New Vibe choice is expected to rattle rivals.

SUPPLY of a base turbocharged petrol engined edition of the MG ZS small sports utility has finally begun in New Zealand, months after it achieved regional availability.

With this country now securing the MG ZS Vibe Turbo, four months after it hit Australia, focus now switches to when it will also begin to see a safety update arriving for all ZS models.

That latter update is a maker effort to address the car achieving four stars out of a possible five from testing by Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, the primary recognised safety auditor here.

The update will see the car take a front centre airbag absent from current stock, in hope this will trigger ANCAP into elevating the score to five stars.

The new ZS variant meantime is a $27,990 choice, with 54 percent more power than the entry petrol Excite that appears to hold the same sticker, but still less grunt than the hybrid drivetrain also in some versions.

It is expected the NZ market is about to follow example set in Australia, which has the same distributor, and rename the base Excite a Vibe.

In addition to its 125kW/275Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, which otherwise only sites in a Essence edition costing $42,990, the Vibe Turbo runs 17 inch wheels, so one inch smaller than the Essence.

The more expensive car also brings in a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, whereas the Vibe has a 10.25 inch unit, and adds two more speakers, leather-look upholstery and steering wheel, and heated front seats.

The Vibe Turbo also misses out on the Essence's LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beam and keyless entry, among other features.

The non-turbo ZS has a 81kW/140Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, also matched to CVT. There are also ZS hybrids, from $34,990, that have a 75kW/128Nm 1.5-litre engine and a 100kW/250Nm front electric motor, for a combined power output of 158kW and 465Nm, with a three-speed automatic.

MG New Zealand country business manager Dean Shead says the idea with the Vibe turbo to is create a good bang for buck choice in the compact SUV sector.

“Offering our potent 1.5L turbo in our most affordable Vibe Turbo variant gives the best power and performance for the price.”

MG’s regional operation centres in Melbourne, where a management change has just occurred in wake of 2024 being a challenging year, particularly in Australia, where sales have slipped despite an influx of new product.

The Australian Financial Review reported the resignation of Peter Ciao as chief executive of MG in NZ and Australia has averted a damaging dispute with its network of Australian dealers. Ciao had eight years in the job.