William Stopford
MG going EV-only by 2027, MG 3 replacement coming - report
MG will launch replacements for the MG 3 and ZS by the end of 2024, plus a refreshed HS and the new Cyberster.
3 Years Ago
About the MG ZST
Last updated Sep 26, 2025Rather than give its ZS SUV a mid-life update, MG decided to turn it into a new model. The ZST has a new look, a more upmarket interior, and a full suite of active safety assists.
CarExpert Rating
Good
Read the 2022 MG ZST reviewThis rating has been converted from our previous rating system. Read about our new review ratings.
Pros
- Attractive, roomy cabin
- Punchy engine
- Solid value for money
Cons
- Four-star ANCAP rating
- Interior technology needs some work
- Driver assist features need finessing
Comparative Rating
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Power to Weight
63.73 - 87.06 kW/t
57.37 kW/t
142.31 kW/t
Boot Space
359 litres
85 litres
591 litres
Fuel Efficiency
6.9 - 7.3 L/100km
1.3 L/100km
9.7 L/100km
Vehicle Range
616 - 696 km
455 km
1,184 km
Price
$24,990 - $32,490
$19,490
$84,915
Warranty (Years)
7 years
5 years
10 years
Warranty (Distance)
Unlimited
100,000 km
Unlimited
Years on Sale
4 years
2 years
6 years
Service Interval
12 months
12 months
24 months
Towing & Off-Road Capability
Gross Vehicle Weight
1,750 kg
1,330 kg
2,470 kg
Braked Towing Capacity
500 kg
300 kg
2,000 kg
Ground Clearance Unladen
154 mm
154 mm
225 mm
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MG ZST News
2022 MG ZST Price
Core
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $24,990 |
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $25,490 |
Vibe
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $26,990 |
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $27,490 |
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $26,490 |
Excite
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 1.3L, 6-speed auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $29,490 |
| 1.3L, 6-speed auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $30,490 |
Essence
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 1.3L, 6-speed auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $32,490 |
| 1.3L, 6-speed auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | $30,490 |
*excl. on-roads
All MG ZST Pricing
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2022 MG ZST Boot Space
Boot space is 359L with the rear seats upright, and 1187L with them folded flat.
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2022 MG ZST Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the MG ZST
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50
2022 MG ZST Exterior
The ZST rides on 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, but the Vibe and higher in the range get a more upmarket two-tone design.
Moving from the ZST Vibe to the Excite gets you black trim in place of the silver used on lower-end models, along with red brake calipers and black mirror caps.
All models have LED headlights and tail lights.
2022 MG ZST Interior
Open the door and you’re greeted with an attractive, contemporary cabin. Soft-touch materials cover the top half of the dash, with patterned leatherette upholstery spanning the dashboard and doors. We especially like the soft-touch dash top which, with its stitching, looks leather-wrapped.
Build quality isn’t faultless. The glove compartment lid slams open clumsily, while a slight rattle could be heard from the panoramic sunroof at times. But otherwise, everything seems screwed together quite well.
We loved the front seats. They’re easily some of the thickest, cushiest front seats you’ll find in a small SUV today and proved to be both comfortable and supportive.
The back seat is comfortable, too. There’s more than enough headroom for someone around 180cm tall, despite the panoramic sunroof – it’s more spacious, for example, than a Mitsubishi ASX.
Likewise, legroom is comfortable even for taller passengers and the front seatbacks are covered in leather and pack pockets. The door pockets can fit a 600mL bottle and there are two USB-A outlets located at the base of the centre console though unfortunately there are no air vents. Instead, there’s a little cubby.
Other cabin storage includes a tray at the base of the centre stack that’s large enough for most phones, plus a decent-sized centre console bin and large door pockets in the front doors. The cupholders are poor, though – you’d be lucky to fit one drink in them, let alone two. While we’re griping, the vanity mirrors don’t have lights.
As expected, there are two ISOFIX and three top-tether points for child seats in the second row.
Where the MG fumbles is in its in-car technology, though.
Take the digital instrument cluster. It looks attractive but it’s a case of style over substance. The speedometer and tachometer are so heavily stylised it can be hard to read.
The numerical readout for the speedometer is also located to the far left instead of in the middle of the cluster, as is more common, while the fuel level is a bit hard to read at a glance. There’s unfortunately no option to change the display design like other vehicles with digital instrument clusters.
The infotainment system is also superficially attractive but more frustrating once you start to use it. Take the home screen, for example. It’s colourful but even when set to the minimum brightness, it’s just too bright at night.
Some functions, like Android Auto, are also buried in the footer and relegated to the second page.
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2022 MG ZST Safety Rating
The ZST retains the same safety rating as the related ZS.
The ZS received ratings of Good and Acceptable for whiplash and pedestrian protection respectively, plus a frontal offset score of 10.46 out of 16.
In addition to its suite of active safety technology, the ZST also features front, front-side and curtain airbags for a total of six.
