MG ZS vs MG ZST

What's the difference?

The MG ZS Essence with the 1.5-litre petrol engine has many strengths - price and value for money, practicality and space, good looks… and the only area where it really struggles to match its rivals is its underpowered engine. 

The good news is the Essence also comes with a turbo engine and while this isn’t a race car by any means, turbocharging is a way to add the oomph needed in a car this size. 

Stepping up to the MG ZS Essence Turbo costs an extra $2000, but if you can make the budget stretch you’ll have the complete package of value, looks, practicality, safety and much better performance for more enjoyable driving.

Will the MG ZST Essence fit a small family? Absolutely, and all but the middle seat passenger will be comfortable but there are areas open for improvement. Like it's safety, laggy tech and adding a few extra items in the back seat.

Yet, it still offers a good host of features and an attractive package for a reasonable price tag. Unfortunately, my son missed having the basic amenities but did like the sun roof.

The ZS's good looks is another strength.

The new-gen ZS arrived in Australia late in 2024 and this petrol version landed in February 2025. The styling looks more expensive and premium than its price tag would suggest. The sleek nose, the refined tail-lights, a pleasing profile all make for a good looking small SUV.

There are many interesting elements in the design - the grille and its aggressively looking flanking 'air intakes', the crease through the door panels, the little fin that meets the tail-light.

Squint and it looks like a mini Ford Territory. Sort of…

The cabin of the ZS Essence is equally refined with a modern design and soft touchpoints throughout. It’s a minimalist and spacious place free from button clutter.

The ZS is 4430mm long, 1818mm wide and 1635mm high. Ground clearance is 161mm, in case you’ve been lying in bed wondering.

Being the newer and shinier version of the ZS, the ZST presents as a nice little package with its full suite of LED exterior lights, shiny chrome accents and its well-shaped body.

The front is distinctively different from its design muse with a darkened grille, and redesigned fog lights that feature new air intake vents. Other highlights include the 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels with sporty red brake calipers lurking behind them.

The interior is pleasant with a massive sunroof creating a light-filled space and giving the illusion that the cabin is larger than it is.

The synthetic leather upholstery and trims seem robust and perfect for families, but also feel quite plasticky under hand. The red badge embossing on the headrests is lovely, though.

The dashboard is well-proportioned and headlined by an upgraded 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system and fully digital instrument cluster.

The gearshift feels a tad too skinny and tall for the general aesthetic but the circular air-vents add some cute personality.

Practicality is a big strength, too, with a proximity key that’ll unlock the car when you touch the door handle, and a cabin with good legroom and headroom even for me at 189cm tall.

There's also a wonderfully simple charging pad for your phone - it's a large area on the centre console which works well in terms of connection but also in terms of wasy access. Many rivals will hide phone chargers away is small crevices that make them hard to extract or even pop in.

You'll find four USB ports, too plus a 12V charger, too.

Clever storage like a shelf built into the dash for loose objects, four cupholders and big door pockets are also on hand.

The boot is also a decent size for a small SUV at 443 litres which is bigger than many rivals, including the Subaru Crosstrek.

Practicality is hurt by a lack of individual storage options and a back seat that has only two USB-A ports for its amenities.

The cabin space is spacious, though, and both rows have a decent amount of leg- and headroom despite the massive sunroof.

The steering wheel features height but not reach adjustment and to accommodate I have to sit much closer to the wheel than normal thanks to my poor little T-Rex arms.

Individual storage is the best up front with a small middle console and glove box, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders. The doors also feature large storage bins, which is great to keep the cockpit feeling neat.

The rear row gets two map pockets and a small storage bin in each door. There is also a (very) shallow storage nook at the back of the middle console… think a packet of gum or small wallet size.

My seven-year old isn't as comfortable in the rear because it lacks directional air vents, reading lights and a fold-down armrest. All items which will hinder an adult's comfort, too.

The boot space is a good size at 359L but you can bump it to 1187L with the rear seats folded, the backrest featuring a 60/40 split.

The height of the floor is adjustable and when set in the lowest position creates a deep well to tuck larger items, like luggage, into.

The hard cargo cover can be awkward to shift around or store but is otherwise out of the way when it counts.

Other amenities accentuate the premium-feeling the Essence is going for with the heated front seats and electric drivers seat offering well-padded comfort but on longer journeys, I miss having adjustable lumbar support.

The rear seats aren't as comfortable as the front only because the synthetic leather feels slippery, which is accentuated when you hit corners!

In terms of technology, you get two USB-A ports in each row but the front also gets a 12-volt port. You miss out on fast and wireless charging options.

The multimedia system looks great but can be sluggish to respond and the apps can be slow to load but I like the built-in satellite navigation.

