MG ZS EV First drive review

Why should I buy it?

Good range for an EV, easy to charge, supports long distance travel

Why should I avoid it?

Sophisticated electronics and battery could make repairs expensive

What is it?

The MG ZS EV is an all-electric SUV based on the popular MG ZS that is sold abroad. We, however, will get the EV variant only. So, let's take a look at this second product from the British carmaker for the Indian market.

The exterior appearance of this pure EV is similar to the regular ZS crossover available globally save for some ‘Electric’ badges. The car's fascia has a signature MG look and features a diamond-studded grille pattern with chrome surround identical to the ones we had seen on some Mercs. This grille also houses the car's charging point that can be accessed by lifting the illuminated logo. And it’s flanked by sharp LED headlamps and gets a front bumper featuring a wide central air-dam. Apart from the silver roof rails, large windows and ORVMs with turn indicators in its side profile, what strikes one's attention are the windmill inspired alloy wheels. Then, round at the back too, one can see large LED tail lamps. Further, a tall stance, neatly sculpted lines and its overall proportions and design clearly make it a proper five-seater SUV that should attract an Indian buyer.

A five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, six airbags, ABS, EBD, hill-hold, hill descent control, TPMS, all seat-belts reminder and even three-point seatbelt in the second row are a part of the safety suite. Coming to the equipment, it gets a fair share of new age features too. Though the screen isn’t as big as the one in the Hector, this ZS EV features an updated version of the infotainment system. It is dubbed as the iSmart EV 2.0 and gets a new graphic interface and improved hardware over the Hector’s iSmart system. Interestingly, the iSmart EV 2.0 also features music from Gaana app, weather by Accuweather and real-time maps with charging station locator from TomTom. Voice commands work without much fuss and it's also equipped with an embedded SIM card for internet connectivity and even for connecting to an external home Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot.

Should I buy one?

If I can buy one? And the answer is No. Primarily because the car isn't launched yet. And now believing that MG has received quite a good response for its bookings, one might have to wait for a longer duration to get it even after its launch in January. But then, production has already started and the ZS EV will be initially sold only in five cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Mumbai. So once on sale, its looks, practicality of an SUV, lightning performance, good range and excellent ride quality will appease car buyers with check marks on almost all of their primary demands. What might still hold them back is the expensive battery and dependency of imported parts. Otherwise, it's a great step from MG to help the Indian government in faster adoption of electric vehicles. An affordable price backed by adequate infrastructure and government incentives should easily make it sell in our market.