Test drove the 2022 ZS EV - very impressed

Stuart Wright

Stuart Wright

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This was a quick (less than 30 minute) test drive and not particularly scientific.
And mostly comparing with my Ioniq.



Ok, so here are my thoughts a week later.
I originally went along to take some photos of the car for new merchandise, but decided to make the most of the opportunity to test drive it.
First of all, a 20 minute test drive is nowhere near enough time to fully explore a car as feature rich as today's modern EVs.
My video was hastily put together, sticking up a couple of cameras and doing 5 minutes worth of 'pick up' shots later.
It doesn't explore or consider many of the important features of the new ZS EV and my tick and cross list in the video only covers my thoughts during the test drive.

There are many features of the car which deserve consideration.

Let's tackle the negative points first.
From the video
  1. No reach adjustment
  2. Third stalk (for lane assist and cruise control) hidden behind the steering wheel so not possible to see it.
  3. No coast option. I drive my Ioniq on cost all the time and just use the brakes.
  4. No regen paddles. I like these just behind the steering wheel to adjust regen, but it's not a huge big deal not having them there.
  5. The rotary knob to select gear is a ridiculous piece of design in my opinion. Needlessly inconvenient and it annoys me. Why not just have buttons like in the Ioniq? Maybe because buttons take up more space, but really, the rotary know is a PITA.

Not mentioned in the video
The ZS EV is not an efficient car. I get 4.5+ miles/Kwh in the Ioniq. The ZS is going to be nearer 3.5. That bothers me.
I think the stippled front face is ugly. Why not just make it smooth? Makes no sense.
Not a huge amount of room in the back. I'm 6'3 and when the driver seat is set to my position, I absolutely can not fit in the rear seat behind.

Now the positives.
From the video
  1. Responsive touchscreen
  2. Large sunroof. I've never owned a car with a sunroof. This is nicer than the Kia EV6, I think, which only has a smaller sunroof?
  3. The sound was awesome and this is important. Maybe the bass was set to be a bit too boomy, but it was significantly better than the sound in my Ioniq.
  4. The ride height is better than my Ioniq. Higher up.
  5. There was enough power. Obviously not as much as the Tesla or Kia, but still more than the Ioniq and enough for me.
  6. Decent Sat Nav. It recognised businesses and was intuitive to use. Though I'd probably still use Waze via Carplay.
  7. Wireless charging my partner's Samsung and my iPhone, with both being in big Otterbox Defender cases.
  8. Better display than my Ioniq. Not huge, but ok
  9. Plenty of storage space for drinks etc.
  10. Comfortable seats
  11. And the big one - the price. Circa £30,000 is the huge influencing factor in my decision making process.
Then there are the features which I didn't mention in the video
  1. The app - very useful to monitor charging remotely and set the car to charge when the electricity tariff is cheapest.
  2. Over the air updates.
  3. The USB next to the rear view mirror which would be handy for someone mounting a dashcam, but I'd most likely have mine professionally installed and hard wired to the fuse box.
  4. There are others. Can't think of them now.
It's obvious, but the range is the main reason why I want to change cars and it's been suggested that the new ZS has more than 250 miles real world range. This is enough for me.
The Tesla Model 3 Standard Plus has nearer 200 miles. Not enough. So the only option is the Long Range version which costs £49,990.
The Kia EV6 sunroof, decent sound system, blind spot and rear cross traffic detection (on my Ioniq Premium SE) are only available on the GT Line S which is £49,120 in white.

There is no doubt in my mind that the MG ZS EV offers very nearly all the most important features as the Tesla and Kia.
The ones I'd miss most are
In the Tesla
  1. Supercharging network. This is a big deal because the charging infrastructure in the UK is woefully poor. Though if Tesla open up chargers to everyone, then there will be overcrowding at those as well at least in the short term.
  2. Tesla cam security - this is important. Wouldn't need to get a dashcam.
  3. Tesla tech which I really like
In the Kia
  1. The styling, which I really like.
  2. The interior comfort. My partner wants me to get the Kia because it's so nice inside.
  3. 800v architecture making charging so much quicker at certain chargers
  4. It's basically the same inside as my Ioniq including the regen paddles.
  5. It has a HUD. Never owned a car with a HUD. I really like it. All cars should have HUDs for safety.
Like I said at the end of the video, if money were no object, I'd get the Kia because I like the look of it most.
Then I'd get the Tesla because it's easier to use (with the Supercharger network).
But money is a significant factor, so the MG wins.

But I'm in the process of moving house, so life is in turmoil at the moment, so it's probably not the best time to throw a lump of money at a new car when the Ioniq is serving us well 98% of the time.
Soon, though. I hope.
 
Last edited:
Stuart Wright said:
Video of our test drive posted.

