If data is the new gold, artificial intelligence is the new god. At least, MG cheekily alludes to this with a robot atop the dashboard where idols typically reside. More telling, however, is despite the Astor being essentially a petrol version of the ZS EV, it bears no badges indicating this, and instead, proudly flaunts ‘AI Inside’ and ADAS monikers — a sign of the times. So, what is it like?
The Astor gets a styling update and a refreshed interior, compared to the ZS EV on sale in India — MG recently brought out a facelift abroad. The update is minor, and the Astor does resemble the ZS EV with the same horizontal stance, unlike the more vertical, upright look of SUVs like the Seltos and Creta. Interestingly though, the Astor is taller, wider and longer than both aforementioned SUVs.
While the update is based on the international model’s recent facelift, there are India-specific tweaks — like the grille design. This hexagonal ‘Celestial’ grille looks quite neat with its outwardly radiating pattern and is quite eye-catching. The front bumper is also new and has a mild tweak to its styling such as reshaped fog light housings and new headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs).
At the side, things are much the same, with the only change being new 17-inch alloys and red brakes calipers. At the rear, the new segmented lighting signature looks particularly attractive, and the new bumper gets faux dual exhaust outlets and a stylised diffuser.
The interior feels upmarket, with a generous use of soft-touch materials and brushed aluminium accents. The quality of the dashboard’s leatherette wrapping is good, with a neat and tightly skinned surface. There are three interior colour schemes on offer — dual-tone sangria red, dual-tone iconic ivory and tuxedo black.
Compared to the ZS EV, you also now sit in a more natural position at the rear, unlike the EV’s knees-up posture.
The dashboard is similar to the ZS EV, but it now houses a new larger 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while the centre console now sports a gear lever. The steering wheel feels nice to hold and the flattish bottom and perforated wrap looks premium.
The front seats are broad and comfortable to sit in, with the only downside being that they are not cooled and that is something we have come to expect in this segment. MG has also omitted a few other now-common features like a branded audio system, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, wireless charging and rear sun blinds. However, it does pack in a large panoramic sunroof, auto climate control, rain-sensing wipers, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, powered driver’s seat, a full-fledged level 2 ADAS set-up, connected car tech and, of course, the robot atop the dashboard.
Opinion about the little bot will be divided — some find it cute while others gimmicky. It is fun and entertaining, but can only be used to create emojis. The system also does not use Alexa, Google or Siri, and thus is not as versatile; still, it can pull info from Wikipedia, understands Hindi and English and has on-board voice commands. MG says the company plans to update its software suite in time.
The touchscreen looks great, and the new larger unit has a neat layout, connectivity includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and it has a host of local apps on board. The touch response is also nice, but two-finger commands like pinch to zoom aren’t smooth and easy. Screen resolution is also good, but the 360-degree cameras aren’t up to the same mark. The 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster has a neat layout and is easy to read.
The connected car tech has all the expected features like geofencing and pre-cooling, but goes a step further with a phone-based digital key. With this you can fully operate the car with just your phone and not have to use the actual key fob.
Carrying on with tech, there is the level 2 (hands-on, partial driving automation) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). The system uses both radar and camera input, unlike the camera-only setup on the Gloster, and is quite comprehensive, with lane assistance, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, speed assistance and auto high-beam control.
Our drive-though was limited to the Buddh F1 track, so we do not know how it performs in the real world. In controlled conditions, the lane functions worked well and the corrective torque of the lane keeping assist felt natural.
The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system can bring the car to a complete halt and the automatic speed variation of the ACC also feels nicely calibrated, with smooth increases and decreases. There is also a neat add-on to the Traffic Sign Recognition system, where the speed assist set-up can automatically reduce the vehicle speed to what is indicated on the traffic sign board. It is a nice way to avoid an unintended speeding fine.
The Astor comes with two petrol engines — a 110hp, 144Nm 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit and a more powerful 140hp, 220Nm, 1.3-litre turbocharged unit, which is the one we got to drive. Our initial impressions were positive. The three-cylinder unit is a bit audible inside the cabin but feels smooth and is quick, and it should deliver a time of around 11 seconds for the 0-100kph dash. Unlike other turbo-petrols, it is not particularly lively and is tuned instead for a linear and smoother feel. The 6-speed torque convertor is also much the same, with a smooth and relaxed nature — even pressing down on the accelerator does not give you a quick downshift. MG has gone for an overall easygoing feel, and this should suit everyday driving conditions well, which we will know for sure when we drive it in the real world.
While the Astor is another version of the ZS, it is not a side show to the EV. MG intends for Astor to do well and take a sizeable chunk out of the midsize SUV pie, but it won’t be easy. A few months ago, the midsize SUV segment had just two options, the Creta and the Seltos — the Duster and Kicks being marginal players — now you also have the VW Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq, which besides being capable in their own right, are also riding high on the initial honeymoon period. In addition to these four is also the XUV700, which with its aggressively low-priced 5-seater petrols could easily tempt some into the next segment.
Should MG be worried then? Not unduly so. While this isn’t a full-fledged review, we did come away with many good impressions of MG’s new SUV. The Astor does look handsome, and the update nicely complements the ZS EV’s high-riding crossover stance. The interiors are tasteful and are arguably the classiest of the lot. Yes, it does sacrifice some now-common bits like ventilated seats, but other must-haves like a panoramic sunroof are on offer and the ADAS set-up is quite comprehensive. Then there is the AI bot and two petrol engines to choose from and the turbo is well set-up for daily use and shows promise — ranging from ₹ 9.78 lakh to ₹ 17.38 lakh (ex-showroom, India).It is not going to be a tough battle, but like its celestial grille, the Astor looks all set to burst onto the scene.
