Prospective buyer zs hybrid+

[kris]

Hi All,
New to the forum and from ireland, thinking of buying a zs hybrid+. Currently driving a diesel 2023 duster and seriously considering buying a zs. I've watched plenty of reviews online but looking f9r people's honest views on zs vs duster. I currently drive 25 to 30km each way 5 days a week for work so need something economical but my biggest concern is space as I have 3 girls ages 3,6 & 9. One of which is in a wheelchair so need to be able to fit that into the boot.

 

[salty]

To the forum, kris. The obvious answer for the wheelchair is try it one at the dealer, and see if it fits. Take it for a decent test drive and then it's up to you. Good luck.

 

[kris]

Cheers. I assume it would fit as it fits in my duster any my wife's qashqai. Another big question i have is real life fuel consumption is a currently get approx 5.5l/100km from my diesel duster. My journey to work is ring roads around the city and dual carriageway with a few smaller b roads thrown in

 

[JohnV6]

Why not get the ZS EV. Far cheaper to run.

 

[kris]

Why not get the ZS EV. Far cheaper to run.

Personally I dont like EV. Plus I also dont have the option of fitting charging port to where I live

 

[JohnV6]

Understood. There should be room for the kids my ev and the hybrid are the same body. Not sure on the wheel chair so I would suggest going to a dealer . It swallows my grandsons push chair easily

 

[mick78]

Cheers. I assume it would fit as it fits in my duster any my wife's qashqai. Another big question i have is real life fuel consumption is a currently get approx 5.5l/100km from my diesel duster. My journey to work is ring roads around the city and dual carriageway with a few smaller b roads thrown in

I find that the ZS real life economy depends a lot on temperature (as it needs the engine to heat the cabin, whereas the AC runs of the Hybrid battery). I have a very similar driving profile to yours (my daily commute is 26kms per direction, with some urban and mostly city highway, and I will get usually between around low 4s in ideal weather and high 5s in freezing weather. And over the full years I would say something around 5.5 sounds realistic in average; High speeds on Autobahn will , depending on how rushed you are, produce consumption between 6.5 to 7.5 (higher end is driving on the left lane with regularly flooring it at Austrian speed limit plus VAT - 150-160km/h - which, tbh. is not that pleasant in most Hybrids anyway, and certainly isn't where the ZXS shines); However, from my expeence Irish highway speeds are lower than on most of teh continent.

In total I guess you will find the economy to be similar to your Dacia, with probably a higher variance than a classic Diesel.

Also I would add that I do find the ZS to have a really spacious boot with a usable square shape (and unlike some in that segment, Dacia included, an adjustable boot floor), recently I transported a washing machine in a box, and was surprised how easily it fit in the car (seats folded), with tons of room to spare, thanks to the high roof. I did come across a review somewhere on YT where they actually measure the boots, and found the MG to indeed have the 440l in what you see, so not adding some hidden compoartments and barely usable corners to the total volume, and visually I'd also say its larger than many cars claiming to habe a bit more (but with those tricks)

 

[kris]

I find that the ZS real life economy depends a lot on temperature (as it needs the engine to heat the cabin, whereas the AC runs of the Hybrid battery). I have a very similar driving profile to yours (my daily commute is 26kms per direction, with some urban and mostly city highway, and I will get usually between around low 4s in ideal weather and high 5s in freezing weather. And over the full years I would say something around 5.5 sounds realistic in average; High speeds on Autobahn will , depending on how rushed you are, produce consumption between 6.5 to 7.5 (higher end is driving on the left lane with regularly flooring it at Austrian speed limit plus VAT - 150-160km/h - which, tbh. is not that pleasant in most Hybrids anyway, and certainly isn't where the ZXS shines); However, from my expeence Irish highway speeds are lower than on most of teh continent.

In total I guess you will find the economy to be similar to your Dacia, with probably a higher variance than a classic Diesel.

Also I would add that I do find the ZS to have a really spacious boot with a usable square shape (and unlike some in that segment, Dacia included, an adjustable boot floor), recently I transported a washing machine in a box, and was surprised how easily it fit in the car (seats folded), with tons of room to spare, thanks to the high roof. I did come across a review somewhere on YT where they actually measure the boots, and found the MG to indeed have the 440l in what you see, so not adding some hidden compoartments and barely usable corners to the total volume, and visually I'd also say its larger than many cars claiming to habe a bit more (but with those tricks)

Thanks for all that information its great to know. Ya our motorway speed is 120kmh. The auto box would help alot too as I have a dodgy knee . Also need to fit 2 car seats on the outer seats in the back with a 9 year old in the middle.

