[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Updates from the ZS EV launch livestream:

...
[*]The MG ZS EV electric SUV is faster than its only competitor - the Hyundai Kona electric. The ZS can do a sprint from 0 to 100kmph in 8.5 seconds. The Kona, in comparison, takes over 9 seconds to do the same. The MG ZS EV has been tested for over 1 lakh km in India.

..
[*]The Sunroof covers 90 percent of the roof on the ZS EV.

...
[*]The upcoming MG ZS EV electric SUV will be launched in India in the month of January 2020. The vehicle is expected to be launched at an expected price of close to Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom).

I was part of the event team that did the launch. More specifically I was managing the vehicles. I've spent a lot of time in the cars over that last few days and I'm very positive of the car doing well..

The package as a whole is very nice. They've taken the best bits from a lot of other brands, Mazda, Mercedes, Jaguar, and VW. Driving wise the 100% torque at 0 rpm is an amazing thing. It'll be a boon in city traffic. The steering is a bit too light, but weighs up at speed. Handling is decent thanks to the low centre of gravity. The car reaches 100 in an instant. And of course, the instant response from the throttle.

PS: I drove one of the cars onto the stage for the unveiling yesterday.

[sweetvar26]

MG Motor India has unveiled its second product, the ZS EV, in the Indian market. The all-electric SUV is based on the popular MG ZS that is sold abroad; however, the company will only sell the EV variant in India. The MG ZS EV is a 4314mm long five-seat SUV that is aimed squarely at the Hyundai Kona EV.

The electric SUV comes with an electric motor which puts out 143hp/353Nm, enough to complete 0-100kph in a claimed 8.5 seconds. The motor will draw power from a 44.5kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, delivering a claimed range of 340km. The battery pack will feature a sophisticated management system and an IP-67 rating, meaning its water-resistant upto 1 metre. The EV also gets three driving modes and three levels of regenerative braking.

The ZS EV will reach from 0 to 80 percent battery capacity within 50 minutes via a 50 kW DC fast charger, while a 7.4 kW AC home charger, which MG will setup at owners’ homes or offices, will take around 6 - 8 hours for a full charge. MG India will provide an on-board cable with the ZS EV that can be plugged into a wall socket. The carmaker is also setting up a DC fast charging network at select MG showrooms, with plans to expand the network to dealerships even in satellite cities.

MG revealed that the ZS will come with an updated version of the Hector’s infotainment system dubbed, iSmart EV 2.0. It comes with an embedded SIM card for internet connectivity and also has the ability to connect to an external home Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot. The iSmart EV 2.0 features real-time maps with charging station locator from TomTom, music from Gaana app and weather by Accuweather. The updated system also gets a new graphic interface and improved hardware over the Hector’s iSmart system.

To further its green quotient, the ZS EV has a CO2 saver feature which displays the amount of carbon-dioxide the owners are saving in real-time. It also comes equipped with an inbuilt PM 2.5 air filter in the cabin.

The ZS EV will be initially sold only in five cities – namely Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Production for the MG ZS EV will start later this month at the brand’s Halol plant in Gujarat.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...-launch-415164

MG Motor India has officially unveiled the ZS EV all-electric SUV in the country at the DriEV conference in Delhi, ahead of its launch slated for early January. The production-spec ZS EV is nearly identical in specifications and features to the prototype that OVERDRIVE drove recently at MG's plant in Halol, Gujarat, where the CKD (completely knocked down) ZS EV will be assembled. You can read/watch our first drive review of the MG ZS EV here.

Coming to what has changed between when we drove the prototype to production, the ZS EV now comes with an embedded SIM, similar to that in the MG Hector, to allow for onboard internet connectivity. The infotainment system is an updated version of what the Hector has, and is called iSmart EV V2.0, with new graphics and upgraded hardware. Also included is a PM2.5 air filter and the ability to connect to an external WiFi network or mobile hotspot.

The ZS EV is still powered by a 143PS/350Nm electric motor driving the front wheels, drawing power from a 44.5kWh liquid-cooled battery pack. Official driving range for the ZS EV stands at 340km per full charge, with five recharge options for customers. Apart from the onboard charger that juices up the ZS EV from zero in between 6-8 hours, MG will also set up a 50W fast charger network with partner Fortum in five cities across India to begin with, apart from offering 'charge on the go' access to customers without access to a charger while on the road

http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/p...nuary-15-2020/

That was sooner than I expected.

