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.
2024 MG ZS EV
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.
UK-market electric MG 5 Estate
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