 

[mick78]

Thanks for all that information its great to know. Ya our motorway speed is 120kmh. The auto box would help alot too as I have a dodgy knee . Also need to fit 2 car seats on the outer seats in the back with a 9 year old in the middle.

not sure a 9 year old would fit between 2 seats, the ZS isn't exactly super wide, also, doesn't a 9yo still require some booster seat as well? Or does it work in the Duster?
Just sayin, my sister got herself a Citroen C5 Aircross (the now old gen) for the specific reason that it has 3 individual seats in the back (like an MPV) so she could use the 2 outer Isofix and still accommodate a 3rd person in the center, a very are option in cars that size.

 

[kris]

Google is telling me the rear seat width is very similar for both shoulder & elbow width. My 9 year old is quite tall so she is above the height for booster seat. Plus for booster seats we found a very handy thing called a bubble butt that is an inflatable booster seat that takes up less room

 

[kris]

So I finally got around to test driving the zs today and was pleasantly surprised by it and very surprised by the comfort of the front seats. Dealership crunching numbers for me now. Still not 100% sold yet as I need to compare to a new duster also

 

[Jack Cade]

Hi Kris - I'm currently nowhere near Nottingham as my profile might otherwise indicate - I get around 850 km out of a tank and that includes urban and highway driving (great stats given petrol now costs more than gold!) and regularly see figures int he 4.6 km/100 - I've had my ZSH+ (as I like to call it) for five months and I'd give it 9/10 - well equipped, comfortable, economical, good looking (nice wheels. love the full glass roof), and a real turn of speed if you need it - BUT - you need to know about the hybrid's tendency to rev highly on hills (the dealer demo didn't do this so I'm convinced they somehow had a bigger battery or something!) - it is, according to MG, a 'hybrid thing' - yes and no.

Would I trade the car in because of it? No. Do I enjoy the revs? No. But in the end it comes down to what the car does 95% of the time and that for me has been a really capable package (I've owned twenty plus cars in my lifetime and been lucky to drive at very high speeds on public roads (my job) and on race tracks too and this car holds its head up very highly when compared to many others - and I include some that are twice its price.

Say hello to my ancestors from County Roscommon and have one for me whilst you're at it.

Jack.

 

[mick78]

(the dealer demo didn't do this so I'm convinced they somehow had a bigger battery or something!) - it is, according to MG, a 'hybrid thing' - yes and no.

If you bought early, I'm sure the dealer car did not have PD052 or even newer updates on it, that all IMO increased the tendency to rev high, all in the name of avoiding low battery levels that early cars, that used the battery much more with the well known side effect, did suffer. As I got my ZS in early November 2024 (basically one o the first ones in Austria), I have gone through a good selection of software versions, and not all of them seem(ed) to improve the car at first glance; Again, the OG version, that had the battery drainage issue, seemed definitely the most pleasant under everyday driving conditions (also I only once had power issues, and those also very briefly, at higher speeds on the Autobahn, but there it is anyways a parallel hybrid so the full ICE engine power anyways is used for driving), since then I have the impression MG is trying to figure out how to keep the battery always mostly full yet keep revs somehow normal, and most recently also the EGR valve from clogging up (constant low revs will cause that, especially with richer fuel mix in a cold engine).

All in all, you can tell that MG does not have the almost 30 years of experience of Toyota in building Hybrids (not that they don't rev, they rev a lot, just more linear to your pedal input), but the car as a whole, as well as economy and general performance of the system honestly, are still more than decent;

Also having driven a MK. 8 Golf PHEV this weekend (the latest one, non GTE, so with 204hp comparable to the MG, though a little heavier as it is a PHEV) I can honestly say that in urban driving the MG is actually the quieter car and feels more brisk (the Golf seemed disappointing in terms of suspension and tire noise, as well as a a general drone from the electric components including its "EV mode mandatory noise", but the ICE engine is actually isolated well), and in Hybrid mode the Golf uses the engine more, even with a fully charged battery, and you need to do 120/130 that you start to feel the more powerful ICE engine of the Golf 150 Turbo horses), and you can tell the system is working less stressed and less droney than the MG, that from that speeds is working pretty much at the ICE engines upper limit.

 

[Jack Cade]

Thanks for the update Mick! Seeing VW announce 50,000 job losses concerns me greatly for their future! Mine's a late 2025 model by the way so no idea what software it has

 

[mick78]

Thanks for the update Mick! Seeing VW announce 50,000 job losses concerns me greatly for their future! Mine's a late 2025 model by the way so no idea what software it has

I guess you will have at least PD052 installed (the high revs is definitely a characteristic of that), but probably missing one from December (which I was told helps keep the EGR valve clean, again though occasional high reving without load, although I was told a further pdate for that is in works, potentially with an update for the EGR valve in hardare form as well)