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The cheapest hybrid version of the all-new MG ZS small SUV costs $12,000 more than the base grade of its petrol predecessor – but more affordable non-hybrid models are on the way.
The most affordable version of the new 2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ will cost $12,000 – or 60 per cent – more than the cheapest version of the outgoing non-hybrid, petrol model.
MG Australia will initially offer the first new-generation ZS in seven years with hybrid power only, available in two model grades priced from $33,990 drive-away – rising to $36,990 drive-away for the flagship model.
More affordable non-hybrid, petrol-only versions are due early next year – with non-turbo or turbo power – which may return the asking price below $30,000 drive-away.
But a larger body, all-new chassis and new technology are likely to keep even the cheapest variants of the new SUV dearer than their predecessors, which starts from just $20,990 drive-away for the petrol ZS Excite.
The better-equipped ZST – which adds critical advanced safety technology absent on the base ZS Excite, some of which will soon become illegal to sell a new vehicle in Australia without – ranges from $24,990 to $29,990 drive-away.
The price of the ZS Hybrid+ is in line with the GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid – which ranges from $32,990 to $38,990 drive-away, before special offers – and is within distance of a Toyota Corolla Cross or Hyundai Kona Hybrid (about $40,000 drive-away in NSW).
MG executives argue comparing the new ZS to the old model is not "apples to apples", telling Australian media the latest version is all new and "the only thing that's the same in the new one and the old one is just the name."
Powering the MG ZS Hybrid+ is the same technology as the latest MG 3 city hatch, with which it shares its underpinnings – claimed to be all new, with a longer and wider body said to unlock more interior space, and an 84-litre larger boot (443L).
It combines a 75kW/128Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 100kW/250Nm electric motor, 1.83kWh battery pack, and a three-speed 'hybrid transmission'.
MG claims combined outputs of 158kW and 465Nm – up from 155kW in the MG 3, despite using largely the same components as the hatch.
Fuel consumption is rated at 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres in mixed driving – compared to 4.3L/100km quoted for a Corolla Cross Hybrid – and a 0-100km/h acceleration claim of 8.7 seconds.
The new ZS measures 4430mm long, 1818mm wide and 1635mm tall, on a 2610mm wheelbase – 107mm longer overall, 9mm wider, 18mm lower and 25mm longer in wheelbase than the outgoing model.
Standard equipment in the Excite includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7.0-inch instrument display, climate control, fabric seats, a 360-degree camera, and suite of safety technology.
The Essence adds 18-inch alloys, heated seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, leather-look upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and other extras.
The 2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ is due in showrooms this month, ahead of pure petrol versions between January and March next year, and the successor to the ZS EV – the ES5, as it is marketed in its native market – by the end of June.
2025 MG ZS price in Australia
2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite standard features:
2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Essence adds (over Excite):
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
