Quick overview
- Low prices
- Long warranty
- Roomy cabin
- Decent boot space
- Below par to drive
- Low-grade cabin materials
- Poor Euro NCAP safety score
- Unsettled ride and suspension
There is a trade-off to consider when choosing the MG ZS: do you want high quality and a great drive, or are you happy with a low price and decent cabin space? The latter two traits obviously ended up winning out when MG was designing the ZS. The result is a small SUV that’s similar in size and scope to the Nissan Juke or Skoda Karoq, yet costs a good chunk less and comes with an impressive seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty included in the price.
When you look at this and then see the ZS costs less than many superminis with an average amount of equipment fitted, the MG suddenly looks like a great deal of car for the cash. And it is, up to a point. You get a car with the high-riding driving position that so many people love about an SUV, and the cabin has plenty of space in the front and back for people. There’s also a decent boot, while back the front cabin you have a large infotainment screen fitted to all models. Move up to the higher of the two trim levels, and it won’t cost the earth to make this leap, you can have a car with all of the luxuries you’d expect of something costing twice as much.
If you’re waiting for the catch, here it comes. Simply put, the MG ZS falls well short of the quality of materials, build and finish that you’ll find in a Nissan, Skoda, Volkswagen or many other makes that produce small SUVs. Making a car on a tight budget is one thing, but doing it with low-grade bits is another. SsangYong and Dacia have both proved you can provide value without making too many apparent concessions on quality.
The MG also trails when it comes to how it drives. Where the Dacia Duster is perky, the ZS is just a bit lead-footed when it comes to how it rides, goes round corners, and performs. The smaller 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine is the better choice, but that’s not saying a huge amount and it offers no economy advantage over the 1.5-litre motor.
Prices
MG kicks off the ZS range with the 1.5-litre Excite model with five-speed manual gearbox, which costs from £17,295. To upgrade to the 1.0-litre engine with automatic gearbox adds £2500 to the price to cost £19,795, and there’s no option of a manual transmission with this trim and the 1.0-litre motor. Move up to the Exclusive trim and it begins at £19,795, so is £2500 more than the Excite with the same 1.5 engine and five-speed manual ’box. Upgrade to the 1.0-litre turbocharged engine with its six-speeder manual and you’ll pay from £21,045, while this engine with the automatic option comes in at £22,295. Go shopping for a new MG ZS and you should be able to find savings of up to £800. Alternatively, a nearly new ZS with less than 5000 miles on the clock could be yours from £16,000. A three-year old ZS with average miles for the age will start from around £12,500.
Infotainment, comfort and practicality
MG gets a lot of the basics spot on in the ZS. For instance, the driver sits up higher than in many other small SUVs, so you get a good view over the bonnet and to the sides. Vision over your shoulder from the front seat isn’t great, but both ZS trims come with rear parking sensors and the higher spec Exclusive has a 360-degree reversing camera system to help further. There’s height adjustment for the driver’s seat and it’s reasonably supportive, but the steering wheel only moves for angle, not depth. This can make finessing the driving position a bit of a hit and miss affair depending on the size and preferences of the driver.
The main instrument display clear and simple to use, presenting all the vital data in its digital screen. There are remote control buttons on the steering wheel to scroll through various functions, as well as operate the standard cruise control on both trim levels. Then you come to the 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen and the MG shows up how far behind it is next to many rivals. Yes, it’s clever enough to do away with physical dials for the heater and ventilation, but it’s not bright enough to make it easy to find or use the on-screen controls for this. It’s the same story with other menus where the infotainment is just too fiddly and slow to respond that you wish for some good old-fashioned buttons and knobs. Still, the infotainment does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the Exclusive model has integrated sat-nav.
Head into the rear seats of the ZS and it’s the same sort of trade-off as the front. Lots of room for passengers, and it’s one of the few in its class capable of carrying three adults across the back bench, but quality is a low point. What we can say is the rear doors open wide, so access to the back seats is good and the styling of the ZS means the window line is low enough for kids to see out. There are three triple-point seat belts and Isofix child seat mounts in the two outer rear seats. You also get decent door bins and map pockets to take care of storage.
The rear seats don’t do any fancy folding or sliding, so you’ll have to make do with their straightforward 60-40 split and tip action when you want to vary boot space. With the rear seats folded, you have up to 1375-litres of load space. Put the seats back up and boot space is 448-litres, which is plenty for most needs. The load sill is quite high and it’s also curved at its sides, which can make sliding in big suitcases a hassle. You’ll also find there’s a drop to the load floor and, when the rear seats are tumbled down, a ridge in the floor that makes sliding bigger boxes forward a pain. A height adjustable load floor helps here, but doesn’t completely cure the issue.
Which 2017 MG ZS model should you buy?
MG now offers the ZS in just two trims, which starts with the Excite that comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, and cruise control. Inside, you have air conditioning, houndstooth cloth upholstery, electric windows all-round, and the 10.1-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It uses four speakers for the stereo. Safety is covered by six airbags, hill start assist, and the usual ABD anti-lock brakes and ESP traction control. In Euro NCAP tests, the ZS managed only a three-star rating where most of its class rivals are on five stars. If you upgrade to the Exclusive, you get more safety kit with blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert, but no lane keep assistance or automatic emergency braking even as options. The Exclusive does come with leather upholstery and electric front seat adjustment that are heated, as well as front fog lights and a different wheel design. This trim also has automatic wipers, full digital dash display, sat-nav, and an extra pair of speakers for the stereo.
Value for money: how much does a 2017 MG ZS cost to buy and run?
When it comes to running costs, the MG ZS appeals with its seven-year, 80,000-mile standard warranty. However, the combined average fuel economy for both of the engines and with either manual or automatic gearboxes comes out at 42.7mpg. That’s behind the ZS’s obvious rivals, and it trails on emissions too with 149g/km to fall into the £230 bracket for first-year road tax. For insurance, the ZS range sits in groups 9 to 10 depending on which model you prefer.
Verdict: Should I buy a 2017 MG ZS?
There is a lot to admire about the MG ZS, such as its long warranty, low cost, and the amount of cabin space it offers for family buyers. Both trims have a decent spread of standard equipment to keep you comfy and pampered, but safety kit is lacking in both versions and that will be a major put-off for family buyers when the ZS’s rivals are far superior in this regard.
On the road, the ZS is also some way behind the class leaders for its handling and ride comfort. Also, the engines are not the most efficient or pleasant to use, which further marks down this model as one to buy as a low-cost alternative rather than a prime mover in the sector.