MG ZST SUV review: it’s a contender in a competitive market
The MG ZST does something no Chinese vehicle has ever even attempted ... and Australians are going to love it.
I remember the horror I felt the first time I bit into a Twinkie – the just detectable fizz of my teeth rotting in real time, mirrored by the low stretching-rubber sound of my arteries hardening – and found myself stunned that any country, even the US, could allow something so clearly dangerous to be sold.
It was very similar to the feeling I had the first time I drove a Chinese car, many moons ago. Aside from the lingering scent of burning acid in the cabin and the tin-thin sound of the doors shutting, the whole thing just felt insufficiently engineered – like a cardboard motorbike helmet.
Still, plenty of pundits predict that Chinese cars will soon conquer the world, just as Japanese and then Korean ones did. I equate these suggestions with someone standing on a street corner proclaiming the nigh-ness of the end of the world. Both are vaguely possible (and the end of the world has looked closer than usual lately), but you won’t see me rushing to repent – even as Chinese car makers rocket up the sales charts as a credible, and cheaper, alternative to Toyotas, Kias and Hyundais. The best-performing brand by far is MG – the British marque that went bust before being snapped up by the catchily named Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (now SAIC Motor). The Chinese company was looking for a brand name that would help it sound classy overseas, and MG was out of options.
It has proven to be a profitable match (and perhaps no more shocking than when BMW bought Rolls-Royce), although it has meant the end of the two-seater sports cars the marque was famous for. Instead, MG now represents affordable SUVs, which Australians love, even if they are Made in China. Like everything else.
The company’s latest effort is the MG ZST, which does something no Chinese vehicle has ever even attempted: competing with the known quantities of its segment – think Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 – on quality and equipment, rather than just price.
The MG ZST is a small SUV that gets a clever 1.3-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine making 115kW and 230Nm, and a smooth Aisin six-speed automatic gearbox. It also comes with an impressive (and frankly mind-easing) seven-year warranty. With pricing that starts from $28,490, it sounds affordable rather than too-good-to-be-true cheap. It’s also an easy, comfortable drive, and comes with plenty of equipment including a huge central screen that makes for easy-to-read smartphone mirroring, plus more safety tech than you can shake a traffic cone at.
There are some drawbacks, of course. The engine is underwhelming under heavy acceleration, which you’d expect when asking a 1.3-litre to power a small soft-roader. And yet it drinks plenty of petrol, which you wouldn’t. The tech can be glitchy, too; the system would sometimes boot me out mid-podcast or playlist.
Perhaps the biggest problem, though, is one MG should have seen coming: perception. Remember, SAIC purchased MG because of its global brand heritage. Unfortunately that heritage represents sporting intent and cars bought for fun and frivolity rather than city commuting. The ZST speaks to those things the way a Twinkie speaks to fine dining.
It’s not just the lack of power, it’s the lack of connection between driver, car and road. The steering isn’t overly communicative, the ride is disconnected and there’s little in the way of excitement or joy. Those might seem like too much to ask of a small SUV, but the fact is you do get both from a Mazda CX-30 (from $28,990).
The MG ZST might not be the best small SUV in Australia, then, but the fact is it’s now well and truly on the contender list. In fact, the ZST is a car that will tempt many buyers, particularly when they look at the design, price and warranty offerings. I’m still not entirely convinced that China will engulf the car market the way it has other areas, though. If there is a second coming, I confidently predict Jesus Christ will drive a Toyota.
MG ZST
Engine: 1.3-litre, three-cylinder (115kW /230Nm)
Average fuel: 7.1 litres per 100km
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Price: $28,490
Rating: ★★½