MG Motor Australia has confirmed that the Long Range variant of the MG ZS EV small electric SUV will be launched locally in March, with the first batch already on its way to Australia. Local pricing is yet to be revealed, however, based on UK pricing it will likely carry a premium of around $4,000 over the standard range ZS EV. It’s also unknown if there will be two 72.6kWh ZS EV variants like the standard range car.
Peter Ciao, the CEO of MG Motor Australia said he’s excited to expand the ZS EV model offering with a longer range.
“We listened to our customer’s feedback and have fast tracked the arrival of our new ZS EV with a larger 72kWh battery pack and 440km of range to Australia. This provides more peace of mind in terms of minimising range anxiety and matches our pursuit of driving electric vehicles further.”
Under the body of the new MG ZS EV model is a larger 72.6kWh battery pack, which is larger than the 50kWh battery pack in the standard range car. According to the WLTP cycle, the 72.6kWh MG ZS EV is capable of travelling 440km on a charge – that’s up from the 320km range of the standard range car.
The electric motor in the new ZS EV variant makes slightly less power at 115kW – versus the standard range car’s 130kW – for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.2 seconds. Its efficiency is rated at 17.8kWh/100km, versus the slightly lighter standard car’s 17.3kWh/100km rating.
Pricing for the new ZS EV variant is currently unknown, but we’re expecting a premium of between $4-5,000 based on UK pricing. That would make the extended range ZS EV start from around $48,990 plus on-road costs.
After the launch of the new MG ZS EV model, the company will focus on the new rear-wheel drive MG4 electric hatchback, which is due in Australia in July. The MG4 is particularly important for MG Motor Australia because it uses a fresh platform and will likely undercut the ZS EV on price. Both the extended range ZS EV and the MG4 will make their Australian debuts at the Fully Charged electric car show in Sydney, which takes place on March 11th and 12th, 2023.
The first batch of extended range MG ZS EVs will land in Australia in March, with local pricing and specifications to be announced before then. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
Leave a Reply