MG ZS vs Suzuki S-Cross

What's the difference?

Let me put it this way: Like-for-like, the ZS is better as an EV than it is as a petrol car, but it seems to be a story of getting what you pay for.

I don’t mean that the ZS EV is cheap and therefore nasty. In fact, I think it’s priced just right at the moment for a city EV entry-point. It offers all the key features a city-based EV buyer should be looking for, compares favourably to rivals on the value front, and is better than the standard ZS to drive and use.

It certainly has its flaws, and you can pay more to get rid of them by buying a Nissan Leaf, which, in my opinion drives better and has superior software, but then you’re forking out significantly more money for a similar driving range. On that basis, I think MG has found its entry-level EV niche and should be applauded for bringing the overall cost of entry down in Australia. Only time will tell if buyers warm to the idea, but the brand’s initial sales figures of nearly 700 units at least suggests it will be a success.

Back in the day, you’d hear people say they’d never buy an all-new car, but instead get the last of the old model that would have had all the bugs ironed out.

If this sort of homespun logic makes sense, then maybe the latest S-Cross might just be the perfect SUV car for you.

Not only has it been in production for years, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. Indeed, for performance, packaging and ease, it does plenty that's right. Thoughtful design is timeless.

But there are newer alternatives that look way fresher (particularly inside) yet cost the same or less, and offer more, including updated driver-assist safety.

Still, you can do a lot worse than take an S-Cross for a test drive.

MG’s formula for success is pretty simple. Make affordable cars that are good looking. Not so hard really, is it?

The ZS EV wears the chrome-embossed styling of the range, while offering its own take on the grille, complete with a unique colour choice, ‘Clipper Blue’, which looks quite fetching.

Original? Maybe not. There’s a clear influence of Mazda in the chrome bits and headlight clusters, while the rear is a little bit Mitsubishi ASX in its finish. If the ZS T is anything to go by, though, MG’s design is set to evolve into very much its own look in the near future.

The brilliance of the overall exterior looks is that they combine before-seen elements into something fresh, which looks good in bright colours and leaves an impression of youthfulness. Accessible cars, ready for the social-media age, then.

The interior of the ZS EV is improved over the regular ZS, too. There are more soft materials in the doors and dash, while the brand has taken the electrification opportunity to tidy up the centre console and media screen into something a bit neater and more contemporary.

There’s even some cool attention to detail in things like the shift dial, which is finished with a rotary texture, and pressing it down to go into Park makes it glow red. The little toggle switches for the driving functions are a nice touch too.

The seats and touchpoints look good at a distance but aren’t as great to touch. The steering wheel is okay, but the faux leather trim in the seats is pretty ordinary, as is the detailing in the doors and dash. I wasn’t so much a fan of the way the centre console arches up, finished in a thin layer of vinyl trim, but it’s worth remembering that the ZS EV is based on an outgoing small SUV. In fact, if you want to take a look at just how much the interior of the ZS has improved for this EV version in lots of little ways, check out Matt Campbell’s 2019 review of the petrol car.

It took Suzuki not one, not two, but three goes before the stylists succeeded in making the S-Cross look good.

The original was like an early Nissan Dualis clone, but all droopy faced, so they grafted on an aggressively toothy face back in 2016 that only a gargoyle’s mother could love.

At least this latest version – said to have been designed in Italy, no less – no longer looks like Frankenstein’s monster.

Released during 2022, the blockier nose, squared-off profile and restyled posterior are meant to make the S-Cross seem larger than its more-successful (and prettier) Vitara sibling, which uses the same platform, by the way.

Not a bad makeover job as far as big facelifts go, then, especially considering the Suzuki’s windscreen, doors and roof remain as before.

This is a small SUV, so it’s not huge on the inside. There are some areas where it shines, and others where it isn’t as good.

