The 2023 MG ZS EV Â is the most affordably priced, fully electric, five-seater family SUV on the market in Australia at the moment starting at $42,990 and going up to $48,990 for the top-spec Essence model.
With the latest update, the 2023 MG ZS EV has a new, longer battery range of 320km making it practical for many urban and suburban families. With this in mind let's put it through our family testing and see how it goes as a BabyDrive.
The MG ZS EV is a nippy and zippy little car to drive. It has a tiny turning circle and so is easy to park and manoeuvre in tight supermarket and school car parks, which made our everyday driving; school drop-offs, commutes and shops nice and easy.
I found its new 320km battery range to be a practical distance for our family, with our weekly routine of drop-offs, commutes, play days and outings. We had to charge it once a week at the shopping centre but also found it easy enough to just plug it at home where we were using the solar to charge it up which felt pretty good!
Not only does charging with solar feel good but you also have all the great benefits for your family driving an EV. Like driving your kids to school or to sleep, or sitting (silently) with the AC running while they sleep in the back without churning through fuel and pumping exhaust fumes into the air breathed by everyone nearby. Which is even more of a feel-good factor.
Comparing the battery range to other EVs, the Nissan Leaf+ is the closest at 270km while the more expensive Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro do around 470km. The range is shown on the driver's display screen, like a fuel gauge, so you know your distance remaining before needing to recharge the batteries.
When it comes to family practicality, the MG ZS EV is well thought-out for a small SUV. We found it surprisingly accommodated our family of four very comfortably.
With two child seats in the back then you have plenty of space for all passengers and you can fit a third child seat in if you need to.
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats…
… and top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seat backs.
Legroom is good inside the MG ZS EV, with rear-facing child seats in the two outer rear seats we can fit a 186cm front passenger and 170cm driver. Or with forward-facing child seats a 186cm driver will easily fit.
Boot space is generous in the MG ZS EV for a family of four too.
The boot floor can drop down around 10cm giving a much deeper storage space, including more depth if you want to take a small or medium size family dog to ride in the boot.
This gives ample room for a twin side-by-side or double pram to fit for families with two young children.
Or you can fit a compact stroller in the boot with six shopping bags.
When it comes to storage inside the cabin, rear passengers get a good size rear door bin and storage well in the handle.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad, as well as USB and USB-C sockets on the back of the central console box for charging devices while travelling along. There are no cup holders in the back for rear passengers. There are aircon vents in the back of the central console box too which is great news for rear passengers, so they can be kept comfortable while travelling along.
In the front, there are two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. Behind them is a small central console box and in front of them a wireless phone charging tray and USB, USB-C and 12V sockets.
The glove box is a good size in the MG ZS EV and will hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.
Door bins in the front are also practical with room for an iPad and water bottle and storage wells in the handles…
… and there is a lined glasses case in the ceiling.
When it comes to driving the MG ZS EV, it is a nippy little electric car and I LOVE the silence! However, I have found you can feel the road bumps quite a lot so you need to drive accordingly with little passengers on board. With the previous model, on motorways, I found the lane keep assist caused the car to bounce around in the lane from one white line to the other in a pinball effect, and I am pleased to say this has been fixed and it is no longer the case in this new model.
There is a good seatbelt removal visual on the driver's display screen so you know instantly if a rear passenger takes their seatbelt off.
The media system in the 2023 MG ZS EV has had quite an update. It is now nice and modern and easy to navigate and use.
Some of my favourite menus within the system include the EV Screen, where I can keep an eye on my battery range and all things charging.
The camera screen gives you a really good 360-degree view around the car which is fantastic for an EV of this price.
The air-conditioning and climate are mainly controlled through the media screen and I found this difficult to use and manage while driving.
The MG ZS EV has both wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is excellent for safely accessing your phone's messaging, navigation and listening apps on the move.
When you select reverse the camera images are very clear and you have 360-degree view.
Also when you indicate you have side camera images in the media screen which are excellent for ensuring you are a good distance from the kerbs.
For our family of four, the 2023 MG ZS EV makes a very practical and affordable little five-seater electric SUV and BabyDrive. Hubby is 186cm and I'm 162cm and it fits us both happily in the front with our seven- and two-year-olds in the back with surprisingly good and comfortable legroom and boot space. It makes a great, affordable car for your everyday school runs and commute drives.
The new 2023 MG ZS EV has not been tested by ANCAP but the pre-update version had a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has six airbags as standard.
The boot floor in the MG ZS EV drops down about 10cm, from this high-up position…
… to this lower position. Which is really helpful when putting prams and kids' bikes in the boot. There are also netted areas on both sides of the boot behind the wheel arches which are good for storing things you don't want to roll around the boot.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Kid’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin stroller fits in the boot of the MG ZS EV with no room for bags to fit around it but there is room to put them on top of it when you lower the boot floor.
The tandem modular pram fits in the boot with the floor in the lower position.
The single pram fits with two shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 MG ZS EV with six shopping bags beside it.
The boot floor of the 2023 MG ZS EVÂ is nice and flat and carpeted which is perfect for an emergency nappy change or carrying your small or medium-sized family pet dog!
How good is storage in the 2023 MG ZS EV?
Storage in the front of the 2023 MG ZS EV is really good. There are two cup holders in the central console, that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.
Behind them is a small central console box and in front is a wireless phone charging tray with 12V and USB and USB-C sockets.
The glove box is a good size to hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.
In the ceiling, there is a lined glasses case (great given so few cars have them these days).
The front door bins are a good size, they will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad and there are storage wells in the handles too.
