MG confirms ZS EV Long Range for New Zealand

Monday, 13 March 2023

The MG ZS EV is getting a new Long Range version with up to 440km of range.

MG will be bringing the ZS EV Long Range to New Zealand, confirming the news late last week during the Australasian debut of the also-inbound MG4 at the Fully Charged EV show in Sydney.

The Long Range version of the ZS EV gets a larger 72kWh battery for a WLTP-rated range of 440km per charge, up from the current 320km rating.

The Long Range shares its specification with the top-rung Essence.

Strangely, the Long Range takes a power cut, going from 130kW in the standard model to 115kW. Torque remains the same at 280Nm. That translates to a slightly slower 0-100kph time of 8.5 seconds compared to 8.2 seconds.

The larger battery also means total charging time goes up from 54 minutes when plugged into a 50kW charger to 63, or from five hours on an 11kW home charger to eight hours.

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Everything else between the two models is the same, with the Long Range basing its specifications on the better-equipped Essence version.

That means it gets fake leather seats with electric adjustability and heating on the fronts, a wireless phone charger, electric wing mirrors, a panoramic glass roof, roof rails, and rear privacy glass (exclusive to the Long Range).

“We are thrilled to be able to offer the Long Range to existing and aspiring MG customers,” said Mr Bourke.

“It joins the country’s most attainably priced new full battery electric vehicle, the ZS EV, as part of the MG portfolio and is another reason why people should consider a MG when making the switch to emissions-free motoring.”

MG has priced the Long Range at $64,990 plus on-roads, meaning it still gets the full $8625 Clean Car rebate.

That price puts it right up against the $62,490 BYD Atto 3 Extended, which uses a 60kWh battery pack for a claimed 420km of driving range and a stronger motor with 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque.