What is the MG ZS EV?

The ZS EV is a well-built SUV that’s spacious, safe and decent to drive. It serves its purpose as a family SUV well, while at the same time demonstrating that the Chinese are truly capable of delivering a product that can compete with the best.

It follows a standard layout for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) with a bank of lithium-ion batteries sitting under the floor, and a compact electric motor and the controller for it beneath the bonnet. The motor produces 141hp and 353Nm of torque, powered by a 44.5kWH battery.

MG says that the ZS EV is good for a range of 335km when fully charged, and it can also accept fast DC charging, allowing you to gain 80 percent of charge in just 40 minutes. The charging port is situated behind a hatch on the grille that bears the MG logo.

The ZS EV’s SUV form factor means that it is spacious and practical, with its boot featuring a duo-level floor, and 448 litres of capacity, expandable to 1,375 litres if the rear seats are folded down. It’s also spacious front and back, and its large panoramic sunroof gives the cabin an airy ambience.

Standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, automatic lamps and wipers, three USB charging ports and a powered driver’s seat. There are also six airbags for maximum occupant safety, and the air con includes a PM2.5 particulate filter as well.

The Driving Experience

Press the “Start/stop” button and the ZS EV powers up silently, and once you see the “Ready” indicator you’re good to go. Push the accelerator and the electric motor sends it on its way with a sort of faraway hum. The acceleration is perfectly smooth — it’s never interrupted by gear changes — and the response to your right foot is instantaneous.

The ZS EV also reveals that there’s more to refinement than a quiet motor. As you’re rolling along, things are beautifully hushed inside, and you suddenly realise that MG’s engineers must have worked hard to make that happen — when there are no engine sounds you become acutely aware of every little squeak and rattle but the ZS EV is largely free of noise.

The body doesn’t creak, the wind doesn’t rustle much at legal speeds, the tyres rumble but don’t roar, and you’re left to just enjoy the quietness. It’s just as well-mannered on the highway as it is in the city.

The suspension is obviously tuned for comfort, as well. To go with the cabin’s silence, there’s excellent ride quality. The springs absorb bumps diligently and the dampers help to smoothen the body’s movements nicely. It’s comfy enough that behind the wheel, you feel like you could keep going and going.

Like many EVs, the ZS EV features regenerative braking, which is adjustable to three levels and on the heaviest setting (i.e. with the most energy recovery) you can nearly drive the car with just one pedal.

So, why this car?

The MG ZS EV is a car that truly brings electric cars into the mainstream here, by being something of a BEV bargain. For the first time, buyers here have a credible electric car that doesn’t come at a huge premium to comparable combustion cars.

What the MG ZS EV offers is an opportunity to completely redefine the Singaporean car buyer’s thinking. The MG brand proves that Chinese cars need not be badly built or poorly equipped, and the ZS EV in particular demonstrates that electric motoring need not be expensive or out of reach for the mainstream buyer.

Click here to read the full review of the MG ZS EV

MG ZS EV