MG ROVER ZS 120
The MG ZS is to be found tucked away in the middle of the MG model range and loitering midway down the ZS line-up are the MG ZS 120 models. Theyre sensibly priced, equipped to a reasonable standard and theyre sporty, to a certain degree. There isnt really a great deal to mark these cars out, get them noticed or thrust them into the spotlight but maybe the mediocre MG ZS 120 is greater than the sum of its parts.
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Peak torque of 160Nm is generated at 2,750rpm and peak power is developed at 5,500rpm. If you rev the ZS 120 hard to access the best of its performance, youre rewarded with a purposeful engine note that belies the cars actual velocity but is enjoyable nevertheless. Like the performance, fuel economy is ordinary for a car with the dimensions of the ZS and a 1.8-litre engine.
Unless youre constantly cruising the motorway network or spend your entire time crawling through city traffic, expect to average somewhere between the combined figure of just under 39mpg and the urban mark of just over 29mpg. At prices starting from £12,995 for the 5-door hatchback, the ZS shouldnt require any re-mortgaging on the part of most buyers. The + model is a sizable £1,100 more and theres an £800 premium if you want the 4-door saloon bodystyle but even a ZS 120+ saloon seems reasonable value at £14,895. Standard equipment includes sports seats, a leather gear knob, 16" alloy wheels, electric heated door mirrors, remote central locking, an alarm and an immobiliser. On top of this, the + specification adds air-conditioning, electric front windows, a leather steering wheel and a CD player. Below the ZS 120 in the ZS petrol range, the 1.6-litre 110 model is £1,800 cheaper but its a full second slower to 60mph.
The next step above is a hefty £3,500 to reach the 2.5-litre V6 180 which is quick (7.3s 0-60mph) but returns an average of just 29mpg, so fuel costs might be a bit much for most families to stomach. The ZS TD diesels are good alternatives with their pace and parsimony but the ZS 120 will be the discerning buyers pick of the petrols.
The 120 is also the only model offered with MGs Stepspeed automatic gearbox. It costs £1,150, though, and it does much to dull the best characteristic of the ZS the driving experience. Only dyed-in-the-wool automatic anoraks will be scraping around to raise that particular premium.
"Its simple, solid and its fun to drive"
Pitted against rivals like Fords Focus, Citroens C4 or Vauxhalls Astra, the ZS is a big car, at least in terms of external dimensions. Inside the cabin, the space available cant match that of more modern products which employ the latest packaging techniques but for a sports-orientated model like the ZS, this doesnt necessarily matter. Theres room enough to sit two people in the back and the boot is quite a big one. What you dont get, as you would in many rivals, are those lofty ceilings, the clever storage solutions borrowed from MPVs and the general feeling of roominess but, unless you have your whole family constantly in tow, that may not be the disaster it sounds.
This is a sporty car remember, and the sung interior helps you feel more at one with it while youre at the wheel. The gearchange and steering in the ZS tell you a lot about the cars character. These key points where driver and car interface have a certain old-fashioned sturdiness about them. The gearchange isnt what you would call smooth as theres resistance as you move the lever between slots but the purposeful short-throw action is rewarding.
Likewise, the steering is weighty by todays standards and gives ample feedback to inspire a degree of confidence. Furthermore, the sports seats are supportive when cornering hard, the ride is firm but not uncomfortably so and the brakes are powerful. A recent restyle will have elevated the ZS onto the shortlists of those who want the feel but could do without antiquated styling. A revised front bumper incorporates an aggressive aerodynamic splitter and houses twin lens headlamps that appear to have been influenced by Munichs latest styling direction.
Walk round the back and youll spot the way the rear bumper has been reprofiled to house the number plate, while a bold bootlid has been designed to incorporate a lip spoiler and large ZS lettering - just in case the people behind were in any doubt. The interior has come in for a little fettling too. Its nothing too radical but the Technical Grey dash inserts are tidy and unobtrusive. The fascia has been updated with four tasteful circular air vents finished in chrome.
A number of convenience features have also been introduced. Theres a remote activated boot release system thats operable via the key fob, revised interior switchgear and a cleverer windscreen wash/wipe system with a Dribble Wipe function that clears the windscreen four seconds after the initial wash/wipe, thus catching that annoying dribble from the top of the screen. There are faster, more economical and cheaper models than the 120 in the ZS range but, as any practicing optimist will quickly point out, its also not the slowest, thirstiest or most expensive. What youre getting is a sensible compromise on these important qualities.
In context of the wider market, despite various cosmetic enhancements brought in at intervals over the years, the ZS is demonstrably not the spring chicken it once was. What it does have is a degree of character thats increasingly being engineered out of more modern rivals. Its simple, solid and its fun to drive because at the wheel you feel connected to the car in a way that many newer models, with their electronic driver aids and hi-tech chassis, cant replicate.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: MG ZS 120 range
PRICES: £12,995 - £14,895 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 10-16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 174g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9s / Max Speed 122mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 29.2 (extra urban) 48.3 (combined) 38.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3910/1780/1270
