Dacia Duster Hybrid vs MG ZS Hybrid: comparison test (VIDEO)

New cars have become quite expensive, and even if you can afford them, the question is, do you want to afford them? … Fortunately, affordable models still exist. New cars at attractive prices, such as this MG ZS Hybrid, as you can see, cost around 27,000 euros in Germany. Almost as much as a Dacia Duster Hybrid. We asked ourselves the question of whether we really need more, is what they offer enough, and of course, which of the two models should we ultimately buy piese auto online.

Dacia Duster Hybrid vs MG ZS Hybrid: comparison test (VIDEO)

Last year, the second generation of the MG ZS appeared, in this duel this car is the attacker, it is produced in the Saic plant in China. With 4.43 m long, 1.82 m wide and 1.64 m high, it is slightly longer and a bit more sloping than the Duster. In the cabin, the MG offers a little more space, the materials used are also slightly higher quality, which in truth is not much of an achievement. Where in the Duster we are greeted by hard plastic, in the MG at least partially softened surfaces made of artificial materials are found. In terms of the seating position, in the MG both the driver and his passenger must be ready to compromise. You sit high, and the steering wheel cannot be adjusted for depth. The passenger seat next to the driver cannot be adjusted for height. Otherwise, only in a few places in the MG is it noticeable that this is a budget-optimized car. For example, with the single-stage heated seats or the power windows, which cannot be removed and completely closed with just one press. This is the feeling while driving the ZS Hybrid. Everything is decently made, it is clear, what is probably missing are a few real buttons for the air conditioning, but you have this clear menu, the infotainment responds quickly enough, and in most cases it works quite well. Now I will demonstrate something else to you, by turning onto this country road, where I can accelerate the machine, as you probably hear it too… here we have a 3-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter. I did not suspect that I would be able to experience something like this in 2025.

But it works quite well, especially in city traffic, where you don't even notice that different gears are available. The feeling is almost like a CVT box. Thanks to the 1.8 kWh battery, you can even go relatively far on electricity alone. According to MG, in the city this is up to 10 km. In addition, the system power is 197 hp. In other words, it pulls forward well, there is no lack of power, in general everything looks surprisingly harmonious. The suspension is a little stiffer compared to the Duster. The steering is satisfactorily direct, you even have the option to adjust how lightly the steering wheel turns, for example through the driving modes. Eco, Normal and Sport are available. It also has the ability to recuperate, but for this purpose you have to first enter the menu, after which you can choose the appropriate level - weak, medium and strong. Overall, it is definitely not a sports car, but getting around in this car in everyday life is definitely something fun.

In terms of the values we measured, things look like this. Acceleration with a charged battery is 7.7 seconds from 0 to 100, braking from the same speed to rest requires a braking distance of 36.6 m with warm and 36.5 m with cold brakes. Whoever requires more power for longer must accept a slight drop in power, when the electric motor no longer contributes almost to the forward movement. In this state, the MG ZS needs 13.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h and much more time to reach its maximum speed of 168 km/h. Our MG consumption measurement tour ended with a consumption of 6.1 l of A98 gasoline. Which brings us to the mega inspection of the, dedicated to the trunks. We notice that the MG has a lower loading edge. In principle, something practical, here it even goes down a little further, we have a double floor, which we can also remove if we need additional space. The walls are carpeted, which is definitely not a given in this price range. Now let's look at the Duster. The cargo volume in the MG, by the way, is between 443 and 1457 liters. In the Dacia, it is 430 to 1545 liters.

You can find the full comparison in our video:

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

Last year, the second generation of the MG ZS appeared, in this duel this car is the attacker, it is produced in the Saic plant in China

But it works quite well, especially in city traffic, where you don't even notice that different gears are available