So without further Ado lets check it out. The facelifted mg Zs EV is now priced from 44.990 Drive Away, making it one thousand dollars more expensive than when it first arrived, as Australias, cheapest EV back in 2020, but it brings a bigger battery and new technologies borrowed from the more upmarket mgzst. The upgraded zsev is now available in two variants, both of which get a longer driving range, but well get to more of that later. This one is the entry level excite theres, also the flagship Essence grade, which costs another four grand at almost 49 000, but adds a few more luxury features, including leather appointed seat trim and wireless phone charging. The front end of the upgraded electric Zs is where youll easily tell it, apart from its predecessor, thats, because it Now features an enclosed body, colored Grille, with a Charged Port that opens over here to an upgraded type 2 Port, as well as new 21 module LED Headlights and a revised rump, no matter which variant you choose. Every 2022 mgzsev comes with the same front, mounted 130 kilowatt electric motor, which is now paired to an even larger 50.3 kilowatt hour battery. As a result, mg says youll now get 320 kilometers of driving range on a single charge, thats up from 263 kilometers for the outgoing model, but the long range variant sold overseas with 440 kilometers of range is yet to become available here in Australia. Strangely Peak torque drops from 353 newton meters down to 280 newton meters for this updated model which mg says, improves, responsiveness and drivability.

Since power is available over a wider range at 1570 kilos, its also about 40 kilos heavier than before. But despite that mg says acceleration times remain the same. That said, this EV is claimed to hit Triple digits in 8.2 seconds, so its not exactly a performance SUV. As for charging, the larger battery takes longer to fill than before, requiring around 33 hours for a full charge if youre using a standard domestic power outlet at home. But if you find yourself at a DC fast charger mg says itll charge from zero to eighty percent. In just under an hour as before, the mgzsev uses a single speed transmission operated by a rotary dial on the center console in place of a conventional stick. Shifter Music inside the cabin are some pretty important. Tech updates Headlines by this new 10.1 inch touchscreen, which is much larger than before, and now integrates many of the climate control buttons that makes the cabin feel cleaner and more minimalist, and while first impressions are overall, quite positive, look around the cabin and its affordable nature Starts to become more apparent, one of the first things I noticed was this hard plasticy steering wheel, which looks to be leather appointed but is actually quite slippery, especially if you try and drive one handed, which I know you shouldnt, but some people do one of the First things Id be doing is getting a grippy steering wheel cover. The cloth Trim in this excite grade feels okay, but there isnt much in the way of cushioning and the seats feel rather firm, but still supportive.

Meanwhile, electric power doesnt extend the whole way through the zsev excite where seat adjustment is manual and the steering wheel is tilt but not reach adjustable. So those with shorter limbs will have to sit closer to the wheel. Storage space in the electric Zs is decent for a small SUV theres, a lidded center compartment, along with two cup holders and a storage tray up front, while every door gets decent sized pockets and a drink holder. Even though the new Central touchscreen is bigger and better than before, its still evidence that mg hasnt quite nailed it in the tech department, its slow and not overly intuitive to respond. But we reckon the graphics and resolution are a little better than before. We, like the fact Apple carplay, takes up the entire display. However, we found the unit to lag on a few occasions and bluetooth dropped out several times too, but even the cheaper excite gets most of the tech features youd expect of any new car. A major improvement, though, is this new fully digital drivers instrument cluster, which replaces the old zsevs old, school dials and gauges there isnt much in the way of customization, but you can toggle through a few different options and get all the information you need in a clear Easy to read display a 360 degree. Camera gives a good view of whats happening around the car, but, as weve noticed on other mg models, the camera quality is subpar at best and there are only two parking sensors on the rear.

