2021 MG ZST Essence: owner review

We bought the car with the idea that it was going to be my partner’s car. Her preference was a small car, something comfortable and with all the technology aids possible so to help her get around. We started looking for a car suited for city driving, something around the size of a Hyundai i30. During the search process we stumbled across the MG ZST and decided to take it for a test drive. She immediately fell in love with the car and the idea of having a small SUV. We were ultimately swayed by the fact that it was packed with a lot more technology and comfort that any other car at the same price point. Due to many circumstances including how difficult the market is at the moment, we haven’t been able to get a second car yet and I have ended up using the car all this time for myself. I have already put 35,000km on it.

I don’t consider myself into SUVs. I find some of them to be unreasonably oversized vehicles that don’t differentiate too much from a sedan or a regular hatchback. Nevertheless, the ZST does sit in a good place size wise. It is tall enough to give you an advantageous view position on the road, but at the same time not so big as to make driving around tight places like shopping centre carparks, inner city streets and general traffic difficult. The car looks modern, stylish and elegant. The front and rear illumination is more than sufficient and adds a point of style at night time.

Inside, the car cabin is also very well presented. I dare say it looks like you get more than what you pay for, given that some of the other small SUVs brands require you pay at least 10K more to get the same amount of equipment. The digital displays are very functional, the 360 degrees camera is extremely useful and, the main console still keeps some physical buttons for basic functions like volume, AC fan speed and AC temperature. This helps a lot when you are driving on the highway so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. Another cool feature is the heated front seats, something that has been super convenient during this last cold winter. There is plenty of cabin space for the driver and passengers, suggesting you could comfortably carry 4 adults on long trips and take 5 during short trips without much discomfort. The boot is large and offers two different floor setups, you can lift or drop the floor board depending on your load needs.

There isn’t much I don’t like about this car, but being picky I can point out that the wheels sit inward of the body. Some of the mate black trims on the outside are starting to fade, and some of the interior piano black plastics already have scratches. Additionally, the centre console display software tends to lag and reset spontaneously. There have been a couple of times when all the warning lights on the dashboard have come on for no reason when I turn the car on but this is easily solved by resetting the car to its factory settings. Lastly, there is some noise intrusion into the cabin when driving on the motorway.

I can be critical of the car driving as I am always expecting sport performance of any car, but the purpose of a car like this is to take you in a safe and comfortable manner to your destination and the ZST does deliver on that. It is surprisingly fuel economic too, I have been able to achieve 4.8 lts per 100k.

The car does offer a very smooth driving experience that is complemented by all the electronic aids at hand. The little 3 cylinders turbo engine can give you a sufficient punch for overtaking and little bit of spirited driving on some windy roads though you will have to cope with the amount of body roll it gives back as the suspension and steering are configured for comfort so the body doesn’t sit flat all the time. Some drivers may not feel confident over bumps and bends if they are pushing the car too much. The transmission does serve well to the engine and the gear changes are almost unnoticeable. My only complaint about the transmission is that the sport gear might not be as sport as expected. In fact, there isn’t much difference from the normal drive gear.

So far, we haven’t had any mechanical problem with the vehicle. It has been in for 3 regular services with the dealer. Nothing unexpected has been seen or detected but you can have peace of mind with the 7 years warranty. Talking about practicality, I could say is probably the most relevant feature of this car for me. I have given it all the possible uses. It has been my commuter, I have taken it to road trips, have it loaded with a lot of stuff during my last house move and carry my bike every weekend when I go for training. It has done all that without any complaints.

I would say that the car can make use of a wider track and meatier tires. That would help the car sit better on bumps and reduce some road noise that gets through the cabin at highway speeds. Also, add some weight to the steering so to improve the feeling on bends. Moreover, add wireless apple car play.

I definitely recommend this car for those who are looking for an affordable vehicle but need something with enough space and size.

Owner: Julien Jimenez Cardenas