New MG ZS EV, MG 4 electric wagon to launch this year - report

The electric MG ZS EV is in line for a major update later this year, with overseas reports suggesting the popular SUV will soon switch to the brand’s new-generation electric vehicle (EV) platform.

While previous reports have suggested the MG ZS EV would move away from its existing architecture – which is based on the petrol-powered version of the SUV, and isn’t optimised for battery power – UK publication Autocar reports the switch will occur before the end of 2024.

The outlet says the MG ZS EV – which entered production in China in 2018, a year after the petrol-powered MG ZS launched – will move to the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) that currently underpins the MG 4 hatchback.

In 2023, the MG ZS’s petrol and electric versions combined for 29,258 sales, though only 2794 of these came from the ZS EV, which was outsold by its newer MG 4 stablemate (3134 sales).

The publication also suggests the MSP-based MG 4 electric hatchback will spawn a longer wagon variant for the UK market, replacing the ageing electric MG 5 Estate.

It’s worth noting the MG 5 on sale in the UK and Europe is entirely different to what we know as the MG 5 in Australia. There, it is a rebadged Roewe i5, which launched in the Chinese market in 2017 before arriving in the UK from 2020 and receiving a facelift in 2022.

In Australia, the MG 5 is only sold as a sedan, with the Chinese brand offering no wagons to local buyers – with hatchbacks (such as the MG 3 and 4) and SUVs (ZS and HS) making up the lion’s share of its lineup.

According to Autocar, the MG 4 wagon – which it refers to as the new MG 5 Estate – would be largely based on the same electric vehicle (EV) platform as the hatchback, though it will likely grow in size and switch to a rear-mounted motor, rather than front-wheel drive layout of the current model.

The publication speculates an all-wheel drive, performance-focused version of the wagon could be on the cards – akin to the MG 4 XPower – though this is yet to be confirmed.

In January 2024, the MG 4 was the brand’s third best-selling model, behind the ZS and the soon-to-be-replaced MG3, but ahead of the ageing HS and the new MG 5 sedan.

MORE: Everything MG ZS MORE: Everything MG 4