When it first launched here back in 2019, the MG ZS was a cheap and cheerful small SUV that was actually more of a city car-sized hatch on stilts, but it knew exactly what it was and didn’t pretend to be anything else.
Then the all-electric version came along and shook up the local EV market by becoming the first sub-$50K new EV you could buy in New Zealand.

Now the new version of the ZS has arrived, dropping the EV (replacing it with the similarly sized MG ES5 in MG’s domestic and European model range) and introducing a new hybrid model, which is the only ZS we initially get here (the petrol-only version is on the way, however).
While its new bolder styling makes the MG ZS Hybrid+ look considerably larger than the car it replaces, the only significant increase is in overall length with the new model being just over 100mm longer than the old model. Most other dimensions are up, but only a little (it's 9mm wider and has a 25mm longer wheelbase), while it is the same height as the old car.

But climb inside and the transformation is remarkable: gone are the hard plastics that dominated the interior of the last model, with an attractive and modern new layout fashioned from high quality materials with lots of soft-touch surfaces.
A big 12.3-inch central touchscreen dominates the dash, while a chunky leather steering wheel (standard on the top-spec Essence model only) frames a digital driver display and a striking two-tone white and black artificial leather upholstery (or just plain black if you want to be boring) finishes things off impressively well.
The ZS is also packed with all the latest driver assist, safety and infotainment tech you would expect from a car that costs far more than the Essence’s $39,990 asking price (the Excite Hybrid+ starts the range at just $36,990), and while the only thing it really lacks is driver attention monitoring, this could be taken as a good thing, largely due to the over-enthusiastic nature of the system in the MG HS...

The ZS Hybrid+ is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine hooked up to a “hybrid transmission” that uses a complicated combination of gears – three to be precise – and an electric motor to offer an EV-style seamless delivery of power.
On the road, the ZS is superbly comfortable and surprisingly well-sorted from a handling perspective.
And it works too, with the ZS Hybrid+ being very much like an EV to drive, thanks to the combination of the slick, seamless power delivery, fat torque and comprehensive soundproofing to mask the occasional CVT-like tendencies of the transmission.

MG claims that the ZS Hybrid+ will return a combined average fuel consumption of 4.7l/100km (using the old, outdated Australian ADR testing), while RightCar has it at 5.2 in New Zealand and... it pretty much sits between those two figures. Simple as that.
Drive it a bit harder and it will creep into the high fives, baby it and you’ll see mid fours, but most of the time it effortlessly hovers somewhere between MG’s ADR figure and RightCar’s WLTP figure.
On the road, the ZS is superbly comfortable and surprisingly well-sorted from a handling perspective. It’s not a sports car, but it feels nicely nimble and accurate through corners, while the hybrid system provides a satisfying amount of proper punch out of them.

There is one small fly in that particular ointment, however, and that is MG’s somewhat odd choices surrounding power management.
It did lead to something that I have literally never experienced in a hybrid before – it totally ran out of charge on a hilly road.
Hybrids generally maintain a level of charge in their battery at all times so that the electric motor can fully assist the petrol engine, and while most tend to keep this at around the 40 percent mark, MG chose to let the ZS get down to a minimum of just 15 percent.

This might sound like better use of the batteries but it did lead to something that I have literally never experienced in a hybrid before – it totally ran out of charge on a hilly road.
While the ZS Hybrid+ has a total combined power output of 158kW and 465Nm, take the electric motor’s 100kW and 250Nm out of the equation all together and you are left with the petrol engine’s 75kW and 128Nm.
But the ZS Hybrid+’s petrol engine is tuned for economy, not outright grunt, so the peak comes in at 7000rpm, meaning that lower down (where the electric motor would add the meat of the shove) it has around 45-50kW to offer at best.

As you might expect, this leads to an extremely noticeable loss of performance. It does only require a couple of minutes of ‘normal’ driving to get all the power back again (and no-one who buys a ZS is going to drive it particularly hard) but it is still an issue on roads with lots of hills and corners. Which we do have here.
The ZS Hybrid+ is surprisingly eager and well-sorted for a small SUV, with that big torque punching it out of corners with a delightful amount of enthusiasm.
MG Motor Australia and New Zealand says it has addressed the issue with a software update to the ZS hybrid system's software that will see it actively charge the battery when a higher load on the powertrain is detected, while the battery will now not drop as low and retain a “moderate state of charge”, which sounds like it should fix the issue nicely.

It is surprising that such an issue could sneak through, however the rest of my time with MG ZS Hybrid+ showed it to be a superbly competent small SUV that is impressively frugal, remarkably well-equipped, delightfully comfortable and satisfyingly punchy when necessary.
What are the key statistics for the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+?
The ZS Hybrid+ uses MG's 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid powertrain, which in this case produces 158kW and 465Nm when the petrol engine is combined with the electric motor. A hybrid transmission sends the power to the front wheels.
Is the MG ZS Hybrid+ efficient?
Like the MG3 that uses the same hybrid set up, the ZS Hybrid+ is fantastically efficient, both around town and out on the open road. It manages to sit pretty much exactly around the claimed combined fuel consumption figures, which is 4.7l/100km MG's ADR claim) and 5.2l/100km (RightCar's WLTP claim), so high fours to low fives, regardless of how you drive it. You do need to bear in mind that the ZS Hybrid+ does demand a diet of 95+ octane unleaded, however.
Is the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ good to drive?
The ZS Hybrid+ is surprisingly eager and well-sorted for a small SUV, with that big torque punching it out of corners with a delightful amount of enthusiasm. The chassis is a genuine surprise too, and while its main priority is a supple ride, it can tackle corners with aplomb.
Is the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ practical?
As far as small SUVs go, yes it is. While it doesn't offer the overall space of a mid-size SUV, it packs more into its diminutive frame than you would first think. At 443 litres with the seats up, the ZS's boot is a massive increase over the last model's 359 litres, which was actually pretty good for the segment.
What do we like about the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+?
The simply massive jump in interior quality, and build quality in general, is the big standout, while the new styling makes the ZS look like a proper grown-up SUV, rather than a hatch on stilts playing pretend. The powertrain is strong, smooth and refined, offering decent performance and excellent efficiency.
What don’t we like about the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+?
Well, the obvious thing is that weird battery management problem, but that should be sorted now, so its really only that usual complaint of slightly naggy driver assists. Although it must be said that they are much less naggy, much quieter and less relentlessly insistent that they used to be.
What kind of person would the MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ suit?
Anyone after a small, comfortable and efficient small SUV as an urban runabout should definitely have the ZS on their list. For anyone after more of a long-range tourer, then the ZS Hybrid+ does exceptionally well here too, but that caveat about the software update kicks in, so it is worth ensuring the car has actually been updated.