MG ZS vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

The MG ZS Essence Turbo has a lot going for it. It’s keenly priced, well equipped, spacious and comfortable with good performance, refinement and safety. On the downside, it’s thirstier than it should be, despite a stonking 10-year warranty servicing is relatively pricey and there are some low-level quality concerns. But should it be on your $30-35K small SUV shopping list. One hundred per cent, yes.

Like the generations that preceded it, the current VW Golf 8.5 is a high-quality, comfortable and efficient small car. Add in good looks, space-efficiency, thoughtful practicality as well as class-competitive safety and you have the makings of a compelling package. The potential sticking point is this entry-level 110TSI Life’s value proposition in terms of included features relative to its purchase price and ongoing cost of ownership.  

From its narrow, acutely angled headlights to the deep gill-like inlets sitting either side of its large grille, the MG ZS conforms to the currently popular 'make it look a bit like a shark’ school of front-end car design.

From the nose back, this five-seater’s overall proportions follow a familiar small SUV template, without any significant pulse-quickening deviations.

And by the time you get to the back, the rear door and tail-light treatment is borderline generic. Replace the MG octagon with any number of other mass market automotive logos and you wouldn’t look twice.

That said, the shape is well balanced, the standard 18-inch rims fill the wheel arches nicely and our test car’s rich and lustrous ‘Diamond Red Metallic’ paint finish drew multiple compliments during our time behind the wheel.

The interior is simple with some cool touches thrown in, like the aero-style geometric vents with a bright, brushed finish around their leading edge, a neatly integrated 12.3-inch media touchscreen in the centre of the dash and another of the same size in front of the driver for instrumentation.

There’s a sensible mix of physical and digital controls for major functions and the steering wheel is flat on the bottom and the top. It adjusts for height, but disappointingly, not reach.

Materials around the dash and doors are soft-touch, which is nice, and the synthetic leather seat trim, with lighter contrast stitching and perforated centre panels looks and feels good.

The team at VW’s Design Centre in Wolfsburg grapples with the same challenge when it comes to evolving the Golf as their contemporaries down the autobahn at Porsche face with the 911.

Over successive generations it must remain instantly recognisable as a Golf but move on to a more contemporary look and feel.

And although it’s always a subjective call I’d argue the current ‘8.5’ generation Golf answers the brief nicely.

Its neat, tightly wrapped exterior aligns with the classic Golf profile while including enough detail elements like the angular tail-lights and broad C-pillar to pass the badge removal test. Take away the VW roundels and this car is still clearly a Golf.

Neat touches include illuminated door handle recesses and broad-spoke alloy wheels that lift the visual tone.

Inside, the same juggling act stands up with sizeable screens for instruments and media balanced by a typically teutonic dash, door and console layout (with soft-touch surfaces at key points). Conservative but ultra-functional and easy to live with.

One niggle is haptic slider controls for audio volume and ventilation adjustment below the media screen rather than physical dials (although a steering wheel volume rocker switch helps). 

At just over 4.4m long, a fraction more than 1.8m wide and a little over 1.6m tall the MG ZS is a little larger than the small SUV norm, but conversely its 2610mm wheelbase is shorter than average.

That doesn’t appear to impact interior packaging, however, with plenty of room up front and more than adequate breathing space between driver and co-pilot.

For storage, there’s a medium-size lidded box (which doubles as an armrest) between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders in the broad centre console, with a bay for wireless device charging near the gear-shift.

The glove box is generous, there are bins in the doors with room for decent size bottles and a drop-down sunglasses holder sits overhead.

In the back there’s heaps of head and legroom for me (at 183cm) sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position.

Three full-size adults will be getting a little too up close and personal for anything other than short-ish trips, although a trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be right at home.

Big tick for adjustable air vents at the back of the front centre console and storage options include map pockets on the front seatbacks and bins in the doors with room for up to medium-size bottles.

No fold-down centre armrest in the back is a miss given one would typically feature a pair of cupholders.

