MG ZS Luxury: Stylish yet accessible

A few months ago, Morris Garages (MG) Philippines, under the management of SAIC Motor Philippines, launched the updated ZS compact crossover. 

In a nutshell, the model received vast improvements to its exterior and interior styling and its safety kit. Significant revisions were also made to its comfort and convenience amenities while using a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter mill paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). 

Fast forward to the present, MG Philippines organized a short but sweet media group drive to Subic, Zambales. All of the brand’s locally available internal combustion models were highlighted at the said event, but Zigwheels Philippines, specifically, was given a chance to ride and pilot the all-new ZS Luxury. 

So, how did the MG ZS Luxury fare during the media drive? Here’s how it went. 

Sleek exterior

Style-wise, the exterior of the MG ZS can be described as “put together well.” It comes off as a rounded package of sleekness with a healthy dose of sportiness. 

Mind you, the older version of the ZS looked nice, but the new one may be appreciated more by the younger car-buying demographic. It ditched chrome in favor of black-colored exterior decorative pieces, and it was equipped with a much sharper set of LED lighting fixtures. 

From the side, anyone can see that MG opted to retain the familiar silhouette of the ZS. Most of its corners, however, were rounded out to create a slicker, fluidic feel to the car. The aforementioned is particularly true for its rear quarter sections, although some angular details can be found on its lower rear bumper. 

Other notable exterior features of the updated MG ZS include power-folding side mirrors and a set of 17-inch wheels. The model also features a panoramic sunroof, which we didn’t get to use much due to the weather. Its trunk door latch, which is cleverly disguised as the vehicle’s rear emblem, however, is a simple touch I always appreciated about the model’s design. 

As a side note, the updated exterior styling of the ZS Luxury and Comfort variants was derived from the exterior of the MG ZS T, which is no longer listed by the brand on its website. 

Stylistic interior

While the outside of the ZS appears to bear itself with elegance, the interior went in hard when it came to contrasting colors. 

As mentioned, the particular vehicle my group and I rode was the top-spec Luxury. As such, it received loud and proud red decorative bits on its center console, seats, and interior door cards. 

The contrast of the red parts gave the interior a lot in terms of personality. Some might not like how gratuitous these bits are, but no one can deny the festive feel they create inside the ZS. Plus, most interior panels, including a majority of the dash, are soft-touch surfaces. 

It does have some plastic bits, but thankfully, the model doesn’t use the easily mucked and scratchy piano black plastic material, which has become far too common on many rides nowadays. 

On the early sections of the drive from the MG Gallery on Quezon Avenue to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), I had the chance to chill out at the MG crossover’s rear cabin. 

Legroom and headroom have always been decent inside the ZS nameplate, and the same is the case with this updated model. For reference, I am five feet, 11 inches tall and wide at the gut. Regardless, I found the rear cabin comfortable. 

Additionally, the model comes with rear USB ports, a folding armrest, and rear vents for its manual air-conditioning system. In most cases, the said features are sufficient to make the rear cabin occupants happy. 

Highway competence

When I had the chance to pilot the vehicle from NLEX all the way to our lunch stop at Subic, I experienced first-hand the amenities of the front cabin.

For starters, the seats were comfortably wide, while the steering wheel itself felt good to the grip. Plus, all control surfaces for its driving features are well-arranged and are easy to use even for a first-time user. 

In terms of forward visibility, the ZS is also quite decent. Reversing the vehicle into a parking slot is also done easily, thanks to the presence of a 360-degree view camera. The video feed of the said camera, however, can be blurry at times. 

Additionally, tire and engine noise can penetrate the cabin, especially when traveling at highway speeds. Nevertheless, the vehicle doesn’t exhibit jarring vibrations even when accelerating hard. 

For reference, the 1.5-liter mill of the ZS can produce up to 112 horsepower and 150 Newton-meters of torque. It isn’t the most powerful model in the segment, but it was quick enough to catch up with the more powerful MG G50 multi-purpose vehicle in our convoy. 

The aforementioned is especially true once I placed the vehicle in sport mode. We didn’t get the chance to try the CVT’s manual mode, but its default automatic setting didn’t show drastic signs of “rubber banding.” 

For those unfamiliar with the term, rubber banding is a common phenomenon in CVT cars where one experiences a delay in picking up speed when pressing down on the accelerator.  

Cornering for the ZS is also decent. It does have some degree of body roll, but that’s to be expected from something that isn’t a sports car. On the other hand, the model also had sufficient braking power due to its four-wheel disc brake setup. 

Decent array of tech

In most sections of the media drive, our group utilized the Android Auto connectivity feature on the vehicle’s 10-inch screen. The screen itself had a relatively lag-less and easy-to-use interface, but we needed to update the infotainment’s time and date settings to achieve smartphone synchronization. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to use Apple CarPlay since everyone inside the vehicle were Android users. Sound quality from the model’s collection of speakers likewise sounded decent. 

Additionally, the ZS Luxury was kitted out with a fully digital gauge cluster. The display uses a colorful layout, which is legible in any lighting condition, even in one of the suddenly dark tunnels along the Subic Expressway. 

Pricing

• MG ZS Comfort CVT: P918,888
• MG ZS Luxury CVT: P1,088,888. 

Final thoughts

As we’ve established, the new MG ZS is definitely a stylish crossover. It also gets a well-rounded array of creature comforts and a decent driving feel. Prospective buyers of the MG-made model can receive all the aforementioned qualities at a reasonable price, ranging from P918,888-P1,088,888. 

However, let us get our expectations straight: the ZS is a good highway runner, but there are plenty of other five-seater models in the market right now with more potent powertrains. One example is the slightly pricier MG One, which can output up to 170 hp. 

But then again, buyers who just want a good-looking ride that can take them from comfortably A to B will get a lot out of the ZS.

In the local market, is rivaling the likes of Kia Sonet and Toyota Raize in terms of pricing.

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