FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2021 MG ZS EV

How big is the boot of the 2021 MG ZS EV?

The boot of the 2021 MG ZS EV will hold nine shopping bags, which is the same as the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, Nissan Leaf+ and Hyundai Kona EV which all hold nine shopping bags too. The Kia Niro PHEV will hold ten shopping bags.

The boot floor in the MG ZS EV drops down about 10cm, which is really helpful when putting prams and kids bikes in 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. No bags fit around it but there is room to put them on top of it.

The tandem modular pram fits with two shopping bags beside it.

The single pram fits with two shopping bags beside it.

The compact stroller fits in the boot of the MG ZS EV with six shopping bags beside it.

The boot floor of the 2021 MG ZS EV is nice and flat and carpeted which is perfect for an emergency nappy change or carrying your small or medium-size family pet dog! There is a netted indent on either side behind the wheel arches which are great as little storage for things you don't want moving about in the boot.

How good is storage in the 2021 MG ZS EV?

Storage in the front of the 2021 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.

In front, there is a phone charging tray and underneath a second phone shelf with 12V and USB sockets.

The glove box is a good size to hold my iPad and wallet with the manual and there is a glasses case in the ceiling.

The front door bins are quite 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 and a shelf in the back of the central console for a phone with USB socket there too.

There are no rear cup holders, which our family did miss during out time with the MG ZS EV.

The door bins in the back are smaller than in the front but will still hold a large refillable water bottle and they have storage handle wells too.

How noisy is the 2021 MG ZS EV?

The 2021 MG ZS EV has a lovely quiet start being fully electric, I was also able to customise a lot of the beeps and alarms within the media system, which made for quite a peaceful drive with kids!

The media system is quite simple and relatively easy to use.

It has navigation built-in as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

I found the lane keep assist too sensitive when I drove it on a motorway you can control the driver assistance through the media screen and turn this off, which is great.

The reversing camera image is very milky and I found this (and the slow-responding touch screen) was the biggest let down with the MG ZS EV for me.

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.

The indicators are nice and quiet in the 2021 MG ZS EV and would not disturb a sleeping passenger.

Its doors and windows are quiet to open and close too. The windows can be locked from the driver's door control panel…

…and on the doors by the driver's handle.

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 in the drivers display screen so you know if anyone removes their seatbelt.

How many child seats fit on the 2021 MG ZS EV?

There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats of the 2021 MG ZS EV, they are not within plastic guides but are clearly labelled and easy to connect to.

There are three top tether anchorages across the back of the rear seatbacks. They are nice and easy to connect to through the boot and clearly labelled but not within plastic guides.

I was able to fit three Infasecure child seats in the back of the 2021 MG ZS EV. The Infasecure Optima and Serene fit nicely either forward or rear-facing with the Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster. You can learn more about the child seats used in this review here.

Legroom is surprisingly good in the MG ZS EV. With rear-facing child seats installed in the both rear outer seats, there is enough for a 186cm passenger and a 180cm driver in front of them.

Posting Bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car is really nice and easy in the 2021 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 are upholstered with plain black pleather, which will be easy for cleaning.

How comfortable is the new 2021 MG ZS EV? And How good is the 2021 MG ZS EV to drive?

In the front of the 2021 MG ZS EV I tested with my family, the dash is clear and clean and the seats are nice and comfortable.

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.

There is only a small hump in the footwell in the middle that was comfy to rest your feet on or to straddle. The rear seats are comfortable to travel in and because there are no rear cup holders in the central seat back rest 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 fully adjustable in/out and 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 central ones and one round vent at either end.

There are no rear air vents in the back of the central console box so passengers in the back can struggle with the temperature because of the heat from the sun roof too on sunny days.

You control the aircon with a simple panel on the dash.

There are vanity mirrors in the front visors and a glasses case in the ceiling.

There are handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers.

Visibility for the driver is affected by having three child seats in the back and the rear camera image is very milky so I found I relied on the side mirrors a lot when parking 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.

The 2021 MG ZS EV is a good all round, affordable electric car for a family of four and there is room for that third child seat in the back if needed too. It is spacious enough for everyone to fit and legroom is great for the adults in the front too.

The 2021 MG ZS EV is great value for money with good boot space, legroom and rear-seat space too for kids and child seats. The 263km range is good too and plenty for the weekly life of school drop offs, commutes and playdates! The delay in the media system and reversing camera let it down but it definitely makes a practical and affordable nippy fully electric family car.

How safe is the 2021 MG ZS EV?

In 2017 the MG ZS EV scored a 4 star ANCAP safety rating, so it has not had child occupancy crash testing done.

When it comes to safety features the 2021 MG ZS EV 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.

As standard, all cars come with adaptive cruise control (ACC), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) including; Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), automatic headlights, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring (BSM), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), lane support system (LSS), daytime running lights (DRL), hill launch assist, reversing collision avoidance, speed assistance – manual speed limiting, speed assistance – speed sign recognition & warning and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

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!