The autonomous emergency braking works at speeds of between 4 and 85km/h for stationary vehicles, 4 and 150km/h for moving vehicles, and 4 and 64km/h for pedestrians.
2022 MG ZST Fuel Economy
Claimed fuel economy for the 2021 MG ZST is 6.9L/100km on the combined cycle in the Core and Vibe and 7.1L/100km in the Excite and Essence.
The naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engines in Core and Vibe can run on 91RON, while the turbocharged 1.3-litre engines in the Excite and Essence require 95RON as a minimum.
| MG ZST | Fuel Type | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5L, variable sp auto, 5-door SUV, Petrol, FWD | Premium Unleaded | 6.9 L/100km |
Cost of ownership
What are the running and servicing costs of a MG ZST?
The ZST is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with seven years of roadside assist.
Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. Five years of servicing in the 1.5-litre costs $1505, while the 1.3-litre costs $1566.
MG ZST 1.5L servicing costs:
- $250 - 12 months / 10,000km
- $292 - 24 months / 20,000km
- $300 - 36 months / 30,000km
- $413 - 48 months / 40,000km
- $250 - 60 months / 50,000km
- $342 - 72 months / 60,000km
- $250 - 84 months / 70,000km
MG ZST 1.3L servicing costs:
- $253 - 12 months / 10,000km
- $295 - 24 months / 20,000km
- $304 - 36 months / 30,000km
- $461 - 48 months / 40,000km
- $253 - 60 months / 50,000km
- $345 - 72 months / 60,000km
- $253 - 84 months / 70,000km
How does the 2022 MG ZST drive?
Our expert take on MG ZST drivability.
There’s a bit of hesitation off the line as the turbocharger spools up. Once rolling, though, the ZST’s turbo triple is punchy and the automatic’s shifts are smooth.
The ZST’s engine even has a sporty, raspy engine note under heavy acceleration. Ease off the accelerator, however, and the ZST is impressively hushed. Even at highway speeds, the ZST has a pleasantly quiet cabin for a small SUV.
The electrically-assisted steering is overly light in its standard setting but in Dynamic mode it has a confidence-inspiring amount of weight. We just left it in Dynamic.
Handling is perfectly acceptable for a small SUV. It’s not overly sporty in feel and there’s some body roll in corners but it doesn’t feel too tippy, while the Michelin tyres give the ZST good grip. It’s entirely predictable and a pleasant companion.
Likewise, ride quality is decent for the class. Large expansion joints and potholes can upset the torsion-beam rear a bit but otherwise it smooths out bumps and ruts well.
Other than the turbo lag, about the only disappointing aspect of the ZST’s driving experience is a rather spongy brake pedal.
The panoramic sunroof developed a rattle that appeared sporadically, and when it did it proved especially noisy over poorly-surfaced roads.
The lane-keeping assist needs some finessing. It makes the steering wheel feel loose and disconnected yet it almost aggressively tugs at the wheel to keep you in a lane. It also deactivates at speeds below 60km/h which, in urban traffic, means it’s constantly dinging.
While we could turn off audible alerts for the lane-departure warning, there didn’t appear to be an option for the lane-keeping assist, though we could reduce alert frequencies. After enduring a cacophony of chimes, not to mention visual messages saying “lane-keeping assist quit”, we eventually just turned the feature off.
The adaptive cruise control is controlled via a stalk. You’ll want to take a moment before getting out on the road to look at the stalk and figure out how it works as it’s hidden by the steering wheel when you’re driving in a straight line.
Rather than press a steering wheel button to adjust the vehicle distance, for example, you twist the stalk. That’s not something that’s immediately clear when you’re new to the ZST and it’s something we needed to do as the default setting is overly trepidatious.
2022 MG ZST Colours
What colours are available for the MG ZST
The MG ZST is available in five colours:
- Brighton Blue (metallic)
- Diamond Red (metallic)
- Sloane Silver (metallic)
- York White
- Pebble Black
2022 MG ZST Warranty
Should you buy the 2022 MG ZST
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
The MG ZST is a genuinely likeable small SUV, and you don’t need to add the “for a Chinese car” caveat. It has a punchy engine, a well-finished interior and a sharp price. It does most things well and, with a little more finessing, it could pose a serious threat to the established order.
It's worth taking for a test drive if you're after lots of features for a little price.
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MG ZST FAQs
The cheapest MG ZST is the Core that starts from $24,990.
The most expensive MG ZST is the Essence that starts from $32,490.
The best towing capacity of a MG ZST is 500 kg offered by the following variants: Core, Vibe, Excite and Essence.
The largest MG ZST is the Core which measures 1809mm wide, 4323mm in length and sits 1653mm tall.
The most powerful MG ZST is the Excite which has 115kW of power from its 1.3L Turbo Petrol Direct Injection engine.
The MG ZST is built in China and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest MG ZST is the Core which weighs 1750 kg (kerb weight).
The MG ZST uses Premium Unleaded.