If I buy one, it will be from Miles, of course
Click to expand...
I caught your video only last night thanks Stu👍.
You appeared to be a little more impressed than you thought you would be, if you don’t mind me saying so Stu.
You ref the two other cars that you are considering, but in all fairness these are completely different to the ZS EV face lift with due respect.
Cars with a much lower ride height and a larger price tag to boot.
There is no doubt the Tesla model 3 is unrivalled with regards to its tech and charging infrastructure.
But if Tesla continues to roll out opening up its network, and with more chargers coming on-line, things can only get better.
Plus increased battery size means you will be less reliant on the charging system away from home away ?.
MG have increased the price of the face lift model on the back of the fact, that the Gen1 version was so popular.
But I still think it still represents good value for money, with that larger battery pack now.
Pretty much all of the issues raised with the Gen1 model have now been addressed as you know.
Thanks for posting the video and good luck with your choice.
 
Nice review Stu - I particularly like the camera work (what is that neat little camera on the window?). And I agree that the sunroof is pretty impressive. I did like the interior finishes of the Ioniq when I did a test drive last year - somehow more ‘luxurious’? But yes, the price even then was a bit steep when compared to MG EV package.

Incidentally, the Ioniq recently picked up a Car of the Year award down here. Will be interesting to see if the new MGEV makes it into top 5 or 10 when it turns up here in 2022.
www.hyundai.com

IONIQ 5 is carsales Car of the Year | Hyundai News | Hyundai Australia

IONIQ 5 has been judged carsales Car of the Year (COTY) for 2021, marking Hyundai’s first victory in the prestigious award’s history.
www.hyundai.com www.hyundai.com
I think I prefer the older Ioniq styling…and the new MGEV with improvements.
 
Just watched the video, glad you liked the ZS EV, a couple of things that aren't apparent when the salesman doesn't give you a tour of the features, the sunroof opens fully to the middle of the roof, not just the little bit you had it open, that is brilliant in summer! The speed on the cruise control stalk can be adjusted in increments of 1 mph if you hold the stalk up rather than just press it up once. So hold up for increments in 1 mph and press up and release for increments in 5 mph. There's also a speed limiter which can use road signs it sees or you can manually put in a speed in the same way as the cruise control, when its enabled, the car won't let you go past this speed unless you put your foot to the floor. Agree that the stalk for doing this is obscured by the wheel, so you have to remember how it works, though its fairly easy to use once you know how! I also loved the EV 6 when I did a test drive, but as you say its a tad expensive, never driven a Tesla, so don't know what that is like, but again its expensive. I think the ZS can't really be beaten at the price point its sat at in terms of standard features and range.
 
I am on my 2nd Ioniq se, its a 38kW, I have also owned a gen 1 ZS ev exclusive until I part exed for an MG5lr a couple of weeks ago, this was a financial decision, plus the extra range is great as we have solar panels so I can store more free electrons in the larger battery, also the deals just now are fantastic. I would just like to say as a Ioniq owner, the gear knob is far better than the buttons of the Ioniq when you get used to it. The cruise control lever is also no problem once you settle into the car and you also get a rear wash and wiper! The Hyundai regen flippers are a fantastic idea, but the on MG the hydraulic brake and regen work well together when you get used to it. I will look at the ZS gen2 in the new tax year as I love the SUV driving position and many of the ZS's features, but then the MG5 is a cracker as well?? but missing the sunroof/blind spot and rear cross traffic warnings. So I will see what deals are around next year and decide then.
 
Stuart Wright said:
Tesla tech which I really like
Click to expand...

Lovemyev said:
There is no doubt the Tesla model 3 is unrivalled with regards to its tech
Click to expand...

For me personally, I wouldn't say that Tesla has the best tech. I had a M3 SR+ for 6 weeks, and quickly learned not to trust it, especially the autopilot which used to snatch the steering sharply away from me when passing certain junctions on a motorway, and I had to fight it to stay on track. Downright dangerous.
Phantom braking was also a problem, three times it slammed on the anchors whilst on a 5-day break in Wales, with no warning, much to the peril of anything behind. The third of those events was due to a cyclist waiting patiently behind another vehicle, both coming from the opposite direction and intending to turn right into a side road that was obviously on my left. They were stationary. Again, downright dangerous.
Ride quality was horrible, steering was stiff (even in 'comfort' mode) and some controls were a pain to get at, being only accessible via the touchscreen.
I had actually got a M3 SR+ on order, that would have been delivered this August past, but my experience with this 'loaner', had me cancel that order and stick with my current Citroen, which is by a country mile, far nicer to drive.

I have the new MG on order purely for the range, but it will have other advantages (such as a dog-friendly boot) - otherwise I would be sticking with what I've got.
 