The upgraded sound system has six speakers instead of four but the sound quality is a bit tinny with music and calls.

It was simple to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay. It also has Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and AM/FM radio.

There are four variants for the ZST and our test vehicle is the top-spec Essence model, priced at $33,990 drive-away.

Our example's 'Pebble Black' finish is an included colour but other paintwork options can cost an extra $700.

The price point positions it right in the middle of its rivals with the Omoda 5 costing $35,990 drive-away  and the Jolion sliding into the most affordable spot at $30,990 drive-away.

To highlight the value-for-money comparison, the Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD model costs $38,790 drive-away and then you start creeping up into the $40K bracket for similarly specified small SUVs.

The ZST Essence is the top-grade and it has a decent number of premium features for its price tag, like a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and an electric driver's seat, keyless entry, keyless start and a full suite of exterior LED lights.

Other standard features include wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, digital instrument cluster, one-zone air-conditioning, built-in satellite navigation, 360-degree camera system and an upgraded sound system with six speakers.

Okay, we've listed a lot of strengths for the MG ZS but the engine isn’t one of them. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine makes 81kW and 140Nm.

Really, power needs to be at least 100kW and torque closer to 200Nm in something weighing 1330kg otherwise acceleration is going to feel woeful - which it is.

Seriously, the first time I tried to overtake I looked down to see if the handbrake was still on.

Not helping performance is a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which, while good for fuel economy, seems to have trouble getting power to the road effectively.

The Essence variant has a 1.3-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a maximum power output of 115kW and 230Nm of torque.

It's a front-wheel drive and features a six-speed auto transmission. Overall, it has enough power to keep up with traffic on the open road but you have to be firm with the accelerator to keep your speed consistent.

Official fuel consumption for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.7L/100km, which isn’t outstanding, especially compared to the hybrid version which can get 4.7L/100km.

Our own testing after city driving and motorways saw 7.9L/100km. Not the most efficient engine in the range, so if it’s saving petrol you want then go for the hybrid, or better still, the electric version of the ZS.

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 7.3L/100km and my real-world average came in at 7.7L. That is after a good mix of urban and open-road driving, so the usage is good.

Based on the combined fuel cycle and the relatively small 45L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 616km.

The lack of oomph from the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine affects the driving experience of the ZS. This lack of accleration is hampered not just by the low outputs of the engine but also by the transmission, which is a CVT and these don't favour getting power to the road as effectively as torque convertor transmissions.

Handling is good for this class, with the ZS feeling stable under most conditions. Steering is excellent, with a nice weight and accuracy to it.

And while the ZS is no prestige car, the ride is comfortable, composed and better than many small SUVs at this price point.

Other pluses include its smaller size which makes it easy to manoeuvre in city traffic and park in tight spaces.

The final driving score however is dragged down by the engine and transmission which fail to provide the acceleration needed to easily overtake, merge or move quickly when needed at stop signs or out of car spaces on busy roads.

The ZST Essence has an okay amount of power relative to the car's small size.

It's an adequate cruiser when I ferry just my husband and son around, but feels a full load of luggage and people.

The steering is responsive and it's an easy car to manoeuvre in tight car parks or city streets, which is great. The visibility is pretty good despite the chunkier pillars and you feel confident when checking your blind-spots.

While the suspension is fairly forgiving and ride comfort is decent, you will still notice the bumps, especially when seated in the back.

The cabin suffers from some wind and road noise and at higher speeds we had to find we raise our voices a bit to be heard. Around town, you don't notice it.

This is just a personal preference but the brake and accelerator pedals are skinnier and more centrally positioned than I prefer. You get used to it, though.

The ZST is pretty easy to park and it's great that you have a 360-degree camera system but the image quality can be grainy. You get rear parking sensors, too, but miss out on ones at the front.

The ZST Essence has a good suite of safety features that now come standard like rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

Other standard features include tyre pressure monitoring, LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, seatbelt reminders, a 360-degree camera system and rear parking sensors.

The ZST only features six airbags, while many of its rivals sport seven, including the newer front centre airbag. The ZST variant scored four- from a possible five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017 testing.

It's important to note that the tested ZS model did not have AEB or lane support systems at the time of testing, these were introduced from the 2020 model year onwards and the ZST has both.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but two child seats will fit best. There is enough room for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

Ownership costs are a strength, too. The MG ZS is covered by a 10-year/250,000km warranty.

MG’s ‘Precise Price’ service plan locks in the cost of servicing with 12-month/15,000km intervals and a cost of about $1200 over five years.

The ZST Essence comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is on par with coverage offered by a growing number of its rivals.

There is a seven-year or up to 70,000km servicing program for a total cost of $2339 or an average of $334 per service, which is very competitive for the class.

Servicing intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, but could be annoying if you travel a lot.