MG ZS (2017-2026)
Also referred to as: MG ZS 2025 and MG ZS 2027.111 reviews
I would never recommend MG to anyone. From the very beginning, my experience was terrible. I felt pressured into buying the car when I had only gone to the dealership to have a look. Between the dealer and MG, I felt completely let down. The car itself has been a huge disappointment. It feels cheaply made—more like a Barbie Tonka toy than a… Read more
quality vehicle. The electronics are unreliable and inconsistent, with features regularly failing to work as they should. The driving experience is poor, and owning this car has been one of my biggest regrets.
What truly cemented my opinion, however, was my experience with MG Roadside Assistance. On 15 September, I suffered a flat tyre in Melbourne CBD. I first called at 6:10 pm, then again at 8:13 pm, and again at 9:31 pm after hearing nothing. After waiting for over four hours, I was finally told at around 10:30 pm that they couldn’t send anyone to Cardigan Street. I was effectively left stranded with no help. For a company that promotes roadside assistance, this level of service is simply unacceptable.
To make matters worse, the car has significantly depreciated in less than a year. It’s been an incredibly expensive mistake.
Overall, this has been one of the worst purchasing experiences I’ve ever had. Poor customer service, poor roadside support, poor build quality, unreliable electronics, disappointing driving performance, and significant depreciation. I strongly advise anyone considering an MG to look elsewhere.
As for having the car serviced at MG, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of having it serviced there, giving them another cent. I wouldn’t bother with the 10 year warranty, I would take it to my own mechanic who is well versed in all cars, at a reasonable price
The vehicle began to cut out at low speed, for example when parking . Then it happened at high speed on a highway almost causing potential fatalities. MG ran tests and said there was nothing wrong with it and I should just continue driving it. Customer service were almost impossible to speak to and ultimately were of no help at all. The company refused to acknowledge the issue. I would recommend avoiding them at all costs. Show details
Reviews with attachments
- +8
For those looking for a budget SUV with creature comforts – The MG ZST is a good option for those who want a new compact SUV with a 7 year warranty and creature comforts. It's a strong alternative for an older used car which can cost the same as this. There are some things I don't love about the ZST. That includes the faux leather seats and driving dynamics. It's great to drive around from A to B, but a… Read more
narrow track width means you'll feel like you're driving on 'stilts' compared to a regular hatchback.
That turbocharged motor offers enough power for comfortable highway driving, and there's a lot to like on the inside.
There's heated seats available, a large infotainment and a semi-LCD drivers display. The addition of a large glass sunroof is excellent for helping flood the cabin with light...but the air-conditioning struggles to combat the extra heat that leeches in during a hot summer day.
Those faux leather seats look nice, but I'm not a huge fan of the 'new car smell' they produce. It's a little overwhelming at times and made me feel a little ill.
It's comfortable to potter around in, and there's a clear reason why this is a popular choice with many buyers looking for space, comfort and affordability.
It's not my top pick simply because I'm not the biggest fan of the driving experience. Some adjustments in the seating position and a wider width between the wheels could help make a little more engaging to drive.
Ultimately, it's a smart looking small city SUV for people who just want a car to transport themselves around it...nothing more.
*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.
- +8
An affordable EV, but not MG's best EV – For those finally crying out for a more affordable electric car option, here's an option for you. However, it's worth noting that brands like BYD and even MG themselves offer strong alterntatives to this. If you need an electric SUV, you have this and the BYD Atto 3 for similar cash. Don't need an SUV? You'll find MG makes a more appealing EV in… Read more
the form of the MG 4 which has received critical acclaim.
The big question is, are there trade-offs when it comes to purchasing an affordable EV SUV like this?
In traditional modern-day MG fashion, the quality of materials here meets the asking price. There’s nothing overly impressive with the build quality, aside from the solid feeling centre console.
The build quality was as expected for the price. Honestly, nothing stuck out as being particularly problematic - a great thing for a reasonably new brand.
The entire ZS EV range starts from $44,990 drive-away, however this Essence model I tested is priced from $48,990.
The Essence adds a panoramic glass roof, synthetic heated leather seats (front only), electronic folding mirrors, rain sensing wipers, 6 speaker audio with 3D sound, blind spot detection, roof rails, wireless phone charging, rear cross traffic alert and an electronically adjustable drivers seat.
The MG ZS EV comes with a 7 year/unlimited kilometre warranty. You get the same warranty for your high voltage parts too.
Servicing is only every 24 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first, with each service after the seventh service costing you just $268.
