MG ZS Owner’s Guide (2017–present)
The MG ZS is two different cars wearing one name. The first generation (2017–2024) uses a 1.5L or 1.0T petrol engine with a 4-speed auto or manual; the second generation (late 2024 onwards) is larger — 4,430 mm long on a 2,610 mm wheelbase — and adds a 158 kW Hybrid+ powertrain. Which one you own, and which market it was sold in, changes every number that matters: service data, fuel tank size, even your warranty length. This guide keeps them separate so you don’t have to guess.
Looking for the electric version? It has its own guide: MG ZS EV →
Generations at a glance
| Generation | Years | Powertrains | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZS (first generation) | 2017–2024* | 1.5L petrol, 1.0T petrol | Sold as ZST in Australia from 2021 (higher spec). *Still sold new in South Africa into 2026. |
| ZS EV (first generation) | 2019–2024 | Electric: 44.5 kWh, later 51.1 / 72.6 kWh | Discontinued — no second-generation ZS EV was made; its successor is the separate MGS5 EV. |
| ZS (second generation) | 2024–present | 1.5L petrol, 1.5T petrol, 1.5L Hybrid+ | Unveiled August 2024; Australia from November 2024, UK and other markets following. |
Generation history cross-checked: official MG market sites (AU, UK) × Wikipedia model history. ZS EV discontinuation confirmed by both.
Second generation (2024–present): key specifications
| 1.5L Petrol | 1.5T Petrol | Hybrid+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1,495 cc, 81 kW / 140 Nm | 1,496 cc, 125 kW / 275 Nm | 1,498 cc engine (75 kW) + 100 kW motor |
| Combined output | — | — | 158 kW / 465 Nm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT (8 simulated ratios) | 3-speed hybrid transmission |
| Hybrid battery | — | — | 1.83 kWh NCM |
| Fuel tank | 55 L | 55 L | 41 L |
| 0–100 km/h | — | — | 8.7 s |
OEM-verified: read from the MG ZS Owner’s Manual (UK, 2025 edition) and the MG ZS specification brochure (Australia, MY26). Both are published by MG, so where they agree they corroborate our reading across two markets rather than adding an independent check of it — which is why these figures carry the label our verification ladder gives an official primary document standing on its own, not the two-source rule. One row in the table carries a gap we would rather name than leave for you to find: the 158 kW / 465 Nm combined output rests on an official MG UK page — the same declared exception, an official primary document standing on its own — and that page is live, with no archived copy in our hands. If MG rewrites it, we cannot show you what it said on the day we read it. Keeping our own copies is a working practice of ours, not part of the two-source rule or its declared exception, so the gap does not lower the figures; it stays open until we have archived that page. UK-market figures may differ in detail.
Dimensions & weights (second generation)
| Length / width / height | 4,430 / 1,818 / 1,635 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,610 mm |
| Kerb weight (by variant) | 1,295–1,420 kg |
| Towing (braked / unbraked / towball) | 500 / 500 / 50 kg |
OEM-verified: read from the MG ZS Owner’s Manual (UK, 2025 edition) — Technical Data: Dimensions, from p. 346, and Weights, from p. 348 — and the MG ZS specification brochure (Australia, MY26). Both are published by MG, so the same limit applies here as under the key-specifications table earlier on this page: where they agree they corroborate our reading rather than adding an independent check of it. Length and height are printed in both documents. Width and wheelbase rest on the UK manual alone — the case our verification ladder allows, an official primary document standing on its own. The kerb-weight span is the Australian variant figures, each of which also appears in the UK manual’s list; the towing figures are in both. The boot volumes — seats up and seats folded — are absent from this table on purpose: we printed Australian figures here until 28 August 2026 and withdrew them that day. They came from MG material alone — the Australian brochure and MG’s Australian site, one publisher — and the UK manual we hold prints no luggage capacity in any form; its printed Technical Data index on p. 345 lists nine sections and a luggage section is not one of them. Our own record still marks the figures unverified, and the one route that could have raised them — the UK manual — is closed. That is what separates this from the combined-output row earlier on this page, which stays where it is: there our record marks the figures verified and the only thing missing is our own archived copy of the source; here the record itself marks the figures unverified. If we come to hold a document from a publisher other than MG that prints a luggage capacity, the row can come back.
Warranty differs by market — check yours
| Market | New-car warranty |
|---|---|
| Australia | 10 years / 250,000 km |
| South Africa — registrations on or after 01/05/2026 | Whole vehicle: 5 years / 150,000 km. Power/Traction Battery Warranty Only: 7 years / 200,000 km for EV/HEV/PHEV models. Each ends when its time or distance limit is reached, whichever occurs first. The current page does not resolve earlier registrations or publish the full terms it says dealers hold. |
| Middle East | 6 years / 200,000 km |
Australia and the Middle East remain as stated on their official MG sites in August 2026. The South Africa row reflects MG South Africa’s current warranty page for registrations on or after 01/05/2026; that page leaves earlier registrations and the full dealer-held terms unresolved. Warranty terms change — always confirm the terms for your vehicle with your local distributor.
In this guide
Oil Type, Capacity & Fluids (2024–present) →
Oil & Fluids — First Generation 2017–2024 →
Service Schedule & Costs — Australia vs UK →
Common Problems by Year — Recalls & Owner Reports →
Running Costs — Servicing, Fuel & Warranty →
Oil Filter Cross-Reference (2017–2024 1.5) →
MG Recalls Tracker — AU & UK, updated weekly →
Coming next
Parts cross-references for the ZS are in preparation — each will be published after sign-off by our technical reviewer, as our editorial policy requires.