MORE THAN ENOUGH Z? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The MG ZS Hybrid+ makes proper petrol/electric power significantly more affordable in a small SUV. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 34

MGs entry-level SUV the ZS makes a much more credible statement in this second generation form, with sales centred around this frugal Hybrid+ version. Do you really need a pricier small crossover than this?

Backgroundword count: 139

It's difficult to remember now what a fledgling brand MG was in the UK prior to 2017 when the first generation version of the company's ZS compact crossover was originally launched. More than any other, it was the model that properly established this new-era Chinese marque here and over 102,000 examples of the MK1 model subsequently found British buyers. Even in its last year on sale, it out-sold rivals from more established brands like the Dacia Duster, the Skoda Kamiq and the SEAT Arona. Building on that success is this second generation ZS, launched in early Autumn 2024. Unlike its predecessor, it won't be available in full-EV form - the old ZS EV will be replaced by crossover model based on the MG4 hatch. Instead, ZS sales will primarily be based around the Hybrid+ model we look at here.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 254

Like the early MG3, the original MG ZS had one of the oldest and most inefficient engines it was possible to buy in the 21st century's third decade. So it's something of a pleasant shock to find this new generation range headlined by a powertrain that's really quite sophisticated. It's the same self charging non-plug-in Hybrid offered in the second generation MG3. Yes, like you can get in this segment (for significantly more money) with a Toyota Yaris Cross or a Honda HR-V e:Hybrid. But this front-driven powerplant gives you a lot more power than you'd get with those established rivals (presumably because MG also wants to use it in other heavier models). It combines a 102PS 1.5 litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 136PS electric motor to give a combined 196PS total output. Hence the quite eager 0-62mph time of 8.7s en route to 104mph. Full-Hybrids always come only with automatic transmission, but this one is unusual because it only has three speeds (one less than the clunky auto of the old car). MG says this gives more responsive acceleration. As usual with self-charging full-Hybrids, the battery pack (1.83kWh in this case) isn't large enough to take the car very far on electric power alone. But EV assistance cuts in and out frequently during town travel to aid efficiency. The car can also be driven in Series mode with the engine acting as a generator. Or as a Parallel Hybrid where the two power sources work together to generate the full 196PS output.

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