Not so great? The seating position. Like the HS mid-sizer, the ZS has a really high and slightly awkward seating position, which has you peering down on the instruments and the road. SUV like? Yes. Some people will probably like the commanding view of the road, but it wasn’t for me. The seats are soft and initially quite comfy, but offer limited support for longer journeys. Adjustability is reasonable, and I eventually found a position that suited me, with good visibility out the front and rear.

Cabin storage isn’t bad. Because there’s no need for a transmission or anything under the floor, there’s a new cutaway with a large bay under the centre console, which also hosts two USB ports, a small tray area under the climate controls, a weird bottle holder cutaway deep-set in the raised console area, and a tiny console box armrest (at least it has one, some small SUVs don’t). There is a large bottle holder and a small bin in the door cards, too.

The rear seat isn’t bad. My 182cm tall frame fits behind its own driving position with a tiny amount of knee space, and there are soft trims on the backs of the front seats if you’re any taller and have your knees pressing up. The backs of the front seats feature pockets, and there’s a small tray and single USB outlet on the back of the centre console, although there are no adjustable rear air vents. I have enough headroom and the soft seats, clad in the so-so faux leather stuff, continue. There’s no armrest with bottle holders, but the rear doors have a single large one each. Outboard seats feature ISOFIX child-seat-mounting points, while the rear row has top-tether all the way across.

Again, if you want to see how much the ZS has improved over the years, check out our earlier reviews. It’s hard to recognise the dash and storage areas from the petrol version.

The boot comes in at 359-litres, which is impressive, not only because it compares well to the small SUV segment, but because it’s entirely unchanged from the petrol version. It just fit our entire CarsGuide demo luggage set with a little Tetris work, as the available space seems to be taller than it is wide. There are useful nettings behind the wheelarch on each side for securing small objects, but where the EV has had extra thought applied is in the under-floor area. There you will find a styrofoam bracket with little cutouts for storing charging cables. Few EVs have this sort of thing, strangely.

Sadly, the under-floor batteries mean you lose the spare wheel. Instead, you’ll have to make do with a repair kit.

It might be an old interior, but at least Suzuki got the fundamentals right in the first place, while also bothering to update the electronics for it to at least seem more contemporary.

Basics first. In typical SUV fashion, entry and egress are excellent, via tall and wide doors with corresponding apertures. There’s a pleasing sense of space for taller occupants, especially in terms of leg and head room.

Once sat in the driver’s seat, the mid-last-decade looking dashboard is instantly familiar and completely non-intimidating.

Concise and surprisingly elegant analogue dials (now with an auxiliary digital speedo, at last) sit ahead of the driver, along with a reach-and-height-adjustable steering column that allows for people of all shapes and sizes to find the right position. Deep windows provide extensive vision and let lots of light inside, too.

Finished in what looks like stitched leather and chainmail-inspired inserts, the front seats in this Plus grade are wide enough for comfort yet bolstered enough for some support through corners.

We rate them, though driver-lumbar and front-passenger height adjustments are disappointingly absent.

Years ago, reviews lambasted manufacturers for providing “too many buttons”, but after an endless succession of touchscreens housing most (if not all) audio, climate and vehicle control access, we miss the days of the button-fest.

If you do too, the S-Cross obliges with array of climate-control switches and driver-assist buttons located around the driver for fast and definite access.

On the other hand, while Suzuki’s new 9.0-inch touchscreen does a fine job housing other vital vehicular and multimedia functions, it drops the ball with no volume knob.

The alternative looks like a slide control but relies on clumsy pushing. Fail. Luckily the steering-spoke-sited toggles do the same job far better, at least for the driver.

Kudos, too, for the effective and intuitive multimedia system, that packs a lot in a small-ish space. The excellent surround/aerial-view camera rates a mention, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay that hardly ever drops out.

Nobody is going to mistake the extensive plastic trim and other finishes as premium, but it isn’t horrendous, doesn’t inflict occupants with the cheap off-gas stink often found in bargain-basement brands, and absolutely nothing rattled or squeaked in our time with the Suzuki. 