Meanwhile, the MJ pilot safety Suite takes care of most of the important stuff, including Auto emergency, braking with pedestrian detection. However, youll need to go for the pricier Essence. If you want blind, spot monitoring or rear cross traffic alert, big rear door frames made getting in and out of, the rear seats are sent and once youre seated theres plenty of Headroom and quite a bit of leg room for average size adults, but a little more. Under thigh support for these seats would be nice, theres, no Center armrests or map Pockets, but those in the second row get one USB a and one USB C Port, as well as air vents and outboard isofix child seat Anchorage points, even with a larger battery on Board the new Zs carries a cargo capacity. You also get a flat folding, 60 40 split fold second row, which makes for Easy Transport of larger items, no spare tire luggage Nets or hooks. However, a tire repair kit is hidden under the Dual height boot floor, which is great for stashing, valuables or grocery items you dont want rolling around, while pockets on either side allow for more storage. Now that weve covered the nitty gritty lets see what all the buzz is about. Music first impressions of the upgraded mg zsev are pretty good. It feels sporty with firmer steering than you might expect from a small SUV and the brakes feel quite solid too, but thats. The case with most EVS, but it also feels more athletic than you might be prepared for plant your foot on the go, pedal and youll be pleasantly surprised.

Despite being a relatively talky front, drive EV there isnt much in the way of Torx deer or wheel spin. When taking off hard, at least until theres some moisture on the ground, at which point the Michelin tires, can really struggle for grip elsewhere, its as whisper quiet as youd expect. But if a super, quick EV is what youre after this is not one of them and almost every other EV out, there will outrun the mg in a Sprint to 100 kilometers an hour, including the Nissan Leaf: Hyundai ioniq, 5 Kia, Niro and ev6, and the new Byd 803, but it feels just as Nimble and easy to get around in as before, even if its slightly heavier and even despite the fact that mg hasnt made any mechanical changes to its chassis, which is a little disappointing. If were honest, that means it lacks the body reinforcements of the more refined and upmarket zst, so theres still some crashing over bumps and ride. Quality remains on the brittle side, forcing you to take obstacles like speed, humps, a little slower get out on the highway, and while the ride is smooth on carryover 17 inch Wheels. Its also where we notice lots of wind noise filtering into the cabin at higher speeds. Theres plenty of other noises once youre on the move too, with no shortage of warning Chimes and one of the loudest indicator signals on the market. Theres. Also, a fair bit of Powertrain customization available, including three Drive modes, Eco, normal and Sport, all of which will slightly alter your overall driving range.

So if youre driving around in sport, where the throttle is a little bit touchier and it feels a little bit quicker and more fun to drive youll eat up more of your range, so you probably wont achieve the full 320 kilometers of range that mg promises thats. Only if youre driving around on eco mode, you also get three stages of regenerative braking which you can toggle through on a little button on the center console, but even in its most potent setting, which is level three, you still dont get genuine one pedal driving. It still rolls around a fair bit and youll have to use the brake pedal most of the time. The battery in our tester was on 99 charge when we picked it up and after driving, 237 kilometers, with no air conditioning and mostly in the city and suburbs. We were left with an estimated range of 60 kilometers, meaning you should expect to achieve closer to 290 Ks off a full charge, but that will come down to how you drive. The seating position feels like its on the higher side of things, but it just makes for even better Vision. Out of what already feels like a pretty Airy and open cabin, the window tint is a little dark, but I mean thats great for hot summer days and there is a little bit of a blind spot out of those chunky sea pillars at the rear. But overall, its pretty easy to drive.

One thing I did notice as well is that the cruise control stalk is in a really awkward position, so until you get used to it bit difficult to navigate once youve spent a bit of time in it, the 2022 MJ zsev is really easy to live with, And will provide pretty close to its promised 320 kilometers of range as long as you keep it in eco mode and do plenty of stop start City Style driving like all MGS. The revised Zs boasts a seven year. Unlimited kilometer warranty for both the vehicle and battery and service intervals are a generous two years or 20 000 kilometers. There are still some key areas that mg needs to improve on before it can go competitively up against the likes of Tesla or even Hyundai Kia and Nissan in the EV Arena. But the upgraded mgzsev is much better than before, particularly in terms of technology and driving range, which not only justifies its price hike, but should keep it competitive with newcomers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuHNcmvdEIU