2021 MG ZS EV coming before year's end

Australia’s cheapest electric SUV will touch down before the end of 2020.

The 2021 MG ZS EV is on track to arrive in November or December this year, with 262km of electric range from its 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Power comes from a front-mounted electric motor with 105kW and 353Nm.

MG Motor offered the first 100 examples at $46,990 drive-away, making the ZS EV one of the cheapest electric vehicles in Australia alongside the Hyundai Ioniq Electric Elite.

The cheapest electric SUV in Australia is the Hyundai Kona Electric Elite, which starts at $60,470 before on-road costs.

The ZS EV slots into a busy small SUV line-up for MG. The ZS on which it’s based has recently been given a price cut to make room for the heavily-updated ZST.

Following the pure-electric ZS EV will be a plug-in hybrid version of the larger HS SUV.

With a claimed electric range of 75km, the e-HS has the on-paper credentials to put the upcoming plug-in hybrid Ford Escape (50km) and Mitsubishi Outlander (50km) in the shade.

How the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV set for reveal next year will compare isn’t clear, but a longer electric range than the current 50km is likely.

The e-HS is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 90kW electric motor and a 16.6kWh lithium-ion battery.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission, with no all-wheel drive option available.

CarExpert understands MG Australia is hoping to have the e-HS here in the first half of next year, but timing hasn’t been confirmed.

MG claims a combined 217kW of power and 480Nm of torque from the hybrid powertrain, although the hybrid is heavier than internal-combustion models by 200kg.