Haval H2 vs MG ZS

What's the difference?

VS
Haval H2
Haval H2

$9,997 - $22,995

2019 price

MG ZS
MG ZS

$22,990 - $36,990

2025 price

Summary

2019 Haval H2
2025 MG ZS
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.5L

Inline 4, 1.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
9.0L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Performance
  • Thirst
  • Dynamics

  • Underpowered engine
  • Not the most fuel efficient engine in the range
  • Sunroof means cabin heats up fast in summer
2019 Haval H2 Summary

Brand Finance self-effacingly describes itself as "the world's leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy". And adds that it regularly picks apart the current and future value of more than 3500 brands across multiple market sectors around the world.

These London-based boffins reckon Delta trumps American Airlines, Real Madrid has knocked off Manchester United, and Haval is a more powerful SUV brand than Land Rover or Jeep. So, no surprise Haval promotes the research on its Australian website.

Just to split hairs, Land Rover leaps to the top of the rankings when it comes to overall value, but in terms of an upward trajectory and potential for future growth, Brand Finance says Haval is the one.

The irony is you probably wouldn't know a Haval if it ran into you, which obviously isn't good in any sense, but a factor of the Chinese Great Wall subsidiary's relatively brief time, and so far, limited sales in the Australian market.

One of three models released in late 2015 to launch the Haval brand locally, the H2 is a small, five-seat SUV competing against a hot bed of more than 20 established players including the segment-leading Mitsubishi ASX, ever-popular Mazda CX-3, and recently arrived Hyundai Kona.

So, is Haval's potential reflected in its current product offering? We spent a week living with the sharply priced H2 City to find out.

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2025 MG ZS Summary

MG is far more popular as a Chinese-owned brand than it was as a British sports car maker.

The company now makes cars that appeal to a wider range of people, especially those looking for an affordable way into electric vehicles. As part of that broad appeal the company also makes regular petrol cars like the one tested here - the MG ZS Essence.

That’s right, we’re not testing the electric version of the MG ZS, nor the hybrid variant. Not even the one with the turbo. Our ZS is the ordinary petrol version in the mid-level Essence grade. Could it be the pick of the lot? Well… you’ll know soon.

First, who are the ZS’s rivals? The ZS is a small SUV and competes against the likes of the GWM Haval Jolion, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30. Having tested all of them we can say the ZS does some things better but also struggles to match a few of the other qualities of its rivals.

Oh, and don’t confuse the MG ZS with the MG HS. The HS is bigger and a mid-sized SUV, while the ZS is a small SUV. Got it?

Read on and we’ll take you through the strengths and weaknesses of the ZS Essence.

@carsguide.com.au New-gen MG ZS petrol tested! #MG #ZS #car #carsguide #fyp ♬ original sound - CarsGuide.com.au
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Deep dive comparison

2019 Haval H2 2025 MG ZS

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