MG launches the Astor mid-size SUV with an introductory price starting at ₹ 9.78 lakh and going up to ₹16.78 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The company says these prices are valid for the 5,000 odd units it will deliver this year. Bookings for the MG Astor will officially begin on October 21.
The Astor is essentially a petrol-powered version of the ZS EV, albeit with styling updates and more features. It is positioned in the competitive and ever-growing midsize SUV segment, taking competition to Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos’ doorstep.
Under the hood, the Astor gets two petrol engine options. The first is a 110hp, 144Nm, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which comes mated to a five-speed manual or eight-step CVT automatic gearbox. The other engine option is a 140hp, 220Nm, 1.3-litre, turbo-petrol paired solely with a 6-speed torque converter automatic.
The SUV is available in four different trim levels — Style, Super, Smart, Sharp. The 1.5-litre petrol engine with a manual gearbox will be available in all trims, but the CVT automatic variant will not be offered on the base Style trim. The 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine will only be offered on the top two trims.
In terms of equipment, the fully-loaded Astor packs in kit such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a Jio e-SIM for connected car features, an in-car personal assistant, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, leatherette upholstery, electric parking brake, tyre pressure monitor, 360-degree camera, heated wing mirrors, steering weight adjustment with driving modes (normal, urban, dynamic) and panoramic sunroof.
Safety features on board include six airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, ESP, traction control, hill start and descent control and rear disc brakes – over and above the ADAS functions on higher-spec variants.
The Astor also gets Level 2 ADAS features as an option on the fully-loaded Astor Sharp automatics. The system uses a camera and radar to carry out functions such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist and so on. MG though has yet to announce prices for the ADAS pack.
