2021 MG ZS EV Pure Electric Goes for a Drive Modern Monday 

A very fair review. I've had one for a year. The panoramic roof is a huge bonus. It costs very little to run and has been completely reliable. My commute is 90 miles each way on motorways and it does it with loads to spare. I charge it for half an hour and drive home again - on public chargers that's roughly a fiver. It's the most relaxing motorway drive I've ever had - pop it into MG Pilot and it's very reliable and safe. On my drive this morning I got 3.6 miles per KW. One day last week I got more than 4 because of road work enforced slower driving

Former MG Midget and MGB-GT owner here in the US. Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that MG exists in modern times (yay!) but is no longer a brand of interesting and affordable British sports cars anymore - instead it’s now a badging exercise on good-value-for-the-money Chinese vehicles? Wow. Great review on this model. Reminds me of a Mazda CX-5 - of which there is no electric version so far. So good on MG.

Had mine for four months now and love it to bits. I'm a petrol head through and through, but I can see where these things make sense. It's simply a great way for my family to travel.

I had one of these at work and I was genuinely impressed with it. Great review Matt

Notwithstanding the fact I neither like suvs nor electric cars I find this an excellent, well balanced and objective video. Well done my friend. You really are on the very finest out there!! (still baffled by the sight of that fabled octagon on the grille of a washing machine on wheels)

That was a very balanced and impartial review of a very interesting EV. Thank you.

I thought I left my X2 playback speed on. Impressive presentation and video!

These are fantastic cars, we have one and a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The MG runs rings around the Leaf on every metric. A fantastic effort from MG. X

Thorough review Matt, thanks!

Am I alone in being disappointed that electric vehicles still look like cars have done for the last 20 years? They don’t need grilles, they don’t need bonnets, they could look like spaceships, or completely prioritise passenger space. They could even be teardrop shaped for maximum aero.

Good, informative video! Thank you. I really really like this car for its price point. I drove it for a week in Australia and loved it; apart from some of the software niggles and satnav mistakes. As a Tesla owner, I think the MG ZS EV is value-for-money and has features that even my Model S does not have such as the blindspot indicators on the wing mirrors, great all-round visibility, heated seats, and rear window wiper. Also, the 7-year full warranty is fantastic! I consider the MG ZS EV to be an ideal second EV for me; and I also recommend it to anyone who is considering an affordable family SUV EV.

I know you're not keen on SUVs but it's great to see you trying one. That's what I like about your channel...you are willing to give it a go whatever the car. My Renault Captur is a good car. Comfortable, smooth. I'm with you on the pillars though! I may try an estate next though. I like to try something different each time 👍

Great review, we have the ZS 1.0 3-cylinder and has been very impressive in comfort, space and features - would only say the infotainment on ours (2019 model) does not have Android Auto. It has been over 20 years since living in that area, so many roads I still recognise, especially the hairpin at the bottom of Boxley Hill, and the run up to Penenden Heath :-) My dad used to see how fast he could get the family car up Boxley Hill - was an Austin 1800 (Landcrab) and he could get up to just over 50mph as we got to the crest of the hill. So many memories...

People assume the MG's might be rubbish being Chinese, but its simply not the case. I was sceptical too when my other half bought a 2105 MG3 a few years ago, but I ended up really liking the car, and 3.5 years/40k miles later its been very reliable and she loves it. I then ended up working in an MG dealer and I can totally debunk any hearsay. The MG6 was a superb car to drive with great handling, but the problem was we did not have the dealer network, and the MG technicians were not trained on the product enough. Put simply MG themselves did not know how to fix the couple of issues the early cars could suffer with! Things have changed and moved on a lot since then. The MG3 is a BRILLIANT little car. I've driven all the small cars (Fiesta, Corsa, Yaris, 208, Clio, Polo, Mazda 2 etc) and the MG3 I rate very highly. No turbo, but its a proper 4 cylinder engine which is good mid-high rpm and more refined than the 3 cylinder cars, great handling (only the Fiesta can beat it, but they are £18k+), the best steering of the lot, plus loads of space in the back too. The facelift ZS and the HS are very premium with lovely soft leather etc and great value for money. There is nothing sub standard - Bosch electronics. Mechanicals similar to Japanese cars - for example the manual cars have metal clutch slave cylinders mounted external of the gearbox so easy to replace. The parent company SAIC do a lot of work with VW. So they are actually very good cars.

