Just watched your video over here in the UK. I've owned my ZS EV since 1/3/20 so I'm coming up to 12 months ownership and I would definitely recommend this car. Some of the comments regarding the features (like 12v battery voltage) are there simply because the car was an ICE conversion so lots of the features have been carried over to the EV. Overhaul good informative video and whilst the infotainment system isn't the best you will find you don't necessarily use the inbuilt satnav (unless you've forgotten your phone) and in the UK we have no issues with the heating arrangement as at the moment its -4 and will defrost the car in a couple of minutes and in summer the air con works fine. One thing everyone misses to demonstrate on the car is that the glass has no UV protection anywhere. I think MG do not have UV or tint section on their production line so be aware the cabin will get warm in the sun and most UK owners have decided to tint the 5 rear windows for the privacy glass effect (it's illegal here to tint front 3 windows including windscreen). I also decided to wrap the silver lower door trims (black) and the front/back silver trims (black) to match car colour and to give the car a bit of a dechrome. Great car and do not hesitate get one! Bargain:-)
@@Darkraid all electric cars are lower mileage than the advertised WLTP even if you pay £80k for. In real world scenarios with a heavy foot on accelerator / weather conditions / temp all effect range
This is a fair and accurate review . Note from UK owner . 8.25SEC in- you need to use the right hand USB port to connect Android auto and left hand to charge / play stored music . ( its mislabelled) This is likely why your Android Auto doesn't connect earlier in the review. It work fine on Sumsung phones. Finally you get a sunglasses holder ! That must be a your bespoke spec!
Had this car a month now, use it every day and only once had a problem with Android Auto, just had reinsert plug and then it was fine. Used several cables and they’ve all worked. The infotainment screen is fine when using Android Auto or CarPlay, which is all we ever use. The only annoying thing is it defaults back to radio every time car is turned on without phone plugged in
I have got one in the uk. It comes with DAB in the uk but no ability to remote charge and no app support as it does in other country’s . In temps above 15c it easily reached the manufacturers range claim, that is in economic mode and sensible driving. Around town it’s even better. The winter here does effect the range, it’s been -3c to around 5c for weeks and it does reduce the range by around a 1/4 of total. However , in terms of value for money it’s is fantastic. Ultimately you get what you pay for and it will never compete with the more expensive EVs but I never expected it too. I am vary happy with the car and it has saved me a lot of money on fuel as I charge later on evening at home on a low electricity rate. I drive an 86mile round trip everyday to work and it cost me £22 a month to run . Compare that to the £250 in diesel I was spending and you can see it’s benefit. It would be good if MG would increase the 44.5kw battery but then purchase price would increase . MG have released an estate style car here in the uk with a larger battery for around the same price but to keep the price down it appears they have removed a lot of the advanced safety features . It has a range of 220miles, so far more usable .
Thanks for the review. I did the translation for straya down below: Daily round trip 86 miles = 138.4KMs £22 a month to run = AUD $38.78 (AToW) £250 in diesel = AUD 440.70 (AToW) MG have released an estate style car here in the uk ... It has a range of 220miles = 354KMs
8 years on the battery, 5 on the rest of the car. A bit different to the petrol models. Some dealer websites still list it wrongly as 7/7, but I asked and was told the official MG website is what counts.
@@peter9304 Yeah it's odd the EV comes with less warranty, if anything, it should have a longer warranty because EVs are mechanically so much simpler and more reliable.
its a big step up from MG from being a classic UK sports car to highly popular SUVs coming out of China, keen to see how both this ZS EV and the upcoming HS Plug-in sells in Australia with a lot of competition. Looking forward to seeing you review the incoming Mazda MX-30
I've got one (in the UK) - the reason you couldn't get Android auto to work is you probably had it plugged into the wrong USB port. It's a bit annoying, but only one works with Android auto. It's never been an issue, as you plug a lead in and then leave it like that.
