MG ZS EV "Naked/Normal" Roof without Factory Rails- Rails FOUND - Summit SUP-055

[christhirteen13]

MG ZS EV owners rejoice!!! I have found the perfectly fitting MG ZS EV roof rails for MGs without any exiting rails. They are relatively affordable. The following rails will work and best of all they are available on Amazon!!
-> Summit SUP-055 Premium Multi Fit Roof Bars, Black Steel, Set of 2

I have made following observations before ordering and installing the rails.

• The width of the roof is approximately 127 cm, therefore the roof bar has to be at least 130 cm wide.
• The edge where the mounts wedge into are the right type for the installation.

I have gone ahead and spaced out the bars with the following measurements.

• The two bars are 70 cm apart from each other, apparently the optimal distance for such installations.
• The rear bars are 47 cm away from the front doors rubber seal.
• Front bars are set to 105 cm measured on the bar indicators.
• Rear bars are set to 103.5 cm measured on the bar indicators.

Some issues with the product to be aware of.

• Very loud wind howling noises at motorway level speeds, see more in test report further down.
• The bars need to be widened, especially at the front (width 105 cm), the end caps of the bar tend to come off and aren't glued in properly. I had to cut the plastic and apply strong glue to the ends of them and fit them back on so they stay on.
• Missing T-bolt groove for roof boxes or bike rails, need to replace roof bar with Thule one to sort this, also probably more aerodynamic at high speeds.
• The caps that close off and conceal the adjusting screws are flimsy and cheap, it is possible that they will not last, neither will the screw to lock them as the thread is plastic too and weak so likely break and lose shape. I will potentially investigate buying Summit specific metal locks for this.

A test drive will follow I have literally just installed them today and I'll follow up with how they perform. Especially noise wise!

 

[christhirteen13]

I might also test Thule Evo roof rails in the future using a kit that is compatible with the Hyundai i10 as that is a relatively new EV model that is on the list of supported cars for this Summit roof rail kit. Hence, a kit for that car should in theory work. Good news with Thule is that each kit 'only' costs about 50£ so swapping that in case of misalignment should be alright.

 

[christhirteen13]

We did some tests!!!

Unfortunately, while the noise was just about tolerable at 50 MPH (80 KMH), once we hit 70 MPH (110 KMH) it went full “angry banshee mode.” Suddenly, the MG went from “peaceful cruiser” to “budget airline taking off in a storm.” My partner described it as a plane taking off, and honestly, I could only nod while also hearing a delightful high-pitched wind howl for extra immersion.

Now, since we’re planning a grand adventure across England and all the way to Switzerland this summer, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: this ain’t it. Five hours of being serenaded by screaming wind demons, followed by twelve more hours the next day, sounds like a one-way ticket to insanity. Plus, I don’t want to be messing with it every time we stop.

So, where does that leave us?! Good news for the MG forum, I guess!!! You're getting another thrilling episode in my ongoing saga! We’re going to give the Thule Evo Clamps a shot, and I’ll start a new thread for that (because ev-mania must be documented properly), and I’ll link it here.