MG ZS EV 2022 Review

Hitting showrooms this week, the 2022 MG ZS EV is now available in two model grades – Excite and Essence – priced from $43,990 and $47,990 plus on-road costs respectively.

Importantly, the national drive-away pricing adds just $1000 for both, listed at $44,990 for Excite and $48,990 drive-away for Essence.

That still sees the ZS lay claim to being Australia’s cheapest EV, although its position is no longer a comfortable one with the 2022 BYD Atto 3 now available from $44,381 plus on-road costs.

Indeed, at the 11th hour, MG has backflipped on price hikes previously announced for the updated ZS EV in what appears to be a direct response to the threat posed by BYD.

Whereas the BYD Atto 3 is an all-new entrant and built from the ground up as an electric car, the 2022 MG ZS EV is an upgrade to the model that launched in Australia in November 2020 and is based on a platform that’s shared with combustion-engined ZS SUVs that arrived here five years ago.

That brings with it a few inherent compromises, and points to the fact that the ZS is nearing the end of its current lifecycle. But the electric version of MG’s small SUV has proven itself to be far more than simply a cheap way into the burgeoning EV segment.

With this latest update, the 2022 MG ZS EV has had its WLTP-verified driving range boosted to 320km (+57km), thanks to a larger 50.3kWh battery – which we’ll talk more about later.

The facelift brings a new body-coloured grille integrating a new Type 2 charge port up front, along with revised 21-module LED headlights, LED tail-lights and redesigned front and rear bumpers.

Inside, the driver now gets a fully digital instrument cluster while the central touch-screen has also been upgraded, growing a few inches in size (now to 10”).

Cloth upholstery comes standard in the entry-grade Excite we’re testing here, along with a four-speaker sound system. It also has 17-inch Diamond Cut alloy wheels.

Heated and leather-appointed seats, a wireless phone charging pad, six-speaker sound system, a panoramic sunroof and roof rails are among items reserved for the flagship MG ZS EV Essence.

MG continues with the same seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle and battery warranty that has provided reassurance for buyers over the past couple of years.

Services are due every 20,000km or 24 months.

The 2022 MG ZS EV is no doubt more impressive than before in the technology department, although there’s still room for improvement.

Larger digital screens display better-quality images, and while we found the new 10-inch central touch-screen much more impressive than the previous ZS EV’s ancient-feeling unit, the new one is still slow to respond at times, not overly intuitive and our Bluetooth connection dropped out several times.

Strangely, the central touch-screen – and any audio playing – doesn’t turn off when you switch off the ignition and exit the car. So you can be standing outside the ZS with the doors closed, about to walk away, and still hear your favourite Spotify playlist pumping inside.

It’s only once you lock the car that everything fully shuts off.

Navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and digital radio all come standard, along with voice assistance that’ll link to Siri if you’re using Apple.

Elsewhere, the new 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster makes a huge impression and is a major improvement over its predecessor.

You can’t customise the display as you can with some other vehicles, but information – including driving range, digital speed and driver assistance aids – are displayed clearly.

A handy 360-degree view camera also features on every 2022 MG ZS EV, so you can see right around the vehicle, while mirror-mounted cameras also offer a kerb view to help you park.

As we’ve noticed on other MG vehicles, the camera quality isn’t top notch, and although you can make out most objects well enough, the resolution is sub-par.

Three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – all feature, but no matter which you choose, it reverts back to Normal every time you restart the car.

Meanwhile, driver assistance safety features – even in the entry-level Excite – extend to autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control and lane assist.

You’ll have to fork out another $3000 for the Essence grade if you want blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

Six airbags are fitted standard, and the MG ZS EV was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating last year based on testing conducted in 2019.

However, the ANCAP rating might now be in doubt with the safety omissions in the Excite model, which were previously standard.

The headline act for the 2022 MG ZS EV is its longer driving range, which is always welcome in Australia where range anxiety remains a barrier for many prospective EV buyers.

The outgoing ZS EV’s 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery has been replaced with a larger 50.3kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery – which is now nickel and cobalt free – offering a more generous 320km driving range based on WLTP testing (up from 263km).

However, the larger and heavier battery also takes longer to charge.

