This value-for-money brand is the hottest property in the new-car market right now and its latest model could shift the needle further.

Meet the most affordable electric car in Australia.

The MG ZS EV is on sale for $44,990 drive-away, an enticing price for green-conscious customers who are eligible for thousands of dollars in State-based rebates.

The China-based brand became one of motoring’s success stories after relaunching locally in 2016 and has established a place within the top 10 manufacturers on the industry’s bestseller list.

While many car companies have struggled to secure sufficient supply of new models to meet demand, MG says it will import about 2000 examples of the new electric machine before the end of the year.

The updated ZS EV wears a sleek new look with LED headlights and a painted grille delivering visual separation from petrol-powered models.

An upgraded cabin has a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and sat nav, along with a compact digital screen behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel.

A new smartphone app lets you remotely unlock the car or check on its charging status, while a 360-degree camera makes parking an easier proposition.

The MG is available in two trim lines, the standard “Excite” and a premium “Essence” priced $4000 upstream. The Excite has a four-speaker stereo and manually adjustable fabric seats as standard, while the Essence gets faux leather, six speakers and electric driver’s adjustment.

Safety is accounted for in the regular car by six airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control and lane keeping assistance. The Essence adds blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts, plus rain-sensing windscreen wipers.

An increase in battery size from 44.3 to 50.3kWh increases range from 263 to 320 kilometres, helped by fine-tuning that makes the new machine about 7 per cent more efficient than before.

MG reckons you can boost the car to an 80 per cent charge in less than an hour at 50kW public charging sites. But that’s not particularly impressive, as the ZS’ 80kW maximum charging power lags behind the best in class.

As with many of the latest electric cars, the MG now has a“vehicle to load” function that lets you power consumer electronics from the car’s main battery.

Power for the new model has increased from 105kW to 130kW, but torque drops from 353Nm to 280Nm. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the front-wheel-drive MG struggled to get power to the ground through eco-conscious rubber, flaring into wheel spin if you weren’t careful with the throttle.

The new machine claims the same 8.2 second sprint to 100km/h as its predecessor, which isn’t bad for a compact SUV but much slower than all-wheel-drive electric cars sold by rivals such as Tesla.

As you slip behind a steering wheel that adjusts for height but not reach, the ZS moves away smoothly with a distant hum.

Extra sound deadening makes it a more refined proposition than the outgoing model, helped by suspension tweaks intended to improve composure.

Effortlessly brisk, the MG’s powerful motor troubles Michelin tyres in damp conditions, spinning the tyres as the car’s weight rocks backward to unload the front end under full-throttle acceleration.

It’s not the most polished car to drive. The steering feels numb, the brake pedal is particularly wooden and there is a nautical feel to its body roll.

Our test car’s suspension was uncomfortably boomy at low speed, sending an unpleasant resonance through the cabin over sharp bumps.

MG backs its range with a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is due every two years or 20,000 kilometres and costs just $268 per visit at any of the brand’s 83 dealerships.

The China-based brand became one of motoring’s success stories after relaunching locally in 2016 and has established a place within the top 10 manufacturers on the industry’s bestseller list. While many car companies have struggled to secure sufficient supply of new models to meet demand, MG says it will import about 2000 examples of the new electric machine before the end of the year.

It will be joined in the first half of next year by the new MG4, a more advanced machine built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform.

The MG4 promises to be better to drive, though it won’t be as affordable as the ZS EV.

Three and a half stars

ell-equipped and keenly priced, the MG ZS is worth a look for prospective electric car buyers, despite a lack of driving polish.

MOTOR Electric, 130kW and 280Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICE 7-yr, u’ltd km, $804 for 6 years

SAFETY Six airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keep assist

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