MG ZS Hybrid 2025 review

[@sidjyothi]

Great review as usual, Matt. However, I am skeptical of the sales success of this model. I own the MG3 hybrid on which this is based (same platform) and there are a few issues with the hybrid drivetrain that future ZS buyers should keep in mind. First, the fuel economy is not nearly as good as what a hyrbid that runs quite often in EV mode should get - on the MG3, I average 4.8l/100. You should see 5.2l/100 in the ZS. Second, the performance of the drivetrain is quite inconsistent. If the battery has sufficient charge, expect a lot of shove, if the battery has low SoC, expect the push to be noticeably low. Also, the best economy is achieved once the car has run for at least 15 mins - for very short drives, fuel economy is abysmal (more in the 7l/100). The MG3 hardly sells. the ZS sales remains to be seen, but the interior seems a lot nicer than the MG3 essence model

[@therightcar]

Thanks mate. I appreciate your feedback. My buddy Matt at @carsauce had the battery SOC acceleration issue with his test vehicle, and try as I might, I couldn't replicate it.

[@sonegie]

This is going to put a lot of pressure on the more mainstream brands. The long term reliability of MG3 is questionable however even with the long warranty and service packages. I've read of components failing being covered by warranty but the lead time is incredibly long.

[@Car-l4f]

Good review as always

[@therightcar]

Thank you!

[@Car-l4f]

@@therightcar always look out for your review on all cars

[@losch78]

Living in Europe (the Austria without Kangaroos), I received mine 3 weeks ago; What I find very interesting that the identical drivetrain gets a lower combined power rating in Euro spec, "only" 145kw/197hp, wonder whether that has to do with different rating or actual different tune; That said, I have never experienced the power loss so far, at least in normal mode, which I have been using in 99% of the time. But it also seems that the battery will drain below ca. 1/3 in that power flow diagram or the engine will kick in, again wondering if that is a different tune (probably or emission reasons, so the cat won't cool) or the lower temperatures in the Northern hemisphere right now. Otherwise so far really surprisingly good car, a far cry from so so Chinese small SUVs I have enjoyed as rentals in Europe. Too bad we don't get the panoramic sunroof currently in the top trim or the bright interior, not even as option....

[@therightcar]

That’s a shame about the spec differences. Hope you like the car though!

[@betatestinglife7379]

Hopefully this is going to make other brands have no choice but to bring down the prices of their hybrids too (looking at you, Toyota).

[@therightcar]

They already have a cheaper hybrid SUV - the Yaris Cross is $30,900 plus on-road costs for the base model... at least officially.

[@KBWarrioR2018]

That's the issue, Toyota knows none of these are a real threat. They know when time comes to stop watching KZbin reviews, and actually dish out money.. you ll be heading towards the Toyota showroom. Hence they will never adjust the pricing

[@creeeepy100]

@@therightcar Yaris Cross is Garbage and should cost around 15K

[@graemecouch5010]

Definately ! And Honda !

[@damienwallis7921]

So you didn’t have any problems with the battery becoming 100% depleted and only then relying on your 75 kW combustion engine? Other car reviewers found when they drove the car too hard that they physically could not accelerate because the battery was fully depleted, which is very scary if you’re trying to overtake.

[@LensProWork]

The CarSauce reviewer depleted the battery, and this car requires you to drive in a manner that ensures your battery is always at least partially charged. I guess MG will have to update the system software to prevent the driver from running out of battery.

[@yahyah07]

More glorified junk

[@RicknMorty85]

Happens with every hybrid car you can name, you need a certain % of battery to run the electronics etc and if you don't have it, you basically need the system to recharge. Happened to my RAV4 when the Hybrid systems had no battery. It forced the engine on to recharge when I was at the lights. Im guessing what the other people did was killed they drained their battery entirely, and just slammed on accelerate instead of waiting for it to charge back to a certain state which allows for backup use and recharging use.

[@stephensmith8300]

@@yahyah07how would you know

[@Alan-gc3rn]

Regenerative braking is there for a reason 🙄

[@joshung007]

Agree with your HR-V comments. Drives beautifully, ride is a bit firm for a Honda, but very well put together.

[@greenchutneyman]

I had the previous mg zst essence. The depreciation on these are insane. As I had to sell it due to so many issues I couldn't live with. Had the car for a year. Buy this car if your planning to drive it into the ground. I mean 7 years +, if your gonna sell it within 1 to 3 years. Expect 40 to 50 % depreciation.

[@therightcar]

Sorry to hear that. But good advice.

[@angusfalconer8754]

The design is pretty good. Better than the old one.

[@therightcar]

Agree!

[@Juan_theCook]

By end 2025 MG would have solved most of the initial issues including battery depletion. And when they start discounting by 5k for year-end, I'll buy the excite for $28,990 d/a 😊

[@therightcar]

😂

[@thehuonpine]

This is a good update from the previous generation..It still has the old look in the styling, but you can't have it all considering you get more safety tech that could cost $10k more in other brands!

