Carbuyer Magazine – August 2019

THE MGZS isasmall er carthanthe MG GS andusesashortened

vers ion of that model’splatform. Externally,it’s hard tooverlook

the similarity between theZS’nosetreatment and that of the

MazdaCX-3, butthislackoforiginalityisn’t necessarily bad.

The interiormarksconsiderable progressfromearlier MG

models,with an up-to-datelook andasensibl elayout that

incorporates allthe featur es that crossoverbuyers expect.Cruise

control and Bluetooth,forinsta nce, arestandar dacrossthe range,

as areLED daytime runninglights andtail-lights. Thetop-spec

Exclus ivemodel is quitelavishl yequipped,butit’s the

price-leadingExplorethatthrows the catamongthe

crossoverpigeonswith its modest £12,495startin gprice.

Twopetrol enginesare offered:a1.5-litrefour-cylinder or a

108bhp 1.0-litrethree-cylinderturbo developed inpartnershipwith

General Motors. Thelatter usesasix-speed, dual-clutch automatic,

while the 1.5-litreusesatraditional five-speed manualgearbox.

There’splenty ofspace inside and in the boot, while another

notable strength is aseven-year/80,000-mile warranty.Onthe

downside, whenEuroNCAPputthe ZS through itscrash-testing

paces, it could only scoreamiddlingthree out of fivestars.

“The attractive MGZS offerslow-cost

SUV practicalityfor family buyers, but

not much in thewayofdrivingfun”

MG ZS

Modern looks, bargain

price, smooth ride

Wooly handling,poorsafety

rating,mediocreeconomy

Da

ta

Sheet

Engines:1.0&1.5 petrol

Trim levels:Explore,Excite,Exclusive

Economy:39-42mpg

Road tax:£145

0-62:10.9-12.4s Euro NCAP:★★★★★★

Carbuyerrating

★★★★★★★★ 3.0/ 5

Price £12, 495-£15,795

Ourpick

1.5 DOHC

VTI-techExcite

£14,045

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Owners’rating

★★★★★★★★ 4.8/5