The forthcoming next-generation MG ZS small SUV has been spotted on Australian roads ahead of its expected arrival in the fourth quarter of 2024.
A keen-eyed CarExpert reader submitted these photos of the camouflaged ZS prototype driving along the Monash Freeway in Victoria.
It’s hard to make out any defining features of the car, though the front fascia with its gaping grille makes it recognisable as an MG.
CarExpert understands the ZS will launch here during the fourth quarter with petrol power, with electric and hybrid models to follow later.
This particular prototype appears to be a petrol-powered variant as you can see the muffler underneath the rear bumper. It could also be a hybrid, though there are no stickers on the number plates denoting it as such.
When the new-generation MG ZS arrives in Australia it will be required to have more safety equipment than the current model.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), for example, is now required on all newly launched vehicles, something the current entry-level ZS doesn’t have.
Other safety equipment such as a driver attention monitor is required for a car to achieve a five-star safety rating from ANCAP.
The current-generation MG ZS dates back to 2016, and it arrived in Australia late in 2017. A facelifted model dubbed the ZST arrived in 2020 to sit alongside the original ZS. MG also introduced an electric version, the ZS EV.
One of the few MG ZS-based SUVs to not come to Australia is the VS hybrid. It pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a total system output of 130kW and claimed fuel consumption as low as 5.8L/100km.
MG only just introduced its first conventional (i.e. not plug-in) hybrid model locally with the new-generation MG 3 hatch. It features a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a total system output of 155kW and a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 4.3L/100km.
This new-generation MG ZS will have big shoes to fill once it arrives as the current-generation model continues to be the most popular small SUV in Australia.
In the first half of 2024 MG has sold a total of 11,809 members of the ZS family in Australia, which includes ZS, ZST and ZS EV models.
The combined small SUV family outsold the likes of the Hyundai Kona (8948 sales), GWM Haval Jolion (7131 sales), and Mazda CX-30 (6174 sales).
MORE: Everything MG ZS
