The once famous MG marque may have lost its sports car shine under the ownership of the Chinese manufacturing giant; SIAC but the company appears gung-ho on innovation.
The debut of its all electric MG eZS at last Novembers Guangzhou Automobile Exhibition was eye-catching and now that plans to bring it to Europe have been confirmed it is likely that we will hear a lot more about MG.
Under the guidance of SAIC Group’s new four strategies of “electrification, intelligent networking, sharing, and internationalisation”, MG is pushing ahead with its new energy vehicles in a bid to attract younger people to the marque.
The new MG ZS EV is an evolution of the company’s petrol driven MG ZS compact SUV. The impressive 110kW engine has now been thoroughly tested and it has been confirmed that it meets European certification standards and regulatory requirements.
The eZS sports an impressive cruising range of up to 266 miles, with 45.5-kWh of battery powering a 110-kW (147-hp) electric powertrain. This the company states gives an energy consumption level 4% better than its peers. The eZS retains the same looks and feel as its petrol counterpart and looks the part in an SUV line up.
Fitted with a 4G internet connection bringing “intelligent interconnection” the constantly upgradable system brings with it 24-hour real-time online, intelligent navigation package and can offer, one-click parking fee payment and many other user-friendly experiences.
It is also equipped as standard with panoramic sunroof, luggage rack and other configurations, as well as two sizes of rims to choose from.
Potentially this is a very affordable, practical electric crossover and could give established brands a run for their money. With a wheelbase of 2,585mm, and good use of space it might yet outshine its peers.
With its neat and basic interior well established in the petrol version the MG ZS EV offers a comfortable driving experience. Its analogue dashboard replaces the tachometer found on the ICE version with a power/efficiency metre.
As usual, quoted range figures are best bet and often do not reflect real time use. They are formulated for ideal-conditions and the use of the words “up to” rather than a standardised range comparison the likes of NEDC or WLTP cycle figures means they are probably highly optimistic. A more realistic range, given normal driving behaviour is probably closer to 186 miles. But that still gives plenty of scope for the vast majority of drivers.
With the same power as the Nissan Leaf we own ourselves we predict performance will be pretty peppy!
SAIC claim the car is capable of 0-31 mph in 3.1 seconds which is a somewhat odd comparison measure seldom used by other manufacturers and as a result makes direct comparison somewhat difficult.
As one of the first Chinese ev’s to arrive on the markets of Europe and Australia as well as Asia, it’s success rests firmly within its price range which has yet to be confirmed but we are told will be before the on-sale date of 1st September.
With the opportunity to significantly undercut opposition from the likes of Hyundai and Nissan it could yet become a game changer in the ev market.
SAIC says “the high performance brings super feelings,” and that certainly sounds hopeful.
For more information please visit: www.mg.co.uk
Author Bios:
When it comes to tech, travel journalists Frances and Michael Howorth are early adopters and that attitude has flowed down into their motoring. They own and drive Zero Emission saloons and even have electric bikes.
Photographs courtesy of MG Motor, SAIC and MG Motor UK Limited
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