It has to be said that those service intervals are fantastically spaced apart, meaning this car costs as little to run as it does to buy.
I found the MG to offer all the benefits of an EV inside the cabin. It’s mostly quiet, relaxed and lacks all the mechanical sounds of a traditional petrol-powered car.
There was some electric motor sound that entered the cabin as a high-pitched whir under heavier acceleration.
Just as you would with an F1 car, you get a KERS button, which stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System.
The similarities really end after the name. This is just another name for an adjustable regenerative braking system, which is activated with a toggle switch rather than paddle shifters.
Annoyingly, you can’t activate it if the car has close to 100% charge, so you’ll be riding your normal brakes until the car decides to let you activate KERS.
The brakes feel like a normal set of small SUV brakes, nothing too different here. Although, they can feel a little doughy.
A single motor is found between the front wheels, producing 130kW (176hp) and 280Nm, allowing the MG to hit 100km/h in a claimed brisk 8.2 seconds.
It certainly feels like a quick little SUV, and it’s a lot of fun to launch off the line and use all of that instant torque to get ahead of traffic. Even accelerating on the highway can feel just that much more rewarding than a little turbo petrol engine.
That heavy battery pack lowers the centre of gravity of this SUV to help with dynamic cornering. Aside from trying to drive like an F1 driver as I fiddle with KERS mode, this is a comfortable daily driver. I found the MG to make its way around the city and highway without any issues. It’ll appeal to buyers who want a higher riding EV that needs to be comfortable to drive in.
This MG EV has a 50.3kWh LFP battery (lithium iron phosphate), essentially being the reason why this car is more affordable than other EVs. Although this type of battery is usually less energy dense, you’re getting a claimed 320km of WLTP range.
That’s plenty for a daily driver electric car that’ll take you on some light road trips as well. I only needed to charge twice at fast chargers, but you’ll be spending a little longer there than other EVs.
That’s because the claimed charge time from 0-80% is 54 minutes. That’s not terrible but it’s not that great either. Peak charging speeds are just 80kW, which is a lot less than more expensive EVs - like the Polestar 2 - which are capable of accepting over 200kW from a fast charger.
The claimed energy consumption is 17.1kWh per 100km, whereas I saw figures hovering closer to 20kWh per 100km during my week with the MG.
I have to say, for Australia’s most affordable electric car, you're getting a really clean interior design. I was holding my breath at the local launch of the MG ZS EV to see if the screen tech had improved. The user experience of the centre infotainment touchscreen was a big jump from this car's sibling, the MG HS Plus EV.
You’ll be breathing a sigh of relief as all but a few of your controls for your car are trapped inside this screen.
It was resistant to lag, unlike the driver display. The display in front of the driver was just not as impressive, with some laggy animations and it being sort of hard to read in direct light.
A total of 359L of boot space doesn’t seem like a lot, but the way this car packages itself is fairly practical. A deep boot provides lots of vertical space for tall items, and of course you can fold the second row down in a 60/40 split, although these seats don’t exactly fold flat.
For four people you have a comfortable SUV. That middle seat isn’t ideal for long trips, but a relatively flat floor - thanks to this being an EV - means that it’ll be just that little bit more bearable.
My only gripes are the slow charging times, the slightly unrefined software used by the infotainment and the lack of a front storage area.
What this really is is a safe step into owning an EV for the first time. It’s a low cost commitment versus more expensive alternatives, with running costs to match its entry level price.
*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.
The car without a shift lock – MG ZS 2018 does have a shift lock release which means if the car breaks down anywhere it won't go to neutral at all. the manufacturer put the slot next to the gear stick but, not the actual shift lock (pic attached), nothing is there to reduce the costs. The other countries for this car installed a shift lock release option except for Australia (Please watch the video I attached from another country ) Show details
Failure of breaks – My daughter got her brand new car in 2023 and has taken it back several times and her husband did the same thing about the brakes making squealing sounds and not stopping correctly. They both told brakes are not covered by warranty and nothing they can do about the brakes squealing and when checked they was told nothing wrong with them. Well… Read more
luckily everyone is ok because a few weeks ago my daughter brakes did not work and she hit the back of another car as she could not stop. She was doing the correct speed and kept her distance but the car in front stopped with out warning and when she hit the brakes the car kept going. Thank MG Perth
Unexpected Engine Fault in New MG ZST at 11,000 km: A Concern for Quality Standards – I recently experienced a significant issue with my MG ZST, which I purchased 10 months ago. At around 11,000 kilometers, a engine fault has developed. This is particularly concerning given the advancements in automotive technology and manufacturing in recent years. As a customer, this has significantly impacted my trust in the quality and… Read more
reliability of the vehicle. The occurrence of such a critical fault in a new and minimally used car seems to indicate a potential lapse in manufacturing standards or quality control.
