In terms of styling, the ZS manages to maintain much of its predecessor’s clean and restrained lines. However, thanks to the new corporate face, it has far more flair this time around. MG calls it the “dual layer face” which, at the risk of sounding Chinglish, is aptly descriptive. The lighting elements in this case are placed at the top, while the large grille is placed at the bottom. And despite the potential for a guppy or catfish-like appearance, the ZS manages to avoid that trope. Oh, and props to MG for offering this stunning Emerald Green paintjob too.

The MG’s newfound style is also backed up by more substantiated performance thanks to the nameplate’s first self-charging hybrid system. While the ZS is still available with pure combustion engines, the one to have is surely the ZS Hybrid+. With fuel prices as high as they are, electrification has now become a “must-have” rather than a “nice-to-have.”

The ZS uses a series-parallel hybrid system similar in principle to Toyota’s. However, since MG has more knowledge making BEVs, they’ve opted to shoehorn in a more powerful electric motor (136 horsepower) and a larger lithium-ion (1.83-kWh) battery. As a result, it tries to run on electrons than petrol by design. Switching to the energy flow monitor view confirms this as urban speeds—typically up to 60 km/h—are done mostly with the combustion engine only switching on to keep the battery topped up.

Whenever the ZS needs full thrust or hits highway speeds, it automatically enlists the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder for help to provide the full 197 horsepower. As a result, it feels remarkably zippy, punchy even, especially in the critical 80 to 120 km/h run. Having said that, the gearbox can be languid at times, resulting in a lag between flooring the accelerator and the power being made available. It’s also not the smoothest gearbox, with shifts being perceptible at times.

It’s also worth mentioning that despite prioritizing the electric motor, fuel economy ends up being merely good, but not spectacular: 15.2 km/L (average speed of 16 km/h). Also, the ZS requires a minimum 92-octane diet.

Most SUV or crossover buyers won’t be bothered with handling so in that regard, the ZS won’t be an issue. It’s easy to maneuver in urban confines and body lean is quite controlled. On the flipside, the steering is quite lazy at low speeds (it requires more inputs to make minor directional changes), the brakes don’t have a ounce of feel, and the suspension is firm. And although it does improve at higher speeds, it still feels fidgety when the tires are pumped up to their recommended 37 PSI. Oh, and speaking about the tires, the stock Linglongs also produce a noticeable amount of road noise with a constant drone on rougher pavement.

Priced at P 1,328,888, there’s some expectation that the ZS’s interior would be as high-quality as stuff that comes from the Shenzhen sorting center. However, that couldn’t be further from reality, because the dashboard is actually up to snuff. There are bits of soft-touch surfaces, intermixed with hard, but solid-feeling plastics.

At the center of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Although not class-leading in terms of outright size, it’s well-endowed enough given the ZS’s price point and the functions built in. Compared to previous MG models, the responsiveness of the screen as well as the fonts and icons has been improved for legibility. There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built in, but you’ll need a cable to use them as wireless connection or even a wireless charger aren’t on the menu.

Regarding smartphone projection, minus points also since there’s no way to access in-vehicle settings when in CarPlay or Android Auto. Want to change the cabin temperature? You will have to exit Apple CarPlay first, hit the climate control shortcut button, adjust the temperature, before switching back to CarPlay. Two “favorites” can be programmed into the steering wheel, and though you can reserve that for accessing the climate control, we preferred to keep it as shortcuts for the brake regen levels and the 360-degree camera.

As irritating as this is, the worst part are the controls centered around the driver. The steering wheel’s square, joystick-like interface is flimsy, while the digital instrument panel is flashy, but lacks configurability. It also hard to make out important driving information like speed, fuel, and engine temperature next to unnecessary fluff and BS. What’s more, while you can make it display everything from power output or energy flow, it defaults back to a blank display showing a parked ZS whenever a sensor or the ADAS is triggered.

Like the previous ZS, the sitting position is lofty. The seats themselves are more cushy than supportive. This may not bode well for canyon carvers, but at least comfort is never a problem even during long stints behind the wheel. The steering wheel adjusts for both height and reach which means finding a natural driving position is easy enough. Also, thanks to the raised driving position and slender pillars, front visibility is good. There are also sensors and a 360-degree camera with a decent enough resolution.

The ZS gained market approval for its segment-above size, and that’s still true here. Thanks to clever packaging, there’s generous head and leg room for the front occupants. Likewise, the generous width ensures that there’s no rubbing of shoulders. The trend continues at the back where there’s plenty of space to fit three adults. The rear seats don’t do anything clever in that the amount of recline is fixed, but at least the floor’s flat and the headrests are adjustable.

Moreover, there’s a large glovebox, a handy cubbyhole under the center armrest, and two shallow trays next to the jetfighter-inspired gear selector. If anything, it’s the design of the cup holders itself that feels problematic. The adjustable, but non-removable partition seems great on paper, in reality, it means not being able to use them for anything but small takeaway cups.

As the range-topping ZS, the ZS Hybrid+ (as does the ZS Sport) gets the MG Pilot. They all work as advertised and can be personalized. However, it’s also a source of annoyance as most default settings switch back to default after the car’s switched off. And with some functions like Traffic Sign Recognition not really attuned to local road signs, it’s guaranteed to be meddlesome.

The MG is not exactly a driver’s car in any shape or form (c’mon, it’s an MG). It also happens to fall short of its claimed fuel mileage figures. Still, there’s plenty going for it. At its price point, you won’t feel shortchanged. It’s great value, it’s roomy, it’s got high levels of equipment as standard, and the warranty’s pretty long too. It’s not a perfect crossover, but it’s no doubt a choice driven more by pesos and centavos.