We love ours. Does everything we want and more. Cheap as chips too but great quality.

The current range of MG cars seem like great value. I'm seing the ZS and HS everywhere at the moment and those buyers can't all be wrong.

Thank you Matt a very good review.

Excellent review as always, this would be what I would replace my Qashqai with if it came to be being more expensive to maintain as it's currently 13 years old. For the miles I do this would be ideal. And the issue with boot the mg is not alone, my Qashqai has the same problem

These MG cars are not just badge engineering they are designed and developed at Longbridge with the old Rover design team, but built in China. I would have One. It won’t be long before EV’s are cheaper than internal combustion engines and the range will increase. The world is waiting for the model T of EV’s to come along. Thank you grate video

Does ZS stand for Zhangzhou Stuff?

Excellent review. You should try a HS plug in hybrid. I have one and extremely impressed 👌

What a FURIOUS review

Ah, the car I spotted charging in the background of a previous video and mistook for a Mazda EV from the side!😉

Excellent tea shelfage

I´m buying it. Here in Iceland charging is for free or almost for free. Range seems to be perfect for such a small country, and a price comparing with competition is the best in the market. For me personally MG ZS EV is a great choice.

I'm picking up my Exclusive MG ZS EV from FG Barnes in Maidstone next Saturday!

Very good observation, regarding how the otherwise stylish raised windowline in the rear doors must make rear passengers feel closed in! Specially small children, as you say.

Great video, very informative. I would like to see your views on the MG5 ev estate.

Great review Matt, I can understand your dislike of SUV’s to a point regarding space for example, sometimes less than an estate, but as you know, people buy them for the height, the Nissan Juke is a good example of this, height but no more space than in a Renault Clio. I sure hope the prices come down for EV’s sooner and we get more convenient charging points. It’s a nice looking motor that MG to be fair.

Nice test drive. I would like to hear your thoughts on the MG5. A test drive for the future perhaps with the new long range version and some comments on the MG Pilot.

Great unbiased review, but when I started watching the Hyundai Coupe you were following I realised that I too am not an SUV fan either.

Are you sure there is a version with a more powerful battery on the way? Can you provide more information on this please?

IT'S PLEATHER, I do like a nice bit of pleather.😁👍

Another great video. Looks a decent car. I see the appeal of an EV. I could personally never own an EV simply because i don’t do autos.

Good review, seems very good value for money, hopefully being fully electric, residuals should be okay.

You have the courage of your convictions.

I’m with you Matt, I’m not keen on SUVs , although I do own Ford smax mpv as I needed 7 seats but given a choice I would have a big estate car any day. However good on you for reviewing one possibly one of the better ones or maybe not, time will tell, still not for me.

Look it’s OJJ. They came to stay with me for a week too. I liked it.

An idea of motorway range would be nice, long distances? Are we talking 100 mile range ? 120? Many thanks for the review. I think for the money its a great choice

Now time for a coffee and a break 🤗🤗🤗🤗🥰

just to make a point , When you put car into SPORT mode the back road driving turns out excellent as tightens up everything and doesn't lean ot rollover haha. I done 14,000 miles and never realised till 12,000 miles how disappointed was I. but really really handles much better even in town

I’m considering the HS next year when my lease is up on my CHR. Could you review this next if possible. I’m hoping the HS will be available as a mild hybrid as I cannot afford the full ev version, and only upgrading my car to a bigger suv due to my grandchildren getting bigger and soon to be getting a Labrador. The CHR is a great little suv and lovely to drive and affordable. I did want the RAV4, but it’s 2.5k advance payment is out of my price range. Hence I am looking at the MG HS , plus the MG grill looks amazing.

Did I catch an MG5 Ev in the background of your Quentin video. Next video?

