Toyota BZ4X vs MG ZS EV

What's the difference?

Is the bZ4X Touring the right Toyota for this moment in time or too little too late for the brand to play catch-up to its EV rivals?

The good news for Toyota is that it isn’t too late, at all. The Touring expands the appeal of the bZ4X, metaphorically and literally, and certainly the sales trajectory in 2026 suggests buyers are warming to Toyota’s electric future.

However, it remains a more expensive proposition for its size and the Touring doesn’t really make it stand out amongst the crowd that includes the popular BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. It’s unfamiliar territory for Toyota, but it didn’t become the automotive juggernaut it is by giving up, so there is every reason to think the bZ4X duo will chip away at the EV sales leaders.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The MG ZS EV Long Range is a practical small SUV that's easy to drive and the 440km it can travel on a full charge makes it the better choice over the standard range ZS EV. The extra 120km offered by the Long Range version reduces anxiety and is truly useful in covering more ground between charging.

The asking price may seem expensive but electric vehicle batteries are extremely costly to produce and will remain so for years to come.

Remember, too, that the MG4 electric car has an even great range for the same money - the only catch is, it's a hatch and not an SUV.

What stands out about the design of the bZ4X Touring is the fact it is a bZ4X. Unlike Subaru, which opted to position its bZ4X twins, the Solterra and Trailseeker, as separate models, Toyota has stuck with the single nameplate and a very similar look.

At the front the Touring looks almost identical to the SUV and it’s only at the back where things deviate notably. Toyota has stretched the Touring by 140mm and redesigned it to have a more vertical tailgate.

To further differentiate between the two bZ4X offerings, the Touring gets unique 20-inch alloy wheels, as well as front and rear skid plates, roof rails (which can take up to 80kg of weight), matt finished wheel arches, a contrasting bonnet insert plus a rear window wiper.

Inside the design is carried over unchanged, which means the same interior that has Toyota elements but also some Subaru influence and a bit of EV differentiation. So it doesn’t look exactly like what you expect from Toyota, but it’s still clearly in the Toyota family.

The ZS EV Long Range has a traditional SUV shape but with a very futuristic looking face thanks to its grille-less nose. That’s because with no radiator needed to cool a combustion engine there’s no need for an open vent or grille for air flow.

MG has used a textured plastic to subtly imitate an old-school grille to lessen the visual impact of a sheet of plastic between the headlights.

I think the effect works although the obvious charging flap could have been cleverly and seamlessly integrated into the nose, in the same way Genesis has done with the GV80 Electric. But the attempt has failed.

The ZS EV Long Range’s cabin looks premium with the sporty seats and red stitching, the landscape screen and digital driver display.

But, while the interior looks great, it feels a little low quality in places such as the vinyl upholstered seats. 

There are some ergonomic issues with the high centre armrest and the raised seating position, too.

One of the most notable examples of this is the set-up of the steering wheel and instrument display. The digital display screen is set far back on the dash and the wheel has a small diameter so you look over it rather than through the rim; similar to Peugeot’s polarising ergonomics. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is a stand out feature of the interior. 

Thankfully, while there is a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen, unlike so many other modern EVs there are plenty of physical buttons and dials, too. Not to sound like an old man, but these are simply better in my opinion as they are easier to use, especially on the move.

In terms of space, the Touring feels roomy for a mid-size SUV, but not as spacious as some of its rivals. In the second row headroom is good and there is enough knee and foot room for two adults to sit in relative comfort.

The rear seat occupants are well catered for with their own air-conditioning, heated outboard seats and two USB-C ports.

The biggest practicality boost for the Touring is the boot volume. By stretching the length, Toyota has added another 151 litres of cargo space, so the total volume is now 603 litres, which is a generous amount of room for a mid-size SUV and ideal for those looking to load up with luggage for a road trip.

The ZS EV Long Range is a practical small SUV and it fit my little family of four, although my kids are both under 10 years old and not at the lanky teenager point yet.

