The MG Astor has been launched in India, with the price ranging from Rs 9.78 lakh to Rs 16.78 lakh (ex- showroom). The company officials mentioned at the launch these prices would be applicable only for year 2021. MG Motor India s targeting rolling out at least 5,000 units of the new SUV Astor before this year ends.
The most affordable SUV, MG offering for the Indian market, the MG Astor slots in below the MG Hector in the company's profile, and undercuts its main rivals on the price front. Bookings will begin on October 21. However customers can pre-book it from Monday, the company said. The company said it will offer the 3-3-3 ownership package on the new model, with 3 years of warranty as standard, roadside assistance and labour-free services.
The New MG Astor will be available in four levels - Style, Super, Smart and Sharp, including all four disc brakes, electronic stability programme, hill decent control and traction control - will be standard for even the base Style level, the range toping Astor will be equipped with a total 49 safety features.
The new MG Astor has ADAS ‘Level 2’, which will utilise mid-range radars and a multi-purpose camera to enable functions including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, intelligent headlamp control, rear drive assist and speed assist system. ADAS is available as an option only on the Sharp automatic variants with both engine options, and MG is yet to reveal the cost for opting for the system.
MG revealed the Astor will come with three interior colour scheme options (red and black, beige and black and all-black) and will also come with six-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat.
The MG Astor will also pack three steering feel modes - Normal, Urban and Dynamic - which will vary steering weight as per the driver's preference. The Astor will also come with a standard 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 7.0-inch digital instruments display, heated ORVMs, a Bluetooth-enabled Digital Key, faux leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, air purifier, electric parking brake, automatic wipers, front and rear armrests, rear AC vents and over 80 connected car features on the fully-loaded Sharp variants. Safety kit includes six airbags on the Sharp variants, in addition to the other features already equipped as standard.
The MG Astor is equipped with petrol engine, with two options
i) 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit (available with either a five-speed manual or an eight-step CVT automatic) making 110 hp and 144 Nm of torque.
ii) 1.4-litre turbo-petrol (available with only a six-speed torque convertor automatic) putting out 140 hp and 220 Nm of torque.
MG has equipped the Astor with an artificial intelligence (AI) driven robot, that will act as the driver’s personal assistant. Developed in conjunction with US-based firm Star Design, the in-car assistant (with the help of natural language processing and understanding) understands Hinglish, depicts human-like emotions & voices, swivels to face the user – just like an individual would – and can provide detailed information on any general knowledge topic by tapping into Wikipedia. It can also relay news and navigation updates, critical vehicle warnings and can even crack jokes.
The MG Astor rivals the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.
