SPY PICS: Next-generation MG ZS here this year

The second-generation 2025 MG ZS will arrive in Australia later this year following its global reveal in the coming months, and the all-new version of the Chinese brand’s smallest SUV will seek to defend its predecessor’s title as Australia’s most popular small SUV.

The current MG ZS has been Australia’s favourite small SUV for the past three years and is a crucial model for the brand globally, but the new Mazda CX-3 rival will bring a fresh new look and hybrid power for the first time.

Spotted in Alexandria just south of the Sydney CBD wearing heavy camouflage, the new MG ZS has been undergoing local testing for some months ahead of its impending Aussie launch.

Although the camo wrap makes it difficult to discern details, the overall shape clearly identifies the new SUV as a sleeker, more sophisticated unit.

The headlight clusters appear to mimic those from the new MG3 and a new plugless hybrid powertrain – likely the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain seen in the MG3 Hybrid+, will be a big boost for the new MG ZS, sending a total of 155kW to the front wheels via three-speed automatic transmission.

This low-emission powertrain will give the MG ZS greater scope to challenge a wider range of hybrid competitors from Asian brands such as the Toyota Corolla Cross and CH-R, and the Nissan QASHQAI.

But the new petrol-electric small SUV – and regular petrol-powered versions of the new MG ZS – will almost certainly come with price hikes over the current model’s super-sharp sub-$23,000 drive-away starting price.

However, like the new-generation MG3, the 2025 MG ZS will also bring more standard equipment, better connectivity, a thoroughly modern interior fit-out and improved safety tech.

“That is an extremely important model for us, the small SUV, and initially we were looking at [launching it] early next year. But we are glad that we managed to bring forward the timing, so we’re looking at quarter four for that car,” MG Motor Australia senior product manager Akshat Ahuja told carsales.

Inside, these spy photos of the cabin show a more sophisticated design complete with a larger central touch-screen and the ‘squircle’ steering wheel as seen in the MG3 and MG4.

“I think that is true for all our upcoming cars, not just the ZS or the HS and the MG3. The only thing that’s similar between the old and new cars is the name,” said Ahuja.

“Otherwise it’s a completely new product.”

A 360-degree 3D parking camera system will be offered and the updated interior styling reveals an ultra-modern gear-shifter, stylised air-vents and a digital instrument cluster as well.

The new MG ZS will “100 per cent” mirror the step-change seen with the new MG3, Ahuja told carsales.

“So you’re going to see the same thing with the HS and also the ZS. It’s a big step up,” he said.

The original MG ZS was revealed at the 2016 Guangzhou motor show in China and first sold in Australia in late 2017. It is currently priced from $22,990 drive-away for the entry-level front-drive 1.5-litre petrol Excite variant.

This base MG ZS grade accounts for the lion’s share of the small SUV’s sales in Australia, but it lacks autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – something that is now mandated for new passenger vehicles sold in Australia.

Together with new petrol and hybrid powertrains, safety upgrades will likely push up the price of all new MG ZS vehicles.

The upgraded and up-spec MG ZST variants sold in Australia since 2020 come with a tweaked exterior design and extra safety features like AEB, but also higher pricing – currently starting from $25,490 drive-away and rising to $30,490 drive-away for the top-spec Essence.

It remains to be seen whether MG will continue with this naming convention when the new model touches down in Australia, but it’s likely both models will migrate under a single ‘ZS’ banner.

The all-electric MG ZS EV currently available from just under $40,000 (drive-away) is Australia’s most affordable electric SUV right now and its eventual replacement will likely bring a lot more bells and whistles when it arrives later in the new MG ZS’ life cycle.

All versions are expected to deliver improved ride and handling and non-hybrid petrol versions of the new MG ZS are likely to be powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder (81kW/142Nm) as the new MG3, matched as standard to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels.

Along with the recently-confirmed second-generation MG HS mid-size SUV, which will arrive before the MG ZS small SUV, the circa-$130,000 MG Cyberster sports car will also be released Down Under before the year is out, creating a vastly different MG showroom.

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