Space on board is good, offering ample legroom for even me (at 188cm) in the second row and adequate headroom back there, too.

I like the large door pockets, the wireless phone charger, and there are two USB ports for the back seats and another two up front.

The second row also has directional air vents and dark-tinted windows. I liked the panoramic sunroof's retractable shade, too. 

SUVS like the MG ZS offer easier access than sedans and hatches thanks to the elevated ride height which means people of my height don’t need to crawl in and out on their knees.

Boot capacity is decent at 359 litres, but not enormous.  

The MG ZS EV Long Range lists for $55,990 which is about $11,000 more than the standard range ZS in the Essence grade.

The features on this Long Range are almost identical to the Essence, too.

Coming standard are LED headlights and running lights, then there are those 17-inch alloy wheels (which have aerodynamic covers on them), proximity unlocking, roof rails, the rear spoiler and a panoramic sunroof with a retractable cover.

Inside, the seats are a combination of polyurethane and PVC, plus there’s a 10.1-inch media display with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You can see the battery status from the screen as well along with the energy efficiency. 

Climate, phone and media are all accessed through the screen, but fortunately there are physical buttons for volume, temperature and fan speed.

There’s single-zone climate control and tinted rear windows.

A 360-degree camera view is also standard, but the quality of the picture is pretty murky.

How does that cost compare to rivals? Well, you could buy an MG4 electric vehicle for about the same price with 530km of range, but it’s not an SUV. 

You can even get a Tesla Model 3 for about $61K, but again, that’s not an SUV. The Tesla Model Y is an SUV and lists for $69,300 and has 455km of range.

The closest competitor would be the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range which can travel 420km and lists for $51,011.

There are more affordable EVs coming from brands like BYD and GWM, too, and they’re all competing for your money. 

Compared to the MG ZS EV Essence the Long Range has exactly the same features, apart from the tinted rear windows, but you’re paying $11,000 more. What you’re paying for is a bigger battery which will allow you to drive 120km further.

The MG4 Long Range offers more distance and represents better value, but it’s not an SUV and therefore not as practical as the ZS EV.  

One of the biggest differences between the regular bZ4X and the Touring is the single powertrain option. While the standard bZ4X can be had at a cheaper price with a single-motor, front-wheel drive set-up, the Touring is exclusively available with the dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain.

This is good for 280kW of power, which is very punchy for a Toyota mid-size SUV, and is enough for it to take just 4.4 second to sprint from 0-100km/h, which is downright rapid.

The MG ZS EV has one electric motor driving the front wheels and it makes 115kW of power and 280Nm or torque.

That’s the same power as the petrol MG ZS, but more torque, so it accelerates faster. We’re talking 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. 

Sure, that’s not Tesla quick, but being an electric car the acceleration is instantaneous with none of the lag petrol cars have due to turbos or changing gears.

How much can the ZS EV tow? Not much. The braked towing capacity of the ZS EV Long Range is 500kg. But think of it like this: a box trailer can weigh about 250kg and a fully grown Sumatran tiger can also weigh up to 250kg.

So an ZS EV Long range can tow a box trailer carrying a fully grown tiger. That sounds impressive.

For more on what the ZS EV Long Range is like to drive, keep reading.

The bZ4X Touring is fitted with a 74.7kWh battery, which is enough for a claimed range of 488km. That’s a reasonable distance, on par with the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and MGS6 but isn’t class-leading. It also probably looks a bit short on paper as Toyota is pushing this as "purpose-built for long distance touring."

However, the Touring wins some points back with its 1500W inverter that provides vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, which not all models in this segment offer.

Charging maxes out at 150kW DC and 22kW AC, but Toyota says with the DC charger it can take just 28 minutes to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent.

The ZS EV Long Range has a larger battery than the standard range ZS EV and this gives it the ability to travel further on a full charge. 

The regular version is fitted with a 51.1kWh battery and the Long Range has a 72.6kWh battery which is pretty big - and that gives this an official range of 440km. 

