There are so many Chinese SUVs to choose from these days that it’s become hard to tell them apart, never mind choosing between them.
The average price South Africans spend on a new car is around R450 000, and it’s no surprise that competition around this price point is rife. Established models like the Toyota Corolla Cross, GWM Haval Jolion Pro and Chery Tiggo Cross’ presence in this space is huge. They not only compete for top honours in this segment, but also for the country’s overall best-selling passenger car.
Any manufacturer hoping to successfully challenge the established order in this segment needs to bring its A-game. That is exactly what Chinese-owned British moniker MG has done with the introduction of the ZS Pro towards the end of last year.
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MG ZS Pro a late addition
MG returned to the local market earlier last year with an SUV portfolio which included the medium-sized HS, and its ZS compact sibling. At the time, the latter was dated and already in the process of being replaced by the ZS Pro globally.
By the time MG South Africa did manage to get its first allocation of the ZS Pro, it was able to take a similar two-pronged route to its Chinese contemporaries. MG kept the ZS as the more affordable and compact option, as Chery does with the Tiggo 4 Pro and GWM with the Haval Jolion City.
The ZS Pro, on the other hand, serves as a step-up similar to the Cherry Tiggo Cross and Haval Jolion Pro. And it bridges the gap to the HS like the Tiggo Cross does below the Tiggo 7 and the Jolion Pro does below the H6.
Welcome to the long-term fleet
While The Citizen Motoring was impressed with the ZS Pro during its short launch drive in October around Lanseria, a quick fling like that isn’t always a very accurate indicator of whether a car is a keeper or not. MG therefore afforded us the opportunity to take the relationship one step further by giving us a ZS Pro as a house guest for three months. A flagship Luxury model which retails for R431 500 clad in York White paintwork.
Compared to its ZS sibling, it’s easy to see that the Pro is around seven years younger. In fact, the solid wide-frame grille and “Predator Eye” LED headlights closely resembled the attractive styling of the MG3 hatchback.
At the rear, you’d be forgiven for noticing a bit of BMW SUV styling in the mould of an X1 or older X3.
The MG ZS Pro Luxury also features silver roof rails, integrated indicator lamps on the body-colour side mirrors and rides 18-inch black and silver alloy wheels.
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Comfortable and spacious
Inside things get even better. Here you are greeted by a soft-touch dashboard, door trims with contrast stitching and perforated simulated leather seats, which combine to give the SUV a serious plush finish.
An impressive list of specifications includes dual 12.3-inch displays, an electronic parking brake, rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, electric driver seat adjustment with lumbar support, heated front seats, and a panoramic electric sunroof with curtains.
Head and leg room in the rear is very generous, with the light projected through the panoramic doing an excellent job of making the cabin look roomier than it actually is. Our daily school runs are yet to challenge the 443 litres on offer in the boot.
The flagship MG ZS Pro comes with six airbags, electronic stability program, hill-hold control, tyre pressure monitoring system, and MG Pilot advanced driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and a 360-degree camera.
Lots of power
One of the Pro’s best features lies under the bonnet. Here, the turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 125kW of power and 275Nm of torque. A CVT sends the twist to the front wheels. It is not very often that we get to say this, but this CVT does a superb job. It was chalk and cheese compared to the CVT in the MG3 hatchback we had in test over December.
Where the MG3’s CVT tended to constantly drone in search of more power, the ZS Pro’s generous power and torque result in minimal droning, making the ride supersmooth.
After almost 1 000km our fuel consumption is averaging 9.7 litres per 100km. It is well above the claim of 6.9L/100km, but still not as terrible as we’ve taken very few open road trips.
MG ZS Pro not perfect
While our daily life experiences in the MG ZS Pro have not diminished our opinion of the SUV, there are just a few small things we’re not too fond of. One is the MG Pilot’s Speed Limit warning. You can switch it off, but it comes on again every time you start the car. This function predetermines the speed limit on every road. While it might not be that obtrusive on the highway, it can get very irritating in a 60km zone.
The other thing is that the cup holder in the centre console, although divided to give the impression that two adult-sized cups will fit, never holds two adult-sized cups. Once you move the divider to hold one cup, only one front occupant has the luxury of not having to hold onto a hot cup by hand.
Overall, the MG ZS Pro has done an excellent job of what it sets out to do: moving people between home, work and school in comfort. We look forward to many more happy miles.
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