MG Motors will introduce the long-awaited Astor mid-sized SUV in the Indian market tomorrow. Not just Astor, the much-awaited new-gen Force Gurkha in production avatar will also make its India debut tomorrow. While the MG Astor will rival the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the VW Taigun, the Gurkha will be positioned against the Mahindra Thar.
New Force Gurkha
First unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo, the new-gen Force Gurkha will come with revised chassis, new BSVI compliant diesel motor, new design and completely revised cabin. The SUV will retain the original boxy, rugged design. Design highlights will include a single slat front grille, an air intake snorkel, and retro-styled circular LED headlamps with integrated DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps). Plastic cladding can be seen all-around the body.
The body shell and the chassis have been upgraded to meet the latest safety regulations. The new Gurkha will come with all-black interior scheme. It will get a touchscreen infotainment system, armrest for the rear passengers, rear wiper, a forward-facing second-row captain seats and an air conditioning unit. The all-new Force Gurkha will be powered by a BSVI compliant 2.6-litre turbocharged diesel engine, which is capable of producing 90bhp of power and 260Nm of torque. It will be paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Four-wheel-drive layout will be offered as standard, along with locking front and rear differentials.
New MG Astor
It is basically the petrol derivative of the ZS EV. Select MG dealers have already started accepting pre-orders for the MG Astor at a token amount of Rs 50,000. The SUV is likely to be offered in 5 trim levels – Style, Super, Smart, Sharp and Savvy. It will be the first vehicle in the segment to offer ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), offering features like forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, speed assist system, lane departure prevention, rear drive assist (RDA) and intelligent headlamp control (IHC).
The vehicle will get a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It will also come with personal AI-assistant, which presents human-like emotions & voices and can give detailed information on every topic through Wikipedia. It will engage the people in the car and is powered by i-Smart Hub. The SUV comes equipped with features such as rain sensing wipers, 6-way electrically adjustable driver seat, manually adjustable co-passenger seat, panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery for seat, etc.
The MG Astor will be offered with two petrol engines – a 1.3L turbocharged petrol and a 1.5L naturally-aspirated petrol. While the former is good for 161bhp and 230Nm of torque, the latter offers 118bhp and 150Nm of torque. The 1.3L engine will come with automatic gearbox, while the 1.5L engine will come with a manual as well as CVT gearbox options.
