The ZS EV marked MG’s entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market in India and after a fairly successful run so far, the company is set to launch the 2022 ZS, most likely towards the end of this month. And while there are no official figures as yet, we expect the new model to get a bigger battery pack, which means more range.
MG has been slowly and steadily revealing aspects of the upcoming EV, right from its exterior package which has already been unveiled in full to parts of its interiors. This gives us a small glimpse into what is at least confirmed to be new features in the ZS.
Exteriors
MG has refreshed the ZS EV to look more like its international counterpart. Styling updates give it a more EV-specific look with a sleek black front bumper and a body-coloured grille. This still houses the charging port, but is now placed beside the MG logo and not under it. Additionally, the grille and the bumper seem to mesh into one single unit at the front. The LED headlamp units have also been tweaked to be sleeker while the LED DRLs are also new.
Off to the rear, there is a new set of LED tail lamps and a new bumper here too. A new set of 17-inch alloys also make it to the car's exterior changes. Much of the profile remains the same with most body panels on the side resembling the outgoing model along with the roof rails. Additionally, if you look close enough at the front grille, you will spot a tiny camera sensor just below the logo and we will get to that in a bit.
Interiors
MG has only given us partial images of the next-gen ZS’s interiors, but there’s already a lot we can tell. For one, the design borrows heavily from the recently launched Astor. We will start off with the rear passenger seats. The middle seat now gets a drop-down armrest/cup holder along with its own headrest. Also new is air-conditioning vents for the rear passengers. Another addition is the new red contrast stitching on the seats.
In the front, the latest image teases much of what the dashboard will look like and no surprise here, it’s the Astor’s dash. Centre stage is taken by the larger 10.1-inch infotainment system complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The outgoing model uses a smaller 8-inch system, which makes this a welcome change. Behind this, there is new carbon-fibre-like trim on the dashboard that seems to be exclusive to the ZS.
The image also shows red contrast stitching on the dash extending down to the centre console and on the steering wheel. Behind the steering wheel, we also get a peek at a new 7-inch digital instrument cluster.
With sensors mounted on the front, sides and the back, the ZS will be getting a new 360-degree camera and, like the Astor, the new autonomous level two tech a.k.a. ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System) adding a whole host of safety features including emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, among others.
What we cannot make out is whether MG will plop the AI robot from Astor into the ZS as well. Previous spy shots do not indicate this, but there is a chance we could see it at launch.
Other features from the outgoing ZS EV will continue to serve on the new model including a PM2.5 filter for the AC, panoramic sunroof, powered driver’s seat, automatic headlights, six airbags, hill start assist, hill descent control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Powertrain
Moving on to what moves the ZS EV, as we mentioned earlier a bigger battery pack is expected, allowing for more range. The current model is powered by a 44.5kWh battery pack which allows for a claimed range of 419 km. In contrast, the upcoming ZS is expected to employ a 51kWh battery pack which should allow for a range of somewhere in the neighbourhood of 480 km. The electric motor will, however, remain the same as the current model. This makes 142.7PS of maximum power at 3,500 rpm and 353Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. As for charging, the ZS offers 50kW DC fast charging allowing the battery level to go from 0 to 80 percent in 50 minutes.
Expected price and competition
The MG ZS EV rivals the current line-up of EVs in the same segment, if not in the same price range. This includes the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Tata Nexon which itself is set to get a long-range version in April, if the rumour mill is correct. As for pricing, the current ZS EV starts at Rs 21.49 lakh and goes up to Rs 25.15 lakh, ex-showroom, and with all the extra equipment, we should see a small bump here. Bookings are currently said to be underway at MG dealerships.
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