Please let us know how you get on with any eco update. Mine does exactly the same when cold but even when warm it does seem to have flat spots between 2000 & 3000 rpm's.

I did notice the condensation but mine only appeared after I had driving rain coming in with the boot open whilst I was trying to remove wet weather clothes after taking the dog for a walk. I have a mini dehumidifier that I put in the car for a few hours and not had the problem since so guessing that was the issue.

Only other problem was on the same rainy day the coolant light was flashing blue and the rolling fan was running even after engine switch off for a few minutes. No issues with coolant and after a restart 30 mins later problem gone and has not come back so guess that was also the heavy fine rain.

Other than that seems to be a good car bar the bonging every time a blinking door is opened, way too annoying. If it was vag I could program it out with vcds :-(

 

I have Nissan Qashqai that also have these issues with condensation and the irritating bong when door open, so this is not just the MG issue. Some mornings when its raining I have to sit on my drive for up to 5 min to get the screen to clear!!

 

An update from the Apple MG garage

Iv'e just been updated by the Apple MG master technician.

First of all, the noisy chain on cold is a "characteristic" of the engine and I've been advised that it's similar to the other ZS NSE + engines that they've had in the garage.

The car has had some changes made to the car and they have reset some parameters as well.

As I leave the car on the driveway overnight, they will leave my car outside and will test the car tomorrow morning under full parameters.

I've been told that on cold the engine should be idling at 1200 RPM until warm but I've noticed that my car only goes up to about 800 RPM on cold start then falls back to 600 RPM when warm, so this might be the issue.

Hopefully, the car can be returned to me by the weekend.

There has been no talk about any charges so I am guessing that this is a warranty fix.

Cheers..

 

Another update from the garage

The garage rang me earlier today to advise that the car is ready to be collected from them but I am unable to do so owing to other commitments.

I was advised that the master technician will fill me in tomorrow about what works was carried out.

It would be interesting to see if the idling RPM goes up with the new software update.

I wonder for the sake of hitting the Euro 6 emissions targets, if car manufacturers don't just make their cars run lean straight out of the factory but then expect car owners to return to them within the first year to have an ECU update which makes the car much better to drive but uses more fuel and has more CO2?

Cheers..

 

The MG3 courtesy starts the car at 1200 RPM

I've discovered today that the MG3 courtesy car that I have been given started the car running at 1200 RPM upon turning the key but then after moving the car off for a few metres the revs drop down to below 1000 RPM though not as low as my ZS which manages to get down to 600 RPM on idle.

I wonder if these emissions conscious engines don't run with the automatic choke for excessively long periods?

Cheers..

 

My car has been collected and so far it's all good.

The following work has been carried out on my car:

SA013 - Steering assistance reduction - carried out free of charge, I had to sign a form to confirm after that work was carried out which is why I knew about this.

Engine adaptations have been reset back to 100, so the engine will have to re-learn my driving style. I am now using ESSO branded fuel instead of the supermarket stuff so it should help.

Martin said that no work carried out on the timing chain as it's "cosmetically" working.

I did not receive any paper work about anything else that may or may not have been carried out whilst the car has been in the garage owing to data protection act as the work was carried out under warranty and as SAIC are the customer in this case they are paying to invoice, so I can only go by what I have been told.

Driving the car, the steering seems to be heavier but that might be because the SA013 work carried out.

The gearbox doesn't feel as notchy though that might be because I am used to it though the MG3 courtesy car gearbox still seems to be better and has a shorter throw.

No mention was made of any cam shaft sensor replacement or any ECU updates sadly.

I'll give the car a cold start again tonight and see how it behaves compared to before.

The good news is that during the journey home, no stalls were detected though admittedly since the car's engine started loosening up, they have only happened rarely unlike on the first month of ownership where it would constantly happen, making it look like I had just passed my driving test and was a novice driver!

Cheers..

 

The engine is now a revelation..

I've just driven the ZS for 11 miles of both dual carriageway and urban roads and the difference in the engine performance is remarkable.

I am not sure what Apple MG have done with the car but the flat spots previously found in both 1st and 2nd gear at around the 2000-2500 RPM power band have gone. The test will be when I have the air-con on in the summer of course but even with the short test drive the engine feels more responsive and there is none of that hesitation that previously plagued the car.

It feels more like the MG3 courtesy car that I was loaned now which is a good thing.

The car is still idling at 600 RPM but it doesn't seem to have a negative effect on the car when I press the accelerator to set the gas beyond 1000 RPM.

So far, no stalls even when the stop/start has been kicking in.

Perhaps in SAIC's quest to have the ZS released in the UK, not enough testing was carried out during the 6 months that was set aside for honing the car for the UK market?

Cheers.

 

70 MPH now brings up slightly more than 3000 RPM

Another thing that I have noticed is that driving at 70 MPH on the motorway, the RPM value has gone up to slightly beyond 3000 RPM, probably at around 3100 -3200 RPM which matches the courtesy MG3 that I was driving.

It seems that the engine is going to be a bit thirstier than before but the trade off is that the car actually wants to go rather than it feels like it needs to be thrashed around.

Cheers..

 

Hmm.. it's got me thinking..

Hmm, given the lack of information of what was done to my car, the cynic in me thinks that SAIC could potentially be scared of being accused of allegedly selling an inherently unsafe car with the engine in its current non-modified state.

So far no recalls have been made by MG Motor UK and for the purchaser it's a straight case of finding out more information via forums, Facebook pages and word of mouth.

According to the ZS Facebook page that I visit, some owners have managed to return their MG ZS 1.5 litre cars via the sales of goods act because of the unpredictable nature of the unmodified engine.

Cheers..