Stu, absolutely brilliant review. You raise some valid points. Where the ZSEV wins hands down is the price, even the outgoing model is really a winner. It has it quirks but I just can’t get past how much value it is. Having a bigger wallet does open up optons but I am not aware of any manufacturer which has all the features that I would like. There is always going to be that little thing that would have made the car so much better, missing. A mix and match like at a sweetie shop would be ideal 😁.
 
I have been following the MGEVs site for a long while and have watched most of the podcast videos. I hadn't realized that you didn't actually have an MG ZS EV and it was interesting to see your impressions of the new one. I think the expressions on your face says it all - it looked like you loved it. You didn't try MG Pilot - this is a major feature I loved in my ZSEV - it make motorway driving so much easier and relaxing. Reading the review above about the Tesla Autopilot, I never had any problems with MG pilot and used it all the time on dual carriageways and motorways. looking forward to getting my Trophy in March, now ordered from Chorley, Burnley.
 
bobaxford said:
Reading the review above about the Tesla Autopilot, I never had any problems with MG pilot and used it all the time on dual carriageways and motorways.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Two cars past I had an Ioniq BEV in which I always used the Adaptive Cruise with stop-start when on the motorway. The Lane keeping on the Ioniq wasn't perfect, but it worked most of the time.
I really missed that ACC when I went back to an Outlander, but now with my Citroen I use it often, it works very well and the lane keeping is far better than that of my 2015 Ioniq.

It follows then, that MG pilot was a pre-requisite when I started looking at the ZS, and I'm hoping that it will perform at least as well as the Citroen. It worries me a tad that it uses friction brakes to reduce speed when using ACC, I cannot at present imagine how that feels...
 
Stuart Wright said:
This was a quick (less than 30 minute) test drive and not particularly scientific.
And mostly comparing with my Ioniq.



Ok, so here are my thoughts a week later.
I originally went along to take some photos of the car for new merchandise, but decided to make the most of the opportunity to test drive it.
First of all, a 20 minute test drive is nowhere near enough time to fully explore a car as feature rich as today's modern EVs.
My video was hastily put together, sticking up a couple of cameras and doing 5 minutes worth of 'pick up' shots later.
It doesn't explore or consider many of the important features of the new ZS EV and my tick and cross list in the video only covers my thoughts during the test drive.

There are many features of the car which deserve consideration.

Let's tackle the negative points first.
From the video
  1. No reach adjustment
  2. Third stalk (for lane assist and cruise control) hidden behind the steering wheel so not possible to see it.
  3. No coast option. I drive my Ioniq on cost all the time and just use the brakes.
  4. No regen paddles. I like these just behind the steering wheel to adjust regen, but it's not a huge big deal not having them there.
  5. The rotary knob to select gear is a ridiculous piece of design in my opinion. Needlessly inconvenient and it annoys me. Why not just have buttons like in the Ioniq? Maybe because buttons take up more space, but really, the rotary know is a PITA.

Not mentioned in the video
The ZS EV is not an efficient car. I get 4.5+ miles/Kwh in the Ioniq. The ZS is going to be nearer 3.5. That bothers me.
I think the stippled front face is ugly. Why not just make it smooth? Makes no sense.
Not a huge amount of room in the back. I'm 6'3 and when the driver seat is set to my position, I absolutely can not fit in the rear seat behind.

Now the positives.
From the video
  1. Responsive touchscreen
  2. Large sunroof. I've never owned a car with a sunroof. This is nicer than the Kia EV6, I think, which only has a smaller sunroof?
  3. The sound was awesome and this is important. Maybe the bass was set to be a bit too boomy, but it was significantly better than the sound in my Ioniq.
  4. The ride height is better than my Ioniq. Higher up.
  5. There was enough power. Obviously not as much as the Tesla or Kia, but still more than the Ioniq and enough for me.
  6. Decent Sat Nav. It recognised businesses and was intuitive to use. Though I'd probably still use Waze via Carplay.
  7. Wireless charging my partner's Samsung and my iPhone, with both being in big Otterbox Defender cases.
  8. Better display than my Ioniq. Not huge, but ok
  9. Plenty of storage space for drinks etc.
  10. Comfortable seats
  11. And the big one - the price. Circa £30,000 is the huge influencing factor in my decision making process.
Then there are the features which I didn't mention in the video
  1. The app - very useful to monitor charging remotely and set the car to charge when the electricity tariff is cheapest.
  2. Over the air updates.
  3. The USB next to the rear view mirror which would be handy for someone mounting a dashcam, but I'd most likely have mine professionally installed and hard wired to the fuse box.
  4. There are others. Can't think of them now.
It's obvious, but the range is the main reason why I want to change cars and it's been suggested that the new ZS has more than 250 miles real world range. This is enough for me.
The Tesla Model 3 Standard Plus has nearer 200 miles. Not enough. So the only option is the Long Range version which costs £49,990.
The Kia EV6 sunroof, decent sound system, blind spot and rear cross traffic detection (on my Ioniq Premium SE) are only available on the GT Line S which is £49,120 in white.