The brochure is already up on their website, uploading it here.

https://www.mgmotor.co.in/

[speedmiester]

Had a quick look at MG ZS EV today and a very very short crawl just inside the service centre premises.
Few quick observations:
1. Size wise it is comparable to Creta.
2. On the front, fog lamps are missing even in the top variant. Headlamps are halogen projectors while DRL is LED.
3. The charging port felt plasticiky and flimsy to touch. Needs to be very careful to avoid any front fender benders.
4. Boot is quite spacious, spare wheel is a space saver.
5. Comes with a 2.2 KW portable charger and a 7.5KW AC wall charger. Installation will be taken care by MG and it's partners. AC wall charger is compatible with Hyundai Kona.
6. The demo car was shod with Michelin Primacy tyres. Sales executive mentioned the cars sold will be shod with either Goodyear or Continental tyres.
7. On the inside, panaromic roof is an
highlight.
8. Getting into a comfortable position is easy with powered seats for driver. Steering misses on reach only tilt. A glaring omission there.
9. Top of the dashboard has soft touch finish. Feels a bit premium.
10. Gear selection is through a circular dial with park mode on top of the dial.
11. Instrument cluster has two analogue dial which feels out of place in an EV as the charge, power and boost indicators are on an analogue dial.
12. ICE is much better than the one on Hector.
13. Car moves forward without hesitation once the foot is off the brake. Bonnet is visible in most seating position. I am 5.8"
14. In the rear, a major disappointment as the seating is set quite low with very little under thigh support for avg height people.
15. No rear arm rest and rear AC vents are another miss. But all rear seats get 3 point seat belts which is very good.
16. Unofficial bookings have started with 50K
17. Delivery will start only by March due to high demand for Hector.

I couldn't stay long to take pics as I had an important meeting to attend.

[XRoader_001]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

What I loved about MG's approach is the seriousness with which they're focusing on EV infrastructure.

They're providing fast chargers at their dealerships, installing a home charger for people, planning to install chargers across India ( they're pushing others to do the same as well) and providing a facility of charging vans to charge on the go / provide roadside assistance if you're the battery is dead.

And their target isn't a paltry 40-50 cars a month, they plan to sell 3k cars a year, which is ambitious.

They have a game plan and they've got a head start.

So, true MG isn't waiting for govt to get the Ev infrastructure set while they are taking it upon themselves. Currently, MG India has 120 touchpoints across 50 Indian cities (up to June 2019) and on the contrary manufacturer with 50% market share and with sales network which is more than 2,940 showrooms covering more than 1,860 towns want first govt to incentivize and set an Ev infrastructure frankly. I am extremely disappointed with approach MSIL India has taken. Yes we have seem the electric Wagon R being tested in India & Maruti's battery plant at Hansalpur will be commissioned by 2020 it seems MSIL India will be concentrating more on Hybrids rather than Evs initially, with Toyota they can create hybrid vehicles for the mass market. Currently, they are busy with BS6 shift which 70% of their vehicles are done with of course petrol fuel only.

MG India knows it will be tough to fight some of the established players in the Indian market so why not play to their strength as Mr Rajeev Chaba president and managing director, MG India pointed out that after Tesla, MG is the only manufacturer currently producing lithium-ion batteries, with announcement that MG will showcase more Evs at the auto expo 2020 makes it evident that MG India is taking a head start in Indian Ev space. Tata motors and Msil India also have invested for a lithium-ion battery plant each.

While the onus is on the manufacturers to offer Evs to Indian car buyers and let customers take it from there it seems most manufacturers are taking Tata Tigor or Mahindra eVerito as customer response benchmarks to Ev cars in India. In my opinion, both Tigor and eVerito have done great injustice to Evs in India. 2020-21 will be year of Evs being niche vehicles hopefully by 2021-22 there will be mass Evs in india and that’s where these manufactures need to rise to the challenge. And to sell 2-3k Zs Ev in India it needs to be priced between ₹ 17-20 Lakh beyond that it will be a niche statement only.

[sgiitk]

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[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

You can request the Electricity suppliers to increase the sanctioned load. Many customers of Kona have already got this done from Bescom in Bangalore. Also there is a different pricing for EV charging at least in Bangalore.

Increase of sanctioned load can be done only on 3 phase supply(upto 12KW, beyond which a transformer is needed at the premises). For single phase it is fixed at 3KW.

[mayjay]

This is great. Range if replicated in real world conditions will be more than sufficient for doing the office commute in a clean and green fashion.

Looks are reasonable and if the price can be near about 20-22 lakhs, will make a compelling alternative to the likes of Seltos.

A premium of 3-4 lakhs for electric credentials and low running costs will be acceptable. Let’s see if MG can price it well.

[GTO]

Thanks to a Team-BHP Fan (who prefers to stay anonymous) for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

My impressions after spending some time with the MG ZS EV:

- The interior fit and finish is nice. I didn't find any cheap spots or poor finishes as such.

- The build quality is properly heavy. The doors, boot, and hood have a lot of heft. Sound Insulation is just fantastic.

