Its no secret that Chinese-owned British heritage brand MG Motor India has been evaluating the MG ZS in the Indian market. For the uninitiated, the MG ZS is the internal combustion engine-powered mid-size SUV that is retailed in the European market. MG could be planning to bring the MG ZS Petrol (‘Petrol’ – used to avoid confusion) to the Indian market which will be positioned in the hotly contested mid-SUV segment with rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Petrol, Nissan Kicks etc.
The MG ZS Petrol has been spotted driving on public roads not too far from MG’s production facility in Halol, Gujarat leading us to believe that the vehicle could be entering into the final stages of road testing. The spied model which is still under camouflage covers, reveals subtle details of the car which also leads us to believe that the spied model is in fact the facelift version that was unveiled earlier in the UK.
The keen-eyed would also notice that the exhaust muffler is seen on the left-hand side of the vehicle peeking out just below the rear apron. The bumper design with the faux air vents and the faux exhaust tips are from the facelift model that was revealed earlier. The new facelift MG ZS will also help distinguish itself from the zero-emission 100% electric ‘MG ZS EV’ sold in the Indian market.
While the interiors of the vehicle have not been spied yet, speculations are that the MG ZS will come with all the bells and whistles to lock horns with the rivals. The model sold in the UK features a carbon-fibre textured dashboard fascia, satin silver and chrome trim, toggle style hotkeys, multifunction steering wheel, fully digital instruments cluster, a centrally mounted infotainment system with smartphone connectivity features, leatherette upholstery etc.
The MG ZS is expected to come with two engine iterations – a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 106 PS of power and 141 Nm of torque and another 1.0-litre T-GDI three-cylinder gasoline direct-injection engine that makes 111 PS of power and 160 Nm of torque. Both powertrains are expected to come with Manual and Automatic Transmission options.
The MG ZS is expected to make its debut in the first half of 2021.