MG Motor’s first all-electric offering, the ZS EV has been launched in the UK. MG calls the ZS EV it’s most high-tech car ever, courtesy the MG pilot driver assistance suite, similar to the voice-activated in-car assistance that responds to the “Hello MG” voice-command in the Hector. Hyundai has already upped the ante with the recently launched Kona and it’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for electric SUVs in India.
The ZS is not a completely new design, and has been derived from the ZS compact SUV already on sale in the UK, where it comes with features such as advanced emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring.
The lithium-ion battery on the ZS EV is paired with a motor to generate 141bhp and 353Nm. The battery is water-cooled to keep the temperatures in check (just like on the Kona) and gets three driving modes and three levels of regenerative braking. The WLTP-determined range of the SZ EV is 262km, putting it in the vicinity of the Hyundai Kona. Despite no clear details on the charging time, the claimed range makes it more than suitable as a city run-about, as well as the occasional weekend driver.
On the inside, it gets an eight-inch TFT touchscreen, with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And since the ZS EV is based on a compact SUV, it has lots of interior space, along with a deep, full-sized boot (as it won’t have to deal with the exhaust pipe or related paraphernalia). Additionally, the UK version gets a panoramic sunroof, like on the top (Sharp) variant of the Hector.
But getting to the meat of the matter, which is how much of a hole it will burn in your pocket. The Kona EV retails at Rs 25.3 lakh, but that’s before the tax cut that the government is planning on EVs (reduction of GST from 12 per cent to 5 per cent), which might bring the price down to about Rs 23.8 lakh. It’ll be interesting to see how MG prices the ZS EV in India. Considering that MG has already priced its first offering, the Hector SUV very competitively, there’s a good chance it might repeat the feat when the ZS EV makes its Indian debut which is as soon as early next year. Our fingers are crossed!