MG

MG ZS: it is the most compact model of the new line of the Chinese brand that makes its debut in the European market

The domestic market, as well as that of the region, is richer for the brand of new-old cars. This is MG Motor, which has not been on the market for a long time. The famous British brand was founded in 1924 by William Morris, the owner of the Morris Garages company at the time, which he named after him.

It was known worldwide for its sports cars, and 40 world speed records were set. Over time, MG had collaborations with other brands, and the last thing that was “British” was MG Rover. After that, MG came into the hands of the Chinese, where it remains to this day.

It is an integral part of the company SAIC Motor (Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation), under whose umbrella are the brands Reve (Roewe), Maxus (Maxus), SAIC Volkswagen and others. They have had a highly developed range of vehicles for years, with numerous models classified by segment.

It is interesting that they are not sold in China, but destined for export. They recently decided to enter the demanding European market, and the fact that they have been partners with football club Liverpool since 2019 shows how much they care about that.

During 2020, MG Motor sold 7,200 vehicles, and by 2021, that number has tripled to a total of 22,000 units. Sales are expected to be boosted by the expansion, which now includes the Adriatic region, ie the countries of the former RSFJ and Albania.

That's how we got an invitation to see the Em-djija range at the regional presentation in Rovinj. For the first meeting of journalists with the MG brand, four models were prepared, with different drive variants.

The smallest in the range is the MG ZS. It is available in an all-electric version and a version with SUS motors. The basic offering consists of a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, 106 horsepower gasoline engine.

It reaches “one hundred” in 10.9 seconds and its top speed is 175 km/h. We had the opportunity to test the second version, with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo with 111 hp and 160 Nm.

The demo vehicle is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission with which it accelerates to 100 km/h in 11.2 seconds. The maximum speed is 180 km/h. The design is not very striking, but it certainly follows modern trends.

The same applies to the interior, with the fact that it's noticeable that MG has made an effort to richly upholster the interior of even the smallest model, which is unusual in this class.

On the other hand, the leather covering the seats, door upholstery and instrument panel looks a little less like real leather, unlike other brands' materials.

Regardless, it's a nice gesture that the surfaces under the hard plastic have been kept to a minimum, including the top of the dashboard, which is completely molded with soft foam rubber materials.

The real surprise is the way the car drives. First of all, the ergonomics are good, so the position behind the wheel is easy to find. Controls are smooth and precise, including the gearshift.

Indeed, the smoothness of the clutch and engine, as well as the throttle response, are almost indistinguishable from, for example, German competitors. The turbo hole is really minimal, and the only thing that bothered us on the short test drive was that the car was rebuilt.

In particular, during sudden acceleration from rest, a little steering intervention is required to maintain steering. In short, “MG ZS” behaves predictably and is easy to put in order.

We like that the equipment is very rich and includes a panoramic roof with opening, digital instruments, 360-degree camera and a large multimedia display (10.1 inches) under which there are shortcuts to the most important settings such as “weather”, navigation … Except with manual, can also be ordered with automatic transmission.

The electric version of the MG ZS EV differs from the exterior only in a different mask, as there is no need for a radiator. Customers will be able to choose one of two batteries – with 50.3 kWh and 70 kWh. With the former, it can travel up to 320 km, and with the larger one, 440 km according to WLTP standards. It also allows fast charging of up to 92 kW on the DC charger, which goes from five to 80% in 40 minutes.

Aleksandar Bursać, Rovinj, Croatia