MG ZS Hybrid+ SE | The Bargain of the year so far?

In my line of work, I consider myself very lucky for several reasons. I get paid to drive cars and ride motorcycles, and I get to share my thoughts and opinions on these vehicles with video viewers, article readers, and podcast listeners around the world. I'm also fortunate to do what I do at the time that I'm doing it. We're currently experiencing the most incredible chapter in automotive history as we transition from a clear majority of vehicles being exclusively powered by either petrol or diesel to a variety of powertrains using electricity, hydrogen, e-fuels, synthetic fuels and more.

The other fortunate position comes from the fact that there isn't such thing as a bad car anymore. Almost every vehicle produced by every manufacturer is, for want of a more elaborate term, 'good'.

Is there such thing as a bad car anymore?

I was born in the late 1980s, which makes me a child of the nineties. This was an excellent chapter of motoring in which we all saw some of the best and the worst cars ever made. I can remember jokes in the playground about certain marques, which were rarely contested thanks to the common notion that certain cars were simply a bit rubbish.

These days, things are different. To put it frankly, there is no such thing as a 'rubbish' car manufacturer anymore. There are no longer jokes in the school playgrounds or snide remarks in office car parks for the simple reason that every brand now produces a good quality car. Sure, some do tech better than others, and some have slightly more impressive engines and batteries, but on the whole, it's all, at the very least - 'good'. And whilst it sounds like a strange thing to document, I'm sad that the good old-fashioned underdog has seemingly disappeared–there's nothing to laugh at anymore... or, is there?

I was recently invited to my first-ever MG launch. The car I'd be experiencing was the new B Segment SUV MG ZS Hybrid+ with a price tag of just £21,995. That, by modern-day standards, is a very cheap car. Was I finally going to meet a modern-day underdog - a hybrid SUV priced under £22,000 has to be too good to be true, surely?

The New 2025 MG ZS

The MG ZS Hybrid+ is an all-new continuation of the already very successful ZS, which has been on sale since 2017 and recently exceeded 100,000 sales in the UK alone. At £21,995 for the new car, there had to be a catch; there had to be a reason. My naive assumption was that the new ZS Hybrid+ would lack tech and convenience features. I was very wrong.

Driving Technology and Safety Features

As standard, the new ZS Hybrid+ offers adaptive cruise control with intelligent cruise assist. It also has active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane keep assist, intelligent speed limit assist, blind spot and lane change assist, a driver attention alert system and collision monitoring. The new car also has hill decent control, hill start assist, ABS, rear ISOFIX, side, front and curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and an alarm and immobiliser for added peace of mind.

With that level of safety tech, the price-cutting is surely apparent elsewhere, right? Well, it's certainly not on the exterior tech and design because, included as standard for less than £22k, buyers are rewarded with LED projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED rear light clusters, intelligent headlight control with automatic high beam assistance, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, electronic folding mirrors, keyless entry, remote central locking and even automatic rain detecting wipers.

Interior Technology

Things are just as impressive on the inside with a multifunction steering wheel, a 7" coloured driver display (replacing what would typically have been instrument clocks) and a 12.3" colour touchscreen display in the centre, which accommodates built-in navigation, DAB Radio, smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and a perfectly adequate sound system.

So, at this point, you might be wondering how this much tech and gadgetry on a new Hybrid car can be priced so low. The answer, perhaps, will be discovered out on the road; after all, affordability rarely rewards performance, but guess what? I was wrong about that, too.

Driving and Performance

The new ZS Hybrid+ has a very clever powertrain. Under the bonnet is a 1.5L petrol engine that produces 75kW (100hp). The engine is then married to a 100kW motor powered by an 18.3kWh battery and a 45kW generator. This combined results in a power output of 145kW (just shy of 200hp). In practical terms, this rewards a 0-62mph sprint in 8.7 seconds, which is plenty quick enough. The power delivery is remarkable; despite not having an electric-only driving range, the ZS Hybrid+ accelerates more like an EV than a conventional petrol. The power is delivered to the wheels via a 3-speed automatic gearbox, which prioritises the right gear for the required power delivery at any given time or driving environment. At motorway speeds, acceleration from 55-70mph is akin to a car with a far punchier engine, and the other benefit to the system comes within the realms of economy. With a full charge and a brimmed fuel tank, the ZS Hybrid+ will likely surpass the driving range of even the most impressive EVs whilst averaging around 55mpg in the process.

To drive, the ZS Hybrid+ feels great. It's no sports car, but it's certainly no slouch, either. Around town, the steering is light and precise, and at speed, it's equally rewarding. The car doesn't wander or pull at motorway speeds, and the brakes feel sharp and predictable. The chassis is comfortable and compliant; even the road noise and rumbles you may expect from a car within this price bracket are minimal. Nothing about the driving dynamics of the ZS feels like a car priced at under £22,000. The entire package feels exceedingly well put together.

Non-Hybrid Options

In 2025, MG will launch two additional variants of the new ZS, one with a petrol engine and another as a full EV. Prices and specifications for all further variants will be revealed in due course.

Pricing and Packages

Let's recap. MG has launched a new Hybrid B Segment SUV with a price tag lower than a posh supermini and better value than SUV competitors from Toyota, Renault and Hyundai. On a personal quest to find out how and why the new ZS Hybrid+ is so affordable, I've been working through the list of exterior tech, safety features, interior gadgetry, technology and powertrains to find the Achilles heel. Perhaps the answer would lie in the quality of materials.

Interior Design and Quality

Once again, I'm left scratching my head. The interior of the ZS is excellent. All materials feel high quality, there are no noticeably cheap or garish plastics, and the interface on the screens feels unquestionably premium. Below the touch screen are physical buttons allowing quick and easy adjustments to volume, media screens and climate settings.

All in all, my quest to find fault with one of the cheapest cars I've ever reviewed has all but failed. However, there is one sticking point, specifically for the SE model I'd spent the day driving: hardly anyone is going to buy it.

Almost nobody will buy this car...

Now, before anyone rolls their eyes or starts drafting out grumpy social media DMs, please allow me to explain. The MG ZS Hybrid+ in SE trim is a £21,995 car, and at that price, with everything included, it represents superb value. However, buyers looking at the new ZS model are far more likely to ask the bank for a little more cash. Beyond the SE trim level is the 'Trophy', which includes everything I've listed above and more. The package gets even better for £24,495 (just £2500 more than the SE). With the Trophy, the front seats are heated and trimmed in a leather style material, the 17" wheels are upgraded to 18", you get additional luxuries such as a heated steering wheel and rear privacy glass, and you get the luxury of a 360-degree camera system to aid parking and tight manoeuvring. MG claims that most ZS buyers will opt for the Trophy trim over the SE, and considering the value for doing so, I can see why.

My quest to find something to moan about has failed. And it's failed for the most brilliant reason - because there isn't anything to moan about. The new MG ZS Hybrid+ will likely be another big hit for the Anglo-Chinese manufacturer - and deservedly so.

Words: John Marcar
Photographs: Henry Faulkner-Smith