Holden Colorado vs MG Mg7

What's the difference?

The Holden Colorado Z71 is a pretty decent towing machine, handling all aspects of general load-lugging duties with a quiet reliable efficiency. In simple terms, it kept the whole ute-and-van combination trucking along nicely.

The Z71 is a solid Colorado package all-round with some welcome flashiness to its functionality.

In a world obsessed with SUVs and electric powertrains, a mid-size petrol sedan almost feels rebellious. But the MG7 kind of is. A sleek fastback with a turbocharged engine, a sporty edge and a price that makes you look twice - it’s a compelling combination. There are some drawbacks for families in efficiency and back-seat practicality but it's not a bad offering for those wanting something a bit more fun than an SUV.

The Colorado is a good-looking unit, so it follows that the Z71, the Colorado line-up's top dog, should be the best-looking vehicle in the entire range. And it is. Look at the photos yourself and make up your own mind.

The Z71's black highlights everywhere, the roof rails, side steps and fold-away tonneau cover add functionality to the flashiness.

Under its slick exterior, the Z71 sits on a steel ladder-frame chassis.

There may be no mechanical differences between the Z71 and other similarly-powered Colorado utes, but this is not merely a sticker-pack special – this is something more substantial than that. Don't believe me? Keep reading.

The MG7 is genuinely good looking. The fastback roofline gives it a sleek silhouette, and there’s a confidence to the way it carries itself.

The blacked-out badging, quad exhaust outlets, 19-inch Michelin tyres and red brake calipers all lean into that sporty brief. It looks fast standing still. The frameless doors are a nice touch, and the retractable rear spoiler adds a bit of theatre and fun.

Inside, the cabin follows through on that upmarket intent. Deep burgundy leather and synthetic suede are used generously throughout, giving it a sumptuous feel. Although, my husband joked that he wouldn't be able to drive it during State of Origin... sorry, Queenslanders!

There’s less reliance on piano black trim, which I appreciate as it scuffs easily, and most surfaces look well-finished. The integrated headrests up front give the illusion of proper sports seats but I do wonder if the interior would pop half as well if it was finished in the optional black.

The dashboard is dominated by a wide digital display incorporating a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch media screen. The panoramic sunroof helps keep things light and airy, and while there aren’t many physical buttons or dials, which is usually a gripe of mine, the overall execution feels cohesive and premium for the price point.

The Z71 has a Colorado carry-over interior, which is nice and simple, with some Z71 branding stitched in the front seats.

For starters, there are grab handles for the driver and front passenger – I'm a big fan of grab handles.

The dash is a basic layout – but made family-friendly with expanses of tough plastic and soft-touch leather – and it has everything you need. The centre console houses an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and standard nav.

There is a USB port in the centre-bin, and there's a 12V socket in the back of that bin for back-seat passengers.

The cabin is reasonably comfortable; the front seats – in fact all of the Z71's seats – err on the side of firm rather than being well-cushioned. But, even in the back seat, when I sat behind my driving position, I had ample head- and leg-room.

There are the usual collection of storage spaces around the cabin – sunglasses, glove box, door pockets, seat-back pockets – but a long centre-bin lid impedes access to the cupholders in between driver and front-seat passenger, and there are no cupholders in the back seat's fold-down centre arm-rest.

There are shallow storage spots under the rear seats, one of which contains your jack etc.

Overall fit and finish is impressive without being spectacular, but that's fine with me.

The tray is 1484mm long, 1534mm wide (1122mm between the wheel-arches) and 466mm high. Back there, you get Premium DuraGuard Spray–on tub liner, which seems sturdy and durable, as well as four solid tie-down points.

Up front is where the MG7 feels most generous. The electrically adjustable front seats are comfortable and supportive for daily driving, although extendable under-thigh support would help reduce fatigue on longer trips. You do get heating for both the seats and the steering wheel but having to dive into the media menu to activate them is annoying.

In the second row, legroom is respectable for a mid-size sedan. Headroom, however, is tighter thanks to the fastback roofline and panoramic sunroof. Tall teenagers won't feel like they can sprawl out but younger kids will be fine. The second row features two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points but two child seats will fit best. Bending down to buckle in a child will remind your back why SUVs became all the rage, but it's certainly doable.

