“Pro” seems to be the momentary buzzword of choice among smartphone producers – and Chinese automakers.
When Chery returned to the market in 2020, it applied the moniker to its Tiggo range.
Haval launched a revised Jolion last year, with a body-kit that exudes strong Temu vibes, adorning it with the Pro handle to imply superiority over the regular City model.
Now MG has launched the new ZS Pro, positioned as a more modern, sophisticated iteration of the standard ZS that came to market earlier this year.
The two lines will run concurrently, basically in the same approach Volkswagen has with its Polo Vivo and Polo, with the former being a basic, budget-focused offering and the latter serving a more discerning customer.
We sampled the ZS Pro last week, which coincided with the opening of MG’s flagship dealership in Fourways.
The standard ZS is an old vehicle, part of MG’s last generation of offerings. That much is clear from the design, aping dated contenders such as the Mazda CX-3.
For the ZS Pro, MG decided to rip off a different set of legacy brands, as seen in the rear styling, emulating the previous BMW X1. There are two grades, Comfort and Luxury. The Comfort rolls on a set of 17-inchers in a tele-dial style, à la Alfa Romeo, while the Luxury has 18-inch rollers not dissimilar to a Volkswagen R-Line execution.
Compared to the entry-level ZS, the ZS Pro has slightly larger dimensions, longer by 45mm, wider by 30mm and with a wheelbase extension of 20mm.
The front is the most flattering angle of the ZS Pro, taking cues from the HS, itself incorporating copied cues from the Aston Martin DBX. MG has labelled the headlamp design as a “predator eye” gaze. Makes sense, but then, a good number of crossovers and sport-utility vehicles from China have a similarly predatory look.
The cabin is much like you would expect of any Chinese crossover in this band. Sounds glib, but perhaps it attests to the consistency of these carmakers in delivering a reasonable standard, meeting average buyers’ requirements. A digital instrument cluster and decent infotainment system are focal points. While the trimmings and soft-touch materials evince a sense of class, some aspects err on the low-rent side.
Although the design and interior are generic in many respects, the on-road qualities of the MG are above average. Our test route consisted of open-road driving into the Cradle of Humankind and back to Fourways. The ZS Pro revealed itself to be a cool commuter, getting on with the job in an appliance-like way, without much of a din.
Using a rudimentary torsion beam at the rear, the ZS Pro handles respectably, provided you drive within the intended limits. Overall one would not describe it as plush as the pricier HS we reviewed recently, but it is markedly superior to the regular ZS.
Power comes from a 1.5l, turbocharged-petrol with four cylinders (125kW/275Nm). Again, the simpler constitution versus the HS is clear, particularly in the choice to equip the vehicle with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It works acceptably, so long as you temper expectations.
What is remarkable is just how much is included as standard with the ZS Pro at the price.
The basic Comfort is decently equipped at R397,600 but you may as well chip in a bit more for the R431,500 Luxury, because it gives you features usually expected of the premium class for not much more outlay.
From heated seats to a panoramic roof, as well as a comprehensive suite of driver assistance functions, including semi-autonomous aids, the ZS Pro Luxury is loaded. Pricing includes a seven-year/200,000km warranty and five-year/60,000km service plan.