Power and connectivity options in the front console include a USB-A plug (for power and media connectivity), a USB-C socket (power only) and a 12-volt outlet. Points, too, for a USB-A near the rear view mirror for a dashcam and another for back seaters. But no 12V in the boot (which can be handy when camping or picnicking).

What the boot does have, however, is a class-competitive volume of 443 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright. Enough to swallow the large (124L) and medium (95L) suitcases from our three-piece set.

Remove the cargo tray and the smallest (36L) case will find a home, too. Boot space expands to 1457L with the rear backrest lowered.

The space is well lit, there are tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads and handy wells behind the rear wheel tubs on both sides. A space-saver spare sits under the floor.

And if you’re keen on towing, you might want to think twice about the ZS as it’s limited to a 500kg trailer (braked or not).

At close to 4.3 metres long, less than 1.8m wide and under 1.5m tall with a 2631mm wheelbase the Golf sits at the more compact end of the small-car spectrum.

But there’s plenty of head and shoulder room up front with relatively large doors making entry and egress easy.

Storage is plentiful with bins in the doors large enough to swallow large bottles, a decent glove box, an open tray in the dash for the front passenger and twin cupholders in the centre console (one able to hide away for extra general storage), a wireless device charging bay and a coin or pen slot next to the gear selector. 

Special mention goes to the padded lid on the storage box between the front seats, which in modern VW style, can ratchet up through three positions and extend out to make its side hustle as an armrest even more valuable.

Move to the back and, understandably, there’s adequate rather than copious amounts of space, roughly on a par with others in the class.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I have decent leg and headroom and there’s enough width for three (friendly) full-size adults on a short journey but it’s best for two.

There are generous door bins, again with room for large bottles, map pockets on the front seatbacks, two (and a half) cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and an oddments slot under twin adjustable vents at the rear of the front centre console.

Power and connectivity runs to dual USB-C jacks and a 12-volt socket up front, with another two USB-Cs in the back and a 12V in the boot.

Speaking of which, the boot measures 374 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright expanding to 1230L with it folded.   

Interestingly, the Golf’s Corolla nemesis offers only 217 litres of boot space with all seats up. But the flagship ZR grows to 333L because it ditches a physical spare tyre for a repair/inflator kit.

Something the Golf, to VW’s credit, doesn’t do, with a space-saver spare under the boot floor. Numerous load anchors and bag hooks in there are a big plus.

The fact you’re able to tow a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (690kg unbraked) rounds out a solid practicality package. 

We may have been swamped by the SUV wave over the past couple of decades but the small hatch hasn’t disappeared and at $39,290, before on-road costs, the Golf 110TSI Life lines up against a main quintet of quality internal-combustion alternatives.

Sitting at around the same money (all prices before on-road costs) are the Hyundai i30 Premium 2.0P ($39,500), Kia K4 Sport+ Hatch ($39,090), Mazda3 G25 GT Vision ($40,410), Subaru Impreza 2.0S ($40,990) and Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid ($39,100).

It’s the Corolla that dominates the category overall, currently outselling the Golf by a ratio of 6.5 to one (5208 vs 799 units - YTD 2026).

And in this instance, the entry-level Golf aligns with the top-spec (non-GR) Corolla ZR which would appear to place it firmly behind the eight ball in terms of value. But does it?

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly the Golf 110TSI Life’s standard specification includes auto LED headlights, rear fog lights, surround lighting (projected from the door mirrors), 17-inch alloy rims, single-zone climate control, a 10.2-inch instrument display, a 10.3-inch central multimedia screen, six-speaker audio (with digital radio), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, ‘GoConnect’ connected services, LED ambient lighting, heated and power-folding exterior mirrors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers.

Not exactly poverty spec, but for context the Corolla ZR matches all that and picks up 18-inch alloys, high grade LED headlights, front fog lamps, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate, leather and synthetic suede seat trim (compared to the Golf’s cloth), a 12.3-inch instrument display, eight-speaker JBL audio and more.

