MG XS SUV revealed as MG hopes to cash-in on the UK’s love for urban SUVs

The new MG XS SUV – know as the MG ZX in other markets – is revealed in the UK as MG seek to grab a piece of the lucrative Urban SUV market in the UK.

The Chinese take on an MG hasn’t proved to be an overwhelming success to date, but this new MG – the MG XS SUV – could prove to be a turning point for SAIC-owned MG.

Arguably aimed at cars like the Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport, the new MG Urban SUV has eschewed the funky, fugly and sometimes plain odd design flights of fancy some car makers feel are needed for a compact Urban SUV, and instead have delivered a car which looks much more mainstream and grown-up.

Cynics may say that’s because Chinese car design dictates plagiarism is a requirement for all successful cars, and, certainly at the front, the new MG looks very like a Mazda CX-5. But the XS looks pretty convincing, despite its familiar looks.

It’s almost certain the XS will come with a 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine good for 123bhp – which sounds a good shout – and probably the 1.5 litre four-pot from the GS. Gearboxes will probably be a standard six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG option.

Officially there are no photos of the interior of the XS, but a peek at the reveal does show an interior that looks distinctly more upmarket than MGs to date, with a central touchscreen infotainment, lack of button clutter and decent materials.

MG UK’s Sales boss, Matthew Cheyne, said:

The MG XS will be a real game-changer in the compact SUV marketplace. The meaning behind the name is simple – S stands for SUV, X means extra. Featuring state-of-the-art driver technology and innovative design, the new model builds on our growing reputation for capability, performance and quality, positioned at a highly-affordable price – the customer gets extra, for less!

No detailed specs, or prices, have been revealed for the UK, but with MG seeking to fill the cheap as chips space vacated some time ago by Hyundai Kia, expect starting prices to be very competitive – perhaps starting around £12,500.

The MG XS, which has had a name change for the UK from MG ZS in case buyers confuse it with the old Rover 45 based MG ZS, will arrive in UK dealerships before the end of 2017.