The seats in the second row are thickly padded and comfortable, and the fold-down armrest sits at a good height to lean on. Amenities aren’t especially extensive given there’s only one grade available, but you do get a couple of cupholders, map pockets, directional air vents and two USB-C ports.

Storage in the front row is about what you’d expect for a car of this size. There’s a decent glove box, a shallow middle console, large door bins and some handy little nooks near your knee. A sunglasses holder and a dedicated phone cradle with wireless charging round things out nicely. The wireless charger can lag a little in topping up your battery, and it's quick to overheat your phone - added ventilation would be a big help here. However, there’s also a 12-volt socket and two USB-C ports if you prefer a cable.

The media system itself is responsive and largely intuitive, although the touchpad-style controls on the dash feel slightly back-to-front in use. On the plus side, it’s very easy to flick into Sport mode and open up the exhaust using the cluster controls, which adds a bit of fun to the daily drive.

The boot offers 375 litres of capacity, which is on the smaller side for the segment. Comparatively, the Sonata N Line offers 480L, the Skoda Sportline 600L and the Camry 524L. That said, it’s been perfectly usable for grocery runs and the odd road trip this week. You do need to load bulkier items further back toward the seats to work around the sloping fastback design. A powered tailgate adds convenience, and there’s a temporary spare tyre underneath, which I always prefer to a repair kit.

For now, the MG7 is offered in a single grade, the Essence, priced from $44,990 before on-road costs.

That positions it just above the Skoda Octavia Sportline, which starts from $44,490 MSRP, although the Skoda doesn’t match the MG7 feature for feature. In terms of features and styling, it’s closer to the Hyundai Sonata N Line, which opens at $56,500 MSRP. And then there’s the segment darling, the Toyota Camry SL, from $53,990 MSRP, happily flexing its hybrid efficiency credentials.

On price alone, the MG7 looks competitive. On specification, it starts to look like a bit of a statement. You get leather and synthetic suede upholstery, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, memory function for the driver’s seat, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof and 19-inch Michelin tyres.

Technology feels well thought out and a large centre display houses a 12.3-inch media system, paired with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that appears larger than it is thanks to the integrated touch controls. There’s wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation, 256-colour ambient lighting and a 14-speaker Bose sound system.

Practicality hasn’t been overlooked either. A powered tailgate, temporary space saver spare wheel, dual-zone climate control, acoustic door glass, rain-sensing wipers and a 360-degree camera system round out the package.

The Z71 has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel Duramax engine (147kW at 3600rpm and 500Nm at 2000rpm), six-speed automatic transmission, a part-time 4WD system and a rear limited slip differential.

The MG7 has a 2.0L, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing up to 170kW of power and 380Nm of torque. That’s pretty gusty compared to its nearest rivals, although the Sonata N Line still beats it with its 213kW/422Nm outputs. The Hyundai is more of a dedicated sports model. Still, with these outputs the MG7 manages a 0 -100km/h sprint in a swift 6.5-seconds!

Power is delivered to the front wheels and the nine-speed auto transmission punches through its gears relatively smoothly. You can also flip it into Sport mode, where gear changes become more pronounced.

Overall, the whole setup creates an engaging on-road experience without lulling you into any false pretences. The MG7 is not a racer, even though it looks like one, but it holds its own.

Our dash display read 7.9L/100km, but we recorded actual fuel consumption on test of 9.7L/100km. It has a 76-litre fuel tank, so expect an approximate driving range of 753km (according to our on-test fuel consumption), factoring in a 30km safety buffer.

On our towing loop, of more than 200km total, the dash was showing 14.5L/100km, but we recorded an actual fuel-consumption figure of 15.5L/100km. Expect an approximate driving range of 460km (according to our on-test fuel consumption), factoring in a 30km safety buffer.

The MG7 has a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 8.0L/100km. With its 65-litre fuel tank, that equates to a theoretical driving range of up to 812km.

That places it broadly in line with the Hyundai Sonata N Line, which claims 8.1L/100km, although the Hyundai delivers stronger engine outputs. The Skoda Octavia Sportline is notably more frugal at 6.1L/100km, while the Toyota Camry SL continues to dominate the efficiency conversation with its 4.0L/100km hybrid figure.

In real-world driving, expect that 8.0L/100km claim to creep up. Even after a week consisting mostly of longer highway stretches, my trip computer was sitting at 8.6L/100km. That’s not wildly unexpected for a turbo-petrol engine, and it’s hardly alarming, but efficiency is a major consideration for families. Against hybrid rivals, it doesn’t win that particular argument.

