A recently leaked document hints that the MG ZS SUV could get a 1.0 liter turbo-petrol engine in India. Previously, another leaked document hinted the possibility of a 1.5 liter petrol engine and a 1.0 liter petrol-hybrid engine as well.
MG Motors will soon be launching the ZS EV in India on January 27. We have already test driven the car and we came away quite impressed. While the ZS EV might be making a good case for itself, it might still struggle to find a large number of buyers as it is an EV and we do not have a proper ecosystem for EVs in our country right now. However, MG Motors has some more plans with the ZS SUV. MG Motor India could launch the ZS SUV with an internal combustion engine (ICE) engine in the near future in India.
The MG ZS is already available with an internal combustion engine in the international markets. In fact, the ZS is originally a ICE car and was later adapted into an EV. This latest development has surfaced from a leaked RTO document where the ZS ICE utilises a Euro6-compliant turbo-petrol engine. As of now, MG has not confirmed these developments nor has hinted anything about these details. But let’s explore the possibility of an ICE powered ZS SUV anyway.
This engine in question is a 1.0 liter turbo-petrol engine that produces 111 bhp of power and 360 Nm of torque. Internationally, this engine can only be had with a six-speed automatic gearbox. It is also worth mentioning that this engine is a three-cylinder unit and the numbers are indeed pretty good for its configuration. However, when compared to Kia Seltos’s 1.4 liter T-GDI engine (which will be its main rival), the MG ZS seems a tad less powerful. The Kia Seltos with its 1.4 liter T-GDI engine produces 140 bhp and 242 Nm of torque.
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Incidentally, this is not the first time we are reporting that the ZS SUV could be launched with a ICE engine. On a previous occasion, another leaked document had hinted that the ZS SUV could be launched with a 1.0-litre hybrid and 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines. The 1.0-litre hybrid is essentially the above-mentioned engine paired with an electric motor. The other 1.5 liter naturally aspirated engine produces 106 bhp and 141 Nm of torque.
Also Read : MG Motors To Launch ZS EV on January 27 in India!
Currently, the India-spec MG ZS EV is powered by a synchronous motor that produces 141 bhp and 353 Nm of peak torque. The car gets a 44.5 kWh battery pack that promises a maximum range of about 340 km on a single charge, and the ZS EV can go from 0-100 kmph in just 8.5 seconds. The lithium-ion unit can be charged up to 80 per cent in 40 minutes with a 50 kW DC charger, or takes up to seven hours with a standard 7.4 kW AC charger. As for the ICE counterpart, we expect to hear more about it perhaps at the 2020 Auto Expo. Stay tuned for more updates.
