MG Astor brings a lot of goodies that are enough to attract first time SUV buyers

 

The compact SUV segment has been the talk of the town for nearly a decade. There have been cars like Duster, Creta and Seltos, which have time and again, stormed the market with their fabulous looks, cutting edge interiors, engines and dynamic driving capability. Then there are recent players like Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun, which are trying to make a dent in this space.

 

The latest contender to impact this segment is the MG Astor. Let’s find out five things that this car brings to the table.

 

Styling

The new MG Astor share its platform (CAAP) with ZS EV, making it wider longer, wider and taller than Creta, Seltos and Kushaq. The style cues are borrowed from ZS EV but have been tweaked to suit this segment. The Astor features LED projector headlamps, boomerang-inspired LED DRLs, a distinct grille in celestial pattern and revised bumpers. The SUV sports 17-inch alloy wheels and LED tail lamps with a faux dual exhaust design at the rear.

 

Refined Interiors

The MG Astor has a pretty unique looking cabin with different dual-tone themes, with the most highlighted one being Sangria Red. Soft-touch materials have been used across the cabin with contrasting brushed aluminium.

 

The seats are comfortable enough to get the passengers going without any complaints, with the driver getting a 6-way adjustable seat. However, the seats lack ventilation.

 

Comfort and Convenience

The car is nothing short of top-level comfort. It comes loaded with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, which also allows smartphone synchronization with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. Then there is automatic AC, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, engine start/stop switch, rear ac vents, 60:40 rear seat split, 5 USB charging ports and panoramic sunroof to take the comfort to the next level.

 

Besides, there are some new segment-first features such as an AI robot sitting atop the dashboard, heated ORVMs, electronic power steering with mode adjustment and a digital key for remotely controlling the car.

 

Safety

The car gets six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, traction control, Hill hold assist, as well as, segment-first Hill descent control. Other notable features include a 360-degree camera with parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, electric parking brake with auto hold, and front & rear defogger.

 

But one thing that let this car stand out from the crowd is the Advanced Driver Assistance System aka ADAS. The safety package is often seen in the segment above and luxury cars. The system utilizes an onboard computer to execute functions such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure and lane keep assist, intelligent headlamp control, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot detection, among others.

 

Engines

The Astor get its power from a 1.3L turbocharged petrol engine that generates 140PS and 220Nm of torque, coupled with 6-speed automatic transmission. It is also available with a 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol motor producing 110PS and 144Nm torque, paired to a 5-speed manual or CVT automatic. There is no diesel engine available as of now.

 

Pricing

The SUV is aggressively priced between INR 9.78 – INR 16.78 lakh and looks forward to pose itself as a formidable contender in the league.