First drive: MG ZS Hybrid+

Morris Garages (MG) Philippines is set to introduce the ZS Hybrid+ to the local market as the top variant of the next-generation iteration of the company’s popular crossover nameplate.

Ahead of its launch, Zigwheels Philippines was given the opportunity to drive the MG ZS Hybrid+.  As such, we gained strong insights into how this nameplate has matured from being an internal combustion-only upstart that rose to popularity to a highly advanced and refined ride that shows considerable promise. 

So, what is the all-new MG ZS Hybrid+ offering to potential buyers? Let’s find out through this first impressions review.

Exterior

At first glance, anyone can tell that the all-new MG ZS has grown up. The Hybrid+ trim that we borrowed presented a lot of exterior amenities combined with a new and refreshing exterior design. 

Up front, the all-new model received a sharp-looking front fascia equipped with eagle-eyed LED headlamp clusters, LED daytime running lamps, and a considerably hefty-looking grille with chrome inserts. 

From the side, the MG ZS Hybrid+ features a touch of sportiness, complemented by the usual crossover accoutrements. Its silhouette, for example, is the usual high-roofed, high-riding stance typical of the bodystyle. It even has black plastic side sills and wheel arches. 

On the one hand, it gets a tasteful amount of character lines, as well as rear haunches that bulge out a bit. It also has a long-ish hood relative to the overall length of the ride - an interesting detail that does much to make the model appear more “rakish.” For us, the said portion still retains some flavor of the original ZS, but the fine details mentioned above are well executed to highlight the nameplate’s evolution. 

Towards the rear, the MG ZS Hybrid+ features an attractive pair of LED taillights, a suitably sized roof-mounted spoiler, and a sleek tailgate. The one downside of its rear end, however, is the presence of faux dual exhausts. Sure, it rounds up the appearance of the vehicle, but fake exhausts, we think, are a miss, considering that the rest of the vehicle already looks great. 

Other exterior equipment made available to the MG ZS Hybrid+ includes the following: 

• Power-folding side mirrors with heating
• Automatic high/low beams
• High mount brake lamps
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels
• 215/50R18 tires

Size-wise, the MG ZS Hybrid+ measures 4,430 millimeters (mm) in length, 1,818 mm in width, and 1,635 mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 2,610 mm. With the said figures, the all-new model is fairly larger than the outgoing MG ZS, but more compact when compared to the MG One. 

Interior

Inside the MG ZS Hybrid+, a well-arranged cabin is available, which the car company claims can accommodate up to five occupants. The cockpit area has easy-to-reach controls, which are intuitive and pose little to no learning curves even for a beginner driver. 

 With regard to space, three regular-sized adults can fit in the rear. The front driver seat can also accommodate the writer’s wide-bodied 5-foot-11-inch frame with no issues, thanks to its power-adjust feature and tilt and telescopic steering column. 

On the one hand, the foam used for the front seats felt a bit too hard for me after driving it through traffic for a few hours. Otherwise, other people who tried sitting on the ZS Hybrid+’s front seats found it comfortable. 

Other driver-centric gear present on the MG ZS Hybrid+ includes the following:

• Push-to-start button
• Keyless entry
• Drive mode selector
• Electronic parking brake
• Leather steering wheel 

To keep everyone inside cool, the MG ZS Hybrid+ features a single-zone automatic climate control system, which unfortunately lacks dedicated physical fan speed and temperature adjustment buttons. 

Otherwise, the MG ZS Hybrid+ offers good forward visibility and numerous physical buttons for other driving-related functions from the driver's perspective. The steering wheel of the model likewise felt good to grip. 

With regard to its screens, the all-new hybrid crossover comes with a seven-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment display. Both offer colorful graphics paired with neat user interfaces, and during the five days of use, they exhibited no input lag at all. Wired connectivity to my smartphone is also quite stable when using its built-in Android Auto feature. Otherwise, it also has Apple CarPlay. 

Sound from its six-piece speaker set was also pleasant, with a relatively decent tonal balance and clarity. 

Other highly appreciated touches inside the vehicle include its 60:40 split-folding seats, a coat hanger, appropriately sized cup and bottle holders, and the generously spacious center armrest storage bin. 

Safety

While we didn’t get to test them out thoroughly during our time with the MG ZS Hybrid+, its prospective buyers will surely appreciate its very comprehensive array of basic safety gear. 

To be specific, the model comes standard with anti-lock braking, stability control, traction control, anti-roll protection, ISOFIX, tire pressure monitoring, six airbags, vehicle dynamics control, hill-start assist, hill-decent control, hill-hold control, and a 360-degree view camera - among others. 

Additionally, the MG ZS Hybrid+ comes with the following advanced driver assist systems: 

• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic high-beams
• Traffic jam assist
• Blind-spot detection
• Lane change assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keep assist
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Forward collision warning
• Intelligent speed assist

Powertrain, driving

Under the hood of the all-new MG ZS Hybrid+ is a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine paired with an electric motor, a three-speed hybrid transmission, and a lithium-nickel-manganese battery. Altogether, the said system can generate up to 194 horsepower and 250 Newton-meters of torque. 

Driving the all-new MG crossover in the city is smooth and effortless. It has punchy acceleration when needed, and the steering is light and responsive as well. Even if it is larger than the old MG ZS, driving through the tight roads in Teacher’s Village in Quezon City is likewise a breeze thanks to the model’s excellent forward and side visibility. 

On faster roads like Commonwealth Avenue, where the electrified vehicle can stretch its legs, it has no problems keeping up (and even overtaking) torquier turbodiesel nameplates. 

To be transparent, we didn’t have the opportunity to test it on open highways, but we found that the model is well-suited for in-city driving. The aforementioned is especially obvious when in very slow stop-and-go traffic (average speeds of 10 kilometers per hour), when it goes on its buttery smooth full electric vehicle (EV) mode.

During our brief time with the model, we achieved a fuel economy of 16 kilometers per liter. The aforementioned sounds great, but we believe the said figure should be verified through a more thorough test drive on various road types. 

Here are the basic mechanical specifications of the MG ZS Hybrid+:

Engine	1.5-liter inline-4
Drivetrain	Front-wheel-drive
Transmission	3-speed hybrid transmission
Hybrid system	Electric motor, NCM battery
Horsepower	194
Torque	250 Nm
Front suspension	MacPherson strut
Rear suspension	Torsion beam
Brakes	Front and rear discs

Final thoughts

Even with only five days with the MG ZS Hybrid+, it is clear to see that its manufacturer designed the model as a quantum leap ahead of its previous version. It feels more refined and tech-oriented, and overall, we believe it has the potential to charm even the most discerning drivers. 

It feels like a larger version of the MG 3 Hybrid. And if you’ve read Zigwheels Philippines’ review of the said model, that’s a straight-up compliment for the all-new crossover. 

Regarding pricing, however, we should wait for more details until the product officially launches on July 3, 2025. On that note, we also hope that it didn’t see a significant price increase. 

Also read: 

MG One Lux: smooth operator

MG ZS Luxury: Stylish yet accessible

Purposefully practical: MG G50 Plus

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