The MG brand is all about offering lots of car for little money, and the ZS SUV is arguably the most on-brand of all the MG products. The MG ZS has been an unqualified success for MG. It offered compact SUV space and mid-range equipment for bargain basement prices. But now the new MG ZS Hybrid+ is here, and it wades into battle with the weight of expectation on its new, chunkier shoulders. As well as a fresh look, it has new tech, more space, and a new dashboard, not to mention a new hybrid powertrain, although the electric version has been axed with a standalone EV waiting in the wings.
At launch, then, the hybrid is the sole option. The pressure is on. Will MG have managed to increase the ZS's appeal while keeping the price in check? The MG ZS Hybrid+ is the cheapest HEV SUV on offer in Spain, with prices starting at € 22,990. The hybrid system comprises a 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine that churns out 102 PS. The electric motor generates 100 kW (136 PS). The new MG Astor Hybrid+ has a combined power output of 196 PS. It takes 8.7 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/H. It is equipped with a 1.83 kWh lithium-ion battery that is rated at 350 volts and is recharged with a 45-kW generator. The hybrid SUV is being offered in a front-wheel drive system and is equipped with a 3-speed automatic transmission. Fuel efficiency is pretty good at 100 km for every 5 litres, which is around 20 km per litre. CO2 emissions are certified at 115 g/km, as per the WLTP standards.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Design & Dimensions
MG has increased the size of the ZS quite considerably, adding around 10cm to the car’s length, as well as increasing the width and height slightly. As a result, there’s an all-new body with more muscular design and a bit more sculpting, but the headline is arguably the wide new grille, which is apparently going to become a feature on petrol- and hybrid-powered MG products going forward. We’ve already seen it on the forthcoming HS and the new MG3 Hybrid+, and the ZS is simply following suit.
Whether you think the look is a good one comes down to taste, but while oversized grilles have taken a bit of a kicking in recent years, largely thanks to the efforts of BMW, the new ZS really isn’t a bad-looking car. Perhaps it doesn’t have the sophistication of some more upmarket alternatives, but park it next to a Toyota, a Nissan or even a Volkswagen and it won’t look out of place.
The new MG ZS Hybrid+ has sleek LED headlamps and LED DRLs, a prominent grille in black finish and polygonal air intakes. Side profile is distinguishable with sporty, 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, thick cladding and side moulding. The hybrid SUV has chrome garnish on the windows, roof rails in chrome finish and body-coloured door handles. At the rear, MG Astor Hybrid+ has triangular LED tail lamps and a prominent dual-tone bumper.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Interior
MG has put a lot of effort into the new ZS’s cabin, and it has paid off. The design is much more modern than before, with a touchscreen that’s more elegantly integrated into the dash and a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. There’s a minimalist feel, though, with just a single bank of shortcut buttons beneath the screen and a few switches on the centre console and steering wheel.
Inside, the SUV is designed for comfort and has premium vibes. With a decluttered cabin, the sense of roominess is enhanced. Equipment list for the Comfort variant includes multiple airbags, automatic lights on and rain sensor, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. Users can access USB ports, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, digital radio, keyless entry and start system, rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors.
And it largely feels quite pleasant, too, with some tactile materials in evidence on most of the major touchpoints, and only a few cheaper plastics showing through. Yes, the steering wheel buttons remain fiddly and difficult to decipher, and the buttons on the dashboard feel a little bit low-rent, but for something at this price point it feels remarkably ergonomic and comparatively well made.
It’s roomy, too, thanks in no small part to the increased dimensions. The extra length has allowed for more space in the back, and even tall adults will have no problem getting comfortable back there, as both head- and legroom are more than sufficient. The boot is competitively sized, too, although it isn’t quite as large as that of the old ZS thanks to the hybrid gubbins under the floor. In fairness there isn’t a huge difference.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Technology
MG has put a lot of the interior focus on technology, placing a touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard and a digital instrument display behind the steering wheel. Both screens have a reasonably high resolution and some relatively modern graphics, especially compared with some other MG products, but there the praise ends.
The touchscreen, which houses all the usual functions and the climate control system, may look much better than before, but it’s still quite laggy at times, stuttering over inputs and spending much too long trying to get its ducks in a row. That makes it more distracting than it should be, despite MG’s attempts to make it more intuitive with shortcut buttons below the screen.
Then there’s the instrument display, which naturally doesn’t have the same software issues as the touchscreen but does still have some control and configuration problems. In MG’s attempts to reduce buttons on the steering wheel, it has simply given buttons multiple tasks depending on the situation, and that makes configuring the instrument display quite tricky at times. When you think you’re changing the display, you might actually be increasing the volume on the radio. Combine that with some cluttered graphics, and you’ve got an instrument display for which MG hasn’t quite got the execution right.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Driving Experience
To create the ZS Hybrid+, MG’s engineers effectively grabbed the MG3 Hybrid+’s powertrain and slotted it into the engine bay of the ZS, then slapped themselves on the back and went off for a beer. And well they might, because on paper, at least, the transplant seems to have worked very nicely indeed.
