The MG ZS EV has been updated for 2022, with a new 72kWh Long Range battery bumping the car’s range up to a very attractive 273 miles. That’s a big leap up from the old version’s 163-mile figure.
It’ll arrive in UK dealerships next month, and there’s a smaller 51kWh alternative coming next year too: that’ll return a very respectable 198 miles on paper, no doubt offering a cut-price route into a car that’s already cheaper than chips.
The design of the ZS EV has also been overhauled, with the most noticeable change being the real grille swapped out for a fake, stamped-effect one. Better for aero, apparently, and it houses a new charging port which itself contains a four-stage lighting system so you can check charging progress at a glance.
LED headlights, daytime running lights, a new rear bumper and fresh wheels are the other headline alterations.
Both Type 2 and CCS charging are supported. Plug in at home and you’ll max out at 7kW, delivering a full charge in ten-and-a-half hours. Find a service station with a rapid, DC supply and you’ll be capped at 76kW, enough to get you on your way again in 42 minutes.
Inside there’s a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with new graphics and – according to MG – better functionality, and there’s a new instrument cluster too. Wireless smartphone charging is supported, but only on the top-spec Trophy trim; entry-level SE cars make do without.
MG also claims its iSMART connectivity is ‘state-of-the-art’, which would be fine if features like remote control over climate settings, security and charging hadn’t already appeared years ago on dozens of other models. Still, it’s got them, and that’s good.
Another thing it’s got is a seven-year warranty, which puts everyone else bar Kia to shame. Prices will be confirmed in a few weeks, but the ZS EV has long been the Dacia Duster of the electric SUV segment and we’d expect that to continue.
Though the interior of the new MG ZS EV is largely same as before, there’s a key change at the heart of it all.That’s the new infotainment system, with a 10.1-inch display now housing completely new software. This is said to offer better graphics and improved functionality, plus it’ll be able to ping car information like charge and security functions to your phone.Wireless phone charging comes to the ZS EV too, along with a new digital driver’s display.The new MG ZS EV will be hitting showrooms in November 2021, and you’ll find out prices just before then.
Expect it to rise over the existing car’s £26,095 price (inclusive of the government’s plug-in car grant) though to account for the larger battery and improved tech. Something closer to £30,000 seems likely.
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