MG ZS review: Is the new £22k hybrid family-friendly SUV a genuine bargain?

MG's full steam ahead on launching new models. In six months the now Chinese-owned British brand has launched five cars.

At a rate of almost a car a month, it would be fair to wonder if the bubble will burst for the champion of value-for-money motoring brand. Can each new model really be better than the last?

We drove MG's new ZS on the marque's last launch of the summer to see if this overhauled SUV is its best budget package offering yet, or if it's one new model too many off the production line...

The MG ZS 2024 is a second generation re-write of the old ZS but it still will cost you less than £25k for the top end model

What's new with the second generation ZS?

'The only thing in common with the old car is the name,' MG UK's head of product David Allison said at the launch.

Hybrid+

The core mechanical change of the new ZS is the advanced hybrid powertrain.

The 'Hybrid+' system is taken from the MG3 supermini that launched in February and combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 136 PS electric motor.

This means MG is claiming your new ZS will manage 55.4mpg which is a vast improvement in the first generation's 38.6 to 42.7 mpg.

The new ZS also offer a very low CO2 emissions of 115g/km.

The new model is over 100mm longer, under under 10mm wider, 15mm taller and has an extended wheelbase of 30mm

The old ZS had a somewhat dated appearance, and looked far less premium than the new model

Size and looks

The new MG ZS has literally outgrown the old one – it's bigger and looks more mature.

The new model is over 100mm longer, under under 10mm wider, 15mm taller and has an extended wheelbase of 30mm.

And it has a new modern appearance thanks to a design overhaul.

Following the MG3 and HS' design language, the ZS has the same wider and fatter grille, and an overall sharper, sleeker and more premium appearance.

What hasn't (really) changed? The budget price

This car sits firmly in the affordability stakes.

The new MG ZS Hybrid+ has two trims (as per MG style), the SE and the higher Trophy. The SE costs £21,995 while the Trophy costs £24,495, or £2,500 more.

And the price increase from the existing ZS to the '24 ZS is £1,105 across both trims.

If you're contemplating buying the new ZS, shopping around for a family SUV, or just want to know what kind of offerings there are in the SUV market, then this number will quickly become a bargain benchmark.

What's the interior like? Space, practicality and comfort

The exterior takes cues from the MG3 supermini, with a wider fatter grill and sleeker headlights - it looks more upmarket than the price tag

Although a B-Segment SUV it's almost a C-Segment in size, and it is very nice and spacious inside and you can fit adults in both rows comfortably

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The ZS is a family SUV, and when buying a family SUV practicality is one of, if not the most important factor.

The new ZS is spacious inside – it is B-Segment (compact) but feels more C-segment (mid-sized) SUV.

There's no sporty sloping roof to work around like lots of models so there's ample headroom and space for 6-footer adults front and back and you won't be short of legroom either.

The big windows make it feel airier and roomier too, especially compared to some models; we tested the new Peugeot 5008 and MG ZS back-to-back and the 5008's small back windows made the interior feel darker and cramped even when there was enough room.

On the practicality front the one let down is that the boot is smaller (with the seats up) than the outgoing ZS (to make room for the hybrid system): it's now 443 litres, down five litres on the old version.

But with the seats down you get more lugging space than before – now 1,457 litres compared to the old 1,375 litres.

The boot is a little bit smaller due to the hybrid engine but MG has tried to increase practicality with a removeable floor and extra hooks and nets

MG's also put some hooks, tie-down points and nets in the boot to make it a more handy space and the boot floor is moveable to increase storage capacity when you need it.

Plus, the interior comfort has been improved with more premium features including a heated steering wheel and heated front seats and driver's lumbar support on the Trophy trim.

The interior in general has gone up a significant step on the classy ladder, with more soft touch materials than before, matt finishes and metal inserts as well as leather-style seats and dash stitching.

It's nice and comfortable front and back, although better steering adjustment would be appreciated for people without extremely long arms – you can't move the wheel in and out.

It is very similar quality as the Hyundai Tucson N-Line hybrid but for almost £6,000 less,.

Tech - how connected are you?

The cabin is pretty luxe for an MG with leather-style seats and dash, metal finishes and contrast stitching - it's definitely more premium than the old model

The best MG infotainment system yet and a serious improvement on other models like the MG4.

The ZS now has a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a seven-inch driver's display. The display is the easiest to use of any MG model yet, which is a good thing because they've never been the most intuitive to use.

