MG Motor has upgraded its budget ZS EV electric car, with more driving range, new looks and additional cabin tech.
The car was revealed at a MG Europe media event overnight. The company’s Australian operation has confirmed the facelifted ZS EV will make it here – though not until the second half of 2022.
The biggest hardware changes are two new battery options. The current 44.5kWh capacity version is upgraded to 51kWh, and a longer-range 72kWh version will also be made available.
Update: the article previously stated the battery was 71kWh in error
The respective driving ranges of the 51kWh and 72kWh battery models are 320km and 440km on the European WLTP test cycle.
The combination Type 2/CCS charger provides up to 7kW fast charging using the on-board AC charger, or up to 76kW DC rapid charging
A new-look front “more proudly pronounces” the ZS EV’s electric drivetrain and looks rather like the facelifted Hyundai Kona Electric.
The front-mounted charging port remains, flanked by new LED lighting.
Inside there’s a far more modern infotainment and navigation system (the current car’s cabin is certainly built to its price point), and what look like new digital instruments.
New app-based software architecture, called ‘iSmart’, gives owners over-the-air updates, real-time navigation, and live weather updates.
The current MG ZS EV has been a smash hit with Australian private buyers and fleets alike, and is now the number-two-selling EV in the country behind the Tesla Model 3.
It’s the cheapest EV on sale, is a small SUV as per the zeitgeist, there’s a ton of stock (with the Chinese brands less affected by global supply chain shortages), and boasts a seven-year warranty.
The MY23 upgrades are designed to ward off competitors such as the newly facelifted Hyundai Kona Electric, imminent next-gen Kia Niro, and fellow Chinese product, the BYD Yuan Plus, which arrives next year too.
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