MG ZS - Variants and Updates

Variants and Updates

A successor to the Rover 45/MG ZS (known internally as RD/X60) was under development in the early 2000s. This was to have been based on a shortened Rover 75 floorplan and was to appear in saloon, hatchback and 'tourer' (estate) bodystyles. Chassis development was being undertaken by Tom Walkinshaw Racing and ceased when TWR collapsed. The non-appearance of RD/X60 meant that the ZS was facelifted and continued in production until the demise of MG Rover.

In 2004 the ZS was facelifted with the rest of the MG Rover range. The retro design cues adopted when the 400 became the 45 were mostly dropped. For the first time the Rover 45 and MG ZS became noticeably different looking cars – at least in the high specification ZS 180 version with a bodykit derived from the MG XPower SV. This bodykit was available as an option on all other ZS models, and was a popular choice for the ZS TD. The 2004 model also received a revised interior with new seat materials, a new dash design incorporating climate control on the ZS120+ model and the range-topping ZS180 model.

The MG ZS ceased production in April 2005 on the bankruptcy of MG Rover, and the rights to make the car were soon repossessed by Honda - who owned the rights to the original 1995 design.

Nanjing Automobile of China bought the remaining assets of MG Rover in July 2005. SAIC Motor had previously acquired some intellectual property rights from MG Rover, so the Chinese Government merged the two companies together, which resulted in the rebirth of MG as MG Motor UK Ltd. They then designed a new model in China, announced in 2009 as the MG6. Built in China and assembled by MG Motor UK at the old MG Rover Longbridge plant, sales started in 2011.