MG ZS EV

The MG ZS EV is the electric twin of the petrol-powered Astor It was one of the first mass-market EVs to be sold in India. Since then, the car has undergone a few updates with the most significant one coming as a facelift back in 2022. 

However, the market is now buzzing with newer, better packaged options at a much lower price, including the likes of the MG Windsor EV. Other rivals include Tata Curvv EV and Hyundai Creta EV. So what does the ZS EV bring to the table? Let’s find out

Sophistication. That’s what the design of the MG ZS EV brings. While other EVs make it very obvious about their electric existence with unnecessary inserts, the ZS EV takes a more subtle approach. The overall design does look very similar to the Astor

The nose looks like it's wearing a moustache with the crisp line at the bumper. There is no typical grille as it gets a textured plastic panel. The charging ports can be found on the side of the MG logo. The ZS EV gets LED projector headlights, which look good with their intricate detailing.

In profile, it looks similar to the Astor, but sits on 17-inch alloy wheels which get aero-covers to reduce drag/wind resistance and improve the car’s range. There’s also ‘electric’ badging on either side of the front fender.

The rear styling too matches the Astor, save for the slightly sober design for the bumpers. It gets LED tail lights, which get a similar level of precision detailing as the headlights.

Overall, compared to other EVs at this price point, the ZS EV looks rather unassuming as one. It also doesn’t look as in-your-face as some of its rivals, and that’s likely why this design is aging so well.

You can choose the MG ZS EV between four colour options: Glaze Red, Aurora Silver, Starry Black and Candy White. The Glaze Red looks really bright and pops out on a bright sunny day.

There’s also a 100-year Special Edition that comes with an exclusive British Green dual tone exterior shade and ‘100-year Special Edition’ badging on the tailgate. This limited special edition celebrates MG’s 100th anniversary.

Design and Build Quality

The cabin of the MG ZS EV feels handsome and plush. There are soft-touch premium-feeling materials across the dash and the cabin. MG has used leatherette materials generously, wrapping grab handles, the armrest and part of the dashboard too. 

All the buttons and switches feel tactile to use, and small things like this add to the in-cabin experience of the ZS EV. Unlike the Astor, you don’t get multiple interior colour choices, just a single dual tone Ivory and Black theme.

Front Seat

There are no issues in terms of ingress and egress. The front seats offer a comfortable experience with great cushioning and support. However, people with wide frames might complain about the cushioning being too intrusive. 

Getting into a comfortable driving position is simple with a tilt steering adjust, and driver seat height adjustment. Steering adjustment for reach would’ve been appreciated at this price point, but there are no issues in terms of visibility.

Rear Seat

The MG ZS EV offers a comfortable second row for two average size adults. Space is plenty in terms of the knee and foot and head room on offer, even taller occupants won’t complain. However, the seats sit low and restrict underthigh support, which is the only main miss here.

You can seat three adults for short city stints, but only two adults will be comfortable here. All three headrests in the back row are adjustable, while you get amenities like rear AC vents and rear central armrest.

Storage and Practicality

The MG ZS EV offers decent storage space inside the vehicle. All the door pockets can hold large bottles, plus some other small items. The centre console has two cup holders and a storage underneath the front armrest for wallets and keys. The glovebox size is adequate for a few knick knacks. 

Rear passengers get seat back pockets and two cupholders in the central armrest.

Charging Options

Apart from the wireless phone charger, the MG ZS EV gets a 12V socket and two USB type-A ports at the front, and a type-A and type-C port at the rear.

Features 

The MG ZS EV offers an acceptable list of features that covers all functional features but misses out on some feel good features.

The 10.1-inch infotainment system has a sharp resolution and easy to understand graphics. Although, switching between menus can be a little slow, and certain sub-menus don’t have a back option, so you have to go back to the homepage and repeat steps at times. It gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is easy to connect and use. Entertainment duties are carried out by a 6-speaker sound system, which only offers an average experience. You won’t have an issue in regular usage, but will feel the system is lacking crispness and depth if you’re an audiophile.

The 7-inch digital instrument cluster relays vital information in a clean manner. The only issue is, the displays for drive modes, battery percentage or the brake regen modes, for example, are too small and need some time to spot. 

MG offers the ZS EV with a 360-degree camera, which doubles up as a lane-watch camera. It relays the camera feed on the touchscreen when you use either one of the indicators, which makes tight traffic situations a little less tense. I just wish the camera resolution was a little better.

While rest of the features work as intended, MG should’ve offered the ZS EV with ventilated seats and maybe even a branded audio system.

Unlike the MG Astor, the ZS EV gets six airbags as standard. Features like 360-degree camera, heated outside rear view mirror (ORVM), and level-2 autonomous driving assistance features (ADAS) are offered in the higher variants. The ADAS kit includes features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.

While this version of the ZS EV has not been crash tested by the Global or Bharat NCAP, the pre-facelift model was tested by the Euro NCAP, where it scored a full five star rating in 2019.

Boot space in the MG ZS EV is limited, as the boot is shallow and narrow. A full size suitcase takes up almost all of the space, and the boot is best utilised by using small items.

The parcel tray can be removed for added storage space and the seats are 60:40 split folding as well. In case of a puncture, the ZS EV gets a full-sized spare tyre underneath the boot floor.

Unlike all of its rivals, the MG ZS EV gets a single battery option of 50.3kWh, which is paired to a front mounted 177PS / 280Nm electric motor. 

MG claims a range of 461km, but you can expect a real world range of around 350km. For charging, it supports DC fast charging capabilities of up to 50kW. For home charging, it gets a 3.3kW charger as standard for the lower variants, while the 7.4kW charger is offered as standard from the Exclusive Plus variant.