[@DeSilver215]

Are there coatings we can put on those screens to reduce glare yet still work as touch screen?

[@DeSilver215]

Does it have a dash cam/autopilot device com. port next to the rear view mirror?

[@losch78]

yes

[@Jestey6]

Yes, but it’s usb A. But no problem really😉

[@tazydevil85]

Will you be doing a review on the Kia K4?

[@therightcar]

Yep, when it arrives here I will cover it!

[@Blingbling820]

MG still haven’t perfected the reverse camera it’s quite hard to judge the distance because of the wide angle and tall ratio

[@therightcar]

I didn’t have that issue but there are multiple view options.

[@electricdiesel1993]

I miss that 2001 MG ZS Turbocharged-Diesel 115 hatchback

[@sb4photos]

none of the 80-120kmph drivetrain stops moving cause the battery is not charged as per other reviewers ?

[@therightcar]

Nothing like that. Weird!

[@marcusgeorge1825]

Hi Matt, I question if they offer the best ownership from a warranty perspective. 10 years/250,000 kilometres or 7 years/unlimited kilometres. I’d take the later every day and believe it’s a simple marketing ploy from MG as they understand most buyers won’t average more than 25,000 kilometres per year. The ones that do under the older system still had coverage.

[@therightcar]

I think your POV is only valid if you do more than 25,000km per year. The vast majority of people don’t.

[@caphotography8536]

Will the petrol only cars also only take 95 RON Matt?

[@twinrotors]

LONG LIVE HYBRID

[@jay-uo2bi]

What about GWM Jolion / Hybrid?

[@therightcar]

It’s alright. But this is way better.

[@erkerk4640]

Hey Matt.. so u would prefer Honda hybrid u mentioned instead of MG?

[@therightcar]

If I was buying one of these small hybrid SUVs, yes, I’d get the HR-V. That’s my taste.

[@kevlyn1963]

95 Ron is a deal breaker for that price.

[@therightcar]

Is it?

[@DeSilver215]

@Kevlyn, do the maths.

[@dointheokecoke5548]

20c per L dearer for 95 Ron here in Qld [if you can find it ]

[@kennethprocak5176]

Everyone should ask themselves which other mainstream brands are fitting the 1.5 hybrid systems with the CATL battery. Because SIAC and BYD drives are appearing in a lot.

[@buncha5651]

This will be interesting. I bet it is not prone to punctures. No spare no deal. 😊

[@moviemakerd]

inadmissible in today's age, that the car does not have steering wheel depth adjustment

[@liginajoshua]

Mg or Haval which is better.

[@Malc664]

Spin the roulette wheel

[@therightcar]

I would buy the MG, but wouldn't buy the Haval Jolion.

[@levi.k4017]

@@therightcarWhy is that?

[@stizzygrayson5541]

The petrol only ones could be a good proposition

[@philcut8989]

Yes, reliability and durability are big questions marks over MG's products. I have a fourteen and a half year old Toyota Corolla that has never broken down. I regularly see broken down Jeeps and Mercs. Stupid buyers.

[@superwag634]

Same for my 19 year old Hyundai Getz purchased for $3k with 58,000km four years ago. Got another 10+ years in it for sure 😂

[@marksweet8740]

Improved in most ways but this business of not having a spare wheel in most of these new cars is seriously taking a step backwards especially in safety no one in their right mind would or should buy a new car without a spare wheel.

[@therightcar]

Heaps of people do - and then get upset when they can’t get a replacement tyre for weeks.

[@anthonyv3050]

Other reviewers of this vehicle are expressing concern about power loss - especially when attempting to accelerate heavily.

[@therightcar]

Yes, and Matt from CarSauce raised the issue with the car he drove with MG. They have said they are doing a software update to fix it. The problem wasn’t replicable in my testing. I tried to mimic the same findings (we spoke about it before I did my drive) and credit where it’s due, it’s better for a reviewer to find a problem and it be fixed ASAP, than for it to go undiagnosed and be a problem for customers.

[@Car-l4f]

You can get a black leather interior

[@therightcar]

Not real leather. The spec sheet says the interior in white is optional.

[@Car-l4f]

@@therightcar yes sorry ment to say pvc leather thank you for letting me know 😀

[@DeSilver215]

So much power

[@DeSilver215]

Great review!

[@bananabear009]

At that much higher price point than before, more established brand options from Japan, Korea and Europe is a no brainer. plus the exterior is a little weird, not my cup of tea.

[@therightcar]

Okay!

[@argent10k]

Did I just watch Matt *BEND* the first shopping hook he pointed out??!

[@kennethprocak5176]

You are seeing things buddy.

[@argent10k]

@@kennethprocak5176 Definitely not - replay and look carefully. He puts his finger on the hook and then pulls slightly and it moves.

