MG Motor has laid down the gauntlet to its competitors in the Australian new electric vehicle market with a driveaway price of $43,990 for the new ZS EV compact SUV.
The brand says it wants to set a new affordability benchmark for electric vehicles in a bid to make them a mainstream choice for all new car buyers, by eliminating the premium up-front purchase price associated with the segment.
“By removing the affordability barrier, we are seeking to fast track EV adoption in Australia and New Zealand,” MG Motor Australia and New Zealand chief executive officer Peter Ciao says.
“This is just the beginning of our next chapter. We are making a commitment that each electric vehicle sold by MG locally will offer value that encourages mainstream adoption.
“MG wants to make zero-emission motoring add up for the first time for customers locally. An attainable electric vehicle is the first step in creating demand in market which will lead to better infrastructure, something that MG Motor is a proud champion of.
“Our retail network is also excited to be part of a movement that seeks to make EVs a mainstream choice,” Ciao says.
The MG ZS EV is backed with an 8-year 160,000-kilometre battery warranty, a 5-year unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty and 5-year roadside assist package.
MG Motor says the ZS EV is built for urban environments and has undergone rigorous local testing in both Australia and New Zealand.
Its parent company, SAIC Motor, is one of only a handful of car manufacturers to own its EV supply chain. In 2019, that expertise resulted in the production of more than 185,000 electric vehicles, making it one of the top five EV producers globally by volume.
MG Motor now brings this experience to the local market.
Fitted with a 44.5-kilowatt battery, the MG ZS EV has a range of 263 kilometres on the WLTP combined cycle. The power delivery on the MG ZS EV enables it to reach 0 to 60 kilometres per hour in 3.1 seconds. From urban commutes to country road trips, customers can choose between Eco, Normal and Sport modes, allowing the car to fully adapt to their driving needs..
The MG ZS EV comes equipped with a standard CCS2 socket located behind the grille. This socket handles everything from a household socket to the quickest 350-kilowatt DC supercharger. This means that plugged into a wall socket at home the MG ZS EV will be charged overnight, while on a supercharger it would take just 45 minutes to reach 80%.
It also comes with MG Pilot, a full suite of driver safety technologies which include Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Collison Warning, Emergency Braking, Speed Assist and Lane Departure warnings plus others.
The same stands true with the safety record for the MG ZS EV, which has already achieved a 5-Star Euro NCAP safety rating. This is thanks to battery safety measures; the driver assistance features in MG Pilot and the high strength cabin and torsional rigidity of the MG ZS chassis design.
Battery safety was a critical consideration to MG Motor and it says the 44.5-kilowatt battery is built to the highest quality and safety standards.
Independently certified, the battery is shielded by high-strength steel enabling it to withstand fire, submersion, impact, dust, pressure and salt spray.
The MG ZS EV also includes as standard an 8” colour touchscreen, integrated Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, six-speaker surround sound audio, satellite navigation, keyless entry and the Panoramic Stargazer Sunroof.
It also has plenty of interior space and features 60/40 split-folding rear seats and a maximum trunk space of 1,166 litres.
Test drives of the new ZS EV compact SUV will be available from the end of the month at every authorised MG dealer in Australia
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