Storage is also impressive, from the large glove box and deep centre bin/armrest to bottle-gobbling pockets on all four doors. Cups are also well-catered for.

However, betraying the S-Cross’ age are the AWOL wireless charging, head-up display (at this price… ), USB-C outlets and configurable instrumentation.

Moving on to the rear seat reveals a family-friendly environment as far as space is concerned, with adequate comfort provided by the (slightly) reclinable backrest and (fixed) cushion. The windows lower all the way down and the folding centre armrest has a cupholder, too.

But while you’ll find a single map pocket and overhead grab handles, there are no USB ports (at all), nor overhead reading lights or rear-facing air vents.

Never mind. At least the rear backrest reclines (a tiny bit) for added comfort, while further back, boot capacity is a useful 430 litres.

The load area is flat and wide and a space saver spare wheel is located underneath the boot floor.

The backrest has a 60/40 split and the floor can be positioned in different locations. Volume jumps to 1230L with the backrests dropped.

If you rate space, practicality and ease above modernity, then, the S-Cross still holds up remarkably well. Just keep in mind that its interior will appear dated compared newer and flashier competition.

As we’ve established, the base S-Cross Turbo front-wheel drive (dubbed 2WD in SUV-speak) starts from $39,990 (all prices are drive-away), while the Plus version tested here costs $42,490 drive-away.

But, just a couple of years back, the pre-facelift S-Cross version kicked off from about $10K less. And, before that, much the same car could be had for mid-$20K.

Suzuki doesn’t make it easy for itself, does it.

At least the S-Cross comes with a decent rollcall of kit, including dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, front fog lights, keyless entry/start, heated front seats, electrically folding and heated exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass and 17-inch alloy wheels.

'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB), lane keep assist, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, automatic LED headlights with high beam assist, adaptive cruise control and a reverse camera headline the standard safety items. More on those in the Safety section below.

For a $2500 premium, the S-Cross Turbo Plus ushers in a larger (9.0-inch) touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 360-degree surround-view camera, leather trim and polished alloys.

This lines up with the all-wheel drive (AWD) Prestige AllGrip equivalent, though it misses out on the latter’s panoramic sunroof.

Price and equipment-wise, the Plus matches rival mid-grade 2WDs like the Toyota Corolla Cross GXL, Nissan Qashqai ST+, Mazda CX-30 G20 Touring, Kia Seltos Sport+ and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Aspire.

Just keep in mind, all are substantially newer generationally than the S-Cross, even though it did go under the scalpel a couple of years back.

The ZS EV has an electric motor capable of producing 105kW and a whopping 353Nm (not as break-neck as it sounds, more on that later) of torque. Again, this is a healthy upgrade from combustion versions of this car. It drives the front wheels via a single-speed reduction-gear transmission.

Here’s where the S-Cross definitely does not show its age, because Suzuki sure knows how to engineer a great engine. And automatic transmission, too. Take note, rivals.

Of course, we’re talking about the long-lived 'BoosterJet' powertrain, as found in the terrific Swift Sport hot hatch.

In this case, the 1.4-litre twin-cam, direct-injection, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine delivers 103kW at 5500rpm and 220Nm of torque between 1500-4000rpm. Tipping the scales at 1260kg, this results in a power-to-weight ratio of 82kW per tonne.

Not huge numbers, granted, but this little firecracker certainly punches above its weight in the seamless way performance is served up, helped out by the intelligent spread of ratios from the standard six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, with paddle shifters included. Sadly, no manual gearbox is available.

Now the important stuff. The ZS EV is the cheapest EV in Australia, but it offers a range comparative to the Nissan Leaf at a claimed/combined 263km from its 44.5kWh battery pack.

The ZS has a European-standard Type 2 CCS port mounted centre front under the MG badge, and can charge at a maximum of 7.2kW on AC power, or 80kW on DC power.

This means estimated charging times from 10 to 80 per cent of 45 minutes on DC, seven hours on 7kW AC, or 25 hours on a 2.3kW wall socket.