No problem with Android Auto on the ZS EV, if you follow the handbook! BTW: UK spec includes DAB radio. Space Saver spare wheel, with spinner, jack and tools, available also. Not much experience of EVs? ‘Not a Tesla... ‘? SAIC, the MG manufacturer, outsells the total World output of ALL the other EV manufacturers, JUST in their home market alone (China is recognised as the biggest EV market on the planet), let alone the vast number of EVs they export Worldwide!
Had my first demo drive in one, I was pleasantly surprised, been saving for a Tesla but the SUV layout and price has me thinking twice, as this will be our first EV 43990 drive away is better than 71000 ish for Tesla a 30K difference in price, that’s significant. Thanks for the video.
@@MarmiteTheDog I’ve looked. I can’t find any news on it. It would flop immediately. The US market is different from global malted and there’s a pretty strong anti-Chinese sentiment here when it comes to cars.
@@revmatchtv Mostly because tariffs. GM used to have some buick and cadillac models made in China for the US market but soon discontinued due to the trade war
Great review- I really like the quick fire coverage of the features and specs. Am in the market for an EV and this appeals though will need to see how they look in the flesh. I think the 50 profile tyres are kind of odd....it would look less gawky with either slightly higher profile tyres/more meat or high dia wheels. These are definitely tempting when the equivalent offerings from Hyundai or Kia are almost twice the price (in NZ)
If the Govt gave us some incentives would maybe consider not when they want to tax them. Range is a bit limiting on this if you want to do some country drives
I agree that our federal government is a bunch of clowns. But this car, if you can charge from your own PV, will pay the difference to the ICE model just from savings on petrol, before the 160'km battery warranty is reached. Once the lower service costs are factored in, you're ahead by thousands of dollars over the life of the car.
@@Nobody_Famous Are you suggesting limited range is not an issue because you'd do breaks anyway? I hope that will be true in future with 50kW DC chargers in every township and at scenic locations. But for now, the break for a country drive would be about 7 hours at a 32A 3-phase plug (because the ZS EV charger can only use 1 phase). And that's not necessarily located in a scenic place where you'd enjoy your break.
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 EV.
You say you can charge up to 6.6kw AC, well my granny charger charges at up to 7.9kw and my MG charger charges up to 15kw AC. I've had my MG for 3weeks now and I love everything about it.
It charges on single phase AC up to 6.6KW (using a 240Vac 32A dedicated circuit) - the 6.6KW rating is clearly printed on the charge regulator under the bonnet. The supplied granny charger (in Australia) is an 8A (max) unit which generally supplies about 1.8KW when charging. A standard 10A wall socket can only supply 2400W, and a special 15A socket only 3600W, so I can't think where you're getting that 7.9KW from, never mind 15KW.
I bought one for the wife last year. Although the Thai specs are slighly different (no heater/heated seats), we share similar frustrations. But, if you don't really care about Android Auto, the rest of the car is really good and staggeringly good value when compared to the competition. Not sure why he was moaning about the headlights - they're excellent in my opinion.
Reply to Bjorn. I did correct my mistake which should have read 7.9 Amps and 15 Amps. These are the 2 chargers that were supplied with the car in Australia. The 15 Amp one (with MG on it) chargers a lot faster than the 7.5 Amp one. I hope this clears things up. I use the slower one to do the battery balancing.
One of the best looking Chinese cars. I think the infotainment would bother me though. Obly thing that would stop me buying it is their lack of experience with evs.
@@ZZGZBF Nissan has the leaf which hopefully they learnt from the first ones problems. Hyundai have hybrids. MG just hasn't proven themselves as a brand yet. Sure their sales are going through the roof but it'd just be interesting how many we will see on the road in 10 years
@@wrigzzx who is behind MG? The whole Chinese auto market. Nissan is under financial stress right now and I really doubt they have the money to invest further in EV. Hyundai is only represented in the OZ market and the Korean cannot even penetrate into the Chinese market regardless of how hard they try. At the end of the day it comes down to the support each manufacturer can get from the government and no county in the world pushes so hard than China to achieve EV leadership and future motoring can only be either US or China nothing else if you include AI and 5G technology.
