MG ZS EV vs MG Astor petrol: which costs less?
In New Delhi, driving 40 km a day and charging at home, the MG ZS EV Executive costs ₹7.87 lakh more on-road than the MG Astor Sprint, saves about ₹6,914 a month, and pays for itself in about 9.3 years.
There's no petrol or diesel version of the MG ZS EV, so we've matched the MG Astor: the closest petrol car on price and size.
Check with your own numbersChange the city, variant, daily driving or charging. Takes a minute.
Running cost per km
Based on New Delhi prices: petrol at ₹102.12 a litre and home electricity at ₹8 a unit. The EV uses its real-world range of about 330 km per charge; the Astor uses about 12.5 km/l in real driving.
Break-even in 15 cities
Same cars, same 40 km a day. Fuel prices, electricity tariffs and state road tax move the answer.
| City | Petrol ₹/l | Power ₹/unit | Extra upfront | Saved / month | Pays back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 102.12 | 8 | ₹7.87 lakh | ₹6,914 | 9.3 years |
| Gurugram | 102.97 | 7.5 | ₹7.77 lakh | ₹7,099 | 8.9 years |
| Faridabad | 102.60 | 7.5 | ₹7.77 lakh | ₹7,063 | 8.9 years |
| Noida | 101.89 | 7 | ₹9.67 lakh | ₹7,096 | 11.1 years |
| Ghaziabad | 101.90 | 7 | ₹9.67 lakh | ₹7,097 | 11.1 years |
| Lucknow | 101.86 | 7 | ₹9.67 lakh | ₹7,093 | 11.1 years |
| Mumbai | 111.21 | 12 | ₹7.47 lakh | ₹6,979 | 8.7 years |
| Pune | 111.00 | 11.5 | ₹7.47 lakh | ₹7,061 | 8.6 years |
| Bengaluru | 111.68 | 8.2 | ₹8.72 lakh | ₹7,803 | 9.1 years |
| Chennai | 107.76 | 8 | ₹7.57 lakh | ₹7,462 | 8.3 years |
| Hyderabad | 115.73 | 9 | ₹7.18 lakh | ₹8,033 | 7.3 years |
| Ahmedabad | 101.81 | 6 | ₹9.14 lakh | ₹7,293 | 10.3 years |
| Surat | 101.60 | 6 | ₹9.14 lakh | ₹7,273 | 10.3 years |
| Jaipur | 113.19 | 8.5 | ₹7.67 lakh | ₹7,888 | 7.9 years |
| Kolkata | 113.50 | 9 | ₹7.67 lakh | ₹7,816 | 8 years |
How much you drive changes everything
| Daily driving | Saved / month | Pays back | 7-year saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 km a day | ₹2,765 | 15+ years | −₹5.31 lakh |
| 40 km a day | ₹6,914 | 9.3 years | −₹1.82 lakh |
| 60 km a day | ₹11,062 | 5.8 years | ₹1.66 lakh |
| 80 km a day | ₹15,210 | 4.3 years | ₹5.15 lakh |
New Delhi prices, home charging.
Every ZS EV variant, matched
Each EV variant is paired with the Astor variant at the same point in its price range (base with base, top with top).
| ZS EV variant | Price | Astor variant | Price | Pays back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | ₹17.99 lakh | Sprint | ₹9.79 lakh | 9.3 years |
| Exclusive Plus | ₹19.5 lakh | Sharp Pro | ₹13.37 lakh | 5.7 years |
| Essence | ₹20.75 lakh | Savvy Pro CVT | ₹15.3 lakh | 4.6 years |
Ex-showroom prices, Delhi, November 2026. Break-even uses New Delhi on-road prices.
How we worked this out
- On-road price = ex-showroom + state road tax + registration and fees + first-year insurance. Delhi road tax: EVs 0% up to ₹30 lakh, 10% above ₹30 lakh; petrol cars 4% up to ₹6 lakh, 7% up to ₹10 lakh, 10% above ₹10 lakh.
- Running cost = energy + maintenance (about ₹5,000 a year for the EV, ₹12,000 for the petrol car) + insurance from year two.
- 40 km a day, all charging at home, 10% charging loss, kept for 7 years. No resale value assumed.
- Range and mileage are real-world figures from road tests and owners, not brochure claims. Fuel prices checked Sep–Nov 2026.
Questions people ask
Is the MG ZS EV worth it over the MG Astor?
In New Delhi, driving 40 km a day and charging at home, the MG ZS EV Executive costs ₹7.87 lakh more on-road than the MG Astor Sprint, saves about ₹6,914 a month, and pays for itself in about 9.3 years. Over 7 years you would lose about ₹1.82 lakh in total. The more you drive, the sooner the EV pays back.
How much does it cost to charge the ZS EV at home?
A full charge of the 50.3 kWh battery costs about ₹447 at ₹8 per unit in New Delhi, including about 10% charging loss. That works out to about ₹135 per 100 km, against ₹817 per 100 km for the Astor petrol.
What is the real-world range of the ZS EV?
The 50.3 kWh version does about 330 km on a full charge. These are road-test and owner figures, not the brochure claim.
Where does the ZS EV pay back fastest?
Of the cities we track, it pays back fastest in Hyderabad (7.3 years) and slowest in Lucknow (11.1 years). Fuel prices, electricity tariffs and state road tax all change the answer.