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MG will continue to sell the previous-generation ZST in Australia alongside the freshly launched second-gen version of the ZS small SUV.
The plan is to ensure MG still captures buyers at the most affordable end of the new car market as some of its newer generation models have increased in price.
The new ZS range landed in November 2024 in hybrid guise and has since expanded to include naturally aspirated (NA) petrol and turbo-petrol grades. Pricing ranges from $26,990 drive-away for the Excite up to $40,217 drive-away for the Hybrid+ Essence.
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At the moment, the ZST Vibe is available for just $23,888, drive-away, which makes it the most affordable SUV available in Australia right now.
However, this is only temporary and the keen pricing will end by April 30.
The ZST’s limited drive-away price undercuts a number of affordable small SUV rivals, including the recently launched Chery Tiggo 4 Pro which at $23,990, drive-away, was the cheapest SUV on the market from launch.
It also beats the Suzuki Ignis which is $24,490, drive-away, the Kia Stonic from $25,660, before on-road costs, and the Hyundai Venue from $22,750, before on-road costs, but that’s for the manual.
Given on-road costs can add up to $3000 to the cost of a car, the MG is the cheapest.
Those rivals are also a size smaller than the ZST and compete in the light SUV segment. Direct small SUV competitors that can’t match the MG ZST price include the GWM Haval Jolion (from $26,990, drive-away), the Chery Omoda 5 (from $27,990, drive-away) and the recently discontinued Mitsubishi ASX (from $26,240, drive-away).
This isn’t the first time MG Motor Australia has offered two versions of the same model at the same time.
When the first-gen ZS facelift launched back in 2020, it was dubbed the ZST to differentiate it from the original ZS, which remained on sale all the way up until the arrival of the second-gen car late last year.
Back then the ZS was the cheap and cheerful option for those that didn’t want to stretch to the ZST.
When asked by CarsGuide how long the ZST would remain on sale alongside the new ZS, MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao said, “This is up to the market.”
Ciao added the company adopted the same strategy as the ZS to ZST plan from a few years back, based on the principle that “people need a good, affordable priced car”.
He said due to the cost of living crisis and lack of significant movement on interest rates, it was important to ensure MG still offered its buyers affordable options.
The MG ZST Vibe is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine delivering 84kW/150Nm, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels.
It comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, six-speaker audio, 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with built-in sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, manually-adjustable synthetic leather front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and an extensive list of standard safety features.
