Short test: MG ZS EV LUXURY (2021) // Who Dares?

For ease of understanding, first a little history. The MG-Morris Garages car brand was established back in 1923 and at that time was famous for its fast sports cars and record speeds, which decisively contributed to the glory of English cars. In the post-World War II era, her name, along with other owners, also emerged in the mainstream automotive industry, bringing Austin, Leyland and Rover vehicles to the four-wheel world. They were valued mainly on the island and in the former colonies of the United Kingdom, but this was not enough to survive.

At the end of the last century, we witnessed several years of mutilations with changes of owners and missing models, and then in 2005 the last part of the former pride of the British auto industry went ignominiously bankrupt. Since there were no other buyers, the trademark was transferred to the Chinese corporation Nanjing Automotive and experimented with poor imitations of former Rover vehicles for several years.... Eight years ago, Nanjing and the MG brand were merged with a Chinese state-owned concern. SAIC-Motor from Shanghai, which is considered the largest producer of passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the country of silk.

From this later part of the story also emerges the ZS, a car with a dry mark as defined by the party committee and with an image that attracts at least a second glance after the first. Belonging to the trendy compact urban crossovers, the exterior is a fusion of what has already been seen in this class, and it is measured in parallel with Peugeot 2008, Citroën C3 Aircross, Renault Captur, Hyundai Kono, etc.

The ZS is not entirely new, it was introduced back in 2017 and was not meant to be a purely electric car. In some markets, it is available with two gasoline engines, while the strategy for the old continent is tied exclusively or mainly to an electric power plant. If it is true that first impressions cannot be corrected, I can say that the Chinese electric SUV has nothing to be ashamed of, since there is no obvious awkwardness in it.with which the cars of the Asian superpower have caused mostly negative publicity. Even in tests by the EuroNCAP consortium, the ZS received a five-star rating and allayed safety concerns.

Wheels with 17-inch tires in large mudguards look ridiculously helpless In vain did I expect that my path would be illuminated by LED headlights, which are not even among the additional options of the more equipped version. By the way, buying this car is almost unimaginably easy - you can choose between two equipment levels and five body colors. That's all.

The cabin is almost surprisingly spacious, although the longitudinal movement of the driver's seat is probably not enough for taller ones, and the rear bench is very comfortable. Even the trunk, despite the high loading edge, surprises with its volume, and I wondered where the battery was hidden. Well, a lot of things could really be different and better. First, there may be an air conditioner that does not have a temperature display, but only graphics for hot or cold, and does not have an automatic blow-off function.

The driver sees the setting with a delay on the communication screen, which is no longer the youngest. The multimedia system could be easier to use and could have a better graphic layoutin particular to show power consumption and transmission performance. However, the ZS has a well-developed electronic brain that can control six auxiliary systems, as well as an adaptive cruise control and an automatic emergency braking system, and their operation is accurate and reliable.

Electricity is stored in a 44 kilowatt-hour battery, which is relatively small for such a car and does not provide a significant share in the total mass. It can be charged from a regular household outlet or at a home charging station; in the latter case, an eight hour downtime should be provided if empty. The charging socket is hidden under an inconvenient door on the front grill, and maintenance is possible with fast chargers.

Unfortunately, even with DC using the CCS connection at the filling station, which was created on the network of the largest Slovenian oil trader by a company that is also an importer of MG cars, it does not go as fast as we would like. ... A half to full charge takes much longer than a coffee break, croissant, and some exercise, as it stretches for an hour. This is the current reality of the Slovenian charging infrastructure.

An electric motor with a capacity of 105 kilowatts drives the front wheels and easily fits into a good one and a half ton car.... Acceleration also pleased me when I drove it on the economy program. Each time a contact is made, it is otherwise transferred to normal mode, followed by the maximum deceleration mode of the three-stage kinetic energy regeneration system. I easily controlled the automatic transmission with the rotary switch and tweaked the sport program several times, but other than absorbing electricity more quickly, I did not notice any dramatic difference in driving.

In normal operation, the torque is already so high that when accelerating, the drive wheels want to move to neutral, but of course the control electronics intervenes. The chassis is well balanced, only the relatively harsh reaction to short road bumps is a little annoying for the passengers, and the (probably) stiffer springs and low section tires take some of the responsibility for this behavior.

The power consumption and the full charge range of the battery should be viewed from different angles. The manufacturer promises 18,6 kilowatt-hours of electricity per 100 kilometers and more than 330 kilometers on a single charge; measurements according to the latest protocols, which should roughly correspond to reality, provide a range of 263 kilometers; on our measuring circuit, the consumption was 22,9 kilowatt-hours, and the range was 226 kilometers.... In the latter case, it should be borne in mind that the air temperature during the test rotated around the freezing point, but I also believe that there are drivers who could have achieved a better result.

Well, what is your answer to the original question?

MG ZS EV LUXURY (2021)

Basic data

Sales:	Planet solar
Test model cost:	34.290 €
Base model price with discounts:	34.290 €
Test model price discount:	28.290 €
Power:	105kW (141 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	8,2 with
Maximum speed:	140 km / h
Mixed flow ECE:	18,6 kWh / 100 km

Costs (per year)

Technical information

engine:	electric motor - maximum power 105 kW (140 hp) - constant power np - maximum torque 353 Nm.
Battery:	Lithium-ion - nominal voltage np - 44,5 kWh
Energy transfer:	the engine drives the front wheels - a direct transmission.
Capacity:	top speed 140 km / h - acceleration 0-100 km / h 8,2 s - power consumption (WLTP) 18,6 kWh / 100 km - electric range (WLTP) 263 km - battery charging time 7 h 30 min, 7,4 kW), 40 min (DC up to 80%).
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.532 kg - permissible gross weight 1.966 kg.
External dimensions:	length 4.314 mm - width 1.809 mm - height 1.644 mm - wheelbase 2.585 mm.
Box:	trunk 448 l.

We praise and reproach

spacious interior and trunk

a lot of equipment to ensure safety and comfort

Ease of Management

incomplete multimedia system

high cargo edge of the trunk

relatively high energy consumption