Morris Garages have finally revealed MG Astor after so many teasers of the new model. It is the new addition to the mid-size category of the company. The new model is smaller than Hector by 0.3 meters so Astor will come under it. But MG will be focusing on going neck-to-neck with the category leader, Hyundai Creta.
MG Astor’s Exterior: How does the compact SUV look from the outside?
It looks very similar to MG’s electric car ZS EV. But the design and style are borrowed from the abroad’s facelifted ZS variant. The Indian version of ZS is the pre-facelift variant. So, due to this, the new MG Astor gets an enhanced design. The front features a hexagonal celestial grille. It also gets new fog light housing and a changed front bumper. The headlights have also been revised with LED DRLs.
Talking about the rear, the profile is similar to the ZS EV but with some changes. The changes include faux dual exhausts and a new bumper along with an integrated faux skid plate. One spectacular change is the new diamond-cut 17-inch alloy wheels and it differentiates Astor from ZS.
What will you get at the interior of the Astor?
MG perfectly knows that this segment is very much competitive so the company has offered some great features and technologies to attract more buyers. The infotainment system is a 10.1-inch touchscreen system featuring further connected features via Jio e-sim. MG has also installed an AI-based personal assistant which can make use of online sources and answer queries and follow voice commands.
Who doesn’t like first in segment features, right? MG has come up with a new first in segment feature i.e. three steering modes. The users can modify or change the feedback and feel of the steering while driving as per the usage. The three modes offered are normal, urban, and dynamic.
There is a panoramic sunroof as well in the top-spec variant which looks amazing. A few other features offered are:
- Leather Upholstery for Seats
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- Heated ORVMs
- Automatic Climate Control
- 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seats.
- Rain-Sensing Wipers
- Digital Key
A top-class technology offered is Level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Service). It allows the company to equip several active safety features into the vehicle. These features include:
- Lane Keep Assist
- Forward Collision Warning
- Lane Departure Prevention
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Speed Assist
- Automatic Emergency Braking
Interestingly, MG Astor will be the first car to introduce ADAS in the mid-size SUV segment. We’ve already seen ADAS in a few SUV models such as Mahindra XUV700 and MG Gloster.
What we can expect in terms of performance?
MG Astor comes with two petrol engine options to choose from. One is a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter petrol engine with the capability of producing 144Nm of torque and power of 110hp. On the other hand, the other option is a 1.3-liter turbo-petrol engine capable of producing a torque of 220Nm and 144hp of power.
The second option is a powerful engine that has the capability of competing with turbo-petrol and high output car models of Seltos, Duster, Creta, Kushaq, and Kicks. The turbo-petrol engine will be only available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox while the 1.5-liter engine comes with the choice to choose from either an 8-step CVT automatic or a manual gearbox.
Rivals of the all-new MG Astor
The new MG Astor will debut on the market in October 2021. The competition will be among the similarly sized cars i.e. around 4.3mm in length. These models include Renault Duster, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Hyundai Creta, and Nissan Kicks.
It will be interesting to see how it competes with the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun.