I believe it's important for potential buyers to be aware of this experience when considering this model.
In-depth reviews
My advice is for Goldcar not to rent this MG ZS Hybrid model vehicle to inexperienced drivers, I have been driving for over 40 years, and I have worked in the Motor Industry for over 40 years and I have driven many many different types of cars, this is the worst car I have encountered in 46 years of driving, an inexperienced driver will either… Read more
kill or injure themselves with this particular Model car, I am driving along the A61 towards our house La Cassaigne, about 70mins from Toulouse, the car is accelerating and deaccelerating, along the freeway A61 engine rpms were constantly up and down, car did not know what gear it was in kept upshifting and downshifting making it a very unpleasant and dangerous ride,
I pull up at the tollgates to pay the toll the barrier lifted, and the car would not move I tried several times to accelerate and the car, would not go forward, I kept pushing the accelerator and then the car took off really fast power comes on with no warning, I then pulled into a car park at the Manache and the car would not accelerate forward as I was trying to park at a very slow speed, and then all of, a sudden the power kicks in without warning and the car lurches forward, luckily there was nothing in front of me to hit,
Yesterday I tried reversing up a hill and the car would not go backwards despite me trying several times to accelerate, the car kept rolling back down the hill and then it was jerking backwards and then stop and then jerk backwards again and then, stop and then start rolling back down the hill again, this went on for around 20 mins, my wife was going to ask people to help, push the car backwards up the hill, as the street was very narrow and it was impossible to turn the car around to go forward, up the hill,
I then tried to park the car in a car space between two cars on the street and the car would not go forward or backwards it, kept stopping and then it would lurch forward when trying to go forward luckily, I left enough space for me to park between the, two cars without hitting them, it is just dangerous because the power comes on suddenly with no warning,
It does not look good for Goldcar that someone is paying good money for a car that is dangerous to drive, this is Model MG ZS HEV 1.5 has an issue with driveability when the battery is depleted, I have read MG forums from owners of these cars all complaining about the same issues that I have experienced,
Just My Honest Opinion – My partner and I had a Hire MG ZS 2023 , base model i think it was when we went to Brisbane , never driven one before , we were both quiet impressed with it , over the week we had the car , it had 40,000 ks on the clock , comfy seats , good ride , drove really well i thought , and was excellent on fuel , both city driving and when we went on the… Read more
freeway , we did probably 2-3 000 ks in it , did alot of sight seeing I read a few of the other peoples reviews , i mean they were hire cars lol, probably had the living hell driven out of them , by all sorts of drivers 10 out of 10 for them to still being reliable and running !!, for a 1.5 litre in a mid sized SUV I didnt think the performance with an Auto trans wasn't to bad , it didnt want to stay in 1st gears verry long , as in it didn't have a verry aggressive shift pattern , but if you flicked the shiftter sideways into sport mode it seemed much better , would change at about 3,700 consistently instead of 2 to 2.5 rpm,s, probably do the latter for better fuel economy , you cant have everything lol, anyway it was a good rental experience, ps so much so that last week my partner purchased one !!, not the Rental Conpany , a ZS
2023 MG ZST Core after 1 Year – Our MG ZST Core is exactly 1 year old today and is utterly reliable, covering 8,800 kilometers. Not a thing has gone wrong; no funny noises, hiccups, nothing. We opted for the ZST with the additional Pilot safety systems as soon as the 360-degree camera showed just how close our garden stone wall was to the drive! The other systems, too numerous… Read more
to mention, offer reassurance but the active cruise control deserves mention. It is both simple to use and holds speed accurately even when going down steep hills. Lane keep assist can be turned off permanently, thank heavens! A brief history. Car delivered 21 May 2023 with 95RON fuel as requested. It was immediately booked in for a lube service 4 days later for fresh oil and filter. Early oil changes were once common and is still considered good practice by engine builders to remove debris that is left behind when an engine is built as well as metal that will have been scraped off the rubbing surfaces, pistons, rings and bearings, etc. And I have always done lube services every 6 months. Engines are expensive but fresh oil is way cheaper. A read of the Owner’s Manual informs that there is a 1,500K running in period. Be gentle and not exceed 3,000 revs, which we complied with. It is my practice to always run new vehicles in on Shell V Power fuel. I believe that this excellent fuel assists in keeping combustion smooth and the few dollars spent are well worth it. After the 1,500Ks were up, only 95RON has been used and I can only say that it continues to be smooth and copes with our hilly locality far better than the 91RON fueled test drive car that we did our evaluation in. So, my recommendation is to simply use 95RON in any modern car. It’s really the new regular