2020 MG ZS: Price cuts announced for compact SUV

MG has slashed the price of its Mazda CX-3 rival, the ZS.

The introduction of the new ZST – a heavily facelifted version of the ZS with more safety equipment – doesn’t spell the end for the ZS, which will carry on for at least 12 months as a cheaper entry point to the MG SUV range.

The entry-level ZS Excite is being offered at $21,990 drive-away, compared to its previous $23,490 drive-away sticker.

Moving to the ZS Excite Plus bumps the price to $23,990 drive-away (previously $24,990 drive-away), while the Essence is now $26,490 drive-away (previously $27,490 drive-away).

The range-topping Anfield maintains its $26,990 drive-away price tag.

Although it’s significantly cheaper than the ZST, the ZS misses out on safety equipment such as autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring.

It also misses the 1.3-litre turbocharged engine from the ZST. Where the engine in the ZST pumps out 115kW of power and 230Nm of torque, the most powerful option in the cheaper ZS is a 1.0-litre turbo with 82kW and 160Nm.

The ZS is the second-best-selling MG model in Australia behind the city-sized MG 3 hatchback.

A total of 2031 have been sold to date in 2020, hot on the heels of the Suzuki Vitara, but well behind the best-selling Mitsubishi ASX (7847).