MG Astor Breaks Covers in India, Will Go On Sale in October 2021

MG has officially unveiled its next big offering for the Indian car market, the Astor. Targeted at entry level midsize SUV buyers, the new MG Astor will sit below the Hector as company’s most affordable vehicle in India. The new MG Astor will go on sale in the month of October, before the festive season kicks in.

2021 MG Astor: Exterior

The new MG Astor is basically the renamed version of the facelifted MG ZS sold globally. It looks like an evolved version of the MG ZS EV sold in India, and sports a number of visual tweaks on the outside. The changes include new sleeker headlamps with LED projectors and daytime running LEDs, new ‘Celestial grille, revised front and rear bumpers and faux dual exhausts on the rear bumper. The MG Astor gets functional roof rails, body cladding all around, skid plates at front and rear and 17-inch machined alloy wheels as well.

2021 MG Astor: Interior

The new MG Astor has a completely revised dashboard compared to the MG ZS EV it is based on. There are three dual-tone upholstery options on offer, namely Sangria Red, Iconic Ivory and Tuxedo Black. The midsize SUV gets a unique AI-based personal assistant mounted atop of the dashboard, which can perform a variety of functions of cars as well provide solutions for various voice commands from online sources.

Apart from the unique AI-based personal assistant, the MG Astor is packed with a host of features, such as 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 7-inch full TFT instrument console, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, 80+ connected car features controlled by embedded Jio e-SIM, panoramic sunroof, digital key, heated outside rear view mirrors, leather upholstery, rear AC vents and 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

2021 MG Astor: Safety

This is an area where the MG Astor vows to be revolutionary, as it is bringing Level-2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for the first time in its segment. The system includes features like forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking for vehicles and pedestrian, lane keep assist, lane departure warning and prevention, speed assist system with speed warning, intelligent mode and manual mode, rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist, blind spot detection and intelligent headlamp control.

Apart from these features, the regular safety aids like six airbags, ABS with EBD, steering modes, reverse parking sensors with camera, hill start assist and hill descent control.

2021 MG Astor: Powertrain Options

There are two different powertrain options made available for the MG Astor, both of which are petrol powered. The mainstay is going to be the 1.5-litre four cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which makes 110 bhp of power and 144 Nm of torque and will be available with both 6-speed manual gearbox and a CVT. The higher variants will also get a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 140 bhp of maximum power and 220 Nm of maximum torque and is available only with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

2021 MG Astor: Competition

The MG Astor is entering into a segment which is highly competitive and has seen much of action in recent times. It will directly take on the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross. It will also take on the lower and mid variants of bigger SUVs like Mahindra XUV700, Tata Harrier and MG’s own Hector.

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