As its name implies, the ZS Essence Turbo is powered by a 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine sending 125kW (at 6000rpm) and 275Nm (at 4500rpm) to the front wheels via a continuously variable auto transmission (CVT). 

It’s an all-alloy unit, featuring direct fuel-injection as well as variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust side which helps optimise engine response.

As its name implies the Golf 110TSI Life is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (there it is) and 250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel.

It’s an all-alloy unit featuring direct-injection and an air-to-water turbo intercooler with variations of it used in other VW models as well as numerous Audis, Cupras and Skodas.

VW doesn’t quote a zero to 100km/h time for the standard Golf but you can expect a number in the mid-eight second bracket.  

The ZS Essence Turbo’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.9L/100km, the 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder engine emitting 161g/km of C02 in the process.

Over a combination of city, suburban and some freeway running we saw an average of 9.6L/100km, which is getting up there for a small SUV. And bear in mind you’re looking at a minimum fuel requirement of 95 RON premium unleaded.

Worth noting its roughly 25 per cent more expensive ($40,217, drive-away) ZS Essence Hybrid+ sibling is not only far more powerful, but significantly more frugal, with an official combined cycle figure of 4.7L/100km. Mind you, it would take a while for that economy to make up for the more than $8K purchase price difference.

Based on the car’s 55-litre fuel tank, theoretical range between refills is close to 800km, which drops to just over 570km using our real-world test consumption number.

The Golf’s official fuel consumption figure for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.3L/100km, the 1.4L turbo four emitting 143g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of mainly city and suburban running with some freeway sections thrown in, we recorded an on-test average of 7.4L/100km. That’s still a respectable number in the context of the category.

Brim the 50-litre tank with minimum 95 RON premium fuel and using our real-world figure you can expect a driving range in excess of 670km.

Stand-out qualities once behind the wheel of the ZS Essence Turbo are its comfy ride, responsive throttle and low noise levels.

Although MG doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h acceleration time, you can expect triple figures to come up in around eight seconds, which is rapid enough for the cut and thrust of city traffic.

And power delivery is satisfyingly linear. There are no laggy clues that a turbo engine resides under the bonnet, although maximum pulling power doesn’t arrive until 4500rpm, which is unusually high for a forced induction engine.

But there’s still plenty of oomph low down and the CVT auto is one of the better examples, keeping the engine on the boil nicely without any engine droning drama. Freeway cruising is a breeze.

That said, a pair of steering wheel paddles for stepped manual ‘gear’ changes would be a nice addition to take maximum advantage of the engine’s willing nature.

But you have to be realistic in terms of standard mechanical spec at a low-$30K price point. If you're in the mood, the switch to ‘Sport’ mode revs things up, though.

Suspension is by struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, the car remaining well balanced during quick lane changes or through sharp corners.

Tyres are 225/50 Giti ‘GitiComfort’ on 18-inch alloy rims and despite that sizeable wheel diameter (for the class), a relatively cushy tyre sidewall height also helps with overall refinement.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive enough, although the small gap between the headrest and my noggin meant I was constantly bumping against it. Kind of annoying but it may have more to do with my XXXL melon than the restraint design.

The electrically assisted steering is accurate and road feel is fair, although the squared-off wheel design takes a bit of getting used to and its adjustment is stuck in 1994, shifting for height but not reach.

Braking is by discs all around (ventilated front) and they wash off speed effectively with a progressive pedal action.

An 11.2m turning circle isn’t exactly tiny, although all around vision is clear, and parking, assisted by the 360-degree camera view, reversing camera and rear parking sensors, is straight forward.

Niggles? The handbrake has to be applied manually, which may sound like a classic first-world problem, but the majority of new cars now apply it automatically when parked.

A ‘bing-bong’ overspeed warning, related to the traffic sign recognition function, is infuriating, as is the need to shuffle through multiple menus every time you drive the car to turn it off. Hyundai and Kia have recently minimised this issue with a short-cut button, which we suggest MG takes a close look at.

