The all-new 2017 MG ZS has been revealed,
representing a styling and technology step beyond the
mid-sized GS. Importantly for the company’s Australian
operation, the ZS will come here late next year
as a crucial new offering in the country’s best-selling market segment.
The ZS introduces what will likely become a new
corporate look for the MG brand, aping the merged grille-to-headlamps look now
trending with the likes of Audi, BMW, Kia and Mazda – the latter potentially a
direct inspiration for this new SUV’s face.
A key point in MG’s unveiling announcement was the
ZS’s internet-connected user functions, allowing individual drivers to log into
the vehicle’s system and control various features by voice alone. A panoramic
sunroof was also highlighted, measuring 1365 mm long and 870 mm wide, with a
695 mm opening space.
A look at the ZS SUV’s interior is still to be
offered, and the blacked-out windows of the cars on display suggest MG has not
finished with that aspect of the car’s design. Reports overseas suggest the ZS
is based on a shortened version of the GS SUV‘s platform, but the company has
yet to confirm details of its architecture.
A new 1.0-litre direct-injected and turbocharged
NetBlue ’16T’ petrol engine will provide power, offering 126 Hp and 170 Nm of
torque. Reports out of the UK suggest the GS SUV’s 166 Hp/250 Nm 1.5-litre unit
could also appear in the ZS.