The ZS EV comes with a wall socket to Type 2 cable, although MG offers a Type 2 to Type 2 public charging cable (which we strongly recommend for convenience) as a $295 dealer option.

I charged the ZS twice in my week with it, both times at a public 11kW AC charger local to me, which is charged by solar and is therefore free. It added around 50km of range in an hour.

The ZS EV also offers three levels of regenerative braking, and I spent the majority of my time in the highest regen setting. The ZS EV’s official combined consumption figure is 16.2kWh/100km, and on my test week my car returned a figure of 14.6kWh/100km. Not bad, and similar or even slightly better than its Nissan Leaf competitor, in which I recorded 15.3kWh/100km. It was not as good as the Hyundai Ioniq, however, which has the honour of the best on-test consumption I’ve ever scored at 12.3kWh/100km.

My car looked set to get around 304km of range on a full charge at its as-tested consumption rate - well over the WLTPcombined claim.

Suzuki reckons the S-Cross will average 5.9L/100km on the combined cycle, though keep in mind that it requires expensive 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

As far as carbon dioxide emissions are concerned, that translates to between 138 and 145 grams/km.

We managed about 7.7L/100km – and this included some very spirited performance testing with the air-con always on, against the trip computer’s more-accurate-than-expected 7.4L.

With a 47-litre fuel tank, expect a range of about 790km between refills.

The ZS EV is a different car to drive altogether, compared to the rest of the range. This is a very good thing, with the electric motor, drive modes and feedback being reasonably good, and you can forget the usual transmission and power woes we find with many small SUVs.

The ZS gets along nicely with its 105kW/353Nm, it’s much faster in a straight line than any other ZS, but it’s not as breakneck as it sounds. The torque seems to be distributed with some restraint, so that accelerating hard doesn’t overwhelm the little front tyres. Expect similar performance to a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq; it’s smooth and strong, but not as extreme as, say, a Tesla.

Needless to say, the well of instantly available torque is fantastic for both urban driving and the freeway, making the ZS EV easily one of the best MGs to drive.

However, some woes are still present. While the ZS handles better than its combustion counterparts, thanks to the lower centre of gravity, it’s easy to tell the suspension has a hard time dealing with its nearly 1600kg weight, and the drivability in the corners suffers as a result.

It’s soft over the front axle, but harder over the rear, leading to really abrupt moments over bumps, or when the driving surface is a little uneven, despite a generally spongey and bouncy ride. This can lead to some disconcerting moments on the rebound, as the car tilts to and fro a little before settling.

Understeer is also an ever-present threat, as this car will lean well into the front tyres during cornering and requires some discipline on the accelerator not to break traction. It all adds up to a bit of a frumpy, uneven drive experience, which needs improvement. Thankfully, the steering is pretty well tuned, offering a relatively organic feel and giving you a good handle on what’s going on at the front tyres.

It is at its best at lower speeds, as the soft ride will filter out small bumps and corrugations relatively well, while hitting speed bumps and driveways is met with a pleasant bounce.

It’s not as though MG can’t do better, either, with the ZS T improving its ride and handling in many critical areas, but it’s clear that, for this older version, this aspect wasn’t a priority during development.

Still, if you stick to what this car’s envisioned purpose is – driving around town – the seats and cabin are pretty comfortable, the visibility is good, and parking is easy. Even on the freeway, this car’s adaptive cruise and lane-keep systems aren’t bad, and benefit from the rolling software updates MG undertakes as feedback comes in from the global markets in which it plays.

The electrification features are decent, too. While it might not be as smooth or refined as Hyundai electric cars are, the three levels of regen braking will offer something for everyone, and the feedback through the analog dial should give a good amount of data on how to make the most of the regeneration.

It is missing a sleek operating system, though. Hyundai’s Android-based software is simple but effective, integrating the nav with the range calculation and driving style, while Tesla’s sublime software with its app and pre-prep features really showcase what an electric car can do.

