MG ZS EV vs Kia Niro: Which electric SUV is right for you?

Save over £200 on the monthly cost of a brand new electric vehicle with Corparison’s electric car salary sacrifice scheme

If you’re looking for an affordable way to lease an EV, an electric salary sacrifice car is just the ticket.

Conducted through your employer, you’ll be able to access their buying power to get the best deals on pretty much any electric car you can think of. And because the money for the lease is sacrificed from your gross salary, you’ll also save money on Income Tax and National Insurance contributions.

It’s a winning formula all around.

But once you’ve decided to take a salary sacrifice car, the tricky part is deciding which electric car lease is right for you.

It’s a crowded market out there, and with continual innovation, the sector can be seen as a confusing one, especially if you’ve never dabbled with EVs before.

And so, to help you start to narrow down which electric car is right for you, we’ve pitted two of the most affordable – and the best – electric cars together to see which one comes out on top. With the MG ZS EV one of the best EVs when it comes to value for money, and the Kia Niro just a phenomenal all-rounder, it’s a tense fight.

Overview

Based on the combustion engine MG ZS, the MG ZS EV takes everything that’s good about the car, and makes it even better.

The regular ZS is one of the Chinese manufacturer’s most well-rounded models, which makes sense for why MG chose it for the bare bones of their first ever EV. And though the MG electric line-up has since expanded, the MG ZS EV still stands up as a very good, very affordable electric car.

Even without the extra savings you can make with a salary sacrifice scheme, it’s one of the cheapest electric SUVs on the market, and it even beats some smaller EVs, including the Renault Zoe and MINI Electric, on price.

But that price doesn’t come at a cost.

It’s still a very well-built car and comes with all the mod cons and creature comforts you could need.

The Kia Niro, on the other hand, is both new and not new. 

It’s a direct replacement – not just a name change - for the Kia e-Niro, the first electric car to make an over 250-mile range more affordable, so people had options that weren’t just Tesla’s.

And if the e-Niro was good, the Niro EV is even better.

Taking inspiration from the Kia Sportage and EV6, the Kia Niro is bright, clean and modern in design, and crammed with all the tech you could possibly need. It makes a very good choice for a practical family salary sacrifice car. 

Interior and practicality

The quality of the interior doesn’t give away the MG ZS EV’s price tag.

In fact, it makes it feel more expensive than it actually is, with soft-touch plastics to finish on the dashboard, solid buttons to control popular functions, and plenty of cubby holes to stow away all of life’s odds and ends.

It’s spacious too, beating many rivals on the amount of room there is inside for yourself and your passengers. The higher roof makes it feel even airier, and even with the panoramic sunroof installed there’s enough room for people over six foot.

If you’re often carsharing on the way to work, this is a car that won’t cause arguments over who gets to sit in the front, and who is banished to the back seats. 

It even has a bigger boot than the petrol version, clocking in at a competitive 440L. Sure, it’s not going to win any prizes in a big boot competition, but it’s more than enough for daily family life. 

The Kia Niro is just as good on the inside.

Not quite the same calibre as the EV6, despite the clear influence (think more hard plastics, less soft-touch materials), but it’s durable, comfortable and practical.

It makes for an excellent family vehicle with plenty of space throughout, both in the front and in the rear.

Tall people won’t have any quibbles over where they sit, and the car is wide enough that the front seat riders won’t be knocking their shoulders together. The roof is tall enough to leave plenty of room for heads, and the flat floor means that even three adults in the back won’t feel squished, or that their feet are fighting for space.

The boot is a similar size to the MG, with space for seven carry-on suitcases. 

Again, not the biggest boot in the world, but good enough for most families in day-to-day life.

Technology, safety and specs.

Kia’s tech is some of the best out there, especially for the price. 

Be careful when it comes to the infotainment system, though. If you like a bigger screen, you’ll want to go for the 3 or 4 trim for the 10.25in screen. The 2 trim only bags you an 8in, but if you’re not fussed on size, this is still decent.

It’s easy to use and responsive though, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring included as standard. The top-spec 4 trim even gets you a premium Hardon Kardon stereo, for the all-important commute singalong.

There’s even a ‘driver only’ setting for the air con for when it’s just you in the car, minimising battery usage so you can stay cool all summer without losing unnecessary range.

As far as trims go, you’ve got the 2, 3 or 4. Why it doesn’t start at 1 is a question we’ll continue to ponder.

The entry-level 2 spec gets you plenty of tech for the price, including dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control. It might be the most basic trim, but if you’re really looking to make your money go as far as you can, it’s worth considering.

Upgrading to 3 adds additional creature comforts like heated front seats and wireless phone charging, while 4 brings more kit than you’ll know what to do with, and adds a sunroof, electric tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, heated back seats and a heated steering wheel.

You’ll never get cold again.

The MG ZS EV continues the same great story.

Every model comes with a 10.1in infotainment touchscreen as standard – points for MG there – which comes with a DAB radio, Bluetooth and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Rear parking sensors and a parking camera are also standard across the range.

Not bad for a car so cheap.

When it comes to the trim levels, the entry-level SE comes with pretty much everything you’ll ever need, including keyless entry, air con, adaptive cruise control, automatic LED lights, leather-trimmed steering wheel.

Upgrade to the top-spec Trophy trim, and you’ll also get rain-sensing wipers, panoramic sunroof, faux leather seats, heated front seats, and power-folding door mirrors, but these are more ‘nice things to have’ than absolute necessities.

Standard safety kit in the MG is just as good as its fun tech.

The MG Pilot system is standard across the range, and includes automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, a traffic jam assistance system, and lane-keeping assistance, 

The Kia Niro EV is just as good, with smart cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, front collision avoidance system, and airbags. If you want extra kit, upgrade to the 3 or 4 trim levels for front parking sensors, blind-spot collision avoidance and remote parking capability.

And it’s good news on the crash test front, with Euro NCAP awarding both cars the full five stars.

Range

The MG ZS EV has a competitive range, especially when considering the price.

If you want to maximise range and minimise cost, opt for the Long Range model with the 72.6kWh battery and claimed 273-mile range.

But even the entry-level model stands up: its 51kWh battery provides a lower range of 198 miles to match the lower cost. But even this should be enough for most trips, especially with an at-home charger.

The updated Kia Niro offers marginally more when it comes to range than its predecessor, but nothing overly exciting. 

There’s only one battery on offer here, with a claimed 285-mile range. A bit more than the MG ZS EV, and more than enough to be getting on with. And with rapid charging available, even long motorway trips will be a breeze.

Salary sacrifice savings

There are some serious savings to be had by opting for a salary sacrifice electric car over a regular personal contract hire deal.

We’ve compared the two below (based on a 10,000 mile/36-month lease at a 40% tax rate) so you have a rough idea of how much you could save, but you can also check out our salary sacrifice calculator for the most up-to-date figures – and to compare any other vehicles you might have your eye on.

Juicy savings, coming your way.