The standard range ZS EV has a range of 320km. So the Long Range will get you 120km further which could make all the difference in whether you make it to your destination or not.

So, is 440km a lot compared to other electric cars? Well, it’s more range than the Nissan Leaf (385km) or Mini Electric (233km), but not as much as the Kia Niro (460km) and 50km less than the entry-grade Tesla Model 3 (491km).

Put it this way, the 320km offered by the standard ZS EV falls short of what I think is enough. But anything with more than 400km is truly useful and I find anything less than this can bring on range anxiety pretty quickly.

The ZS EV Long Range is fully electric and that means you’ll have to plug it in to charge it. 

You can charge up using a household power point, but it’ll take more than 24 hours to get to 100 per cent. So, a much better idea is to use a fast public charger.

A 50kW charger will take the battery from empty to 80 percent in 63 minutes using a CCS Type 2 port/plug.

As for energy efficiency, MG says that after a combination of open and urban roads the ZS EV Long Range will use 17.7kWh/100km.

I drove our ZS EV Long Range every day and used it for school drop offs, city commutes and some motorway running. And while most of the 156km I travelled was urban-based the trip computer was reporting an average of 20.0kWh/100km.

While the dual-motor powertrain provides serious performance when you put your foot down, that’s not really the point of a mid-size electric SUV aimed at family buyers. Sure, it’s a nice-to-have, but it shouldn’t define the driving experience of the bZ4X Touring.

Not surprisingly, it’s very similar to drive to the standard bZ4X and that’s no bad thing. The steering is quick and direct and coupled with the performance it means the Touring does feel a step above the average petrol- or diesel-powered SUV in terms of responsiveness.

The ride is pretty good for such a heavy vehicle. It doesn’t ride like a magic carpet but nor is it harsh and uncomfortable. It will crash over the occasional sharper bump, but overall Toyota has done a nice job on the chassis tuning to keep a family buyer happy.

What isn’t so good is the amount of noise that leaks into the cabin. During our drive on the open road we couldn’t help but notice the significant amount of tyre roar and wind noise at speeds above 70km/h.

But what stands out most about the driving experience in many respects is the regenerative braking, which is much more subtle than rival EVs. It lacks the one-pedal driving character of other EVs and that makes for an easier transition for those coming to electric motoring for the first time. On the flip side, it means less energy recovered at times, which means the bZ4X could be more efficient.

At first, the driver’s seat felt overly high and the lack of reach adjustment in the steering wheel made finding a good driving position harder.

But, the ZS EV Long Range is comfortable and easy to drive, while its size and ‘electric zippiness’ makes this little SUV perfect for narrow city streets and tight car spaces. 

Some EVs have break-neck acceleration and minimalist cabin controls which can feel weird, but the ZS EV Long Range’s cabin looks just like a regular combustion engine car’s and the motor has the same power as a petrol ZS’s engine.

That said, the instant acceleration of their ZS EV Long Range is fun and great for moving quickly out of car space, merging and overtaking when needed.

As with all EVs, passengers who are prone to motion sickness might find the acceleration and heavy deceleration a bit much. My family didn’t complain but the photographer who filmed the video above found it a bit much while looking down at his screen.

The ZS EV Long Range has yet to be given an ANCAP rating, but it is equipped with AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning. There are front and rear parking sensors and six airbags.

For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor mounts across the second row.

A key selling point for any Toyota, but especially one with new(-ish) technology, is that with 270 dealers around the country, Toyota has one of the biggest footprints.

The Touring is covered by Toyota’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is fine but is increasingly looking off-the-pace compared to a growing list of rivals with seven or more years of coverage.

On the plus side the bZ4X delivers on the promise of cheaper EV servicing, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) with each visit capped at $190 for the first five years.

The ZS EV Long Range is covered by MG’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The battery is covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, too. 

Servicing is recommended by MG at 40,000km/24 month intervals.

According to MG the first service costs $295, then the next is $810, then $295 for the third, $810 for the next and so on. That’s about $233 a year over six years which is excellent value.