MG ZS electric SUV arrives in Australia
Chinese budget brand’s EV hits Sydney streets ahead of November launchThe MG ZS electric SUV has touched down on Aussie soil ahead of the long-awaited first customer deliveries and final showroom pricing to be announced in November.
Early adopters snagged the Hyundai Kona-sized MG ZS EV late last year at a promotional price of $46,990 drive-away, which made it Australia’s cheapest EV, but it remains to be seen if the Chinese brand’s first electric vehicle will retain the title upon entering showrooms almost a year later.
The MG ZS EV would need to be priced below $48,970 plus on-road costs to dethrone the Hyundai IONIQ Electric as the most affordable electric vehicle in Australia.
The Nissan LEAF is slightly higher at $49,990 plus ORCs, while the Hyundai Kona Electric starts at $60,740.
The MG EV – which uses a 105kW/353Nm electric motor – was due to arrive earlier this year but was delayed due to a battery upgrade designed for ‘hot weather’ countries.
It now packs in a 44.5kWh battery, good for a 262km range (WLTP) between charges, which is similar to the Hyundai IONIQ and Nissan LEAF but can’t match the 450km range of the Hyundai Kona Electric.
Charging of the MG is claimed to take 40 minutes on a 50kW fast charger to achieve an 80 per cent fill.
An MG Australia spokesperson has confirmed that deliveries of the ZS EV to those first 100 buyers at the promotional price will take place during the next three months as first shipments make their way into showrooms.
“We set a goal for our pre-sale numbers and thanks to strong customer demand from Australia and New Zealand, we are pleased to have sold our initial allotment of our ZS EVs, demonstrating the increasing desire for electrically-powered vehicles in Australia/New Zealand,” said MG Australia’s product and marketing chief Danny Lenartic.
MG only sells three models at present, but the ambitious budget brand is eyeing off a top-10 spot on the Australian new-car sales ladder, something it can only achieve with a wider range of vehicles.
It will launch a plug-in hybrid version of the larger MG HS mid-size SUV around February 2021, while a follow-up battery-electric small car is expected to follow, priced below $30,000.
MG is also considering importing an affordable and well-equipped Corolla-fighting sedan in the form of the MG5 sedan.
“The MG5 [small car] has just been unveiled in Shanghai. That’s an exciting car and we’re evaluating that,” Lenartic said.
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