- The creep function needs slight toning down. It's pretty quick off the line and I can imagine it being an issue in crowded places.

- No need to wait for the car to warm up or cool down. Really nice for someone like me who likes to baby the car till it is up to temperature. Just need to warm the brakes and you're good to go.

- KERS has 3 levels and is set on the highest by default. I didn't experiment with that much.

- There are 3 driving modes. Eco blunts the fun completely, N is a good mix, and S is brilliant. You can smoke tyres easily. The claimed 0 to 100 is 8.5 seconds and after driving it in S mode, I don't doubt it.

- Infotainment takes a bit of getting used to. Didn't have a chance to listen to the audio but the operation is smooth and it doesn't lag. The default screen also displays the battery % and range available along with the options for navigation, radio, and car settings amongst other things.

- A/C is effective and easy to use but the settings only show up on the display for a few seconds after you have adjusted them. The PM 2.5 filter makes a very noticeable difference in air quality.

- No fog lamps in any trim

- The flap for the charging seems flimsy. Highly doubtful that it will last the life of the car.

- Hood release mechanism is awkward to use.

- No auto dimming IRVM in a feature laden car.

- Keyless entry and go is not as seamless as it should be. The car sometimes is finicky about detecting the key. Also, you need to really press the brake pedal hard when you need to start the car. Further, you can start the car and leave with the key and keep driving.

- Steering may be a bit too light for the enthusiasts. Although it does weigh up a bit when you go fast.

- Space saver spare wheel

[coolkurt]

Looks like MG could have another winner on their hands, provided they price it right and significantly undercuts the Kona.

MG shouldn't let the success of the Hector go to its head and understand that Hyundai is a well established and reliable brand and to benchmark it against the Kona will be akin to committing hara kiri.

The interior has a lot of Volkswagen influence, owing to their tie-up for parts manufacturing in China, which makes it look like an upgrade to the Hector.

The lack of an auto dimming IRVM is a bummer. I sat in my friend's Ciaz yesterday and was at a loss of words why the 2 million Rupees SUV didn't have the same.

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by XRoader_001

I am extremely disappointed with approach MSIL India has taken. Yes we have seem the electric Wagon R being tested in India & Maruti's battery plant at Hansalpur will be commissioned by 2020 it seems MSIL India will be concentrating more on Hybrids rather than Evs initially, with Toyota they can create hybrid vehicles for the mass market. Currently, they are busy with BS6 shift which 70% of their vehicles are done with of course petrol fuel only.

I am disappointed too. As the top manufacturer in India, it is sad to see Maruti take on a back seat with the full on EV efforts while dishing out cappuccinos and espressos at the same time. They are busy building their engines while the world is slowly moving to electric. Surely, the fore runners in the EV space are going to have an advantage in future. Their current investments will most likely give them an edge over Maruti. The competition is getting better and I see a potential of Maruti getting displaced in this area.

[fhdowntheline]

I guess the problem that MSIL fundamentally has is that almost all their cars , barring the Ciaz are sub 4m, which may make it difficult to shoe-horn the electrical powerplant , without compromising on space for batteries and thereby effectively limiting the range. Surely there arent many cars in the world less than 3.9m long which can travel 300km + in a single charge. So until battery tech improves, I guess we should not expect miracles from MSIL.

[sgmuser]

Just some thoughts/predictions:

1. In every industry (old and new), a pattern replicates itself where a completely new entrant comes from nowhere, takes the lead and the old King start to faces death. (HP, IBM, Kodak, Nokia (mobile), Microsoft and many other examples)

2. Currently Automobile as well having this transitioning phase in the name of Tesla. But this is not over yet. Someone else (with some breakthrough in Battery technology or FCV technology) might come and take over this space completely from Tesla or Rivian or other old school Automobile companies that produces EVs (Kona, Leaf etc). Prius is not a viable solution.

3. I personally do not see any place for companies like Suzuki (even Toyota) - unless a miracle happens and they re-invent themselves, which is very likely due to Japanese nature of running a business.

4. Battery technology and charging technology is the key driver to this phenomenon for now, so that the mileage increases as a first start and then finding the next available charging station becomes easier. That is where the connected Car comes into picture (finding the charging station etc).

5. The other challenge India specifically faces is that electricity shortage, traffic congestion which are huge hindrances to the overall mind set of the car buyer. Add the convenience of car aggregation apps, actually, things are not so bright. But, we are not Nordic, we love SUVs and we will take some more time to go through this cycle.

6. Finally, why we do we expect the car company to install charges rather than someone else (like now, oil companies) building that infrastructure. Reliance might already be burning the midnight oil, won't they?