@@ZZGZBF I'm not bashing mg. I like their mg3 zs and zst... not so much the HS. I'm not saying they're worse than any other company at all. Who knows, they might be better! For me they haven't been on the market in Australia for long enough to make me feel fully comfortable buying one. Doesn't mean I wouldn't buy one, that'd just be in the back of my mind.
@@wrigzzx considering the price, mg is best even though the some chinese ice cars are trash, their government is heavily spending in the future of ev engines.
I would be interested to know more about EV range as mentioned during your video. I think most people are aprehensive on EV's for this reason. If they were more schooled on this issue I think there would be far more sales in Australia.
agree. as we move toward electric all the information should be on the table so consumers can get an understanding. as he mentioned outside temperature does make a difference.
Many EVs have 12v battery issues, so likely why they put it on the dash. ID.3 had to release an update to avoid draining the 12v battery, which renders the car non driveable. Even Tesla had some 12v battery issues, so worth monitoring.
All the first shipment of Model 3 in Australia back in 2019 spent so long on the boat getting here their 12V batteries were replaced pre-delivery. Knowing the state of our 12V is something I wish we had tbh (without sniffing the CANBUS).
Hey Paul, Would it be possible to do a real world comparison of EV’s currently available. A long drive from Sydney to the country side with a fast charge done on the way. Figure out how the real life range compares to the claim and what difference it makes using it on hilly roads and highways.
Awesome review. Thank you. There is a new model coming out in the second half of next year with more range and they seem to have addressed the majority of the things you had issues with. I’m going to wait as the range on this one is just under what I’ll need to do a round trip into town without a charge stop once I move. The grille on this one is way nicer, but the 2022 will be far more practical for me. I hope you review that as soon as it comes out! I’ll be looking at everything that comes out between now and then of course, but I do really like the MG. Btw, something that would be really helpful for people like me (getting old with aches and pains and dodgy hips and backs and arthritic knees) would be to see you getting into the car, or at least standing next to the open front door so we can see the height of the seat on your leg. Especially now that so many of what I would call hatchbacks are being labeled as SUVs, it’s hard to know which ones are that nice mid SUV height, which ones are really low, and which ones you need to climb up the side of to get into, and yet finding a car that’s a good height so it doesn’t hurt you is probably more important for someone with pain or mobility issues than most of the other features. No companies even list the seat height. You have to try to guess based on overall height, ground clearance and wheel size, but it’s so important. It’s like it’s the forgotten specification!
It will be interesting to see how things change price-wise as more players hit the market here, it's still such a small range for us which means we remain a long way from price parity. Speaking of EVs - spotted you out testing the e-tron Paul, looking forward to that review too!
More cars to choose from will hopefully force the manufacturers to lower the prices. Prices for an EV from the factory (Without any registration tax or other taxes added) is a lot more that for a conventional car. I do understand that the battery is rather pricey, but the price of a kwh battery capacity is falling by the day, and the EV must be dramatically easier to assemble. I have a feeling that the reason the prices are higher is because they expect to make extra money on oil changes, and services for the petrol cars, while they dont expect the EV's to make them nearly as much money in repairs and maintenance. No matter what, if you can wait, they i think the prices of EV's will go down in the next few years....Maybe even so much that the depreciation of a new EV today will make it a good deal to just drive your petrol car for a few more years, as they will depreciate less than the prices will drop. (Making the prices of the used EV also drop more than it "should")
If MG offered a slightly smaller, hatchback (or sedan) EV (i30 size) with 230km real world range, for around 36k driveaway I would genuinely buy it. The MG ZS EV is good value, but still a bit expensive for me. Maybe they could make an EV version of the facelifted MG 5, or at least based of it? I know there is the MG5 EV in the UK, but that is a wagon (unnecessary size, adding cost) and is pre-facelift.
Great work Paul. Thank you for sharing this video. 260km range ( for AU infrastructure and distance we cover for every day purposes) is just nowhere near enough to convert from ICE cars. Even V2L capability that Essence is offering ( wish you have covered that feature) it’s still not enough for me to buy MG EV. Navigation, AC, phone connectivity, and other limitations like telescopic steering wheel adjustment, no spare tyre…would drive me to the walls 😢 Even with the affordable DA price tag I’m not impressed with this particular model to take the leap of faith and buy it.