and your car will love you for it. The reported hesitancy on takeoff was almost eliminated with the better fuels and has now disappeared with the engine noticeably freer. These engines seem tight when new and just get better with age and good fuel. We don’t have actual fuel consumption data, but the readout is in the 8s which is good for our hilly urban terrain and the short trips plus the air conditioning set colder as my wife prefers. The Chinese Maxxis M&S tyres are acceptable with good road holding in the wet even on an acute angle turn onto the local 90K bypass. It just goes around, no dramas. But we haven’t had any emergency stops, so emergency adhesion is unknown. However, at 35psi front and 33 rear the ride is acceptable on these stiff walled tyres. The road holding is excellent with a well planted front that is responsive with very good damping that was only found slightly wanting at 100K+ in a depression in the road. Brakes work well with a good feeling too. The car also does without Auto Stop Start to stop the engine when halted in traffic. I love this because I know that the essential coolant and oil are always circulating, and both the battery and starter motor will lead a normal life without premature unexpected failure. A common reason why cars are seen stranded at traffic lights nowadays according to a roadside mechanic that I spoke to. And the reason why we had a premature engine failure in another car. Burnt oil residue clogged tiny oil strainers and galleries. So, in summary, a great little car that our granddaughter looks forward to chauffeuring nanny around in when she gets her Ls with a promise that she can use it for her Ps. If in doubt, just buy one. We don’t regret it and I don’t think that you will either. Enjoy.
Positive reviews
The car rides well and good value for the dollar if they can fix the high revs issue. We have experienced revs as high as 5,300. At this rpm, there is no more power left to accelerate. I have been in contact with the dealer and their head office. They said they have no intention on providing a “fix” as THEY don’t see it as an issue. The company needs to listen to the public. Show details · 1
Having driven the latest model CHERRY OMADA - HAVAL JOLIAN and MG ZS for a period, not just a test drive, in my opinion there is no comparison. The MG as a driver car, with all the same' top of the range' inclusions, leaves the other two in the dust. It's superior in handling, vision and better and easier to navigate the electronics. The screen… Read more
placement ideal for sound, navigation, conversation and other uses. As for price, they are all in that 35K plus bracket, and there are end of financial deals on all three, so shop around.
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In my experience, the ZST Vibe is a neat little car. I do about 800km mostly motorway driving each week (Currently at 75k). It feels smooth on the motorway and will easily increase from 70 to 100 unless you are going uphill. I find it sluggish if I want to take off in a hurry, the engine needs a moment before it responds but if you're just… Read more
cruising around town then it feels comfortable. I'm getting 6.5L/km but mostly motorway driving. The engine developed a ticking noise almost straight away that the mechanics 'can't hear'. I would rate the entertainment system a 2/5, sure it works but not without it often disconnecting or freezing. I know the resale value will be low, disappointing for me as I bought during Covid when prices were around $5k dearer than they are now but hopefully I can get many years out of it before that happens.
Negative reviews
fine for normal town driving , but very noisy revs on any hills ,revs up to 4.3, passengers are quite shocked at the noise it makes seems to be really struggling Show details
I rent a lot of cars and so have some basic expectations which sadly weren't met with this car. The cruise control is neither intuitive nor effective. Secondly, the car has no power when going up a very moderate incline at 110kph. The car naturally slows but when accelerating, nothing happens even when I put my foot completely to the floor. Zero… Read more
confidence in an overtake scenario. Also, the panels are thin and dent easily and the front suspension is rattly. The angle of the windscreen or the glass itself creates excessive glare such that the dash reflects off the glass when driving towards sunset. The cabin has little sound insulation and the speakers are rubbish (far too much bass). The fuel efficiency is not as good as other cars in the same class. The small engine will tire quickly. I would definitely buy a Kia or Hyundai over this as the ownership costs will be better long term with these brands.
I have a MG ZST VIBE just done 3000k sometimes it almost “dies” on acceleration but corrects itself after flooring the accelerator a bit scary in traffic I use 91 fuel I will try 98 when I use up what I got in it. Seems like a common problem and dealers don’t know how to fixit. Buckby motors in Launceston TAS Show details
Recent reviews
I always swore that I would never buy a Chinese car as I had hired and driven two different MG models and was totally underwhelmed by the experience. However, I kept reading reviews on how good the new model ZS was so decided to have a test drive and ended up buying one. The price was $30 grand driveaway with a ten-year warrantee. The car has all… Read more
the extras that one needs and is excellent to drive. The price and quality of this smaller SUV is hard to surpass.