I am with you on preferring the practicality of estate cars. Your gripes about SUVs like thick pillars, high waistlines and bulbous bonnets are just a thing for all cars. All to do with safety.

Great review of the MG which looks good value in the segment it's in . I'm in full agreement with the SUV I don't get it view. Never understood the appeal but apparently it's what we need

I look forward to seeing when you get hold of an MG5 EV, sir! Thank you again for filming my review of the MG ZS EV when it was new two years ago too, I can see why this perhaps isn't really your perfect car, you certainly put it through some thorough testing, however...

They now offer an estate EV the MG5. They do seem to be quite popular with the local Taxi firms. It also has improved range over the ZS EV.

Totally with you on SUVs . A car for people that have no interest in cars and don’t like driving , as with all SUVs . The seats might be comfy , fake leather is called vinyl in my book , like my old base level Allegro.

Where was this recorded?

I'm 197cm tall and interested in the Kia Soul EV does that sell in the UK? I tried adjusting the front seat for my size and then still found room behind that seat for my centimeters, it surprised me. The square form is very useful for people of size, we like to keep our heads straight up, not at an angle against fellow passengers as most car makers must find making roofs the most expensive part of a vehicle and therefore slanting windows into a postagestamp of a roof. Any chans of a testdrive of one of those, they have a long range version claiming to reach up to 280 miles!

Test drive the MG5 next mate 👍🏻

Rooting for the success of MG so maybe, just maybe one day MG will produce convertibles

Looks a little like the Mazda CX30 (which is no bad thing) 🤔

With EVs I've been wondering if the brakes come on when regenerative braking occurs?

Matt, FYI - piece in the paper today: "Garages facing 'Super September' of MOTs. Experts predict surge in demand for tests after 5.5m cars used last year's six-month Covid exemption"

Is that the facelifted version?

Hi love the videos and I had a look at one of the MG cars the HS in a petrol version and I agree not bad for the 25k new but it did seem cheap inside apart from the leather seats which I doubt whether they where leather and the drive was not great as it seemed slow in a 1.5 ltr petrol cvt auto and visibility wasn’t great at all and no front parking seasons in the top of the range and like you say you can’t see the front end well so I can only see lots of scuffs happening on the front end so for me they have gone to cheap in a important areas like visibility and front parking sensors and a cheap touch screen which looks like a £50 job lot but it’s cheap and a 7 year warranty so no worries so you pays for what you get hey 😂

That’s quite an attractive package. And even though I’ve followed MG’s fortunes for the last couple of decades, it’s still a bit jarring to see this car wearing the same badge as my ‘78 Midget. Ah well, yet another model we’ll never see here in the US.

I prefer the facelifted model with digital dash newer front and rear lights and bigger screen. Also I think the steering wheels are supplied by Volkswagen as they are identical to a Golfs.

My wife had a new one of this very car in May.However even on economy mode it was falling very short on range even without air con etc on.It went back to the dealers which kept in for a few days and uploaded 5 software updates regarding the battery modules and charge balancing.So far it seems to be doing much better but br warned.

Regarding the tailgate not opening high enough... I suspect this was designed primarely for the domestic chinese market.

You should do a review of an volvo 940

Honestly am an estate car freak, however SUVs work for my damaged spine so usually go SUV, currently an Ateca. MG looks good and has a lot less cluttered dashboard than the Ateca, hopefully the digital part is switchable to KPH? An Irish vlogger did 1610 km (1000miles) in a Grande Punto petrol, then did similar in an EV Opel Mokka. Took four hours longer in the EV, stopped at 15 or 16 chargers, in the region of two thirds were out of order! Couple were free charge but at end the charging cost was only a few Euro less than the petrol cost in Punto! That put me right of EV Do like the MG though.

Didn't you recognise the VW Golf steering wheel and Audi outer vents? WOW...