Regardless, you get what you pay for, and that’s the case here with the ZS. It’s not the best to drive, and it doesn’t have as slick a software offering, but it does offer all the key parts of electric motoring at a strictly defined price.

So, if you’ve read this far down, you might have been pleasantly surprised by the S-Cross' spacious and practical interior, ease of operation and decent equipment levels.

Yet the main event lives under the bonnet.

Let’s start with the performance. Throttle response is instant and lag-free, allowing for strong acceleration right from the get go. No jerkiness, no delays, no hiccups.

On the move, the S-Cross' power delivery continues to impress, feeling smooth and slick across the rev range. The finely-tuned torque-converter auto – rather than a CVT continuously variable transmission or dual-clutch – must surely play a role in this Suzuki's effortlessly consistent performance.

Where the turbo engine really shines, though, is at higher speeds, with ample power and torque still left in reserve for when you need to overtake or pull away in a hurry.

Delightfully muscular yet super creamy to boot, the BoosterJet remains one of the best internal combustion engine choices available in any small or medium-sized SUV, regardless of price and positioning.

If only Suzuki put a little more love into the S-Cross’ dynamics.

As with the AWD model, the S-Cross 2WD features electric rack and pinion steering, while its suspension consists of a MacPherson strut-style design up front and a torsion beam rear-end arrangement.

While easy and precise, with a tight-ish turning circle for easy urban manoeuvrability, the steering feels too light after all that delicious oomph on offer, especially at higher speed.

This is doubly disappointing, because the chassis is quite firmly set-up, meaning the S-Cross offers sharp yet controlled handling that allows it to be hustled quickly and confidently through fast corners.

We suspect the high-quality Michelin 215/55R17 tyres help. And, speaking of rubber, road noise is fairly subdued out on the open road.

Criticisms? Unlike in the AWD version, the 2WD seems a little skittish at speed on gravel. It’s a good thing the well-modulated driver-assist systems are at the ready. Unlike in so many other SUVs, including in MGs and Havals, their intervention isn’t too zealous or ill-judged.

Also, the Suzuki’s ride around town can be a bit stiff, but never harsh, over smaller-frequency bumps and surface irregularities.

Still, our overall impression is that the eager S-Cross feels far newer to drive than its birth date suggests. That turbo powertrain must take the credit for much of that.

While the pre-facelift S-Cross from 2013 to 2022 managed a maximum five-star crash-test score, no ANCAP rating information is available for the current JYB series.

There is a decent amount of safety gear as standard, though, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 'Weaving Alert' (a driver-drowsiness warning prompt), front/rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control (with full-stop functionality) and auto high beams.

Note that while the adaptive cruise control brings you to a halt, there’s no traffic-follow function as found in newer systems, betraying the S-Cross’ advancing years.

Plus, Suzuki does not supply information about the AEB and other driver-assist tech’s operating parameters.

Also fitted in every S-Cross are seven airbags (dual front, dual front side, curtain and driver’s knee), electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake-assist.

The rear seats contain a trio of child-seat tether anchorages, as well as an outboard pair of ISOFIX attachments.

Electrified MGs have an annoying caveat in that they miss out on the excellent seven-year warranty of the rest of the brand’s combustion range. Instead, you’re left with a still industry-standard five-year warranty. The battery pack is covered for eight years or 160,000km, to add a little extra confidence.

MG also tells us the battery system in the ZS is entirely modular, and individual units can be removed and replaced if they go wrong.

Capped-price servicing is not yet locked in for MG in Australia, although the brand tells us that it is in the works and will be available imminently. Electric cars are generally much cheaper to run than combustion cars, due to the lack of moving parts, so we’d expect the ZS EV to have the lowest running costs of the lot. 

Suzuki offers an industry-average five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, while basic capped-price servicing is available, with pricing ranging from a low of $329 per service up to a high of $539 for the first five years/50,000km. The average of $397 isn't particularly cheap.