2021 MG ZS vs 2023 MG ZS EV

What's the difference?

The biggest barrier to entry for electric vehicles in Australia is the up-front cost.

You might well be surprised by how many new car buyers are not only interested in electric vehicles, but really want their next car to be a full EV. It's something motoring journalists get asked about all the time. The problems putting people off are not necessarily the range or charging issues, as you might expect. No, according to the data, it’s simply because they are too expensive compared to their internal-combustion competitors.

Re-invigorated MG, now such a budget-buyer-friendly brand that it recently made the list of Australia’s top 10 sellers, is calling out to the EV curious with this latest electrified version of its successful ZS small SUV.

The ZS is Australia’s cheapest mainstream electric car by some margin, and proof that China-based SAIC-owned MG can do more than just affordable combustion vehicles. At a cost of $43,990 drive-away, is the ZS EV the masterstroke that could get more Australians behind the wheel of a full electric model than ever before? Let’s find out.

If, like just about everybody, you’re a bit concerned that an electric car might not be able to travel as far as you need to go, then the new MG ZS EV Long Range could be the small, fully-electric SUV for you.

We’ve tested the ZS EV Long Range here and can tell you how far you’ll get on a full charge and how much extra you’ll have to pay in price over the standard range version, along with what it’s like to drive, its features, practicality, ownership costs and of course its safety systems.

Be sure to watch the video above, where I’ll take you for a ride and show you my Big Foot tattoo. Yes, seriously.