MG Electric SUV Video Review: Very Solid, Quirky

When you think of an MG, you might picture a vintage, sporty, low-slung, red British convertible coupe cruising on a country highway in cool autumn air with fall colors. This MG is much more contemporary, a 4-door compact SUV, but with a twist — it’s all electric. Called the MG ZS EV, it debuted in 2018 in China and is now available in the UK, Thailand, and Australia. SAIC Motor, a Chinese company headquartered in Shanghai, owns MG currently.

Image courtesy MG

Here are some of the tech specs:

• 44.5 kWh battery
• 110 kW motor
• 19.3 kWh/100km efficiency
• 7.4 kW AC charge power
• 60 kW DC charge power

The WLTP range is 263 kilometers, which is about 160 miles. In the UK, the price is £21,995 with the plug-in grant incentive. Weighing about 3,300 pounds (1,496 kg) empty, this affordable small SUV can seat five. If acceleration is important to you, the 0 to 62 mph time is 8.5 seconds. The top speed is 87 mph (140 km/h), which is on the slow side, but drivers of such a vehicle won’t be Grand Prix racing, so it probably doesn’t matter.

Fully Charged conducted a test drive and reviewed the MG. If you are sentimental about this brand you might be pleased to see a red one cruising the streets. The video makes a key point: the factory where this vehicle is made is capable of producing several hundred thousand electric vehicles a year. So, if you want this model, you shouldn’t have to wait, unlike some competing EVs.

Another feature is the large trunk and a compartment underneath it for the charging equipment. The back seat also has ample room, according to the reviewer.

When he opens the hood, you might be surprised to see that’s where the motor is, because some EVs, like Teslas, have frunks for storage. Other than that, the reviewer says the vehicle is well-built and has quite a few quirks.