New MG ZS EV successor officially unveiled ahead of UK launch in 2025
MG has finally unveiled the successor to its ZS EV: it looks nothing like the new MG ZS that was launched just a few months ago, but that’s because this is an all-new, all-electric small SUV that is based on the award-winning MG4 hatchback.
These official pictures come from MG’s Chinese social media channels and website, where the EV has been revealed as the MG ES5. It’s not been confirmed whether that’s the name the car will use when it’s launched in the UK next year, but UK product boss David Allison has told us that it will not be called the ZS EV.
There’s a very clear family resemblance with the MG4, as well as the MG Cyberster electric roadster, even though the front end isn’t quite as sharp on the SUV, and its headlights are much slimmer. There’s also black plastic cladding on the wheelarches and side, plus a set of roof rails to give more of an SUV look.
The new SUV’s interior looks more minimalist and features much larger screens than the new ZS or MG4. There’s a huge touchscreen on the dashboard, plus another sizeable display behind the familiar, slightly squared-off steering wheel. There aren’t as many physical shortcut buttons as other MG models offer either, but there is a small row on the central console, along with a wireless charging pad and cup-holders.
MG’s new electric SUV measures 4,476mm long and has a wheelbase of 2,730mm – 162mm and 149mm longer, respectively, than the outgoing ZS EV. At 1,849mm wide and 1,621mm tall, the new model is also wider and lower than the car it replaces.
Allison revealed to Auto Express he’s hoping to give the new compact electric SUV a starting price under £30,000. For comparison, potential rivals like the Kia EV3 and Volvo EX30 run from nearer to £33k, while the Hyundai Kona Electric is priced from just under £35k.
But we’re still some way off pricing being confirmed, with Allison saying: “Inevitably by the time we get to it, there's probably going to be two or three other cars that have come out at the same time, maybe from some brands that don't even exist in this market right now because it's ever changing, isn't it? So we've just got to keep a very close eye on who's doing what, how they're doing it and look to where we can see some opportunities.”
We already know the new electric SUV sits on the same Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) as the MG4, and should therefore be available with an identical selection of battery/motor combinations to its sibling. That means the longest-range version should do more than 300 miles on a single charge, and most models will use a single electric motor to drive the rear wheels, but there’s potential for all-wheel-drive variants too.
MG mid-size electric SUV also coming in 2025
MG’s UK product boss also confirmed to Auto Express that the same MSP platform used for the successor to the ZS EV will serve as the underpinnings for a larger, mid-size electric SUV as well. Both cars are currently undergoing testing at Longbridge in the West Midlands, he told us.
The brand’s second, currently nameless electric SUV will also go on sale in the UK in 2025. In effect, it’s a replacement for the MG Marvel R that was sold in Europe, but never came to British showrooms.
Allison told us: “For people who are looking for a bigger EV, certainly bigger than the ZS EV replacement, I suppose this would be the next natural step up and it would be the biggest one that we do.” We expect it to rival EVs like the Skoda Enyaq, Renault Scenic and forthcoming Kia EV5.
