In pursuit of better fuel consumption figures and lower exhaust emissions (CO2 ratings) overall, the motor industry has turned its back on a sometime North American remit of ‘there ain’t no substitute for cubic capacity’. While most of them are eminently unrelated, a commonality of 1.0-litre displacement, spread across three cylinders, has been adopted.
While such a small capacity engine could be described as being ideal for city cars, notably in non-turbocharged forms, of which there is a good mix available, factoring-in an exhaust-driven turbocharger, has resulted in a most satisfying blend of potency, with the potential to meet fuel economy demands, as well as markedly lower pollution targets. After all, as the British government knows only too well, not meeting EU-stated air pollution requirements results in hefty fines, for which British tax-payers do pay their unfair share.
Yet, I used to have an understandable resistance to this type of downsizing. My concerns ranged from the relative inefficiencies that can arise from power-to-weight ratios; the smaller the engine, the harder it must work to maintain the performance levels established by a larger power unit. In addition, if such an engine were being pushed hard to deliver an expected level of performance, I was worried that it would soon reveal unreliability issues…valves would burn-out, piston-rings would fail and, even though nothing broke, its long-term durability would be in question.
With millions of these 1.0-litre units powering every class of car from city to medium-size saloon, as well as an array of SUVs, over the past decade, there have been virtually zero issues reported and the reality is that they are proving to be disproportionately more dependable than their larger-engined variants. My worst fears have been allayed and I even run, as my own private transport, a popular one-litre turbocharged hatchback model that is proving to be a total delight to live with.
MG is a sometime British car brand revitalised by the Chinese car manufacturer, SAIC. In the fall-out that occurred following the demise of BLMC, after Jaguar had been sold to Ford and most of the Rover brands to BMW, Nanjing Automobile Group made a successful bid in 2007 to acquire the historically important MG brand. Nanjing was subsumed into the greater SAIC by 2008. The early final production of MG models, from Complete Knock-Down kits (CKD), was completed at Longbridge, Birmingham, although all models are now produced solely in China.
While the 3 hatchback and 6 family models have enjoyed modest sales success in the UK, with SUV demands being at a constantly high level, the latest ZS is definitely a new era for MG and since its late-2017 introduction, it has been responsible for more than doubling the company’s UK sales. Interestingly, in a range that commences at a bargain basement £12,495 (not including your FCD discount) with the Explore trim level, Excite and Exclusive complete the line-up.
However, there are two engine options, both petrol and without a diesel alternative, a 1.5-litre 4-pot mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, or a 1.0-litre triple, the subject of this report, that drives through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Only two trim options are available with the latter drivetrain: Excite and Exclusive, priced at £15,995 and £17,495 respectively (not including your FCD discount). It is worth highlighting that, in typical SUV form, all ZSs are front-wheel-drive only.
Having mentioned the important performance levels, the 1.0-litre develops a moderate 109bhp, while the 1.5-litre non-turbo engine is a more modest 104bhp. Intriguingly and especially useful for buyers that possess caravans, or trailers, the 1.0-litre produces a practical 118lbs ft of torque, or pulling power, from a lowly 1,800 to 4,700rpm. By contrast, the 1.5-litre engine needs to be revved harder, with its maximum torque figure of 104lbs ft peaking at 4,500rpm.
Naturally, the automatic gearbox does result in slightly less acceleration against the clock (0-60mph in a still zesty 12.1s), although its top speed is given as 112mph, some 3mph better than the 1.5-litre. However, buyers benefit from a cost-effective 10E insurance group rating. The Official Combined fuel return is stated at 44.9mpg, with a CO2 rating of 144g/km. Road tax in the first year is £200 but it reverts to the standard £140 fee thereafter.
Refinement levels are impressive and the offbeat ‘thrum’ normally associated with three-cylinder engines is completely absent, even under hard acceleration. In a mix of driving conditions, I obtained an equally impressive 45.3mpg (on the car’s on-board computer read-out). Thanks to a reactive accelerator pedal, the transmission kicks-down speedily and smoothly to ensure lively performance across the rev-range. There is nothing uncouth about the ZS’s delivery and it runs on two-star unleaded to aid its low costs offering.
With an overall length of just over 4.3m, a width of 1.8m and a height (to the roof rails) of 1.636m, the cabin is among the most spacious in the ZS’s class. An equally tall passenger can sit behind a two-metres tall driver in the split-folding rear bench and the outwards visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent. The leathercloth seats are comfortable and accommodating, with a wide range of adjustability of both steering column and driver’s seat. Tipping the scales at just 1,239kgs, the fully-laden MG ZS is markedly lighter than its dimensions suggest, a factor that aids its performance envelope, its excellent dynamic handling and its frugality.
The driver is confronted by a soft-touch dashboard moulding that contains a matched pair of dials for speed and engine revs, the fuel gauge, with other readouts visible in the digital display panel between them. A colourful touch-screen is in the centre of the dashboard, with heating/ventilation controls below. All of the controls and switchgear are within easy reach and are both logical and intuitive to use.
