MG ZS EV vs Hyundai Kona Electric: Specifications comparison

MG Motor has revealed its second product in India, the ZS EV. The all-electric SUV is being brought as a CKD unit (completely knocked down) to keep prices competitive and is due for an early 2020 launch. While there are other e-SUVs in the pipeline, the ZS EV has only one competitor for now – the Hyundai Kona Electric. Let’s see how they compare in terms of specifications.

How do they compare on size?

Both electric SUVs are five-seaters and are fairly substantial in size; but the ZS EV has the larger footprint. The MG is 134mm longer, 9mm wider and  50mm taller than the Kona Electric. However, the Hyundai has a 21mm longer wheelbase. Due to heavy battery packs, neither SUV is particularly light; but the ZS EV undercuts the Kona by 33kg. Meanwhile, both EVs run on 17-inch wheels.  

Dimensions
	ZS EV	Kona Electric
Length	4314mm	4180mm
Width	1809mm	1800mm
Height	1620mm	1570mm
Wheelbase	2579mm	2600mm
Kerb Weight	1502kg	1535kg
Wheel Size	17-inches	17 inches

How do they compare on motor specifications?

Both electric SUVs use Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors to drive the front wheels via single-speed automatic transmissions. The ZS' unit produces more power (143hp) while the Kona develops more torque (353Nm). How the ZS' numbers translate to real-world performance remains to be seen. MG claims a 0-100kph time of 8.5sec; in our tests, the Kona managed 0-100kph in 9.09sec, quicker than Hyundai's claimed 9.7sec.

Powertrain
	ZS EV	Kona Electric
Type	Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Power	143hp	136hp
Torque	353Nm	395Nm
Gearbox	Single-speed automatic	Single-speed automatic
Drive layout	Front-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive
0-100kph (claimed)	8.5sec	9.7sec

How do they compare on range and charging time?

The India-spec ZS EV comes with a 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack that enables a ARAI-certified 340km range. Even though the India-spec Kona has a smaller 39.2kWh battery, it delivers a longer range of 452km on the ARAI test cycle. However, our exhaustive road test revealed that the Kona has a real-world range of 324km, which is still impressive as EVs go.

Over to the equally important matter of charging time: Charging via a normal AC charger takes upwards of 6hr on both EVs, with the MG using a higher 7.4kW output. Furthermore, the ZS eSUV can charge up to 80 percent using a 50kW DC fast charger in just 50min, compared to the Kona’s 57min. Both EVs make use of the CCS Type 2 connectors for charging. It's also worth mentioning that the Kona Electric comes with a 2.8kW portable AC charger that can plug in to any 15A wall socket and can get the battery pack to full charge in 19hr; 3hr of charge is good enough for a 50km drive.

Battery
Capacity	44.5kWh	39.2kWh
Range	340km (ARAI)	452km (ARAI)
AC normal charging time	6-8 hours (at 7.4kW)	6hr 10min (at 7.2kW)
DC fast-charging time	50min (up to 80% at 50kW)	57min (up to 80% at 50kW)
Charging standard	Type 2/CCS	Type 2/CCS

Price

As is the case with all battery-electric vehicles in this nascent stage, the Kona Electric does cost a premium, given its size. What helps, though, is that Hyundai offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with the EV, along with an eight-year/1,60,000km warranty on the battery pack. Similarly, MG is also expected to price the ZS EV in the Rs 22 lakh range to keep it competitive. It’ll be interesting to see the warranty MG offers on the ZS’ motor and battery pack. 

Price
	ZS EV	Kona Electric
Ex-showroom	Rs 22 lakh (estimated)	Rs 23.71 – 23.90 lakh

Electric SUV buyers will also have more choices next year aside from the MG ZS and the Hyundai Kona. Tata is going to launch the Nexon EV in early 2020, and Mahindra Electric will launch two EVs next year too – the electric versions of the XUV300 and KUV100 SUVs. This should mean that there will be an e-SUV for buyers in our market with a budget ranging from Rs 10-24 lakh in 2020. 

 

 

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