Say what you want, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are here to stay. Which means the 2021 MG ZS' introduction to Malaysia is all but certain. 

Let's take a look at the ZS and answer your frequently asked questions. 

First of all, what is MG?

Founded in Oxford, England in 1924, MG used to specalise in sports cars. Over the years, the marque changed hands a few times and they're now owned by Chinese automotive giant SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, making everyday commuter cars.

What is the MG ZS?

The MG ZS is a B-segment SUV that rivals the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-30. The ZS family in Thailand is split into two models: one with a pure-petrol powertrain and another battery-electric version. There's three variants of the petrol version (C+, D+ and X+), but just the only one ZS EV.

We'll be taking a closer look at the Thailand-spec, EV variant here because we've been hinted to receive fully-imported (CBU) models from there when the brand makes it to our shores.

Our focus on the EV version is due to the fact that only the EV model has been seen here thus far.

What powertrain does the ZS get?

As mentioned above, here's the specs for the ZS' powertrains:

What are the exterior features?

It's a snazzy car. Some say there's whiffs of Mazda (not a bad thing), and there's must-have good stuff like LED head and tail lights on the ZS EV. 

The ZS EV runs on 17-inch wheels. The petrol cars get 16- and 17-inch wheels, depending on variant. 

Note that the ZS and ZS EV bear styling differences - both cars bear entirely different front fascias and tail light designs. 

What about the interior?

The ZS EV's European aspirations are clear, with a clean and crisp design that's upholstered in synthetic leather.

There's an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 6 speakers. However unlike its petrol stablemate, the Thai-spec ZS EV gets no Android Auto nor Apple CarPlay support.

The instrument cluster is still the usual analogue system though, with a small multi-info display in between.

There's also good practical stuff like 60:40 split-folding rear seats, 6-way electronically-adjustable driver's seat and PM 2.5 air filtration system.

Interesting. Where is the ZS made?

The regular petrol variants are made in Thailand, but the ZS EV is fully imported (CBU) from China. 

Is the MG ZS safe?

There's 6 airbags, and standard safety fitment on the Thai-spec ZS EV are:

• Stability control
• Hill start assist (HSA)
• Traction control (TCS)
• Stability control (SCS)
• Hill descent control (HDC)

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are available only on the ZS EV:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Traffic Jam Assist (TJA)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Intelligent High Beam Control (IHC)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Lane Departure Prevention (LDP)
• Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
• Lane Change Assist (LCA)
• Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

When is it coming to Malaysia?

Considering we have seen the MG ZS EV a couple of times now, we reckon it could be here sometime next year - possibly alongside the bigger MG HS. The petrol variant is still nowehere to be seen though, so time will tell when that will make its way here.