If you're looking for a cheap hybrid SUV, keep an eye on the new MG ZS Hybrid+ with ECO label

MG keeps on going, launching cars that are practically unbeatable on price and covering segments where it had no presence. Now, after the MG3 Hybrid+ and the MG HS PHEV, it is the turn of the new MG ZS, which gets a cosmetic facelift and receives the interesting hybrid powertrain debuted on the city car.

A variant that suits the MG ZS very well, since the non-hybridised petrol engines available until now are not exactly a benchmark in terms of efficiency… and it also adds the DGT ECO label. Without a doubt, the boost the MG ZS needed to regain the title of best-selling car in Spain, something it achieved in the last months of last year.

Full hybrid with ECO label

MG has not confirmed the technical specifications of the powertrain, beyond the battery capacity of 1.83 kWh and the fact that it will feature a petrol engine, an electric drive motor and a generator, with a three-speed automatic gearbox. An “elevated” electric range is announced, with the possibility of driving without consuming energy at speeds of up to 100 km/h.

Enough clues to deduce that the powertrain will be shared with that of the MG3 Hybrid+, which advertises a system output of 194 CV. Let us remember that the MG3 Hybrid is, at present, the cheapest hybrid on the market, leaving aside those that resort to mild hybrid systems. Therefore, and until the final price is known, the MG ZS Hybrid+ will surely position itself as one of the cheapest hybrid SUVs in its category, with the new Dacia Duster Hybrid as one of its main rivals.

First-class equipment

The images provided by MG are not very revealing, but they do suggest that we are looking at a major design change, not just a restyling of the grille and headlights. The interior has also been renewed, and will feature a digital screen for the instrument cluster and another for the multimedia system. In the best-equipped versions the MG ZS will feature automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, keyless entry, cruise control, electric front seats, electric parking brake and wireless smartphone charger.

What will not be optional is the improved MG Pilot package, which will be standard on all ZS Hybrid+ models, with a wide range of driver assistance systems, notably emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot detection, front collision and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist.

MG ZS Hybrid+ | Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverMG ZS5 versions · from 20,840 €