Whereas the previous battery was claimed to take 40 minutes to reach 80 per cent charge (from zero) via a 50kW fast-charger, the updated ZS EV will achieve the same result in 54 minutes.

If you’re charging at home via a standard power point, you’re looking at 33 hours to reach a full charge, which will be impractical for many owners.

However, if you’re prepared to fork out around $2000 (plus installation) for your own wall-mounted MG ChargeHub, expect to reach 100 per cent charge in around eight hours.

Overseas, a ‘Long Range’ ZS EV is also available, sporting an even larger 72kWh battery and offering a driving range of around 440km (WLTP). It’s under consideration for Australia, but nothing’s locked in yet.

As for real-world range, we came close to reaching MG’s claim of 320km.

The battery on our tester was on 99 per cent charge upon setting out, and after driving 237km – with no air-conditioning for the most part – we were left with an estimated range of 60km (19 per cent battery).

For reference, our driving included minimal highway kilometres and mostly stop-start city driving, which are the sort of conditions conducive to longer battery miles.

We reckon most owners will easily achieve 290km from a full battery, depending on the driving conditions.

With the higher specification and the bigger battery pack, the MG ZS EV Excite now tips the scales at 1570kg (+38kg), while the Essence model now has a 1610kg kerb weight.

Revisions have also been made to the MG’s electric motor, which now has more power at 130kW (+25kW) but considerably less torque at 280Nm – down from 353Nm.

MG says the outputs were “adjusted to maximise duration while enhancing the driveability, range, responsiveness and usability of the car”.

Interestingly, MG’s claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds remains the same as the outgoing model.

Despite the significant drop in torque, the 2022 MG ZS EV feels more athletic than many drivers will likely expect, with plenty of oomph when you put your foot down.

That’s the nature of most electric cars, and the ZS is no exception, pulling strongly from standstill and having no trouble getting up to speed with traffic.

The electric motor still isn’t as refined as others EVs we’ve driven recently, however once you’re up and running and managing the cut and thrust of city traffic, any noise or vibration smooths out.

The cabin is whisper-quiet around town, although wind noise becomes intrusive at highway speeds, and in undemanding conditions the ZS EV executes its required tasks with ease.

When the road surface becomes slippery, the Michelin tyres on MG’s electric small SUV scrabble for grip. And adding the ‘Sport’ drive mode into the mix certainly livens things up in these conditions.

Overall, though, the ZS EV handles predictably. The steering is slightly firmer than expected but remains light enough for most, and the brakes feel solid and responsive.

Three stages of regenerative braking are available, but none are potent enough to deliver genuine one-pedal driving as some other EVs offer. You still need to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

As before, the chassis tuning lacks sophistication, with some brittleness to the ride quality and crashiness felt across bumps and other road imperfections.

Elsewhere for the driver, the plastic steering wheel feels cheap underhand and can be slippery to touch. It offers tilt but not reach adjustment, forcing shorter-limbed folk to sit closer to the wheel than desired.

The seat cushioning is supportive but a little too firm for my liking.

Aside from thick C-pillars obscuring some rearward vision, the ZS EV offers a good outlook for the driver and is easy enough to manoeuvre.

There’s decent headroom and legroom for a couple of adults in the rear seat, where you’ll find air vents and two USB ports (one USB-A and one USB-C), but no centre arm rest or map pockets. Outboard ISOFIX child seat restraint points are provided.

Despite the change in battery, MG says cargo space remains the same at 359 litres with the 60/40-split second row seats upright.

You still don’t get a spare tyre though, having to make do with a repair kit.

There are still some key areas that MG needs to improve on before the 2022 MG ZS EV can stand tall among the leading electric cars available from mass-market brands in Australia.

It remains an attractive and enticing entry point into full-electric motoring, and the latest updates further improve on the formula, particularly the boost in driving range and the cabin tech additions.

However, we’re less than impressed that MG has pulled safety features out of the car in order to keep the price as low as possible.

Overall, the refreshed MG ZS EV is a good all-round package that keeps it competitive with newcomers.

But it’s not yet at the top of its game.

How much does the 2022 MG ZS EV Excite cost?
Price: $46,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 130kW/280Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 50.3kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Range: 320km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 17.1kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)