THERE'S a saying along the lines of "you can't please all the people all of the time" and it means pretty much that you'll never satisfy everyone.
Whoever coined it clearly did not have the MG ZS in mind.
It has sexy, sporty looks which are sufficient to turn the heads of young folk.
It has plenty of space inside to appeal to families.
And its official economy figures are impressive enough to tempt those who are older and more circumspect regarding fuel costs, yet who remain young at heart.
In addition, its engine is impressive in terms of power, flexibility and performance.
Its handling actually gives the car the feel of a smaller vehicle because its reactions are so quick and taut. You tend to forget it is rather a big car with a handy sized boot.
The upshot is that the driver quickly grows in confidence and appreciation of this sporty saloon, knowing it is unlikely to let them down in the power, suspension and torque stakes.
Inside it's all pretty simple, but effective. The MG ZS+ is not overdressed nor too elaborate.
You get sports-styled front seats, a leather and alloy gear knob, 'technik' finish interior features and sports dials. It's uncluttered and functional - a car which "walks the walk" as well as "talking the talk."
There is good support from the seats and good visibility, so it is an ideal car for both fun on winding roads and long distance motoring drives.
There is very little intrusive noise and even its low profile tyres give a quality ride, impressive on low as well as high speeds, and over sharp bumps.
Buyers get plenty of choice in the MG ZS range from attractive saloons to a five-door hatchback.
There are five different engines, including the ZS turbo diesel, which will do the 0-60mph sprint in 9.5 seconds and clock up more than 50mpg.
My test car was powered by a four-cylinder, 16 valve twincam petrol engine which can achieve more than 120mph and nearly 39mpg on the combined circuit.
All MG ZS models boast an impressive array of interior features. They all carry distinctive rear spoilers designed to add to their impressive road-holding capacity.
With the wide-boom exhaust and heat shields on most models, sporty alloy wheels, body colour door mirrors and bumpers and an imposing MG steel mesh front grille, the car has a distinctly different and appealing look compared to most other bread and butter sports saloons.
And you can put your own personal stamp on your vehicle by selecting from a wide choice of interior options involving seats and fabrics.
It's not strictly a man's car either - at least if my wife is anything to go by. She's never slow to give a female perspective on test cars and this one earned the most praise I've heard from her in quite a while.
"It feels so good to drive around in," she cooed. "It's got style as well as looks."
Our growing family - we have two children aged 11 and eight - fitted comfortably inside and the boot coped well with our weekly supermarket shop - no small test of its capabilities.
All in all then, this is car both for sporty singles who want plenty of fun and style from their cars, as well as for young families.
It rings all the right bells in terms of being lively, nimble and nifty and undoubtedly continues the famous MG ethos which has its emphasis, of course, in being fun in the fast lane.
FAST FACTS
MG ZS+ 110 1.6 5dr hatchback
Price: £11,995
Mechanical: 109bhp, 1,589cc 4 cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-spd manual transmission
Max speed: 119mph
0-60mph: 9.8 secs
Combined mpg: 40.2
Insurance group: 10
CO2 emissions: 168g/km
BiK rating: 17%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint