Can You Imagine the MG ZS Going Rallying?

For those who think the 305-horsepower MG 6 is still too tame, well, how about this 450-horsepower MG ZS then?

Designed by MG XPower—MG’s very own racing subsidiary that was founded pre-SAIC days, the MG ZS XPower competes in the XRacing China rallycross series against the likes of Audi and Nissan.

An entrant in the “Super SUV” class, the MG ZS XPower uses a series regulated engine pumping out 450 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque. And though it looks like the refreshed MG ZS, the chassis too is series regulated, and thus uses independent suspension all-around. Fitted with all-wheel drive and a 6-speed sequential gearbox, it goes from 0-100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.

The “XPower” brand was created by the MG Rover Group in April 2001. The motorsports division was included in the sale to Nanjing Auto in 2006, eventually ending up with current owners SAIC in 2007. Currently, the MG XPower brand integrates all of the brand’s sport and racing activities.

The letter “X” is historically significant. The EX project number used by MG denotes “test” vehicle subjects. These include the EX257 (MG Lola Le Mans racer), EX258 (MG ZR rally car), EX259 (MG ZS BTCC race car), and more recently, the MG 6 XPower TCR and MG ZS XPower XRacing.

The MG ZS Gets a Substantial Refresh This 2020

MG Philippines’s surprising big hit (and landslide bestseller), the MG ZS just got a substantial refresh in its home market of China. For 2020, it gets a massaged exterior aesthetic, revamped interior, a pair of brand-new engines, and the company’s first crack at autonomous driving tech.

Exterior-wise, the 2020 MG ZS ditches the “Stardust” grille in favor of a sportier grille which MG now calls “Blackbird Matrix Grille.” The larger grille (it echoes the MG HS’s actually) means that the headlights have reshaped as well, and feature LED lighting technology with automatic high beams. At the back, the taillights, trunk lid, and bumpers have been massaged as well. A new color—first debuting on the EV version of the ZS—St. Moritz Blue is now available on the non-EV version as well.

Inside, the MG ZS has also seen substantial changes which includes full digital instrumentation, and a 10.1-inch floating infotainment system with 170 degrees of viewing angle (and a promise that it won’t wash out in direct sunlight). The trademark “I-MAX” panoramic sunroof with its 1.19 square-meter glass area also remains.

New this 2020 is the “Trophy” treatment. Denoting the brand’s sportiest trim, in the MG ZS, it adds blackened headlights, grille surround, side mirrors, an exclusive wheel design, red brake calipers, and of course, the Trophy badge by the C-pillars. Inside, the Trophy gets an all-black interior with red highlights and carbon fiber accents extending to the seats.

Under the hood, the 2020 MG ZS gets two new engines. The lower-end variants get a New 180DVVT engine with 118 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque. Mated to a CVT transmission, this engine is capable of up to 16.12 km/L. Meanwhile, the new Trophy swaps the normally-aspirated engine for a 1.3-liter turbocharged motor. In this guise, it does 162 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque and is paired with a 6-speed Aisin automatic.

The 2020 MG ZS also introduces the brand’s own set of autonomous driving tech and with that gets full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure correction, lane keep assist, front collision warning with automatic braking, and a 360-degree camera.

No word on when the refreshed MG ZS will be offered in the Philippine market. In China, it’s now on sale alongside the pre-facelifted ZS.

Two MG Models Score a 5-Star Euro NCAP Safety Rating

MG Motor has made an impressive feat in Europe as two of its vehicles were awarded with the highest possible safety rating by the European New Car Assessment Program or Euro NCAP.

The two vehicles to achieve the 5-star safety rating are the MG ZS EV—the all-electric version of the sub-compact MG ZS crossover, and the MG HS, the brand’s compact crossover and a platform-mate to the local RX5.

The current Euro NCAP tests are the most stringent ever, making MG’s achievement even more significant.

It’s worth noting too that the European MG ZS closely mirrors the spec of the top-line Philippine spec MG ZS Alpha model in that it contains 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, and stability control as standard; these alone would merit a 3-star rating.

However, for 2019, MG opted to add MG Pilot—a suite of driver aids that include Active Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Keep Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control—key factors for the ZS’s 5-star rating.

MG Celebrates First Year of UK Advanced Design Studio with One-of-a-Kind Art Car

The UK home of SAIC and MG design has celebrated its first anniversary and to commemorate the occasion, Advanced Design Director, Carl Gotham and his team, have partnered with UK-based artist DS_Art to create a one-off MG ZS art car which is now displayed at MG Motor UK’s London office.

Carl Gotham, Advanced Design Director, said: “Our first year at the London studio has been very exciting allowing us to be located right at the heart of one of the world’s foremost design-conscious cities. It has been extremely rewarding seeing our team grow over the past year and our collaboration with DS_Art to create this one-off MG ZS is a great highlight for all of us.”

DS_Art, added: “The life of a stencil artist is one of contradiction. The act of spray-painting is immediate and chaotic; yet the stencil is created painstakingly with absolute precision. A suitable medium for an artist whose art is full of contradiction. Over the past 12 months, I’ve created wall clocks, eight-story-high elevator art, chess sets, and now proud to add the MG ZS to my portfolio. I’m proud of the work we have done on this and I look forward to welcoming members of the public to the open studio on Thursday to see it.”

MG Philippines is Now Offering Its Top-of-the-Line ZS for Less Than P 920,000

The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive distributor of MG cars in the Philippines is offering its best-selling ZS crossover with either a low downpayment of just P 18,000 or a cash discount as much as P 80,000!

The offer which forms a part of their latest sales promotion, “Make It Great, Make It MG,” makes it affordable for anyone to own the British-bred brand with the iconic octagonal badge. The offer also extends to the MG 6 fastback and RX5 which nets would-be buyers with cash discounts of up to P 60,000 and P 40,000 respectively.

You can check the full promo below, but it’s worth noting that all MG models sold by TCCCI come with a 5-year / 100,000-kilometer warranty, free 1-year PMS service, access to the My MG mobile app, Mobile Garage service caravan (home service), and MG Hero Services (24/7 roadside support).

Currently, MG has 11 dealerships: MG BF Parañaque, MG EDSA Centris, MG Batangas, MG Carmona, MG Dasmariñas, MG Lipa, MG Sta. Rosa, MG Cebu Mandaue, MG Davao, MG Cabanatuan (sales office), and MG Iloilo (sales office). Seven more are on the rise as well: MG Alabang, MG Commonwealth, MG Quezon Avenue, MG Pampanga, MG Cabanatuan, MG Iloilo, and MG Tacloban.

Make It Great, Make It MG Promo

• 2019 MG ZS 1.5 MT Style – P 18,000 all-in lowdown or P 70,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG ZS 1.5 AT Style – P 25,000 all-in lowdown or P 70,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG ZS 1.5 AT Alpha Plus – P 48,000 all-in lowdown or P 70,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG ZS 1.5 AT Alpha – P 28,000 all-in lowdown or P 80,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG 6 1.5T Alpha – P 25,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG 6 1.5T Trophy – P 88,000 all-in lowdown or P 60,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG RX5 1.5T AT Style – P 58,000 all-in lowdown or P 60,000 cash discount
• 2019 MG RX5 1.5T AT Alpha – P 98,000 all-in lowdown or P 40,000 cash discount