I went in to check it out today. Your comments on the AC considering I am in the tropics worries me. I was offered a 24 hour test drive which I found interesting.
Paul, you seem to make that every car's 2nd row is tight 😂. Can you may be have some one who is less than 6" and doesn't keep his driving seat fairly back so that we get to see a better view of 2nd row room?
The heater is interesting and I don't think it's a major flaw as you said. Most cars use the engine heat to power the hot AC but since this car has no engine, it will need to rely on a heating coil. Could be done better with a bigger budget but honestly, I don't think anyone will mind and it's definitely not major. If that's the biggest flaw, id say well done to MG
Most importantly what is the cost of ownership and that should include, service cost, ( I assume next to nothing here this is an EV vehicle) insurance cost of course electricity cost ? What is the ANCAP rating this is also important? How reliable are these vehicles?
It would be good to see a video on the MG from 100% until dead to see the true mileage. I had hopefully going to buy an MG in a couple of months in the UK, we get £3000 off the price from the government and it’s zero road tax.
@@Nobody_Famous I only asked as I watched a RU-vid channel called Carwow drive a load of electric cars until the died to see the tea he but they didn’t have the MG. and yes to answer your question I have drive my diesel until it ran out for science reasons.
@@cityblue0202 A lot depends on the driver and the conditions, the MG doesn't have the longest range but it is ok, far better than the more expensive smaller Mazda or Honda. the range of 162 miles is for mixed driving as long as you do not have a heavy right foot, that will drop in cold weather the same as any EV, expect around 120 miles plus in a normal English winter. Of course if you use A roads instead of motorways the range is better and if you only use motorways and stay at 70 mph the range drops.
Its only the Andrews820 government that is wanting to make EV ownership even more expensive. Yes the Premier who botched quarantine security that lead to 820 deaths. Yes the same man that bought in murdering a baby is okay. Victoria's very own Hitler also wants to tax EVs.
@@waynehobbs5175 Unfair to bash Andrews over the Covid-19 deaths. All governments had to deal with a fast changing situation in tough unpredictable times. Using hotels was the only scalable option available. Most problems were due to people not following rules. The Andrews government did better than most governments around the world. Better to focus on the 15,000 lives he saved.
Thanks for the video, I find it interesting though that no one has done any reviews of the lane keeping, breaking and radar system. honestly with the infotainment system not working properly I don’t know if I can trust them with the rest of these!!
A great looking car 🖤 and it's pretty reliable and safe car because I see on road it have a accident and the car did a great job ..my friend got this and he is happy with his mg ..I am getting alsvin sedan or Kia Picato I seen your picanto review it was pretty good 🖤
The a/c is not as bad as they make it out, it’s just a manual system and basic. The telescoping steering is not bad it just depends how tall you are and the driving position you like. I would suggest just sit and drive one and se if it suits you.
I do like the mg range of haven’t got the ev one yet I’ll be getting one next time, I’ve never had any problems with there cars definitely staying with them from know on.
Hi I got lots of information from your video. I would like to see how this model goes up hills? I would also like to get a demo on recharge and availability of recharge in most of Australia maybe a map. Seems a good value vehicle and the possibility of a driver wind shield would be great. Yes I feel I would buy one in the future.
I disagree in regards to value for money. Tesla Model 3 is $65,000, so $24,000 more then the MG. For that extra $24,000, you get more storage, more range, quicker acceleration, quicker charge time, more features, better infotainment system, dual zone climate control, 5 heated seats, a variety of different key options, better design, nicer interior, and the list goes on. For what it is, for me to consider one, it would have to be around the $25,000 mark. I don’t think it is a $41,000 car. I think there are better options for that sort of money and so far, the Tesla model 3 is best value for money. Yes it is more expensive, but it is so much more.