In the back, there are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad. In the back of the central console box are USB and USB-C sockets for charging.
There are no rear cup holders or central rear armrest in the new 2023 MG ZS EV, which our family did miss during our time with the car.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2023 MG ZS EV?
The 2023 MG ZS EV has a lovely quiet start and drive, being fully electric.
The EV screen made it easy to keep track of optimising your battery range and charging.
The media system has been updated and modernised which made it nice and easy to navigate and use.
It has navigation built-in as well as wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is fantastic for accessing your communications, navigation, music and podcast apps on the move.
The air-conditioning is the loudest thing about the MG ZS EV and I found I had to turn it up quite high to combat the Queensland sun. The AC is mainly controlled through the media screen which I found difficult to use while driving along.
When reversing the camera image is extremely good and you have 360-degree views which along with the small turning circle makes parking and manoeuvring very easy in the 2023 MG ZS EV.
The indicators are nice and quiet in the 2023 MG ZS EV and would not disturb a sleeping passenger. The 2023 MG ZS EV also has indicator cameras, the image comes up in the media screen.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
Its doors and windows are quiet to open and close and the windows can be locked from the driver's door control panel.
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!! SO this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
There is a seatbelt removal visual for all the seats on the driver's display screen so you know if anyone in the back removes their seatbelt.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit on the 2023 MG ZS EV?
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats of the 2023 MG ZS EV, they are not within plastic guides but are clearly labelled and once you peel the surrounding fabric back away from them, they are easy to connect to.
There are three top tether anchorages across the back of the rear seatbacks. They are easy to access through the boot and clearly labelled but not within plastic guides. I found them easier to connect to when the boot floor is in its lowered position.
Legroom is surprisingly good in the MG ZS EV. With rear-facing child seats installed in both rear outer seats, there is enough for a 186cm passenger and a 1760cm driver in front of them.
Or we could fit a forward-facing child seat behind a 186cm driver.
Posting Bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car is really nice and easy in the 2023 MG ZS EV. It is easy from inside because the ceiling is high enough and the doorways are big enough that they give you plenty of room for posting Bub in from outside. There is room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
The seats of the 2023 MG ZS EV are upholstered with plain black pleather, which is easy to clean, however we did find it got extremely hot in the sun and we needed to leave a towel on the seats.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the new 2023 MG ZS EV? And How good is the 2023 MG ZS EV to drive?
In the front of the 2023 MG ZS EV I tested with my family, the seats are nice and comfortable in the front and back and the dash is minimal and clutter-free.
The headrests are not adjustable in all directions so I couldn't wear a ponytail!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable and I could just squeeze between two child seats if they were positioned at the edge of the rear seats and I'm 162cm.
There is only a small hump in the rear footwell in the middle that is comfortable to rest your feet on or to straddle when sitting in the rear central seat. Â The rear seats are comfortable to travel in and because there are no rear cup holders in the central seat backrest it is more comfortable than in other cars.
For the first year of my daughters lives when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel was adjustable up/down. The cruise controls are on the right side of the steering wheel, they are nice and easy to use.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two horizontal central ones and one round vent at either end.
There are rear air vents in the back of the central console box so passengers in the back will stay nice and comfortable while travelling no matter the weather.
You control the aircon through the media screen, which I find difficult to control while driving along.
There are vanity mirrors in both the front visors and a lined glasses case in the ceiling. Yay!
There are handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers.
Rear visibility is affected by having three child seats in the back of the MG ZS EV and using the 360-degree camera really helps when parking and manoeuvring etc.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the MG ZS EV was fine to park as it is quite small and the turning circle is good and the cameras are excellent.
The 2023 MG ZS EV is a fantastic, affordable electric car for families. It is perfect for a family of four and there is room for that third passenger or child seat in the back if needed too. It is comfortable and spacious enough for everyone to fit and legroom is very generous for the adults in the front both tall and small.
The 2023 MG ZS EV is great value for money. The new 320km battery range makes it a practical option for families for the weekly routine school drop-offs, commutes and playdates! It has good boot space, generous legroom and ample rear-seat space too for kids and child seats. The few niggly disappointments of the previous model have been fixed which now definitely makes it the most affordable, practical and nippy fully electric car for families.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2023 MG ZS EV?
This new model MG ZS EV has not been ANCAP crash-tested yet. It differs in shape from the previous model which scored five-star ANCAP rating.
When it comes to safety features the 2023 MG ZS EVÂ has six airbags; there is dual frontal and side chest and side head airbags for driver and front passenger and side head airbags for 2nd rows passengers.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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1 Comment
Thanks for these fantastic reviews! I’m 185cm (my wife is much more compact :)), we have a three year old and we’re expecting twins soon. A lot of cars seem to have room for a 180cm driver with a rear facing seat – does this mean a taller driver might be ok, just a bit cramped? And in this review, it states a 170cm driver can fit in front of a rear facing seat, whereas in your carsales article, it states 180cm. Is there a typo? We are trying to find an ev or a sedan, rather than a large petrol or diesel suv. Would love your insights.
Thanks for these fantastic reviews! I’m 185cm (my wife is much more compact :)), we have a three year old and we’re expecting twins soon. A lot of cars seem to have room for a 180cm driver with a rear facing seat – does this mean a taller driver might be ok, just a bit cramped? And in this review, it states a 170cm driver can fit in front of a rear facing seat, whereas in your carsales article, it states 180cm. Is there a typo? We are trying to find an ev or a sedan, rather than a large petrol or diesel suv. Would love your insights.