There is no doubt in my mind that the MG ZS EV offers very nearly all the most important features as the Tesla and Kia.
The ones I'd miss most are
In the Tesla
  1. Supercharging network. This is a big deal because the charging infrastructure in the UK is woefully poor. Though if Tesla open up chargers to everyone, then there will be overcrowding at those as well at least in the short term.
  2. Tesla cam security - this is important. Wouldn't need to get a dashcam.
  3. Tesla tech which I really like
In the Kia
  1. The styling, which I really like.
  2. The interior comfort. My partner wants me to get the Kia because it's so nice inside.
  3. 800v architecture making charging so much quicker at certain chargers
  4. It's basically the same inside as my Ioniq including the regen paddles.
  5. It has a HUD. Never owned a car with a HUD. I really like it. All cars should have HUDs for safety.
Like I said at the end of the video, if money were no object, I'd get the Kia because I like the look of it most.
Then I'd get the Tesla because it's easier to use (with the Supercharger network).
But money is a significant factor, so the MG wins.

But I'm in the process of moving house, so life is in turmoil at the moment, so it's probably not the best time to throw a lump of money at a new car when the Ioniq is serving us well 98% of the time.
Soon, though. I hope.
Click to expand...

Just a quick note on the Tesla. with the new battery, the standard model 3 has a wltp range over 300 miles now, not 200.

value for money I would rate the zs top, ev6 last. if I could I would buy the model 3, but i prefer cars to SUV type vehicles. Tesla offered me £18800 for my leaf bringing the monthly cost for the 3 down to less than what I'm paying atm for my leaf. Sadly insurance wanted £3k to cover my Mrs on a provisional licence so I'm holding off till she passes and gains experience. (The kids will be older too). There are a few features missing on both m3 and zs. The heated steering wheel on both (although tesla are now allowing you to upgrade to a heated wheel, not just rear seats), crap charging network with zs, lack of 360 cam, android auto on tesla.

I'm happy to purchase the zs ev as personally, we don't do many long journeys. The longer ones we do are a few counties away or to North Wales, so easily doable with perhaps one public charge max. I think legacy carmakers are on borrowed time now. To me, it's a toss-up between teslas or MG's. The rest just don't have what should be basic EV features, or are too expensive. I like the Korean cars but they are too expensive for decent kit, especially the ev6.

Lots of marketing 'reviews' have clearly been paid for by both the Koreans, VAG, and Stelantis. Let's hope MG continues to mop up those customers who look a little closer.
 
marcopolomt said:
Just a quick note on the Tesla. with the new battery, the standard model 3 has a wltp range over 300 miles now, not 200.
Click to expand...
I watched a YT video last week where they said that the real world range in Winter is nearer 180 miles.
Although 235 here
ev-database.uk

Tesla Model 3

All details and specs of the Tesla Model 3 (2022-2023). Compare price, lease, real-world range and consumption of every electric vehicle.
ev-database.uk ev-database.uk

marcopolomt said:
android auto on tesla.
Click to expand...
Yes this would bother me. I have used Waze for so long that I'd really miss it.

marcopolomt said:
Lots of marketing 'reviews' have clearly been paid for by both the Koreans, VAG, and Stelantis.
Click to expand...
I'd be interested in hearing which reviews you think are corrupt. I haven't sensed that any are.
 
Stuart Wright said:
I watched a YT video last week where they said that the real world range in Winter is nearer 180 miles.
Although 235 here
ev-database.uk

Tesla Model 3

All details and specs of the Tesla Model 3 (2022-2023). Compare price, lease, real-world range and consumption of every electric vehicle.
ev-database.uk ev-database.uk


Yes this would bother me. I have used Waze for so long that I'd really miss it.


I'd be interested in hearing which reviews you think are corrupt. I haven't sensed that any are.
Click to expand...
the same could be said for any car, it depends on how you drive it. when it comes to miles per kwh tesla is one of the most efficient, especially with the new heat pump. if you drive it like the performance car that it is though that mileage may vary considerably.

I love waze too. i would also miss proper integration with other music services besides spotify.

I tend to find car wow quite objective but I sense that's from their business model where they just want you to get offers with them as the referer. I have found most 'professional' journalists to be far kinder to legacy automakers. I then notice those same automakers tend to be the ones who advertise the most. I have seen that many reviews and overviews of cars that it becomes tiresome (its not quite vw zzzzzz). That's where I prefer the views of regular folk like yourself, planet auto, teslabjorn etc.
 
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