New MG ZS PHEV on the way as brand doubles down on hybrid
Hot on the heels of the MGS9 PHEV, MG’s product planning boss hints smaller hybrid is on the way
MG will look to significantly bolster its plug-in hybrid offering in 2026 by introducing a PHEV version of the popular ZS alongside the leaked MGS9, which appeared on Euro NCAP yesterday. Speaking exclusively with Auto Express, David Allison, head of product and planning at MG Motor UK, told us PHEV demand “keeps creeping up”, insisting “there will be more plug-in hybrids coming”.
Acknowledging that the city cars and superminis don’t really suit plug-in hybrid powertrains, MG will turn its attention to the small-SUV segment instead. “I think [B-segment SUVs] are the next natural thing to do,” Allison told us. “Plug-in hybrids have always been C-segment hatchbacks and above. No one's really gone any lower than that.” Asked if that paved the way for a ZS fitted with a plug, the planning chief said: “Yes, probably”.
There’s no word on a possible reveal date, but as we’ve seen with MG’s four product launches this year, it doesn’t like to hang about – suggesting we could see a ZS PHEV at some point in 2026.
The model would act as a rival to the new BYD Atto 2 DM-i, which for a short time will have the small plug-in hybrid market to itself. Acting as one bookend for MG’s PHEV range, the ZS will be sold alongside the larger HS and forthcoming MGS9 PHEV flagship.
It’s unlikely that the ZS PHEV will match the HS’s 75-mile electric-only range, but to compete with the top-spec BYD it will need to offer close to 60 miles on a charge. When we tested the MG HS PHEV alongside a selection of Chinese hybrids earlier this year, it came within two per cent of its claimed range, so we can expect the ZS to be equally efficient.
Looking at the HS for an indicative price, it’s likely the ZS PHEV will command a premium of around 10 per cent over the equivalent hybrid. That could mean a competitive starting figure of around £25,000 for the entry-level SE – around the same as the predicted price of BYD’s base-spec Atto 2 DM-i.
MG UK has seen huge success with its HEV offering to date: 44.8 per cent of its volume in 2024 was made up of MG3, MG ZS and MG HS hybrids – making it the country’s second-biggest brand for HEV sales. Its one existing plug-in model, the aforementioned HS PHEV, accounted for 8.8 per cent of MG sales last year.
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