MG ZS EV Long Range 2024 Review

There’s a pretty simple reason we’re revisiting the 2024 MG ZS EV Long Range – a massive price cut.

Not so long back, the small SUV was $55,990 plus on-road costs, but MG recently wielded a machete to the price by slashing it to $46,990 drive-away. That’s a saving of well over $10,000 once the ORCs are factored in.

The Long Range isn’t alone in being hacked, with the ZS EV Excite ($39,990) and Essence ($42,990) also recently dropping in price. However, the Long Range is the one with the anxiety-reducing 440km claimed range (WLTP).

This new pricing also makes the ZS EV one of the most affordable electric SUVs on the market in terms of extended-range variants.

Its closest rivals are the BYD Atto 3 Extended from $51,011 plus ORCs and the Hyundai Kona Electric Standard range from $54,000 plus on-roads. Among a lot of other activity in the marketplace, Tesla has responded to the competition by slashing its top-selling Model Y mid-size SUV to just $55,900 plus ORCs.

Fundamentally, the ‘Long Range’ part of the equation is delivered via a 72.6kWh lithium-ion battery (with NMC, or nickel manganese cobalt, chemistry), while the standard-range variants utilise a smaller 51.1kWh battery (with LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, chemistry) for a claimed 320km range.

All three model grades include 17-inch alloy wheels, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, FM and digital radio (no AM), a 10.1-inch infotainment touch-screen, single-zone air-conditioning, push-button start, a vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging facility and a smartphone app.

Key features the Essence and Long Range add include front seat heating, a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charging, six-speaker audio (up from four speakers in the Excite), synthetic leather seat trim and driver’s seat power adjustment.

The Long Range alone gets privacy glass. No model gets a spare tyre.

Safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), six airbags, lane keeping and a 360-degree camera. There is no current ANCAP safety rating, although the pre-facelift ZS EV gets five stars based on 2019 protocols.

Reassuringly, the MG ZS EV comes with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty that includes its high-voltage battery and seven years’ roadside assist. Long 20,000km/24-month service intervals equate to hassle-free motoring and the capped-price servicing averages out to $501 for each of the first five visits.

Obviously, that dramatically reduced pricing is among the best news when it comes to the 2024 MG ZS EV Long Range.

It makes this small electric SUV, one that is spacious enough to fit a family of four and the accompanying paraphernalia, much more affordable.

In fact, the ZS EV will do more than just fit young kids in the back as it has the headroom and legroom to fit taller occupants comfortably while also only being 4.3 metres in length.

Those in the back are also treated to air-con vents, USB points and a few storage opportunities, but there is no fold-down arm rest or centre head restraint.

Further back the boot offers a modest 359 litres of cargo capacity, which expands dramatically to 1187 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

The 2024 MG ZS EV Long Range drives inoffensively with its primary asset being a suspension tune that reduces the impact of road imperfections. There’s a roly-poly softness to it, but for city-based family commuting it’s about right.

And that’s where the EV powertrain is at its best, too. From our experience driving in and out of the city, you’ll get closer to the 17.7kWh claim and 440km between recharges in slower-speed stop-start traffic.

Get the 2024 MG ZS EV Long Range out on the open road and you’ll find it’s been optimistically named. The safe range is more like 300-340km.

One long drive from Sydney to Coffs Harbour, via the New England Highway and the Dorrigo Way, added up to a total of 757km covered at an average of 20.2kWh.

It was completed mostly in Eco Mode (there’s also Normal and Sport, with the latter adding liveliness but also thirst) and winding up the brake-energy recovery to its highest of three levels when appropriate.

The claimed maximum DC fast-charging rate is 94kW, however the best we achieved was 71kW, which is old school these days, so you’ll be spending a reasonable amount of time parked at a charger.

The Long Range also makes less power than its cheaper siblings. While they offer 130kW and 280Nm, it produces 115kW and 280Nm to maximise battery range. The net effect is minimal because the pulling power is equivalent.

It’s also obvious the front-wheel drive ZS EV is torque-capped when it accelerates. That’s clearly designed to stop excessive wheelspin and torque steer – where the steering wheel jerks in your hands under acceleration.

It’s a reflection of the ZS EV’s limited dynamic capabilities. There’s lots of body roll, ‘safety first’ understeer, rubbery steering and variable brake responses.

This reflects the fact that the ZS EV is based on an old chassis borrowed from the internal combustion engine (ICE) models. It also feels like it could use a wider tyre than the 215/55R17 Maxxis rubber it’s fitted with.

Helpfully, lane keep assist can be easily and permanently switched off, removing one interfering driving blight.

Speaking of controls, there’s no doubt the ergonomics of the ZS EV are improved since the 2022 update with better screens and controls. Yet it’s still a chore in regards to the audio and air-con switchgear.

Additionally, the overall quality of the materials used varies. The door cards feel flimsy, the arm rest padding is skimpy and it’s easy to hit your left elbow on the hard plastic in the centre console. Conversely, the dashboard and lidded bin are padded and trimmed nicely.

There are thousands of dollars in reasons to take the 2024 MG ZS EV Long Range much more seriously than before.

It remains far from the cutting edge in terms of EV tech and sophistication. It’s clearly ageing and relatively average overall compared to the competition.

In the future it seems likely the MG ZS EV Long Range will be superseded and irrelevant as technology inevitably improves and electric car pricing becomes more competitive.

However, at $46,990 drive-away, backed by a long warranty and with enough range to be an urban family runabout, the ZS EV Long Range is currently a zero-emissions proposition worth considering.

2024 MG ZS EV Long Range at a glance:
Price: $46,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Front-mounted synchronous motor
Output: 115kW/280Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 72.6kWh lithium-ion
Range: 440km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 17.7kWh (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested