MG’s ZS Pro is a compact crossover that offers an interesting price-to-performance ratio for the majority of South African new car buyers. Who live at altitude.
Most cars in South Africa are registered inland, away from the coastal regions. And that means the highveld lives up to its naming convention: thinner air, which degrades engine performance. How much power do you lose driving the same naturally-aspirated engine at Gaueng versus Cape Town or Durban? About 17%. Which is a lot.
That’s why turbocharged engines are so important for most South African drivers: they lose the least power when all your driving is at altitude.
If your license plates are Gauteng, Northwest, Mpumalanga or Limpopo, a turbocharged engine has real appeal. Especially if you are in the market for a compact- to mid-sized crossover and do a lot of highway driving with a full complement of passengers.
Legacy brands that market compact crossovers in South Africa, at the sub R400 000 price point, don’t offer many turbocharged engine options. That’s where MG’s ZS Pro is interesting, because it does.
Boosting value – literally
MG’s compact crossover offers typically great Chinese standard spec in the Luxury trim level (adaptive cruise control and 360-degree cameras), with turbocharged performance. The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol is good for 125 kW and 275 Nm. Those numbers should be decent for reasonable overtaking performance, even fully loaded, at Gauteng altitudes.
There’s only one drivetrain option with the ZS Pro, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which offers good fuel economy. But it can take some getting used to, regarding the drivetrain’s droning sound, without ‘traditional’ shift points.
CVTs can require more mid- to long-term maintenance than conventional torque-converter automatic transmissions, or even simpler manual gearboxes.
ZS Pro rival Jolion Pro Super Luxury R427 950
One of South Africa’s favourite Chinese car models, the GWM crossover has excellent spec at the price.
Jolion Pro Super Luxury’s 1.5-litre turbopetrol makes less power (105 kW) and torque (210 Nm) than MG’s ZS Pro. But its 7-speed dual-clutch transmission makes it feel more responsive than those engine output numbers would allude to.
The weakness is luggage space, which at only 291-litres, is much smaller than the MG’s 443-litres.
Corolla Cross 1.8 XS R452 200
Makes a lot less power than the ZS Pro. And if you live in Gauteng, or any of the high altitude inland areas, the drop-off in performance from its naturally-aspirated 1.8-litre engine is real. Especially when a Corolla Cross is fully loaded, and you need to overtake some slower truck or bus traffic.
Infotainment and spec do not match for the MG. But Toyota’s proven dealer network and build quality mean the Corolla Cross offers the most sensible ownership experience.
VW T-Cross 1.0 TSI Style R511 300
Can’t compete with the ZS Pro’s luggage space or generous specification, despite being more expensive. But it has turbocharged power and is an excellent long-distance driving car, despite its size.
The T-Cross 1.0 TSI engine is much smaller than MG’s 1.5, yet it offers an excellent power- and drivetrain combination from VW. The small 85 kW 1.0 TSI engine is terrifically responsive, especially when paired with the VW Group’s 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
T-Cross might be small and expensive, compared to ZS Pro, but it has a real ‘big car’ feel at highway speeds. One of the best compact crossovers for intra-provincial travel.
Hyundai Venue 1.0 TGDI N-Line R499 900
Like the T-Cross, it’s smaller than ZS Pro, but unlike the VW, the Hyundai is reasonably equipped in N-Line trim, without needing to pay for every single option.
Venue has a similar powertrain and drivetrain to the T-Cross, too: a 1-litre turbocharged triple and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a lightweight chassis, 88kW of peak power, and rapid dual-clutch shifting, it feels lively at Gauteng altitudes.
Seat padding isn’t amazing for long-distance driving. And compared to the ZS Pro, the Hyundai compact crossover has 100-litres less luggage space.