[@53glowe]

I think you're not seeing things ​@@kennethprocak5176. It did bend 🤔

[@incarsound]

I think MG has dropped the ball with certain missing features that the opposition has included. I watched another review on KZbin, with CarSauce. On a 0-100 test, it took ages to get to 100 from the 94 k mark. Which is extremely dangerous for overtaking. Unless you are really sold on getting a brand new car, I would look at getting a second hand Rav 4. At least the reliability will be there

[@therightcar]

Yep, I know Matt had that issue, and that is a concern. I tried to replicate it with no success (multiple hard launches and no issues).

[@LensProWork]

@incarsound The CarSauce reviewer depleted the battery, and this car requires you to drive in a manner that ensures your battery is always at least partially charged. I guess MG will have to update the system software to prevent the driver from running out of battery.

[@incarsound]

@@therightcar I wonder if it was only his test car that had the issue. On another note, looking forward to the review on the new Haval H6 GT plug in hybrid. Anyhow, love your reviews Matt! 😉👍

[@incarsound]

@@LensProWork makes sense now you mention it 😉👍

[@sharkattack6610]

@@incarsound The reviewer at Drive had the same issue as Car Sauce, as have owners of the MG3 Hybrid that has the same hybrid set up. MG are aware apparently so hopefully adding a line of code to the software followed by a recall can solve the issue.

[@Peter-vn8ue]

Does it have a 5-star ANCAP safety rating?

[@piriepeasant4554]

I've told to stay away from MG vehicles as they were unreliable. Is that the case? If so have they improved?

[@therightcar]

They have a 10 year warranty. If it’s unreliable, you become a troublemaker.

[@graemeottey]

Oh no, usb-a how will you ever survive. You’ll never be able to find an a>c or a>lightning cable to leave in the car. It’s just a connector, time to get over it. I’d be more annoyed with the 95 petrol for a shopping trolley.

[@therightcar]

We all have different perspectives. Mine is that NO NEW CAR SHOULD HAVE USB-A or HALOGEN LIGHTS. 🤩

[@michaelhaile7491]

The Havel jolion hybrid is a much better option for less price and slightly bigger car

[@kennethprocak5176]

If you look at the plug in PowerPoint charger you get with the phone, it’s USB A connector into the plug in charger. But l don’t have a stupid I-phone.

[@therightcar]

Hahahaha

[@gregclark8700]

No spare , no thanks It is bejond me to understand how in Australia a car without a spare acceptable to anyone regardless of it they do country driving. Get a flat in a multi level car park and see how much fun you have getting mobile again.

[@undertowsurf]

Haven't had a flat in 30 yrs or ever

[@gregclark8700]

@@undertowsurf half your luck, I’m guessing we’d average a flat type every 3 - 5 years, normally it’s a screw that we’ve picked up on the road that’s worked it’s way in I can just imagine finishing work at 6pm and finding a flat , tyre shops are closed , how’s that managed I doubt Automotive club would carry spares, so what do you do tow truck ? Hope your luck holds and you never need worry about about flats

[@ColdSplash]

IMHO, the front overhang is disporportionally long and ruins the athletic style.

[@therightcar]

Fair enough. You buy with your eyes.

[@twinrotors]

RIP EV

[@normanafif1268]

When are these shit box Chinese cars going to have reach adjustment in the steering wheel? How bloody hard is it?

[@therightcar]

I wouldn’t go that far. But it is annoying.

[@twinrotors]

RIP ICE

[@superwag634]

Maybe not considering they’re driving away the zs for 22k at the moment. That’s 10+k$ cheaper than this one. The car will die before you save that 10k worth of fuel

[@tonybennett638]

Thanks but no thanks 🤪

[@therightcar]

Ok :D

[@OzKidzFun]

2024 and still Android Auto wired....😂

[@therightcar]

Yep, bit behind. And USB-A wired, too...

[@t8polestarcyan22]

Nah I'll stick to my ZS EV or wait for a ES 5.

[@therightcar]

Fair enough!

[@magdalenaserafinkucaj5172]

car does not provide 194 horse power consistently and at all times, if you run the battery down car starts to slow down regardless of what happens on the road, imagine overtaking or going up the hill with the battery down, it is serious risk hazard - the manufacturer should have put 20 - 50 horse power on the badge of this car.

[@lucassitanggang5154]

Sh*t. This Is Like Cupra

[@TheMowogman]

Nope crap

[@ETERNITY777]

🤓🤓 NAHH MY 2024 HYANDAI HYBRID TUSCON IS A BETTER CAR 🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@daweigo6851]

Would want to be, more expensive car...

[@therightcar]

Lot more expensive.

[@ETERNITY777]

@@therightcar Better value

[@ETERNITY777]

@@daweigo6851 Better value

[@graemecouch5010]

Honda HrV a better Proposition & far better resale Value !