MG Motor India is ready to mark its entry into the highly-competitive mid-size SUV segment with the Astor. The model will be positioned against the Hyundai Creta that’s currently dominating the segment. The Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun will also give a tough competition to the new MG Astor SUV. The new MG SUV will make its official debut in second week of September, followed by its launch (possibly in early October 2021).
The automaker hasn’t yet revealed its engine details. Though, the Astor is likely to be offered with the 1.5L petrol and 1.3L turbo petrol engine options. While the former will deliver power around 118bhp with 150Nm of torque, the turbo-petrol unit will return 161bhp with 230Nm. Both manual and automatic gearboxes are likely to be offered.
MG Astor, which is essentially the petrol iteration of the ZS EV, will be packed with several segment-first features including Level 2 autonomous technology and ADAS (advanced driver assistance system). It will also be the first vehicle in the industry to offer personal AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistance, which is powered by i-Smart Hub. It will provide detailed information via Wikipedia and depicts human-like voices and emotions. Read – 6 Features of MG Astor Not Available On Hyundai Creta
The new MG SUV will have dual-tone Black and Brown interior theme that’s prominent on the dashboard, seats and door trims. The silver inserts on the aircon vents, dashboard and door trims give it a premium touch. The Astor will be the brand’s first car to be based on CAAP (Concetp of Car-as-a-platform) architecture.
With aim to increase production at its Halol based plant in Gujarat, the British carmaker is planning to invest Rs 2,500 crore by the end of 2022. It currently produces around 4,500 units per month, which will be ramped up to 7,000 units. The company has already made an investment of Rs 3,000 crores at the Halol manufacturing facility.