One place where MG really loses out is that their battery car range are not rated for towing, and they specifically state on their website that towing will invalidate the (very competitive) 7-year warranty. In fact, very few battery cars are rated for towing. I imagine the range drops off a cliff if you're towing, considering how much using the heater kills the range. That being said, the MG battery cars do make an attractive package for someone who is not interested in cars. Cheap to buy (compared to rivals), reasonable range, competitive warranty. They're certainly popular round my way. I'd consider one for my wife who does a 15-mile a day commute, but which is going to drop in coming months as her office is moving closer to home. I'd be more inclined by the MG5 than their SUV options though.

nice electric.

I very nearly thought about an MG3 as my first car.

5:57 honk!

Although I like this, the Range is horrendous. Travelling on holiday in the UK is virtually impossible. I am a fan of EV'S, but the styling is not only impractical, but huge blind spots needs "nanny aids". Nice review, thank you!

Where i work we hire a lot of these to mobility drivers because they are cheep and fall's into a certain price bracket where the government Will pay for an EV car without a deposit which is good but you pay for not a great deal as a petrol car would be a lot more refined for the same price point. Great review but i noticed you didn't point out the seats are not leather.

If the highlight of the car is the steering wheel need I say more ?

One motoring sector which very rarely gets a mention is Disability. SUV's are popular with disabled people because they're easier to get in and out of...something which is NEVER covered by motoring presenters. Aesthetics is something that rarely crosses my mind...can i get in/out easily, will my powered wheelchair fit in the back, can i get auto? You get the idea? Most youtube test drives start and end with the driver in the driving seat. Excellent, but not too useful...but then, that's just me. Interesting review. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and keep up the good work. :)

I'm getting a few VW vibes from the interior.

0:09 MG SV EV?

ummm ''After all it is an MG at heart'' if one went looking for any MG DNA would you find any though? or was that hyperbole Matt?

I am sure, I do own one of these. Confusingly, mine parks in the kitchen and is called "fridge"!

I have 3 teenage children and recently bought a kadjar and I would genuinely like to know of a normal estate car that would give enough room for 3 tall children across the back with decent legroom!?!? MANY years ago I had an 2007 Volvo V70 and we struggled with room for that in the back. - not being arsey I'm genuinely interested.

6.5 hrs to fully charge I can fully charge my diesel in less than 3 minutes and get 600+ to a full tank until a Ev can get that sort of range then they are no good for me

I lost my driver's license for six months after being caught speeding in one of these while testing it about one and a half year ago. I was not used to EVs, and it reached almost 100 km/h before I even managed to think about it. That sucked, but I still think it's a great, affordable EV (although I ended up buying an Hyundai Ioniq when I got my license back)

Boot is tiny !!!!! Great content matt. Stay safe👍👍👍 but where's the V8

Can confirm I’ve walked into the open tailgate more than once 😂. Can also confirm that the top speed isn’t 87mph as claimed 👀 🤫 👮‍♂️

Don't see the point of fake leather for the seats. It's as bad as the old vinyl back in the 60s/70s. Leather is put in cars for the upmarket feel. If it ain't leather go for an decent fabric, it wont get all hot and sticky when the car's left out in the sun .

I remember when these first launched in the UK and MG did a great deal on them with a free fitted home charger, it was the cheapest EV in the country and loads of youtubers signed up to have one and put deposits down.........then about a month later someone uploaded a video of one outside a MG showroom with loads of rust in all the seams and 99% of these youtubers all backed out Think they've improved now, you see plenty of MGs, the 7 year warranty really helped

I know MR Lloyd is very active with these new MGs he likes them a lot. Personally I have no interest in electric vehicles, they don't delivery any kind of freedom you would get with petrol or diesel.

I haven’t driven the EV but have driven a couple of brand new ZS’s and I have to say it was appalling in every way. I note you mentioned the steering wheel as being a high point, I personally found the stitching to be really rough and made the wheel unpleasant to hold. The entertainment system I agree was really slow but also the actual quality of the screen was like something you’d get from Alibaba for the cost of a Mr Whippy! My wife has a 13 year old Hyundai Getz with almost 300,000Kms (we live in Oz) and it handles better and is quieter than the ZS. I’d rather buy something decent 2nd hand than a new MG, and I’d be really nervous having an MG EV parked in or plugged in my garage under the house. Sorry guys, I’m out. Enjoyed the review though.

