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The all-new MG ZS Hybrid+ at Parklinks — PHOTO BY KAP MACEDA AGUILA

MG Motor Philippines officials pose with the all-new MG ZS Hybrid+. From left are Director of Bank Relations Jojo Victor, Vice-President for Operations Karl Magsuci, President Felix Jiang, and Director of Sales and Business Development Jun Cajayon. — PHOTO BY KAP MACEDA AGUILA

PHOTO BY KAP MACEDA AGUILA

SAIC Motor PHL hopes lightning strikes twice in the MG ZS

IT MAY BE a little hard to remember now, but try to recall before the days of the Chinese brand boom here. Though spoiled for choice, we had 25 or so less brands then than we do today.

The Chinese marque “glow-up” was still in its infancy, and its automotive aspirations were arguably best represented by Morris Garages (or more famously, MG). To be honest, The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), then the local steward of the brand, was consciously pushing MG’s British origins — leveraging on its history that stretched back to the 1920s. China’s biggest auto conglomerate, SAIC Motor, based in Shanghai, has owned the brand since 2007 — the year it acquired Nanjing Automobile Corp., the firm that had originally bought MG from the MG Rover Group.

Whatever the Philippine distributor did when it took the reins the brand beginning in 2018 obviously worked — particularly in the case of the crossover ZS, which became a posterchild for China-made vehicles. The once-derogatory “made in China” tag started to become a positive for many buyers — evidenced in the improved interest in vehicles coming from our neighbor to the north.

A package of good and focused styling, right pricing, and upmarket features saw the ZS not only do well but actually prop up the numbers for MG here. In 2021 alone, the MG Philippine dealership network sold 5,209 units — 4,000 of which were ZS units. Today, the cumulative total stands at more than 22,000.

“It disrupted the small SUV segment. Technology, space, fuel efficiency, utility, design, reliability, and British engineering were put into one single model. Partnered with almost unbelievable pricing, it was truly a game-changer and really paved the way for others to follow suit,” said SAIC Motor Philippines (SMP) President Felix Jiang in a speech during the model’s launch. In 2023, SMP assumed control of the MG brand.

Earlier in the year, Mr. Jiang revealed steady MG sales growth even through the TCCCI years. From 65 units sold in 2018 (the brand was relaunched in October that year), MG in the Philippines posted sales of 4,745 (2019), 3,518 (2020), 5,209 (2021), 8,768 (2022), 5,679 (2023), and 9,016 (2024).

Mr. Jiang isn’t shy about his aspirations for MG here, currently hovering in ninth position by sales among Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) member brands. He had declared that the company intends to crack the top five in three years, and get to third place by the end of the decade.

You can bet that one of the models SMP is banking on is, yes, the aforementioned MG ZS. The second-generation, all-new iteration of the model was recently launched in a big way in Makati City, and it’s pretty clear that MG is banking on similar value propositions that propelled ZS in the past.

It’s a vastly changed scene, of course. It’s an industry the ZS has, to a degree, caused to evolve, and now has to wage battle in.

SMP said that the all-new ZS “brings a stronger, sleeker, and more refined presence, infused with the latest in global design and engineering. With world-class details, intelligent hybrid technology, and future-ready features, this next-generation ZS is now more advanced than ever before.”

In terms of dimensions, the ZS longer at 4,430mm (+107mm), wider at 1,818mm (+9mm), and lower at 1,635mm (-18mm). It boasts a 2,610-mm wheelbase (+30mm), translating to a bigger cabin space — expressed in “enhanced legroom and improved cargo flexibility.” SMP added that “visibility has also been improved, with reduced blind spots for a more confident drive. In the second row, cabin space has noticeably increased — with +18mm in headroom, +23mm in elbow room, and +3mm in legroom — ensuring a more comfortable ride for rear passengers.”

Coming in four variants, the range-topping MG ZS Hybrid+ is the center of attention as it banners electrification for the first time in the model.

Described as the “most advanced ZS yet,” the Hybrid+ deploys a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine complemented by a 100-kW electric motor with a 1.83-kWh battery. Power output is 197ps.

Thoroughly revised in looks and features, the ZS receives a more contemporary skillset as well — particularly through MG Pilot, the brand’s suite of ADAS features. There’s adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane keep assist, and more. There are also eight intelligent drive modes.

Inside is an all-digital affair via a seven-inch instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. Seat and lumbar adjustments can be made electronically, and the ZS gets automatic single-zone climate control. For an enhanced sense of space, there’s a panoramic sunroof as well.

Here is the pricing of the MG ZS, with introductory pricing in parentheses, applicable until Aug. 31 this year: Hybrid+: P1,328,888 (P1,248,888), Sport: P1,198,888 (P1,148,888), Luxury: P1,088,888 (P1,048,888), and Comfort: P948,888 (P908,888).

Can the ZS once again figure heavily in the future of MG in the Philippines and allow the brand to realize its lofty goals? SMP certainly hopes so.