Chery Tiggo 4 Cross vs Mg ZS

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Chery Tiggo 4 Cross in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 4 Cross

LiT MT Petrol Current
ZAR 279,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 83 kW 🔧 170 Nm ⛽ 14.3 km/l
VS
Mg ZS in South Africa

Mg ZS

1.5L 4AT Luxury Petrol 4-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 309,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 84 kW 🔧 150 Nm ⛽ 14.08 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tiggo 4 Cross
Fuel Economy Tiggo 4 Cross
🛡 Safety Tiggo 4 Cross
📦 Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Tiggo 4 Cross starts ZAR 10,000 cheaper Tiggo 4 Cross from ZAR 279,900 · ZS from ZAR 289,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Tiggo 4 Cross ZS
Maximum Power 83 kW @ 5500 rpm 84 kW
Maximum Torque 170 Nm 150 Nm
Engine Size 1500 cc 1498 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 14.3 km/l 14.08 km/l
Ground Clearance 180 mm 175 mm
Boot / Load Bay 340 l 359 l
Airbags Multiple airbags 6
Kerb Weight 1309 kg 1258 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 5 Years / 150 000 km 7 years / 200,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Tiggo 4 Cross and ZS are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 4 Cross +1 pts
Efficiency Tiggo 4 Cross +1 pts
Safety Tiggo 4 Cross +4 pts
Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross +3 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Catalogue-index leader

Tiggo 4 Cross

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

ZS

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Tiggo 4 Cross

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

ZS

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Tiggo 4 Cross ZS
Model Introduced Year 2026 2025
Generation Current South Africa Tiggo 4 Cross range Current local value-positioned ZS compact SUV, sold alongside rather than replaced by the larger turbocharged ZS Pro.
Facelift History Current South Africa version listed by official source Current South African ZS specification introduced with MG's market return in 2025.
Facelift Launched Since 2026 2025
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV Five-door compact SUV
Model Year 2026 2024
Production Status active active
Segment SUV Compact SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1309 kg -
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Spec Tiggo 4 Cross ZS
Length 4351 mm 4314 mm
Width 1831 mm 1809 mm
Height 1662 mm 1624 mm
Wheelbase 2610 mm 2585 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 180 mm 175 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 180 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 51 l 48 l
Boot/Cargo Space 340 l 359 l
Kerb Weight 1309 kg 1258 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1684 kg 1695 kg
Payload Capacity 375 kg 437 kg
Towing Capacity 1300 kg 500 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.5 m 5.6 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 1043 mm
Rear Headroom 975 mm 995 mm
Front Legroom 1040 mm 1070 mm
Rear Legroom 930 mm 850 mm

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Tiggo 4 Cross leads by 3 points

Tiggo 4 Cross and ZS are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 60 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 65% source coverage
60
#1 Index leader

Tiggo 4 Cross

65% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 38
Performance 38
Efficiency 56
Safety 91
Practicality 55
Leads by 3 points
57
#2

ZS

73% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 55
Safety 87
Practicality 52
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 4 Cross +1 Efficiency Tiggo 4 Cross +1 Safety Tiggo 4 Cross +4 Practicality Tiggo 4 Cross +3

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Tiggo 4 Cross

Performance 38/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 55/100

ZS

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 55/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 52/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Chery Tiggo 4 Cross leads the catalogue index with 60 pts vs 57 pts for ZS

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Tiggo 4 Cross leads. However, ZS may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This Tiggo 4 Cross and ZS comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Tiggo 4 Cross 38 vs ZS 37.

Efficiency index: Tiggo 4 Cross 56 vs ZS 55.

Safety-equipment index: Tiggo 4 Cross 91 vs ZS 87.

Practicality index: Tiggo 4 Cross 55 vs ZS 52.

Ownership-cover index: Tiggo 4 Cross not separately scored vs ZS not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.