7. MG is here and they need a differentiator and found it in EV as the right choice. They would do anything to have a bite of the whole piece, but whether they can survive and how long is a question which only the time can answer.

[coolkurt]

MG recently unveiled the ZS EV in India. The electric SUV offers a claimed range of 340km on a full charge. Soon, that figure could go north of 500km as MG is developing a bigger battery pack for the ZS EV.

It will be rated at 73kWh and despite being denser than the current 44.5kWh battery pack, it is expected to weigh the same. MG will do so by using cells that can hold more charge inside of them. For reference, the current battery pack weighs 250kg.

MG hasn’t revealed the charging time we can expect with the bigger battery pack but it'll certainly be a bit longer.

Source

[Sasanka_Sanga]

This is a big leap for the new entrant like MG in India. And yes the features looks promising that includes :

PM 2.5 FILTER

MG ZS EV air conditioning unit comes fitted with particulate matter 2.5 Filters to provide fresh and healthy air inside your SUV cabin, thus maintaining healthy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

BREATHABLE GLOW LOGO

The MG logo in the new MG ZS EV glows to indicate that your SUV is getting charged. Glowing stops, once the charging is complete.

SKYROOF

MG ZS EV with its panoramic sunroof lets you enjoy the ride in the comfort of extra light and fresh air.

KERS 3 LEVEL

Smart and powerful – MG ZS EV comes with a kinetic energy reverse system, which stores the extra generated power for later when you need it.

3D SOUND EFFECT

The MG ZS EV comes equipped with 3D surround effect, which enhances the driving experience with audible navigation assistance and provides close-to-ear experience.

6 AIR BAGS

MG ZS EV comes with 6 airbags, which include dual front airbags, front-seat side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags that work together with the seatbelts. We made sure that MG ZS EV is always armoured to save your life.

20.32 CM TOUCH SCREEN

MG ZS EV is equipped with a visually delightful screen that gives you all the information at a single glance and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings with just a touch.

3 POINT SEAT BELT

To ensure safety for the whole family, MG ZS EV is equipped with 3 point seatbelts for all passengers. Just pull, plug, and enjoy a safe drive.

ANDROID AUTO AND APPLE CAR PLAY

Driving the MG ZS EV is a fully connected experience. Android auto helps you keep your focus on the road and help in making your journey safe by using your voice.

AUTO HEADLAMPS

Drive with peace of mind with the MG ZS EV auto headlamps. Whether in a heavy overcast or an enclosure, such as a parking garage.

3 DRIVE MODES

Choose the right feel for your journey, MG ZS EV comes with three driving modes – eco, sports, and normal.

CRUISE CONTROL

Cruise Control doesn’t let you lose control over your speed. MG ZS EV lets you set a speed limit, and it will handle the throttle accordingly.

ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE

MG ZS EV is equipped with an electric parking brake, which makes sure your SUV is held safely when brakes are suddenly pressed.

ELECTRONIC GEAR SHIFT KNOB

Ride away, smoothly. MG ZS EV’s electronic gear shift knob gives you a complete sense of control over your gear shifts.

HEATED ORVM

Fog and Ice, though lovely to experience, is nasty while driving, blocking the view in your outer rearview mirror. MG ZS EV’s heated ORVM’s helps in clearing the fog and ice on your side view mirror, thereby ensuring visibility at all times (Reminds me of De-icing feature in aircrafts).

INTERNET CAR

Experience the connected mobility with India’s first pure all-electric SUV - MG ZS EV.

LEATHER WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL

Hold the comfort in your hand. MG ZS EV comes with a leather wrapped steering wheel for a better grip and feel.

LED DRLS

LED DRLs not only give MG ZS EV the desired look but also increase its visibility on the road.

PUSH BUTTON START

Set your MG ZS EV in motion with a simple push - push-button start, so your smooth journey can start right away.

R17 ALLOY WHEEL


MG ZS EV has a R17 windmill styled alloy wheels adding to the bold and futuristic look to the SUV.

REVERSE PARKING ASSIST

MG ZS EV comes equipped with the reverse parking-assist system, which helps the driver to sense when objects are in the vehicle's 'blind spot', thus help prevent accidents which may be caused due to difficulty in parking in reverse.

TPMS

Drive safe with the inbuilt tyre pressure monitoring system in the MG ZS EV. Get real-time information about the tyre pressure in your SUV in a pictogram display.

HILL DESCENT

We’ve made sure that you feel safe while driving on any terrain. MG ZS EV’s hill descent control system lets you enjoy the mountains as much as the highway. It prevents rollback on a slope when you release the brake and switch to the accelerator pedal.

Source : https://www.mgmotor.co.in/

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

For reference, the current battery pack weighs 250kg.

Incorrect. The figure is north of 350 kg!