Finally, one of the most awaited, MG Astor is now launched. Its price starts at ₹9.78 Lakhs and tops at ₹16.78 Lakhs. The current price is only for the first 5,000 units sold after which the automaker may raise the price tag.
MG Astor is highly inspired by ZS EV. The difference is that MG Astor is a petrol car and some styling updates are also there while it comes with several more features as well. Astor is placed in the midsize SUV segment where several new launches are going on so it will be interesting to look upon the competition. It will be competing with Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta that carry a significant market share. The official bookings for MG Astor will start on 21st October.
How does it look like from the outside?
MG Astor is like a facelifted version of the ZS SUV (outside India version). Still, Astor has its own identity even if both are similar. It comes with stylish all-LED signature lights at the back and the front also gets revised LED headlamps. Both rear and front bumpers are enhanced for a sportier look as compared to the ZS EV. Astor also gets a ‘celestial grille’ exclusively. The chrome studs are there on the outward radiating patterned grille and it looks stunning. The buyers will get two options for the 17-inch alloy wheels to choose from.
What MG Astor has to offer in terms of the interior?
The dashboard design is also inspired by the ZS EV. But MG has surely made some tweaks and enhanced the all-new Astor. The increased size of the touchscreen is there at 10.1-inches. Connected car features can also be used by using Jio e-sim. The automaker has surely made the Astor a premium-looking car from both outside and inside.
The aluminum accent is used in some places to match up with the shades of the interior. Astor comes in three colors to choose from and they are dual-tone Iconic Ivory, dual-tone Sangria Red, and Tuxedo Black.
MG Astor also has a robot-like personal assistant sitting inside the dashboard to help with basic tasks. It is capable of answering questions with online sources and responds with emoticons when asked something. This new system has some built-in local apps and is powered by Wikipedia.
Let’s look at the features MG Astor comes up with
The top-spec trims come with amazing features such as:
- Heated wing mirrors
- Tyre pressure monitor
- Leatherette upholstery
- A 7-inch digital instrument cluster
- Electric parking brake
- Panoramic Sunroof
- 360-degree camera
- Driving modes (normal, urban, and dynamic)
- Steering weight adjustment
It also comes with safety features like hill start, ABS, ESP, EBD, rear disc brakes, brake assist, six airbags, and descent control.
You will get ADAS level-2 features as an optional package with the top-spec trim. The features it comes with are adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, etc.
Powertrain options to choose from
There are two petrol engine options the buyers can choose from. The first one is a lower spec 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder petrol engine capable of producing 144Nm of torque and 110hp of power. On the other hand, there’s a higher spec engine of a 1.3-liter 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine capable of producing 220Nm of torque and 140hp of power. The latter one only comes with a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. On the other hand, the lower-spec engine comes with the option to choose from an eight-step CVT automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.
MG Astor Variant-wise Prices
There are four different trims i.e. Style, Super, Smart, and Sharp. The CVT automatic transmission will not be offered on the base trim i.e. Style while the 1.3-liter engine will be offered only with the top two trims i.e. Smart and Sharp. The 1.5-liter petrol engine with manual transmission will be available in all the trims. The variant-wise pricing is as follows:
| Trims/Variant | 1.5-litre Petrol MT | 1.5-litre Petrol CVT | 1.3-litre turbo-petrol AT |
| Style | ₹9.78 Lakhs | – | – |
| Super | ₹11.28 Lakhs | ₹12.68 Lakhs | – |
| Smart | ₹12.98 Lakhs | ₹14.18 Lakhs | ₹15.88 Lakhs |
| Sharp | ₹13.98 Lakhs | ₹14.98 Lakhs | ₹16.78 Lakhs |
Competition Check
The Astor’s position is below the Hector in the MG’s SUV line-up and portfolio. Its length is 4.3 meters so the suitable segment is the midsize SUV segment. Here, it will be competing with high-in-demand cars such as Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. Other rival cars are Skoda Kushaq, Nissan Kicks, Volkswagen Taigun, and Renault Duster.
