Chinese car makers are slowly making inroads – the quality quickly ramping up and today we’re seeing some very much improved vehicles like the MG Essence SUV. MG, once Britain’s best known sports car maker, was purchased by the Chinese some years ago – with the MG ZS Essence, made in China no longer means cheap and cheerful. It left me impressed on many scores – at $25,490 drive-away, good looking with excellent interior room and fit and finish and choice of materials, the 1.0-litre turbo three-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic a surprisingly nice performer with good economy, the ride quality excellent while the features list is as long as yourarm – and it needed to be if MG as a brand was going to make its mark once more in the market. Apart from only a 4-star crash safety rating mainly due to the lack of autonomous emergency braking there’s little to criticise. Above all else you’ll be impressed by its sheer value for money. The specification for $25,490 drive-away includes a rear-view camera, a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, 17-inch alloys, hill start assist, a full complement of airbags and disc brakes all round. I couldn’t achieve the stated 6.7L/100km but got close at 7.1 but the good news is it uses regular unleaded petrol. Three cylinder turbo engines by nature display nice low down torque and the MGZS Essence is a really pleasant driver. If you in the market for a small SUV make sure you include it on your list. I’m David Berthon

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