It is quite a nice vehicle but definitely not in the same class as the Ioniq5 and EV6. I cannot compare it to the Kona but I will do so once I’ve seen and driven a Kona.
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I wandered into the MG Showroom today. I haven’t gone to see MG since they first entered India because at the time I found the Hector and all a bit too over-designed for my taste anyway I am not really keen on these ‘people mover’ vehicles. But I’ve been intrigued by the ZS EV and the Boxy Comet for some time.
I drove the ZS today. The MG salesperson was friendly and attentive. It must have helped as I was the first man in the Showroom today. It is quite a nice vehicle but definitely not in the same class as the Ioniq5 and EV6. I cannot compare it to the Kona but I will do so once I’ve seen and driven a Kona.
We drove this ZS for about 10 kms up and down the Electronic City area and the ramp to the NICE road and back. Honestly, there was no blistering performance from it though I believe it puts out about 250 nm of torque and 180bhp and all that. (Quoting the Sales Executive). Performance is certainly adequate though. Eco mode works nicely. Normal and Sports modes are quite close to each other. Foot off the accelerator and the vehicle slows immediately and brakes too – this is really useful for sure, more so if one likes to floor it a bit and then encounters traffic.
Its suspension is not as ‘taut’ as the Ioniq5 or the EV6. And the performance is a bit blunted by its wallowy suspension which is set up more for soft comfort. It does take bumps and bad roads surprisingly well and one doesn’t feel thrown about inside thus, it will work very nicely for families on their holidays, etc.
It is a front-wheel drive vehicle and the misaligned front wheels in the test vehicle were immediately apparent to me when I drove it this morning. With the kind of potholes, there are here in Bangalore and the wide cross-section of persons wishing to test these, I am guessing that these test-drive vehicles will need constant attention to their alignment.
It is, however, a pretty reasonably well-engineered and comfortable vehicle with some decent soft touch stuff and all that.
Good fit and finish for sure. Good seats. Adequate support. The screen is not obtrusive and feels
well integrated. The ZS Controls are ergonomically located. The ZS EV feels honestly much better put together than I expected. At Rs 27.6 lacs On road is definitely a little more expensive than I thought, when considering the Hyundai Kona’s price, but then the ZS is the bigger vehicle I believe. 320-350kms real-life range means it will not get me to Madras Ooty or Coimbatore on one charge. That’s not a nice thing in my book. They say the 52.5 KW charger will take it from 0 to 100% charge in 45 minutes. The 7.5 KW charger will bring the car to 100% in 6 hours. And the 3.5 KW one will take 16 hours.
Saying all of the above, I must say, that MG vehicles offer very decent quality compared with our Indian ones. I absolutely do not want to succumb to Jingoism and faux patriotism by way of too much vocal for local and all that on the typical Indian vs Chinese thing.
Yes, this is a Chinese brand and yes, MG has a rich past and was once a good British Marque. But in my opinion, the Chinese have taken it to a different level than what the original Brits could ever have done.
Yes, they keep harping (somewhat excessively in my book) on the True Brit Heritage and all that. But that has more to do with their Brand Marketing Team and it is not wrong to play the heritage card.
From my perspective, I wanted to keep an open mind and go and see, touch, feel, and experience the MG. While this is not a vehicle that appeals to my personal needs and wants state, it is still an excellent and comfortable Option for a family for city use and for the occasional tour.
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