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THE STEERING COLUMN

MG’s ZS EV wins some and loses some

A facelift and new drivetrain made MG’s electric SUV better, but may have made its prospects worse

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    • The MG ZS EV is based on a combustion car, so it still has the proportions of one.
    • The inside of the MG ZS EV has had a makeover too, though mostly a digital one.
    • The central touchscreen has been given an update so the graphics look much more contemporary.
    • With this update, the MG ZS EV motor now sends 177 horsepower to the front wheels, up from 141.
    • The MG ZS EV is based on a combustion car, so it still has the proportions of one. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
    • The inside of the MG ZS EV has had a makeover too, though mostly a digital one. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
    • The central touchscreen has been given an update so the graphics look much more contemporary. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
    • With this update, the MG ZS EV motor now sends 177 horsepower to the front wheels, up from 141. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING

    Leow Ju-Len

    Published Sat, Mar 18, 2023 · 05:50 AM

    WHAT a difference a few years make. Back when The Business Times first jumped onboard the MG ZS EV to set sail in the uncharted waters of the electric car world, the battery-powered sport utility vehicle (SUV) cost an eighth of a million and looked like a tempting alternative to combustion machines.

    That was in 2020. Now the ZS EV costs a fifth of a million – including a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) – and has no shortage of pure electric competition, with rivals from France, South Korea and Germany to fend off.

    Just as well that it’s had a facelift to stay competitive. The ZS EV is based on a combustion car, so it still has the proportions of one – but some mid-life cosmetic work has given it a textured panel where the grille used to be, which really plays up the fact that it has a motor where an engine usually is.

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