The ZS EV gets three drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport, and three regen modes.

City Performance

As is the case with most EVs, the MG ZS EV feels quick and effortless in the city. The Normal and Eco drive modes are very usable. In Eco Mode, everyday drivability is good as it tapers responsiveness only upwards of 80kmph. You could switch to Normal mode for higher speed usage like out on the highway. 

The regen modes too are very useful in daily driving scenarios with three levels to choose from. The level of braking progressively increases as you increase the level. The third level is the most aggressive and with a bit of learning can let you drive without touching the brake pedal at all. It is a bit strong at low-speed city traffic though, and you might want to stick to level 1 or 2 in those situations. However, steering wheel-mounted paddles would’ve helped fine-tune the regenerative braking better.

Highway Performance

Strong! With 0-100kmph coming up in just 8.5 seconds (claimed), the highway performance of the ZS EV is exciting. Even beyond those speeds, the acceleration is consistent and it feels keen to go higher and faster. 

In Sport mode, the throttle response really sharpens up, and the car turns into a different animal altogether. It has so much torque that the tyres screech even if you floor the throttle at 50kmph. In all honesty, you will rarely ever need to switch to Sport mode. Normal mode has enough performance for all highway overtakes, but when you do switch to Sport mode, one thing is guaranteed for sure - a wide smile on the driver’s face.

Overall, the MG ZS EV has a performance that’s easy to use in the city, but also fun when you stretch its legs out on the highway.

The MG ZS EV’s suspension is tuned for comfort. As a result, the ride feels cushioned over regular speed breakers and potholes. It does tend to rock around a bit over broken roads, but the body movement inside is controlled and it doesn’t get uncomfortable.

The car feels rock solid at triple digit speeds and will give you confidence while making a high speed lane change. You can carry good speed around a corner too, but the cushiony-suspension does tend to unsettle the car over a mid-corner bump. So it might not be as fun in a corner as it is in a straight line, but you won’t have a problem with it as long as you don’t go corner carving in it.

The 2026 MG ZS EV is available in four variants: Executive, Excite Pro, Exclusive Plus, and Essence. In addition to the standard variants, there is also a 100-year special edition based on the Exclusive Plus trim.

ZS EV Executive

• Base variant looks nearly like the top variant with full LED setup, including head, tail lights and DRLs. Sits on 17-inch alloy wheels and gets silver cladding, rear spoiler, and body coloured bumpers and outside mirrors.

• Fabric seats with leatherette on dashboard, door trims, central armrest and console.

• Functional features include rear central armrest, 60:40 rear seat split, front central armrest, tilt steering and auto AC.

• Top features include cruise control, rear AC vents, push button start/stop, auto headlights, power adjustable outside mirrors, and keyless entry.

• Packs a 10.1-inch infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 2-speaker sound system and steering mounted audio and phone controls.

• 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking camera, hill climb and decent assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, and rear wiper and defogger are standard safety features.

ZS EV Excite Pro

• Adds ‘tomahawk hub’ design wheel cover and silver finished roof rails.

• More functional interior with driver and co driver vanity mirror, parcel shelf, and luggage net.

• Top feature additions include panoramic sunroof, six speaker sound system and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• No changes in the safety kit.

ZS EV Exclusive Plus

• More premium interior with dual tone Ivory and Black theme and leatherette seats.

• Adds 6-way powered driver seat, wireless phone charging, auto folding ORVMs, rear and seat middle headrest.

• Improved safety kit with 360-degree camera and heated ORVMs.

ZS EV 100-year Special Edition

• Exclusive British Green dual tone exterior shade with ‘100-Year Edition’ badging on the tailgate.

• All-black interiors with ‘100-Year Edition’ embroidery on the front headrests.

• The infotainment unit runs an 'Evergreen' theme to match the British Green exterior colour.

ZS EV Essence

• This variant only adds Level-2 ADAS features to the package.

• ADAS kit includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking.

CarDekho Recommends:

• The Excite Pro variant of the MG ZS EV offers the most value and packs every essential feature that you would need along with enough convenience features to make you feel you’re not missing out on something.

The MG ZS EV is a great electric car for someone who doesn’t need any unnecessary flash or modern day gimmicks, but just a simple, comfortable and understated electric car. Because, with its sophisticated European design, a premium interior that’s spacious and practical for four, a good safety and feature package, and a drive experience that can be equally refined as it can be fun, the ZS EV ticks all the right boxes for a simple family EV. 

Other Cars To Consider Instead Of MG ZS EV

Hyundai Creta

Reasons to consider

• Looks more modern

• Packs more features

• Better rear seat experience

• Multiple battery options: 42kWh and 51.4kWh

Reasons to ignore

• Top variants are significantly more expensive

MG Windsor EV

Reasons to consider

• Unique styling attracts attentions and commands presence

• Superior cabin space and practicality

• Rear seat experience is much better 

• Packs more features

• Multiple battery options: 38kWh and 52.9kWh

• Top variant undercuts by more than Rs 2 lakh

Reasons to ignore

• Heavily-tech dependent

• Basics functions in the screen are not convenient to operate on the go

• Drive experience isn’t as fun

Tata Curvv EV

Reasons to consider

• SUV-coupe bodystyle looks stylish and sporty

• Packs more features

• Multiple battery options:

• Proven 5-star BNCAP safety rating

• Multiple battery options: 45kWh and 55kWh

Reasons to ignore

• Tech package tends to glitch from time to time

• Rear seat headroom is limited for tall passengers

• Cabin practicality is compromised

• Interior fit and finish isn’t as good