The ZS' isn't the best on the market, but it is better, and we appreciate improvement.

There are shortcut widgets on the right-hand side of the screen – for navigation, music and vehicle set up. There are also shortcuts on the steering wheel, programming them is a fair bit fiddly.

But rejoice because MG has kept actual physical buttons underneath the touchscreen to shortcut to the menu. MG says 'it likes buttons' and that ought to please an awful lot of buyers who are turning their backs on touchscreen-only infotainment systems.

The ZS has MG's best infotainment system yet and it has accompanying buttons , which we (and many other people no doubt) think is a great decision

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, but you have to plug in via a USB as there's no wireless option.

Clarity and sharpness are by far the best of MGs screens and a huge step up from previous models, and the sharpness of the 360 camera and rear parking camera is luxury-level.

I'm an avid music listener and I found the basic six-speed audio system surprisingly good quality too considering it's not a specialised sound system collaboration.

The ZS also comes with MG's iSmart Phone Connectivity.

How does it drive?

If you're a family after fuel-efficient easy driving then the ZS will get the job done in a put together manner, it just won't set your heart on fire, but that's ok

Both ZS trims come with adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane keep and lane departure assist, speed limit assist and blind spot assist to name just the main few (again value for money and new for this generation)

As said the Hybrid+ system is the same as the one used in the new MG3 and helps you save money on fuel. Considering there are dire warnings that the Autumn budget will hike in fuel duty, frugal fuel economy should be enough to persuade any pump payers that hybrid is a smart idea.

The boat-throttle style gear selector is a win for me - I think it's a cool touch

The ZS' hybrid system uses a 1.83kWh battery and a 100kW electric motor – the combined output is 193hp.

Around town or low-speed pulling out in traffic the hybrid system uses electric-only power, otherwise the car will automatically tap into the petrol engine for higher speeds.

MG says it drives like an EV in urban areas, and the smooth electric acceleration and quietness in town does make it feel like an electric car in this situation.

The ZS isn't the most engaging drive on faster roads or motorways, but it handles nicely, and the steering is precise enough – it's a bit firmer in Sport mode (there's also Eco and Normal.)

0 to 62mph is covered in 8.7 seconds, which the electric motor helps to make punchier.

It's quite loud in the cabin with a fair amount of wind noise and road noise let in, but overall driving comfort and experience is solid considering you aren't paying for the Rolls-Royce of SUVs.

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It could be a marmite feature, but In love the boat-throttle style gear selector - I think it looks stylish. And it's a small but clever way to create a bit of driving individuality and personality. Plus, gear selectors situated in the same place as a manual gearbox are a nice nod to interactive driving and make you feel more connected with the car.

I expected (considering the MG Cyberster I drove on the launch in Scotland mid-Summer was rife with non-stop driver assist alerts) to find the ZS' safety systems infuriating but I didn't.

Maybe I got lucky, but there was minimal pinging once I turned lane keep assist and driver attention alert off.

If you're a family after fuel-efficient easy driving then the ZS will get the job done in a put together manner, it just won't set your heart on fire, but that's ok.

Trims and warranty

As already mentioned, the ZS follows typical MG format of having two trims: the SE and Trophy. The SE costs £21,995 and the Trophy costs £24,495.

The Trophy (which I drove) has 18-inch wheels instead of the 17 on the SE, leather style upholstery, heated seats and steering wheel, an electronically adjustable driver's seat and lumbar support and a HD 360 camera.

For that extra package the grade walk up between trims is £2,500. And MG predicts 80 per cent of buyers will go for that – after all the top price is less than most rivals' entry-level options – as most of their customers choose the Trophy trim option across its models.

The warranty covers - like with all MG models - a seven-year/80,000-mile period.

The new Dacia Duster is the only other competitor than can keep level with the pricing, as the Romanian 4x4 starts from around £17,500 but it plays a very different role from the ZS, even if it has gone up-market.

The Cars & Motoring verdict:

The bottom line is the price.

It doesn't matter that it's not the most polished, most perfect SUV to ever grace the now very crowded market: MG is offering people, for less than £22,000, an almost C-Segment-sized brand new SUV.

We live in a world where new cars are called 'affordable' for £35,000, or even £40,000. But that's just not realistic for most people - it's simply not 'affordable'.

And MG is giving drivers an option that actually is.

Considering you're getting a well-presented, well executed, spacious family car for that, the niggles can be overlooked.

Especially when the new ZS is more fuel efficient so it reduces your running costs as well.