MG ZS EV 2020 pricing and spec confirmed: This is Australia’s most-affordable electric car

MG has confirmed its ZS EV SUV will land in Australian showrooms in 2020 priced at $46,990 driveaway, but the price is only applicable to the first 100 orders.

After the initial launch price, expect to see the cost of the ZS EV rise, but MG is remaining tight-lipped on just how much it will increase.

The price point will make the ZS EV the cheapest mainstream electric car available in Australia, and positions it below the $48,490 before on-road costs Hyundai Ioniq Electric, $49,990 Nissan Leaf and $49,490 Renault Zoe.

Being a small SUV though, the ZS EV will line-up direction against the $59,990 Hyundai Kona Electric.

Powering the MG ZS EV is a 105kW/353Nm electric motor and 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery, which enables up to 262 kilometres of emissions-free driving.

The Hyundai pair will have longer legs however, with 449km and 373km in the Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric respectively, but the ZS EV will go the distance against the Nissan Leaf (270km range).

Recharging the ZS EV from zero to 80 per cent takes 40 minutes using a 50kW fast charger, otherwise a standard outlet will need around seven hours for a full juice.

Standard equipment includes an 8.0-inch multimedia colour touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, satellite navigation, six-speaker sound system, sunroof and three driving modes (Eco, Normal and Sport).

The EV will sit atop the ZS small SUV line-up, with the range kicking off at $22,990 driveaway for the base Excite grade, $23,490 for the Excite Plus and $26,990 for the Essence variant.

Like all new MGs, the ZS EV comes with a seven-year/160,000km warranty, while the battery is covered for the same period of time.