Great review, as always very informative. I am busting to buy an EV and just cant find one that has what I want, doesn’t look ridiculous & priced insanely high. $40k is a great price. Just can’t get past the MG badge and trusting Chinese quality/reliability. Maybe the series two or new model with more features and improved tech/range etc will come out after a while. Come on ScoMo give us some incentivised reasons to buy now. This at low $30k’s would be great. The Aus government should be supporting sub $40k EV’s with nice rebates to buyers.
Very honest review.I have own MG ZS EV 2021.Would be nice to see the comparison with the New MG ZS EV 2022, not available in New Zealand for test drive at the moment.
Have had this car myself for over a year. Tried out the new 2022 model. Looks good, they upgraded the range, moved the charger to a better location, and some other nice quality of life features. Still the same laggy screen, but moved it to a better location if I remember correctly. Ended up not getting it bc. The value proposition just wasn’t there as it’s quite a bit more expensive.
Nice video, thanks! Btw, there is a video in RU-vid about this car after 1 year mentioning rust problems in the base of the car. Good to keep in mind...
Kona sales will take a hit from this. While the Kona has a great range (and the next Kona range will be even better at nearly 500km), there's nothing like getting undercut by about $20,000AUD to shift people's choices. I'm thinking the Kona might be taken up more in the bush with the longer range, while the MG will be more popular in our cities.
@@andys31337 Yeah I guess I didn't mean actual off-roading, I mean travelling longer distances, like from Griffith to Dubbo which you could easily do in a Kona in one go but not in one of these.
Not only Kona, the upcoming Kia Niro EV, and people who cannot afford these EV's or even a Tesla. If the driving they do fits the range of The MG Zs EV and they are happy to accept this is a budget, entry-level EV. I would gladly have one but in Regal (Midblue) Blue, not clipper blue as the EV tested.
You need to remember this youtube channel is for cars sold in Australia and some of us are aware of cheaper EVs elsewhere in the world. so currently this is the cheapest EV sold in Australia.
China sells cheaper than that, but none of them would be eligible to be registered in Australia. Throw in all the taxes, delivery, and compliance costs, and it ends up being just as overpriced by the time it's road legal.
Until ev's are around the 20-25K mark, one can't take ev's seriously as a contender for a replacement for the old banger. I would get one but 40-50k is rich man's territory and not a work car.
No DAB? Why not - the zs ev has it in UK models. Android auto on the zs is notoriously dodgy but will work with data cable and repeated plugging. It only works in one of the 2 USB sockets. I suspect you had it plugged in the wrong one..... the handbook points you to the wrong socket
I hate the idea of tire repair kits, I wish they’d put a space saving spare tire in at the very least. I understand that it may not have enough room for one with all the EV gear n’ stuff
I would not buy one but I like the idea of a fairly reasonably priced EV. In another few years, five or so maybe, or maybe ten I expect that we'll see a few reasonably priced EVs in Australia.
My nearest service centre for the MG, and the Hyundai, is 350ks away. Not sure about Tesla but they are expensive. My sit in impression of the Model Y was an awful cheap feeling steering wheel, and despite the owners defense of it in use I do not like the screen based controls. In any case the Y is just way too expensive. Crossed of EVs for now.
I dont think so but maybe in The future, But they are going to release a new ev suv this year named mg Marvel R that’s going to feature AWD but it’s not as cheap as MG ZS EV
Have been waiting for 10 years to buy an EV. My 18 year old car finally died, so had to move quickly. I’m 72, so didn’t want to pay Tesla price. Bought an MG ZS EV in June, so because of locked down Melbourne, have hardly driven it. Some things I need help with please: What is KERS and how do I use it? Will the sound system be better quality if I plug my phone in and use CarPlay
KERS is the regenerative braking. It has 3 levels. In terms of how it feels, on level 1 if you lift your foot off the accelerator your speed will slowly decrease, but on level 3 you slow down a lot faster. So to slow down a bit, you would just lift your foot rather than brake. Each time you use it, it puts a little bit of energy back into the battery and increases your range. I can’t help with the sound system sorry as I don’t have one yet. Hope you enjoy your new EV!
