MG ZS - Interior, design and technology

MG has tried to make the interior of the ZS feel premium, but there are one or two telltale signs that it isn’t as well put together as some other rivals.

What is the MG ZS like inside?

Up front, the cabin looks fairly smart. There’s even some inspiration that seems to be borrowed from the most exotic of places; those individual air vents sitting at the top of the dashboard have more than a hint of Lamborghini Huracan about them.

That’s as far as the Italian supercar comparisons go, however, because the remainder of the cabin appears conventional in an inoffensive way. Beneath the large, 12.3-inch central touchscreen sits a row of physical keys, but these don’t include a full set of climate controls; with the exception of buttons for the front and rear heated windows, the rest of the functions must be adjusted on the touchscreen itself.

The steering wheel is slightly flattened on both its upper and lower edges and feels great to hold, while the gear selector takes the form of a wide, flat lever that’s reminiscent of the throttle on a large aircraft. Ahead of it is a space to hold a smartphone, and the glovebox is generously sized.

Parts of the cabin design don’t feel all that well thought out. The silver trim on the leading edge of the centre console and steering wheel can be distractingly reflective, and on one occasion we caught our finger between the gearlever and the recess it sits within when selecting reverse. Be assured, though, you’re only likely to do this once given how much it hurts.

What is the interior quality like?

At a first glance, the ZS’s cabin has a slightly premium feel to it, with leather-effect stitching and soft plastics covering the top of the dashboard. However, it doesn’t take long to discover that the impression is created by a fairly thin coating on top of a budget car. 

The lid for the centre armrest feels like it’s barely held in place, and the hinge is loose and a bit floppy. One of our test cars also had a glovebox that didn’t fit properly, while the fake leather upholstery doesn’t feel very convincing.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

All versions of the ZS come with a digital driver’s display as standard. A portion of the display shows a digital image of the car in graphics reminiscent of a PlayStation 3 driving game, but it also presents plenty of information, including speed, efficiency, drive modes and other trip information. Unusually for a hybrid, there’s even a rev counter. 

While some rival models feature physical climate controls, the ZS is immediately limited by a system that forces the driver to make adjustments to the heat and fan speed on the 12.3-inch touchscreen. This forces you away from whatever page was previously loaded just to achieve a comfortable temperature – particularly irritating if the page in question is a map screen that’s being used for navigation.

It’s a shame, because the screen has a high resolution (as does the feed from the parking cameras) and the layout is neat and logical. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wired rather than wireless, but the hook-up is easy and it fills the whole screen – a positive and a negative, because you’ll need to hit the home button on the physical shortcut control bar to access things such as the climate control.