Combined CO2 (ADR 81/02) emissions sit at 183g/km, which is comparative to the Hyundai Sonata N Line but not as low as its other rivals.

MG recommends a minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol to be used.

The Z71 has a steel ladder-frame chassis, double-wishbone front suspension and leaf-spring live rear axle, so it's more aligned with heavy-duty work than smooth on-road performance.

Having said that, the Z71 is quite settled over most surfaces, including highway bitumen and rough back-road backtop, and at most speeds – rather impressive for an unladen ute.

Steering is a bit floaty, with some play in it, and there is noticeable understeer on corners.

The engine is one of the torquiest in the current-day ute mob – only matched by V6 utes – and it delivers that torque quite evenly and smoothly across the rev range. The Duramax turbo-diesel can, however, be noisy, and because of that it seems like it's working hard, though it never feels too stressed, even when towing a caravan that has a caravan with a tare (empty) weight of 2600kg.

There's plenty of life in terms of acceleration with active pedal-feel but, when it comes time to pulling up to a fast stop on front disc and rear drum brakes, the brake pedals are rather spongy.

The six-speed auto is generally spot-on for all duties, although it did occasionally down-shift with an extra violence of action when it didn't really need to.

Ride and handling are pretty good, with its Aussie-tuned suspension (including traditional-ute leaf-springs at the rear) doing a decent job of sorting everything evenly, and it was only ever rattled by very severe bumps, wash-outs, and ruts at lower speeds, i.e. during low-range 4WDing.

The Z71's on-road performance and refinement are generally not as polished as segment leaders, but that's nowhere near a deal-breaker.

Power delivery in the MG7 is smooth and responsive, and it doesn’t take long to feel confident with the turbo-petrol engine. For a bit of extra fun, flick it into Sport mode and open the exhaust; gear changes become more pronounced, and the engine note gets noticeably throatier. It’s not a performance sedan, but it’s definitely engaging on the road.

Handling is another highlight. The steering is responsive and firms up depending on your selected drive mode, and the low-slung stance helps the car feel surprisingly nimble in corners. That said, it’s not always surefooted when accelerating out of tight bends, which reminds you that the MG7 is sporty but not track-focused.

Visibility is adequate but not perfect. The thicker pillars, lower roofline, and relatively small windows do make the cabin feel a touch enclosed, and there’s some road noise, which is enough to remind you it’s not a luxury saloon, but it never becomes intrusive.

The MG7 feels agile in tighter spaces, and the 360-degree camera system is high-quality. Parking is straightforward, which frazzled parents will appreciate.

The MG7 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2025 and scored well across its individual criteria with 88 per cent for its adult protection, 85 per cent for child protection, 80 per cent for vulnerable road user and 81 per cent for its safety assist.

Passive safety items include seven airbags including a front centre airbag and curtain airbags covering both rows. Families will like that there are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points but realistically, two child seats will fit best. There are also powered locks for the rear windows and intelligent seatbelt reminders for all five seats. Parking is easy with the rear parking sensors and 360-degree view camera system.

Active safety includes forward and rear collision warning, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning and prevention, blind-spot detection, side exit assist and a relatively unobtrusive driver monitoring system.

Other highlights include emergency lane keeping, which will activate when there’s no response from the driver and the rear cross-traffic alert also gets assisted braking. The adaptive cruise control is fairly well-calibrated and it’s a bonus having the emergency call functionality, although it seems to connect to an MG service line, rather than directly with emergency services. And you have to select which country you’re in before it activates, which might not be a delay you want when you really need it!

There’s autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and motorcyclist detection and it's operational from 4.0 – 85km/h and up to 150km/h for car detection but it is more typical to see that top figure closer to 180km/h.

Holden offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty across the Colorado range, with servicing required every 12 months or 12,000km. Capped price servicing applies over seven years/ 84,000km with the average annual cost over three years working out to be $405.

MG backs the MG7 with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. If you service exclusively through MG service centres, that coverage can be extended to 10 years or up to 250,000km, which makes it one of the more generous warranty offerings currently available.

At the time of this review, servicing intervals and service prices haven't been set for the MG7. It's fairly easy to secure servicing for an MG, as they have around 90 service centres nationwide at the moment.