MG ZST 2021 review: Essence

If you know the MG brand’s position in Australia, you know that value is a key factor in the brand’s makeup. And while the MG ZST is still a very affordable small SUV in the broader context, it is a bit pricier than the existing ZS model that remains on sale, slotting in below the ZST.

The list price for the MG ZST Essence model seen here is $31,490 - that’s the MSRP or RRP, which is the price before on-road costs. But the company is doing decent deals, listing this grade for $32,490 drive-away at the time of writing. For context, you can get a ZS for as little as $22k on the road.

Even so, the ZST Essence plays at a pretty strong price point. What else is in that arena? You’d be looking at a Kia Seltos Sport+ ($32,490 MSRP), Mazda CX-30 G20 Evolve ($31,490 MSRP), Honda HR-V VTi-S ($30,390 MSRP), or one of two models from Mitsubishi that probably aim up best against this car: the ASX GSR ($30,990 MSRP) and Eclipse Cross LS FWD ($32,590 MSRP).

It has its work cut out for it, but it argues a very strong case on equipment. Standard in both grades is a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as built-in sat nav and five USB ports (including one positioned for a dash cam), plus there’s a six-speaker stereo system.

Both grades also get push-button start and keyless entry, leather-look seat trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lights, gloss-black body highlight elements.

And in the Essence you get a few other niceties including a fully digital dash cluster, six-way electric seat adjustment for the driver, heated front seats, LED indicators set in black wing mirrors, plus there’s an opening panoramic sunroof, and a 360-degree surround view camera and all-around parking sensors.

The Essence variant scores a fully digital dash cluster.

And unlike earlier MG models, the active safety suite is on point. More on that below.

There is a fair bit of wow factor in the cabin of the MG ZST Essence. The eye-catching elements that will give you that ‘wow’ factor include a bright, colour and fully digital instrument cluster, a similarly pretty (and large) media screen, and that leather seat trim with nice red stitching.

All of that combines to offer a fairly premium feeling cabin at first impression. Oh, and the big panoramic sunroof really lightens things up in there, too. Personally I’d take an auto dimming mirror (which the ZST doesn’t have) over a sunroof any day, but I get the appeal. I do like the heated seats, though.

In fact, I think the cabin sit-in experience will get a lot of buyers to sign on the line. It looks and feels good, especially compared to some of its rivals. And it won’t just be those up front that are happy - in the back there are two USB ports, while there are three up front (including one up in the mirror housing for a dash cam).

The MG badge is emblazoned on the front leather seats.

The material quality is quite good for the most part. There’s soft padding on the elbow pads on all four doors and the centre console lid, and there’s also soft material on top of the dashboard which is a nice touch. It’s also interesting - the chequer-plate style carbon look fabric on the dash is intriguing, plus there are even soft padded sections so you don’t bash your knees on the transmission tunnel housing.

Up front there are two small cupholders between the seats, a small covered centre bin, and a couple of additional storage caddies between the seats as well. The door pockets are large but not shaped to suit a 600mL bottle, so things might move around a little bit.

The ZST offers a fairly premium feeling cabin.

There are some other criticisms up front. The steering wheel isn’t adjustable for reach, and I couldn’t get my ideal driving position as a result (I’m 182cm / 6’0”). For my legs to be positioned right, the wheel was a bit too far away. Oh, and the stalk for the cruise control could be better placed (many rivals have cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, not a stalk hidden out of sight). 

And the media screen, which bright and pretty quick, works well when you’re using smartphone mirroring (for me it was Apple CarPlay, and I had a couple of issues connecting/reconnecting at times), but also the native menus aren’t very intuitive - there are screens upon screens that take some learning, and while there was built-in sat nav available to use, I didn’t. Also, because the screen controls plenty of elements of the air-conditioning (there is a row of buttons below, but not all of the usual suspects are there), I found finding the recirculation control in the screen to be a bit tedious - I’m always switching between outside air and recirc on the freeway if there are stinky cars and trucks around.

The 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The ZST Essence’s 360-degree surround view camera is good and certainly helps when you’re doing urban parking jobs, but if you happen to drive out of town and there are bugs around, you might find the front camera is prone to splatter-vision. 

Second row space is very good for the size of the car with lots of legroom and toe room for someone my size behind a similar sized driver, with minimal transmission tunnel interference meaning three across shouldn’t be too much of a squeeze (unless they’re larger-than-average people). Even the headroom was okay, despite the intrusion of the glass roof. 

Second row space is very good for the size of the car.

The front seatbacks have map pockets, there are bottle holders in the doors, but there are no central cup holders and no fold down armrest, but there’s a small open storage cubby. No rear air-vents, either - but unlike some premium branded small SUVs you even get soft elbow pads on the doors in the back!

The MG ZST’s boot space is good. The cargo capacity is claimed to be 359 litres (VDA) up to the cargo cover with the seats up (the boot has a dual-level floor setup, too), and that volume expands to a (not flat) space of 1187L to the window line with the back seats folded down. Check out our loaded up image to see how usable the space is - we put in the CarsGuide luggage set (124L, 95L and 36L suitcases). There’s a space saver spare wheel under the floor, too. 

There’s a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet of the MG ZST. That’s why it has a T as part of the name. But wait… the regular ZS has a turbo engine. So maybe the T stands for Trophy - there’s a random Trophy badge on the passenger-side rear pillar (not on the driver’s side though!).

Anyway, the ZST’s 1.3L motor produces 115kW of power at 5200-5600rpm and 230Nm of torque across a wide range - from 1800-4400rpm. Those figures are decent for the class. The engine itself? Well, more on that in the driving section below.

The turbo 1.3-litre four-cylinder produces 115kW/230Nm.

The MG ZST is only available with a six-speed automatic, and it is front-wheel drive/two-wheel drive (FWD or 2WD). There is no all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive (AWD/4WD) version available.

The claimed fuel consumption is rated at 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s okay for the class, but certainly not what you’d call miserly. 

Over my time in the car, where I drove a lot of highway kilometres as well as plenty of urban driving, I saw a return of 8.2L/100km.

The fuel tank capacity is 45 litres, but requires 95RON premium unleaded petrol. It meets Euro 5 emissions standards, and oddly enough doesn’t have engine start-stop.

MG argues a strong case to potential owners, with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty allowing it to compete against the likes of Kia. Mitsubishi is the only brand that betters MG in this space, with a 10-year warranty (albeit with conditions).

The seven-year plan is also backed by roadside assist, and there is a seven-year service plan included too. According to the company, the servicing - due every 12 months/10,000km (shorter intervals than some rivals) - averages out at about $297 per visit over the first seven years, which is pretty decent value…it  lives up to the brand promise, then.