 

Another update

Just drove the car a few miles which included a 2 mile stint on a dual carriage way at 50 MPH each way and the engine is really good and responsive.

Moving off from the traffic lights, I am no longer feeling like the car is dragging a large heavy trailer behind it and the gear changes are now more seamless as the engine seems to have a better power band between the gears, i.e. no longer am I changing up the gears as advised by the dash indicator then finding that I have to go down a gear because the engine is struggling in the higher gear.

If anyone else is suffering from the lumpy running, lack of performance and stalling issues with your 1.5 litre NSE + engine, I would recommend you making enquiries with your local MG dealer, even if it is find out if your car needs the SA013 steering assistance reduction carried out.

From what I have seen so far, the car is now night and day different from when I first got the car and only wish that MG had tested their ECU or whatever updates they did to my ZS before releasing the car to the general public because underneath all of the issues I've seen, there is a good car trying to get out.

Well done MG Motor UK and well done Apple MG!

Cheers..

 

Another successful journey made

I drove the car again tonight and it was fine.

There was a slight blip where the car had a tiny flat spot after moving the car a distance of 100 metres but once the car went on to the main road it was fine all the way to Charlton and then back home again.

Whatever was done in the garage, it looks like it's done the trick for sure.

Cheers..

 

Hesitation in 2nd

With the weather getting colder, I drove the ZS tonight and noticed that the engine in 2nd gear when cold still isn't quite right.

The engine when revving to 2000 RPM in second gear seems to hesitate and you can feel the engine kind of struggling even though the gear change up indicator is telling you to change to 3rd gear.

Once the engine is warm, the car drives absolutely fine.

Let's hope that come first service in April this year and the garage change the oil, etc the car starts to drive better when cold.

I am currently using Esso fuel so perhaps I need to change to something like BP?

Cheers..

 

I have also noticed this although I tend to now start the car whilst faffing around getting everyone in locking up etc so I don't get that initial problem.

I have noticed when warmed up to a good temp the gearbox is a lot less notchy as well.

Done a couple of 500 mile round trips to Wales to see family since getting it and have to say the drive has been better than I was expecting for the price of the vehicle. Long may this continue

Glenn

 

No issues with driving in snow today

I drove the car today when it was snowing in London and it performed well even when cold as I was expecting the engine to struggle again but the revs stayed at 1200 RPM during cold idle and the engine was able to provide the power to pull out of junctions without hesitation.

Eventually the revs dropped to 600 RPM at idle as per norm and again no major issues.

Cheers..

 

No issues with driving in snow today

I drove the car today when it was snowing in London and it performed well even when cold as I was expecting the engine to struggle again but the revs stayed at 1200 RPM during cold idle and the engine was able to provide the power to pull out of junctions without hesitation.

Eventually the revs dropped to 600 RPM at idle as per norm and again no major issues.

Cheers..

Hello hopefully you are still active after reading your posts I can safely say buying a new 2022 zs exclusive 1.5lt. I seem to be having these exact issues stated in your posts.

To start my auto headlights and rain sensing wipers didn't work I had to disconnect the negative on the battery leave it for a while and restart this fixed the auto headlights and sensors but only for a couple of days.

I knew the engine wasn't going to be powerful or quick but I completely have the same issue anything 2k to 3k rpm there are dead spots so let's say 3rd gear 2k revs put your foot down 2200rpm speeds up at a nice pace 2300 to 2400rpm feels like the engine just died 2500rpm kicks back in and feel power and on and on. Until your at 3k revs and sounds like your throttling the engine just to get some consistency. (No I don't sit over 3k revs lol)

I have also noticed a ticking noise coming from the exhaust area this is more noticeable on cold starts or when the aircon is on.

Also while the aircon is on and working through the 2k to 3k revs seems like it draws power and for split moments air comes out less cold like air con is on and off.

I think that is everything that's wrong with mine and for the most part all sound electrical based on power/performance issues and auto sensors

I agree it could literally be pre sales figures being high as currently with the influx of cars making there way into the UK I've booked in with the garage but there's a long waiting list. Maybe that's an indication that alot of people are after the same fixes.

After speaking to a window tinting company I have put that on hold until everything is sorted incase they need to take things apart. When speaking to them and explaining my cancellation they told me they had other mg cars in with the same issue regarding auto headlights and sensors.

I hope it can all be fixed with an update and an ecu fix as it's a nice car to drive comfortable good size fairly kitted out and good value for money.

If you are still active let me know I'll update once I get to the garage

 

Dear MG UK Customer Service,
FJ Dealership

I am writing to express my significant concern regarding a serious issue I have experienced with my new MG ZS Hybrid+, which I purchased from FJ Chalke on 6/5/25.

My vehicle registration number is WG25

I have owned the vehicle for only six days, and I have already encountered a worrying pattern of over-revving. 5000rpm in one instance when driving uphill. During these instances, the engine revs excessively, and alarmingly, the vehicle loses power. This loss of power, especially while ascending hills, feels unsafe and is causing me considerable concern about the vehicle's drivability and safety.

This issue is persistent and occurs regularly when the car encounters an incline. The combination of high engine revs without corresponding power output is not only concerning from a performance perspective but also raises questions about the vehicle's mechanical operation. The feeling of the car losing power during these moments is particularly unsettling and makes me feel unsafe while driving.

I request an urgent investigation into this matter. I would appreciate it if both MG UK and FJ Chalke could take this complaint seriously and advise on the necessary steps to diagnose and rectify this fault. I would like to understand what might be causing this behaviour and what actions will be taken to ensure the safe and reliable operation of my vehicle.
If this cannot not be rectified. Then I would have no other option but to request a full invoice refund.