2021 MG ZS vs 2023 MG ZST

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.

There’s a lot to like about the ZST. It offers an impressive equipment and safety list in a top-spec package at a price which is closer to the entry-point of many of its rivals. 

There are areas which are still in need of attention, from software to driving dynamics, but as a city-friendly SUV with plenty of creature comforts, it should put the competition on notice.

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.

The ZST does a lot right when it comes to its refreshed styling. While its ZS predecessor wore its influences on its sleeve a little too much (Mazda, anyone?), the ZST has evolved into more its own form, which more gently borrows from a wider array of rivals.

There’s some Jaguar influence in its face, still a little Mazda in those light clusters, and a more tasteful angular design rounded out by more modern alloy wheels and an abundance of gloss black highlights rather than chrome ones.

It continues the brand’s appeal of offering an attractive vehicle at an impressive price, and knocks it out of the park compared to some rivals.

The interior continues the contemporary theme, feeling much more up-to-date than its regular ZS sibling. The extended soft trims do their part to make the cabin feel a bit more swish, and the digital dash and massive touchscreen combine to make for a modern-feeling interior.

A lot of this is a bit skin-deep though. The synthetic leather material feels particularly like a cheap vinyl, the good-looking-at-a-distance steering wheel doesn’t feel as nice up close, and the big screen is a little low-resolution with a healthy serving of lag between screens and a bunch of ugly menus. Still, there are rivals in this segment with more hard plastics, including the Kia Seltos, Mitsubishi ASX and Hyundai Kona.

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.

The ZST has an appealing shape, and its cabin space has been significantly re-worked from its ZS forbear to increase interior dimensions.

Up front initially feels pretty good with lots of width and headroom for my 182cm tall frame, but I was disappointed to see the ZST maintains the signature weirdly-tall seating position from other MG models, and the lack of telescopic adjust for the steering is a real bummer, especially since the stock position for the wheel is so close to the instrument cluster.

The ergonomics are good, as MG has thought to include a slew of shortcut toggles below the big multimedia screen so not absolutely everything is touch-based as it is in the larger HS.

There are decent bottle holders in the doors, two more in the centre console, a large bay area in front of the shift stalk for phones and wallets which houses dual USB ports and a 12v outlet, as well as a small storage box under the armrest.

A neat touch is the hidden USB port in the camera cluster behind the rear vision mirror for the easy fitment of a dash cam, but there’s no USB-C connectivity in the ZST.

The rear seats offer excellent space for this segment, offering more than enough head- and legroom for myself behind my own driving position. Width is also good here, and soft trims continue into the rear doors, but there’s no drop-down armrest in the centre position.

Rear passengers score two USB ports, but no adjustable air vents, and there are two bottle holders in each of the rear doors with pockets on the backs of the front seats.

Boot space is a decent 359 litres, bigger than the Mazda CX-30, but smaller than the Hyundai Kona and over 100 litres smaller than the impressive Kia Seltos.

It may be more expensive than the ‘regular’ ZS, but the ZST is still a relatively affordable option in the grand scheme of things. We’re looking at the top-spec Essence grade for this review, which tops out at just $33,990 drive-away.

For comparison, the equivalent rivals include the lower-mid-spec Mazda CX-30 G20 Evolve ($32,290 before on-roads), the mid-grade Hyundai Kona Elite ($31,900 before on-roads), or the mid-grade Kia Seltos Sport ($30,290 before on-roads).

Because you’re getting a bells-and-whistles model for the price of a mid-grade rival, the ZST scores things like synthetic leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, comprehensive safety suite and LED headlights, which some rivals miss out on at this money.

Other standard equipment impresses for this segment, with the ZST also including items like 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, extended soft trims and synthetic leather finishes compared to the regular ZS, keyless entry with push-start ignition, single-zone climate control, digital instrument cluster, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a 360-degree parking suite. Not bad at all.

Importantly, and again, key to MG’s success, is the fact that more often than not, MG actually has stock ready to sell at dealers, which is a better proposition than the months-long waiting lists experienced by many rivals.

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.

This is perhaps my favourite part of the ZST, its new 1.3-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine and six-speed traditional torque-converter automatic transmission.

The engine produces a decent 115kW/230Nm, and the six-speed is a smooth off-the-shelf Aisin unit - far preferable to the clunky dual-clutch automatics which plague the brand’s ZS and HS ranges. The ZST is front-wheel drive only.

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.

With a punchier engine comes a bump in fuel consumption, and the ZST consumes 7.1L/100km on the combined cycle. I can tell you from previous testing, sub-7.0L/100km can be achieved on the freeway, but in my primarily urban testing of the ZST for this review, my car returned a less impressive figure of 9.5L/100km.

The ZST also requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel for its 45-litre tank.

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.

It seems hard to believe I’m going to tell you here the ZST offers one of the best engine and transmission combinations in its price-point in the small SUV segment. This new 1.3-litre turbo unit feels modern and slick, and beats the living daylights out of rival’s wheezy old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engines or those paired with an anaemic CVT transmission. 

The six-speed it’s paired with is relatively seamless between gears and, because it’s a traditional automatic, it’s also smooth to take-off and holds the revs well.

As a result, the ZST is quite a bit of fun to drive, particularly in the confines of a city or suburbia, where this little SUV is at its best and free of the kinds of annoying traits some rivals have.

The ride has also improved out of sight compared to the old ZS. It would have been kind to call that car ‘a bit frumpy’ but the new one is tighter, more controlled, and better sprung, too.

However, it still doesn’t have the finesse or precision of its Japanese or Korean rivals. The steering in particular has a dull, doughy feel, making it feel clumsy to turn-in. The pedals feel a bit vague and don’t offer great feedback, and while the ride is vastly improved, it still has a soft edge which makes it a bit bouncy over larger bumps.

The super-tall seating position does it absolutely no favours, and while it does offer the commanding view of the road many SUV buyers are searching for, it’s certainly best suited to peering around city streets than it is tilting you about in the corners on a nice country road.

The media screen is big and close to the driver, and while the low resolution doesn’t make it look as nice as it could, it does make the touch areas huge so it’s easy to operate things like the radio or Apple CarPlay.

I also enjoyed its remarkably comprehensive 360-degree parking suite, which combines with generally good window visibility to make for a very easy-to-park little SUV.

The digital dash initially looks nice, too, but lacks customisation and offers a weird mix of fonts and stylistically un-matched screens.

Still, the ZST is impressive from behind the wheel. It could certainly use some sandpapering, particularly in the handling department, but it has elevated MG to more than a genuine threat to many of its storied rivals.

The entire ZST range now gets the full ‘MG Pilot’ safety suite which includes auto emergency braking (4 - 150km/h) with pedestrian detection (4 - 64km/h), lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive high beams. It also scores an adaptive cruise control suite.

It’s leaps and bounds ahead of the old ZS which has none of these active features, but I was surprised to find there’s still no separate ANCAP rating for the ZST. The old ZS scored four stars in 2017.

The ZST has six airbags, two ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat mounting points on the rear row, as well as the expected stability, traction, and brake controls.

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. 

Following in the footsteps of challenger brands before it, MG offers an above-average warranty of seven years and unlimited kilometres. This matches rivals like Kia and fellow Chinese upstart, GWM Haval. It also includes roadside assist.

The ZST requires servicing once a year or every 10,000km, costing between $253 and $461 for the life of the seven-year capped-price coverage. It averages out to a very reasonable annual cost of $309.14.