And one misty morning I noticed the bottom four rows of the rear screen demister had gone out on strike, which doesn’t feel great from a quality point-of-view.

In a similar vein, I recently spent time in the ZS Hybrid+ and thought one of the suspending cords on the rear parcel shelf hadn’t been properly fixed. Turns out the small plastic fitting holding the string had pulled out of the tailgate door and wouldn’t stay put when pushed back in. Awkward.

The Golf is a comfortable, refined and dynamically capable small hatch.

Suspension is strut front, four-link rear and combined with the 17-inch rims shod with comfy 225/45 Nexen N Fera Sport rubber the 110TSI Life manages to soak up typical suburban and highway bumps and dips well. Especially impressive for a small car with such a short wheelbase.

And despite the fact they’re trimmed in humble cloth, the front seats are super comfy and supportive.

An impressively slick 0.275 drag coefficient makes sense when you experience the modest wind noise at highway speeds.

The steering is vehicle speed and input-sensitive and road feel is outstanding. Slipping into ‘Sport’ mode and pushing through some twisting corners it feels like this humble 110TSI is a hot hatch in hiding.

The eight-speed auto transmission is smooth and taking control for more urgent shifts via the steering wheel paddles adds to the enjoyment when you’re in the mood or the need arises.

You’d never know the engine is turbocharged, with the 1.4-litre four-cylinder delivering its power in satisfyingly linear fashion, even at slow speed from low revs.

You can expect zero to 100km/h acceleration in the mid-eight second bracket with 250Nm of pulling power easily enough for confident urban lane changes and 110kW of power on tap for secure highway overtaking.

No surprise brakes are discs all around, vented at the front, and given the car weighs in at a trim 1345kg stopping power is strong and consistent.

Under the heading of general observations, the media system is quick and intuitive to use, all around vision is good despite the characteristically chunky C-pillar and although an 11.1-metre turning circle is a bit above the class average, parking is easy.  

The Golf was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2022, scoring particularly well in terms of adult and child occupant protection. 

Active (crash-avoidance) tech includes a suite of ‘IQ.Drive’ features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, park assist, front and rear proximity sensors, a reversing camera, driver fatigue monitoring and more.

Worth noting if you want the rear cross-traffic alert and exit warning you’ll need to step up to the Style grade ($44,350, before on-road costs).  

If, despite all of the above, a crash is unavoidable there are nine airbags onboard - front, front side, front centre, rear side and side curtain.

For child seats there are three top tether points across the rear seat with ISOFIX anchors in the two outer positions.

That’s all on the pace for the category.

MG covers the ZS with a 10-year/250,000 km warranty which is way ahead of the mainstream market norm of five years/unlimited km. 

Roadside assistance is complimentary for the first 12 months and automatically extended for an additional year after each annual service at an authorised MG dealer, for the duration of the warranty. Nice.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/10,000km, the latter measure a little short of the more common 15,000km distance.

MG’s ‘Precise Price’ program sets out maintenance pricing for the duration of the warranty, the lowest cost over that 10-year period being $302 and the highest $1463, for an annual average of $686.60. 

Pricey when you consider a similarly specified Toyota Corolla Cross averages $398.68 per service over the same period.

Volkswagen Australia covers the Golf with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is on par with other mainstream brands like Ford, Mazda and Toyota, but behind a dozen others including Hyundai, Kia and Skoda at seven years/unlimited km with the likes of Honda at eight and MG, Mitsubishi and Nissan at 10 years conditional.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months/15,000km and three-, four- and five-year pre-paid service ‘Care Plans’ are available, with the latter for the Golf 110TSI Life locked in at $2940, which splits out to a relatively steep $588 per workshop visit. Pay-as-you-go ‘Assured Service Pricing’ works out at $621 per service.

For reference, a comparably priced Toyota Corolla ZR hatch will set you back a flat $250 per service for each of the first five years. 

There are more than 100 Volkswagen dealers across the country covering all states and territories including main rural and regional areas.