Best for: value
Another SUV from MG, and another one that doubles down on value for money.
Less than £20,000 buys you a small crossover with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, but just £1000 or so more will score you a full hybrid, capable of close to 60mpg in our-real world everyday testing.
It’s this version of the ZS we recommend. Its innovative powertrain comprises a 101bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, a three-speed automatic gearbox and a 134bhp electric motor.
Most of the time, the motor does the driving and the engine works to power the starter motor supplying current to the electrical system.
It sounds complicated but works brilliantly. Around town, it’s much like an EV to drive: crisp, quiet and peppy. But of course there’s no faff in filling up with electricity and a tank of petrol should last some 450 miles.