With a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working alongside a 100kW electric motor, the ZS has a total output of 196hp, and it sends that to the front wheels via an archaic-sounding three-speed automatic gearbox. Archaic or not, though, the transmission clearly does the job, allowing relatively brisk acceleration and impressive efficiency. According to the official economy test, the ZS Hybrid+ will burn just over five litres of unleaded every 100km, and our test drive suggested that figure wasn’t too far from reality. The 115g/km emissions rating keeps the tax bills palatable, too.
And the system is reasonably refined most of the time, albeit with a few caveats. The ZS isn’t quite as comfortable with the hybrid powertrain as the MG3, presumably because it’s a bigger and heavier car, but it still uses the electric motor way more often than you might expect, and it integrates relatively well with the petrol engine. The gearbox control software sometimes makes some odd decisions, which can disturb the peace slightly with the tuneless drone of a high-revving four-cylinder engine, but that’s only an occasional issue.
While the ZS performs admirably on paper, a few blots in its copybook surface when you get it on the road. The refinement of the engine, albeit occasionally less than exemplary, is less of an issue on the motorway, for example, because of the road noise you get on almost any surface. It gets quite loud in there, and though you can drown it out with the stereo, it doesn’t make for comfortable journeys.
The ride, on the other hand, is at its best on motorways, where the speed and the nature of the bumps, which tend to be of lower frequency and longer wavelength, leaves it feeling relaxed. However, around town the relatively soft springs seem to struggle with some sharper bumps such as potholes, and though the effects aren’t disastrous, you wouldn’t call it a comfortable urban runabout.
That wouldn’t be such a problem were the MG the last word in driver involvement, but it’ll surprise absolutely nobody to find the ZS’s strengths lie elsewhere. Numb, light steering is quite useful in the supermarket car park, but it’s less helpful on a country lane, and that soft suspension makes for some ‘interesting’ movements of the car’s body, particularly when cornering on a less-than-ideal road surface. In short, the ZS just about drives adequately in most everyday situations, but it isn’t sporty in any way, and it doesn’t relish a challenge.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Safety
The new MG ZS hasn’t been assessed by Euro NCAP, the independent safety body, but we are hoping it will fare better than its predecessor. The old ZS slipped to a miserable three-star rating when it was new in 2017, and MG will be hoping to improve on that figure considerably.
As if to prove its intent, the Chinese brand has fitted the ZS with all manner of safety systems as standard, including a reversing camera and autonomous emergency braking, and the company says it has tuned the driver assistance systems to be a little more forgiving on European roads. That means the lane-keeping assistance has been tuned for narrower roads, and the speed limit warning technology is also adapted to allow a moment’s leeway when the speed limit changes. These are small things, but they make the car a little easier to live with.
Safety kit includes central locking and adaptive cruise control and speed limiter. A comprehensive range of ADAS features are available such as active emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. There’s lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, driver attention alert, forward collision warning and rear cross traffic alert. MG Astor Hybrid+ has intelligent speed assistant, tire pressure monitoring system and e-Call emergency call system.
That said, our test drive revealed inaccuracies with the speed limit warning system that meant it would misread road signs, while the lane departure system would intervene unnecessarily, so we turned them both off (something you have to do every time you drive the car, if you’re so inclined, thanks to EU legislation). Fortunately, though, we had a more positive experience with the 360-degree manoeuvring camera system, which is very sharp and offers useful angles that should help owners avoid low-speed bumps.
MG ZS Hybrid+ Verdict:
The ZS was always an average car made appealing solely by its price tag, and there’s still an element of that with the new model. However, while it’s undoubtedly flawed, the MG is now even more appealing than its predecessor, and it offers even better value for money. For those seeking a proper 4x4 and those who enjoy driving, the ZS probably won’t suit, but for most would-be buyers, the combination of equipment, space and price will be difficult to beat. Especially for those that are not ready to go fully electric yet.
In short, not very much. The basic Essence version comes in at just under €29,000, which makes it about €6,000 cheaper than an entry-level Volkswagen T-Roc, and about €2,000 cheaper than a Toyota Yaris Cross. Yet the MG still comes with lots of standard equipment, including a reversing camera, parking sensors and the digital instrument display, as well as a seven-year warranty.
Those who want to upgrade can move to the Excite model, which is about the same price as the Yaris Cross, at €31,495, and that comes with everything you really need. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers, and a larger touchscreen are all included, along with keyless entry and navigation. But those who want more can upgrade to the Exclusive tested here, complete with its 18-inch wheels, heated seats and heated steering wheel, as well as leather upholstery, an electrically adjustable driving seat and a 360-degree camera system.
If you’re interested in the MG ZS Hybrid+ or another car, you can visit our Ask Us Anything page. From there, you can ask us anything about the cars you’re interested in, and our team of experts will tell you everything you want to know. Best of all, it’s completely free of charge.
