Early arrival for MG4, long range MG ZS EV

MG MOTOR Australia’s assault on the Australian battery electric vehicle (BEV) market is gaining momentum with the imminent launch of an extended range ZS EV small SUV to complement the standard range model already available and the first public preview in Australia of the MG4 electric small hatchback that is tipped to arrive mid-year.

The Chinese importer will publicly debut both models at the Fully Charged home energy and electric vehicle exhibition in Sydney next month, organised by a popular YouTube channel of the same name.

Due before July, the earlier than expected arrival of MG’s long-range ZS EV (predicted to be in the order of between $3500-$4000 more than existing variants based on overseas pricing) came about after MG Motor Australia was able to convince head office to fast-track the model for local consumption following “extensive customer feedback and unprecedented interest”.

The MG4 electric small hatchback – confirmed for Australian release at around the same time as the long range ZS long range – is the first model based on a new modular scalable platform developed by MG parent company SAIC Motor. 

An unusually low-profile battery pack in the MG4 EV will be available in 51kWh and 64kWh capacities, which are said to offer ranges of up to 350km and 450km respectively.

The angular-looking small hatch has been met with critical acclaim overseas and scored a five star safety rating in the most recent round of Euro NCAP testing, raising hopes that it will arrive here with a similarly high score.

Offering only slightly less range than the MG4, the big-battery ZS EV can travel 440km between charges according to WTLP criteria, considerably more than the claimed 320km from the standard range version that launched in Australia late last year.

This comes courtesy of a 72kWh liquid-cooled lithium ion battery in lieu of the standard model’s 50.3kWh unit. 

Like a standard range ZS, the big battery version is front-wheel drive via a single electric motor that sources tell GoAuto is the same 130kW and 280Nm as the regular range model. 

The 1600kg base model MG ZS Excite EV comes equipped with three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport with the latter enabling a 0-100km/h sprint in the 8.0 second bracket, although this is expected to be blunted somewhat by the heavier long range battery pack.

One-pedal driving is achievable through the regenerative braking settings, with 7kW and 11kW AC charging capabilities for home and destination top-ups.

Although MG’s Australian arm claims the regular ZS EV can charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in as little as 54 minutes using a 50kW DC, its British counterpart quotes quicker times using 100kW chargers of 36 minutes and 42 minutes for the standard and long range batteries, while a 50kW unit will take an hour and three minutes to do the job on an extended range ZS EV.

MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao said he was excited to showcase the new MG4 and expand the ZS EV model offering with a longer range. 

“MG Motor Australia is putting our customer’s priorities at the centre of our soon to be released MG4 and current ZS EV so we can continue providing the best driving experience possible and make EVs’ more accessible to all Australians,” he said.

“We listened to our customer’s feedback and have fast tracked the arrival of our long range ZS EV with a larger 72kw battery pack and 440km of range to Australia. This provides more peace of mind in terms of minimising range anxiety and matches our pursuit of driving electric vehicles further.”