2022 MG ZS EV Interior Review – Features & Usability

Front Seat Ingress Egress

The front door opening of the 2022 ZS EV is sufficiently wide. As the car is not too high, it allows you to enter the cabin comfortably. The floor and seat height are also suitable for easy ingress. The same is the case with egress, you can comfortably get out of the car. Let me point out that all the doors, boot lid and bonnet of the ZS EV feel heavy and built to last, giving you the sense of operating a luxury car.

Front Seats Review

Once you are in the front seats, you will find that the seats are very comfortable for short and long drives. The seats have good cushioning with a good base and back support. The driver seat is also electrically adjustable for recline, slide and height. Couple that with the tilt adjustment of the steering wheel, and you can easily find your comfortable driving position. The driver can also see the bonnet of the car, inspiring more confidence in the driver.

The steering wheel still misses out on telescopic adjustment. The 2022 ZS EV also doesn’t get an auto-dimming IRVM, although it continues to get heated ORVMs, which are less relevant in Indian driving conditions. There is some soft-touch material in front of the armrest, which gives additional support to the driver’s hand. However, when you rest your knee on the door pad, there is a noticeable flex.

Talking about the interiors, the 2022 ZS EV retains an all-black theme with a contrast red stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, crash pad, centre console, front armrest, upholstery and door padding.

The upper part of the dashboard gets soft-touch materials, which immediately lifts the cabin’s vibe, and we think that it will age gracefully. The lower part of the dashboard gets hard plastics but there is nothing to complain about. The quality and fit and finish of the glovebox and centre console are satisfactory.

The glove box can accommodate the owner’s manual along with a small bottle. There is some space in both the front doors and under the front armrest. There is also an additional compartment in front of the armrest with 2 cupholders. You can access this compartment via a shutter.

The centre console houses switch for the electric parking brake, auto-hold, drive selector knob, drive mode selector, regen level selector and battery information controls. There is a wireless charger, a USB port, a USB-C port and a 12V socket right in front of them. Above them are controls for auto AC, music and the home button of the infotainment screen.

The 2022 ZS EV gets a new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This unit is from the Astor, although modified to show EV related information. The infotainment screen supports wired AndroidAuto and Apple CarPlay.

The screen shows you information regarding music, weather update, auto AC screen, battery charge and range, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 360-degree parking camera etc. The 360-degree parking camera gives you the individual feed of the front, side and rear of the car. You can also see a 3D view of the car from all angles.

The steering wheel houses the controls for the media. One of the stalks behind the steering wheel is for cruise control. Although this is not a standard and very convenient place, we think one can get used to it after a few uses. You can also access the information on the 7.0-inch TFT instrument cluster via the switches on the steering wheel.

Talking about the instrument cluster, it is very similar to the Astor but again, modified for EV related information. The screen itself is crisp, not very cluttered and easily visible. It shows information like speed, battery, power usage, range, battery percentage, regen level indicator, tripmeter, motor rpm, tyre pressure monitoring system and screen brightness.

Overall, we liked the ambience of the cabin. Heavy doors give you the feeling of driving a luxury car. The soft-touch material on the dashboard further increases the appeal. The cabin is well laid out and gives good comfort to the front passengers. The seats themselves are supportive and won’t tire you even on long journeys. We missed some features like auto-dimming IRVM, front ventilated seats and wireless phone connectivity.

It is worth noting that the ZS EV also gets connected car technology. It gives you features such as geo-fencing, vehicle diagnostics, remote lock/unlock, remote start/stop and operations via voice commands.

Rear Seats Ingress Egress

Getting in the 2022 ZS EV’s rear seats is quite easy. The same is the case with egress, you do not find it difficult to get out of the car. This is due to the sufficiently wide door opening, ground clearance and seat base height.

Rear Seat Review

The rear seats of the 2022 ZS EV have a good cushion for back and base support. We found that the knee room was enough. There is also some space to slide your feet under the front seat, helping in the legroom. While the headroom is adequate, we think it is due to the low seating position. The rear seats in the 2022 ZS EV are placed at a low height, which tall people might not find comfortable. The knee room is also just about adequate to accommodate a 6-footer behind a 6-footer.

The rear seat bench has a good recline angle. However, we think a little more recline would have made long drives more comfortable. The rear seats also get 3 adjustable headrests and an armrest. The doors have padded armrests for side passengers.

Rear passengers get features like rear AC vents, a USB, a USB-C port, door pockets and front seatback pockets. The rear AC vents and armrest are new additions. The 2022 ZS EV continues to get a panoramic sunroof, which almost covers the entire length of the car. However, the sunshade fabric is very thin, which allows a lot of light and heat to pass through. Hence, the cabin takes longer than usual to cool.

Talking about the width of the car, 2 passengers can sit here very comfortably. A small child can also sit in the middle seat. However, 3 adults in the rear seat will be a squeeze and not comfortable for long drives. Short runabouts within the city are doable with 3 passengers in the rear seats, if necessary.

Verdict - 2022 MG ZS EV Interior Review

Overall, the 2022 MG ZS EV has a modern interior when compared to the pre-facelift model. It gives you the feel of sitting inside an expensive luxury car, thanks to the quality of the materials and inclusions like a larger touchscreen infotainment system, new cabin theme, digital instrument cluster and wireless charger. However, it still lacks some features like auto-dimming IRVM, ventilated front seats and wireless smartphone pairing.

The 2022 ZS EV feels like a car for self-driven customers. The ambience, touchpoints and features are great for front seat occupants. As a chauffeur-driven car or for frequent rear seat usage, you might find the rear seats of the ZS less spacious than that of a typical chauffeur-driven car.

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