Tiago EV owner test drives MG ZS EV: I won't be happy with this either

It felt like a premium electric vehicle but I was overwhelmed by the number of buttons. My Tata Tiago EV felt simple in a subtle way.

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MG ZS EV

The very next day I got the service done, I took my family for a test drive of MG ZS EV since I had to get that thought out of my system. I knew this would be a financial blunder, but I needed my peace of mind. On my way to the MG showroom, I visited the service center again to get a tentative date for the taillamp assembly replacement. The service manager asked me if I could drop the car again to check out the charging issue – told him would do it once the tail lamp replacement is approved.

Next stop was the MG showroom and there wasn’t anyone but us. The ZS EV felt like a premium car and the entire switch gear felt very European and I loved the tactility of the buttons. The rear seat ergonomics was compromised due to the raised floor – but can live with it. The car had a spare wheel and a lot of boot space – something that we missed in our tiny Tiago. But hey, we could get two of those for the price of the ZS model on display.

The sales advisor offered a test drive, and I got in the front seat. I loved the visibility and the seat comfort. Tiago’s seats are one size small for me. The car felt very comfortable – although I needed some time to get used to things.

To be honest, I felt overwhelmed – there were too many buttons. The Tiago felt simple in a subtle way. I slotted the car in reverse and the poor camera quality was a big turn-off (I thought the Jimny had the most pathetic camera). The car had a lot of errors (Radar and some system malfunctions) for a car that has only run 20k. Felt sorry for the car – sure everyone abuses it.

I could feel the rough road and I thought the ZS was tuned for comfort – I thought the car might be overinflated, but the sales advisor showed me 37 vs. the recommended 35psi. Tata should really have provided a proper TPMS instead of the iTPMS. The MID wasn’t well designed and some info like driving mode was a tiny piece of info in the MID. The drive helped in easing my mind – I won’t be happy with the ZS EV either.

I wished Tata paid a bit more attention to things like how charging is done. With ZS it is as simple as unlocking the car. In the Tiago, the charging port is on the passenger side, and one must open the lid from the driver's side after unlocking the car – a push to open the lid would have made things a lot easier. Also, the charging gun can be released by just unlocking the car – no need to press a button inside the car.

Living with Niggles

I also called up a relative who had a Harrier. He had mentioned that a friend of his has a Nexon EV which was having a lot of issues and found ways to sort the issues. So, we got into a conference call which became more like a support group meeting. We lamented about the issues our cars had and how inept Tata was to sort these out. The owner of Nexon EV was in the same boat as me – the car was lovely but there were far too many issues (he had his AC and battery already replaced within 2 years). We couldn’t find another car that we liked in the respective budget. We both didn’t want another ICE car either. The suggestion I got was to keep ignoring issues till the car breaks down or till service is due – getting every issue fixed as soon as it appears will only waste your time. Looks like that is the only way to remain sane.

Tail Lamp Replacement

The next week the ASM (service manager) confirmed that my tail lamp could be replaced if I drove in. Decided to get it replaced and continue assessing the charging issue. They plugged the car into an AC fast charger, but the radiator fan didn’t have to be ON and the charging started immediately. The technician said the fan would come in after around 30 minutes. I volunteered to wait beside the car and let others go on with their jobs. I spent the time checking out other cars that came in for service.

Wonder why some owners continue to keep the plastic covers:

The dealer also runs Toyota dealerships, and the car belonged to someone in the group:

The fan didn’t turn ON after even an hour and a half and I asked the technician to try taking the car for a spin. We drove around town for some time and came back. It was scorching hot so I thought the fan would turn ON if we plugged in after a drive. The fan didn’t turn ON after even the 30-minute drive. The technician didn’t have any more suggestions and we decided to call it a day and get the tail lamp fixed. I was planning to take the car for a long drive the next day – so we thought would test the car again if I could drive into the service center directly after the drive. There was a mix-up, so the job took more than an hour (somebody picked up the ICE Tiago part once and one of the lamps had a broken clip).

I plugged the car in at night and this time the fan turned on and the car started charging immediately. I was clueless as to what was happening. Took the car for a long drive the next day but couldn’t drive back to the service center as I had to attend a funeral later in the day. Put the car to charge and the issue cropped up again. Left a message to the ASM and shared a video of this – this time with the bonnet open. I had a short vacation and damping planned so didn’t want to keep the car in the service center.

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