Love it so far after 5000km. Surprisingly powerfull and economical. I leave it in normal mode and 4.6L/100km is my accumulated average to date, regularly driving city, hwys and fwys. Extremely good value and well equiped. Took me a while to get used to driving it though as it is my first hybrid. Only negative is the occasional reving of the engine… Read more
on an incline to keep the battery well charged which was concerning to begin with, but I'm now used to it. So far so good!
9 months in, so far so good. Had a little charging glitch once where it purportedly went from around 60% to 100% in about 30 seconds (never found out why but had since resolved itself). Bit of a bouncy/rough ride but it's not intolerable. Cheap, hard plastics inside but that's expected at this price point. Otherwise drives beautifully and smooth - very happy and love it.
Very easy to drive. This car has a lot of get up and go. No turbo lag to the 1.3 litre engine. Great on long trips and very economical. 6.9l/100km. Used everyday for mainly commuting to and from work with short stints on the motorway. Servicing is done every 10000km. Show details
25000 MG.ZST. 1.3. Turbo. No problems but turbo lag spoils the experience. Yesterday drove a kia seltos. And a vw. T.Cross..500ks between the two. Considering price I will stick with my less than perfect mg. Good dealer in Canberra.
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A car that not only delivers in price but performs on equipment, safety and reliability! The claimed 7.1 combined is true and accurate! The fact nothing has gone wrong and buying cheaper can mean now…buying better! Show details
Not a nice car – We had this car as a rental, and overall it was pretty average in some areas and downright awful in others. Let’s start with the average: the aircon worked well, the infotainment system was decent with Apple CarPlay (but no android auto?), its pretty stylish, is seemingly quite safe. (4 star ANCAP etc.) and handled surprisingly well it felt fine… Read more
on the road.
Now for the bad. The engine was unbelievably loud and felt painfully underpowered all the time unless you were doing 50 kph or less. To get from 60 to 100 kph you have to have your foot flat to the floor and you still wish there was more! The seats were terrible—granted, we’re larger-framed people, but they were uncomfortably tight, had no support and the seatbelt clasp dug into our sides. To make matters worse, the seats didn’t breathe at all. The cheap “leather” had no perforations, so your back ends up drenched in sweat, and they became scorching hot in the summer sun.
Fuel economy was poor, mostly because the engine was working so hard to keep up. The interior looked nice but felt cheap—which I can forgive in a budget car—but the build quality was disappointing. There were rattles everywhere, and the center console flexed under the lightest touch.
On the bright side, it does have a 10-year warranty, and it never broke down or left us stranded. But in the end, it was simply cheap and underpowered and by the end of our 3 weeks with it I was thrilled to see the back of it!
Highly recommended – Love my MG ZS. Had it for 4.5 years and just traded in for same model with 10 year warranty. Great on the open road and around town. Value for money is excellent. I can’t believe the questions on this review when they have a seven year warranty just take it back to the dealer! Show details
Medium experience – Has anyone else experienced clicking when going around a round about like a light click but enough to notice i turn left click i turn right click what is this ? Show details
Problem – Hi we brought a brand new 2024 mg zst essence had it for about 3 months and the digital speedometer display screen has shut down all other electronics work in the car except the speedometer screen has anyone else had this happen before
MG warranty not worth the paper it's written on!! – Had various defects since purchasine new in Dec 2022. Have been trying to make contact with MG with over a month without any success. Been stonewalled at every turn. Really, disguistingly, herrendously horrible customer service. DON'T BUY MG!!! I have seriius safety issues with my car which they won't fix, and you can't contact MG directly. This company is a joke!!! Show details
GO ELSEWHERE!!! – Car has had several issues since I bought new in 2022. More concerning is the complete lack of customer care provided by the dealer (Trinity Auto, Cairns - go elsewhere, seriously!), and MG. NO CONTACT DETAILS provided on MG webpage, and no way to contact anyone but a ridiculous automated chat function. Does anyone have a way to contact these rude people, because I am at my wit's end trying to get warranty help!!! Show details
Grinding "metal on metal" sound on a COLD START – I have a 2024 2 Month old MG ZST 1.5 LTR VIBE. Upon first start up of each and every day, it sounds like metal on metal. Every start up after the first start is normal.......hence no grinding sound. Does anyone have the same issue? Show details · 1
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