MG Motors has officially introduced the much-awaited Astor mid-sized SUV in the Indian market. It is basically the petrol derivative of the popular ZS EV. The new MG Astor will be positioned against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the soon-to-be-launched Volkswagen Taigun.
MG Astor Engine Specifications
The Astor is offered with two petrol engine options – a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated. While the former is claimed to offer a maximum power of 138bhp and a peak torque of 220Nm, the naturally-aspirated unit produces 110bhp and 144Nm of torque.
The Renault Duster features a 156PS, 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol, while the Creta and the Seltos are offered with a 140PS, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The Skoda Kushaq and the upcoming VW Taigun are equipped with a 150PS, 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The MG Astor will come with manual and automatic gearbox options. While the 1.3L turbo unit is offered with the 6-speed automatic gearbox option, the 1.5L engine comes with a 6-speed manual as well as an 8-speed CVT automatic gearbox option. The SUV will be offered in 5 trim levels – Style, Super, Smart, Sharp and Savvy. The 1.3L turbo unit is offered on the top-spec Sharp and Savvy trims.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)
The MG Astor is the only SUV in its category to offer ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System). The company has joined hands with Bosch to develop ADAS for the new Astor SUV. It offers features such as autonomous emergency braking system, ESP, forward collision warning, speed limit assist, adaptive cruise control, rear drive assist, blind spot detection, lane keeping assist and automatic high-beam lighting system. For safety and security, the SUV gets ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), traction control, hill descent control, 6 airbags, 360 degree camera
MG Astor Design
The MG Astor looks largely identical to the ZS EV; however, MG has made some changes to keep things fresh in the market. The SUV comes with a prominent and bigger front grille with chrome embellishment, sweptback headlamps with integrated LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps), and new bumper with wider air-dams and new fog lamp assembly. It gets sculpted bonnet, ORVMs with integrated blinkers and roof rails.
The rear profile of the Astor mid-sized SUV looks identical to the ZS EV; however, the vehicle gets different-looking LED tail-lamps with different internals. It gets roof-integrated spoiler with brake light, black plastic cladding, etc. In terms of proportions, the new MG Astor is 4,323mm long, 1,650mm tall and 1,809mm width, and has a wheelbase of 2,585mm. It rides on new 17-inch diamond cut alloys.
Interior & Features
MG Astor is the first vehicle in the industry to offer personal AI (Artificial Intelligence assistance), which is powered by i-Smart Hub. It provides detailed information via Wikipedia and depicts human-like voices and emotions. The AI system has a voice of the Paralympic athlete and Khel Ratna Awardee Dr. Deepa Malik.
The MG Astor mid-sized SUV comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard in all variants. The SUV comes with dual-tone interior scheme – black and red. The upper half of the dashboard is finshed in black, while the lower half is wrapped in Red leather upholstery. It is packed with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which will be compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also comes with the JioSaavn app for music/videos.
The SUV has a new i-Smart Hub system, which hosts subscriptions and services such as maps and navigation with MapMyIndia, Jio connectivity and the Blockchain protected vehicle digital passport by KoineArth & more. It also has a feature of reserving a parking slot through a head unit (powered by Park+ – select cities to begin with).
The MG Astor offers three steering modes – Dynamic, Normal and Urban. It comes with rain sensing wipers, 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, manually-adjustable co-passenger seat, automatic climate control, powered ORVMs with integrated blinkers, etc. The SUV gets a digital instrument console, which shows multiple features. Adding to it, the Astor has leather-wrapped multi-functional steering wheel, a large panoramic sunroof, heated ORVM, rear parking sensors, armrests, etc.
MG Astor Bookings, Launch
Select MG dealers have already started accepting pre-orders for the MG Astor mid-sized SUV at a token amount of Rs 50,000; however, MG is yet to make an official announcement. The company has confirmed that the SUV will reach dealerships in the next few days. It is expected to be launched in the month of October, 2021, and could be priced around Rs 11 lakh to Rs 16 lakh.
