The MG ZS EV has been sighted in Malaysia,
but there’s still a while to go before it and the brand is officially launched
in the country. The photos of the electric SUV seen here are courtesy of
Humaizi Bahri via his Facebook post, but it won’t be until May that the
B-segment offering is formally introduced following JPJ VTA approval. That is
if the ongoing Covid-19 situation doesn’t delay planned schedules.
The car will be marketed and sold by MG
Berjaya, which was formed following the inking of an agreement in January 2019
between Berjaya and China’s SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Co (SMPV) for the
former to manufacture, assemble and sell MG vehicles, as well as to provide
after-sale services, in Malaysia.
At point of introduction, MG Berjaya’s
first showroom in the country will be located at Berjaya Plaza on Jalan Imbi,
Kuala Lumpur. The advance unit in the photos is a CBU example from China, and
while we do know that the MG ZS will go on sale here in a single variant form,
it remains to be seen whether it will enter the market as a CKD offering or
start out initially as a CBU model. No indication as to how it will be priced
either, but word is that it will be cheaper than the Nissan Leaf, which goes
for RM189k.
An indication of what to expect is
provided by Thailand, which has been selling the car since June last year,
priced at 1.19 million baht. The ZS EV is powered by a 150 PS and
350 Nm electric motor, and juiced by a 44.5 kWh lithium-ion battery (located on
the car’s floor), the SUV has a quoted operating range of 335 km (NEDC cycle)
per full charge.
Charging it with the MG Home Charger – at
an AC rate of 6.6 kw – will get the battery charged in around 6.5 hours, while
DC quick charging will get the battery to 80% SOC in 30 minutes. The charging
ports (CCS and Type 2) are neatly hidden, tucked away under the front MG
emblem.
Specifications for the Thai-market model
include a panoramic glass roof, auto lights and wipers (halogen projectors),
leather upholstery and powered front seats (six-way driver, four-way
passenger). There’s also keyless entry/push start ignition, an eight-inch
central touchscreen and colour multi-info display, PM 2.5 air filtration system
and the automaker’s I-SMART voice control system.
