In some ways, one can say that the subcompact crossover has substituted the compact sedan as a family car. You see them everywhere these days, and we can only expect more in the coming years.
The subcompact class has become so crowded that it’s effectively split into several categories. There are the premium ones such as the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, and Toyota Corolla Cross. Then you have ones that are aimed towards the budget conscious folks, most of which come from China.
What we have here is an example of the latter, the MG ZS. The ZS was MG’s ticket to mainstream acceptance in the country. With its low price, high(ish) ground clearance, and a reasonable amount of standard features, this crossover was the right product at the right time.
That said, it's not perfect. It’s a case of ‘it’s good for the price’ for the ZS, but it still rakes in sales for MG. The local lineup was expanded with the introduction of the turbo version, but the standard version carried on unchanged until now.
Finally, the non-turbocharged version gets the same exterior look as the boosted variant. But while it has a new exterior, it’s still the same car underneath. Does this mean it’ll just feel the same as before? Curious, we took one out for a test drive.
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Styling
What we have here is the ZS Comfort, the base model of the ‘turbo look’ variants. Yes, the pre-facelift versions can still be had, but likely until stocks run out. It’s worth pointing out that the turbo has been discontinued, meaning if you see any of these new look models fresh from the dealer, they all share the same engine.
As for the design, it looks sharper, cleaner, and more cohesive than before. In a way, the redesigned front end makes it look less awkward over its pre-facelift counterpart. The proportions are spot on and take off years from the current generation. If you ask us, this is what the ZS should’ve looked like from the start.
Interior
While it’s all praises for the exterior, it’s deja vu for the interior. Okay, it’s not totally carried over from the last model, but it certainly appears to be the case at first glance. So, what exactly has been changed inside?
For starters, the electronic parking brake replaces the old mechanical unit, and the climate control buttons now consist of toggle switches. There’s also a new colored multi-information display in the instrument cluster that gets rid of the old dot matrix screen. Lastly, the touchscreen is much larger than before.
The rest of the cabin is carried over unchanged from the dashboard design to the, um, ‘soft touch carbon fiber.’ In all fairness, though, the ZS comes with a soft padded dashboard, a rarity in its class and price point. We can forgive the hard plastic door panels as it’s commonplace in its segment.
For a small crossover also designed for European customers (ie: taller people, and yes, this model is also sold in the Old Continent), you’d expect a good amount of interior space. There’s no problem at the front, although the lack of a seat height adjuster might put off the vertically challenged. However, rear legroom is fair at best for taller folks seated back there. At least there’s stacks of headroom.
Cargo space appears to be on the small side when you first open the tailgate. But that perception quickly changes the moment you move down the false floor. With that down, you’re looking at 448 liters and up to 1,375 liters with the rear seats folded down. Those are good figures in the subcompact class.
Engine performance
Unchanged from the pre-update version is the 1.5-liter engine. It still makes 112hp and 150Nm of torque. However, the big news here is the new transmission. MG has finally gotten rid of the antiquated four-speed automatic. In its place is a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The result? The new CVT transforms the driving experience. It’s no longer a laggy and trashy experience. It’s smoother and more serene as it’s well-matched to that 1.5-liter. Mind you, it doesn’t make the ZS faster, but it no longer hunts for gears (because there are no gears) when going through hilly roads and doesn’t lurch when it kicks down thanks to the simulated gears.
CVTs are also great for fuel efficiency, at least in theory. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case for the ZS, at least for this test unit. City driving yielded 7.5 to 8 km/L at an average speed of 14 to 17kph. We were honestly expecting better given the engine capacity. That said, economy greatly improves at moderate to light traffic with 9.5 to 13 km/L displayed on the trip computer.
It’s worth pointing out that our tester is as fresh as it can be. It was delivered to us with less than 50 kilometers on the odometer. Perhaps the economy figures will improve with a couple more kilometers on the clock.
Comfort and handling
The ride was a genuine surprise in the ZS. It’s a touch on the soft side but it doesn’t wallow on uneven surfaces. Body control is good even when taking speed bumps at an angle. If only the seats had a touch more lumbar support, the ZS could’ve easily won praises in the comfort department.
Obviously, the ZS is no corner carver with that soft suspension. But it’s fair to say that handling is good for what it is. It’s competent enough and roadholding is decent, although it won’t stir the soul or inspire enthusiastic driving. It should be fine for about 90 percent of this crossover’s target market, then. Those customers will care more about how light it is to drive than feel, feedback, and engagement behind the wheel.
Extra features
The Comfort variant may be a base model, but don’t forget MG’s ethos of offering as much bang for the buck as it can for the price. It comes with cruise control, for starters, as well as stability control, tire pressure monitoring, and even something called corner brake control.
Of course, it comes with an infotainment system that’s expected from just about every car these days. Apple CarPlay is standard, as well as Android Auto. There’s even a system that can adjust steering modes that range from light (City mode) to heavy (Dynamic mode).
That’s all neat stuff, but there are a few more features we wish it had. We already touched on the lack of a seat height adjuster, but it also needs a telescopic steering wheel to find the ideal driving position. Also, we found it odd that it didn’t have auto up power windows for the driver’s side. A bit ‘90s, that quirk.
Verdict
A facelift means a higher price, right? Well, yes, but you’ll be glad to know that the ZS still starts under a million pesos. At P918,888, value is still this model’s ultimate trump card. The thing is, that’s no longer the only selling point of it.
Simply put, the new transmission transformed the driving experience of the car. Couple that with enhancements to the chassis to make it more comfortable, it’s no longer just ‘good for the price.’ There’s actual substance behind the value proposition.
Admittedly, there are some details that still need polishing, namely the odd feature omissions, and fuel economy needs to be better. But all in all, we’re glad to report that the facelifted model goes beyond cosmetic enhancements.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: This is what the ZS should’ve been like from the beginning. It’s still not perfect, and the all-new model should address everything we’ve just said above.
Specs: 2024 MG ZS Comfort CVT
Price: P918,888
Engine: 1.5-liter inline-4
Power: 112hp
Torque: 150Nm
Transmission: CVT
Layout: front wheel-drive
Seating: 5
Score: 7/10