Just a thought regarding the height of the boot lid, Try bending your knees and/or lean forward slightly to gain access without banging you bonce!

The boot height is probably low because of the country it came from, not known to be the tallest of people lol 😬

Lmao you need to check out Vic Dibitetto ‘parking lot’ video here on YT 🤣🤣

Always makes me smile when I hear several people say, oh I don't like modern SUVs...yet, how many of them are on the roads? Probably the majority I bet. Is the motoring industry forcing these things down our throats?!

Could you do a Mercedes A45s or Audi RS3 Modern Monday please?

Very much Volkswagen feel in the interior.

I don't see the sense for paying over £30k for a local runabout but it does look quite a decent car - shows that we shouldn't underestimate the Chinese manufacturers. The 'SUV' fashion never made sense but this one isn't an off-roader so it is even an SUV, or just a tall hatchback?

Many thanks for an interesting video. The motorway comment gives food for thought. Do you reckon that once fully-charged the electrical power of this car could comfortably manage one trip per week of 110 miles (55 each way) of which 60 (30 each way) are on the motorway and 50 are on A and B roads (without recharging)? The rest of the time would be 20 miles per day to/from work. Thanks!

Another good review. Like you I do not buy into the suv thing, they are a compromise in most areas. And as for electric cars, when they sort the range issue out they may be worth a look. Even with 160 claimed miles, try that on a dark wet night when your lights, wipers, heating etc are running, more like 100 miles if you are lucky. Think I will stick with my 4ltr coupe for a long while yet :)

180 mile range would not get me to London. The other week, I had a 460 mile round trip to Essex to fulfill - in a day. There is one bus service, Monday to Friday, and no train service at all from home. People ask me why I don't go electric. There's your answer. I can drive anything between 300 and 1000 miles in a week as a senior community carer. But I can understand how some would go for this SUV. Not me, though. I need to be able to get wheelchairs and mobility scooters in the boot, and clients seated easily in the front. Our XC90 is ideal for this - just the right height - so was our V70, for the lugging about, anyway; she is in my step-daughter's hands, now. Depreciation, I expect, will be ginormous, as is with other MG-badged products - and my pay bracket far below affordability for a suitable electric vehicle that ticks all the crucial boxes, presently, and I expect so to, until the day I retire.

Like the grill pattern but tbh it looks kinda bland in the styling department. Also slightly looks like a Mazda from the front a tad bit. I'm surprised by how small the boot is. I've never seen a CUV of this size with such a small cargo area.

Is it just me or have MG taken a load of different manufacturers features and then just made a hash of them? Jag XF gear selector, the dials are very mid-2000s Volkswagen, steering wheel buttons and placement of Cruise stalk is very similar to a circa 2010 VW Passat, round Audi A1/A3 style air vents.

🇨🇳 Mao approves

I had an HS a rental car (I'm sure the ZS is more entertaining) and I thought it was terrible. It was a petrol engine and it was fairly frugal, but the handling was lifeless and it had the worst turning circle this side of Proxima Centauri. It felt fairly well put together for a budget car, but the materials are not great (granted it was built to a price). Moulded fake stitching on the dash - honestly, you're better off just giving the cars a moulded dash without fake stitching as it's so blindingly obvious. I too am an SUV/crossover hater and this did nothing to remedy that. Sorry - hate to be a negative Nancy, but I thought it was extremely drab. It's a shame that the MG brand was known for fun little sports cars now they're adorning some of the most dreary cars on the roads.

Generally a good review but with a couple of glaring errors regarding children sat in the rear seats and height of tailgate. If the child was of a height that their head only came up to below the bottom of the head restraint on the seat backrest then that child would be too small in height to legally be sat on the rear seat without either a child seat or booster which would take them to the proper height and looking out the side windows with ease. As to the tailgate, I have had SUV cars for more years than I care to remember and quite frankly have never judged an SUV on the height of the tailgate when open for the simple reason I do not make a habit of attempting to stand upright under it, I may sit on the boot sill but as for standing upright under the tailgate, I cannot think of any time I have attempted that but at 5,10” I could do it 😀