MG Motor India recently unveiled the technology-loaded Astor SUV. The upcoming SUV will get several industry-first and segment-first features. Starting tomorrow, the Astor will be on display across MG showrooms in the country and is expected to be launched in the first week of October, 2021. The Astor is based on MG’s successful global platform, ZS.

Read below to learn more about its top feature highlights.

Technology highlights

In an effort to take the competition to the next level, the Astor SUV will offer several first-in-segment features, such as –

- The personal AI assistant is powered by i-Smart Hub, which enables the system to engage with the people in the car. The system supports jokes, news, Wikipedia, festival GIFs, in-car controls, and chit-chat and Hinglish commands. The AI assistant is designed by an American company, Star Design.

- The vehicle offers Autonomous Level 2 system which includes 14 autonomous features. This includes lane functions (lane keep assist, lane departure prevention, lane departure warning), rear drive assist (blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert), adaptive cruise control, forward collision prevention (front collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic emergency braking – pedestrian), speed assist system (speed warning, intelligent mode, manual mode), and intelligent headlamp control.

- The SUV will offer over 80 connected car features to enrich the user experience.

- The digital key with Bluetooth technology enables the user to use the digital key in the phone to unlock/lock, start, and drive the vehicle.

Exterior

The Astor gets full LED hawkeye headlamps which is flanked by a bold celestial grille. As for the sides, the vehicle gets the leopard jump shoulder line which is complemented by turbine-inspired machined alloys. The rear section gets a no-fuss layout and it features LED tail lamps, Astor lettering on the boot lid, and chrome rings around the dual exhaust design in the bumper. The vehicle is offered in five colour options, such as – Spiced Orange, Aurora Silver, Glaze Red, Candy White, and Starry Black.

Interior

The vehicle gets premium artificial leather layered interiors and a dual-tone Sangria Red interior theme. The vehicle gets a fully digital cluster with a seven-inch embedded LCD screen. For the first time in this segment, the Astor offers electronic power steering with mode adjust (normal, urban, and dynamic). For added convenience, the vehicle gets a panoramic skyroof, rain-sensing wipers, push-button engine start/stop with smart entry, six-way power adjustment seat, 60:40 split rear seats, auto headlamps, PM 2.5 filter, rear ac vents, and auto AC.

Additionally, MG Motor claims that the Astor will offer the best in segment, i-SMART connected car feature. The company has partnered with Jio, MapMyIndia, Park+, and Koinearth for value-added services.

Safety

In terms of safety, the Astor offers the first in segment Hill Descent Control (HDC) and heated ORVMs. Additionally, the vehicle offers up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, ESP, TCS, Hill Hold Control (HHC), emergency stop signal, and ISOFIX. The SUV gets disc brakes on all four wheels.

To further raise the bar on safety, the vehicle offers an electric parking brake with auto-hold, TPMS, 360-degree camera, front fog lamp with cornering assist, rear fog lamp, security alarm, and rear defogger. Overall, the vehicle reportedly gets an ultra-high tensile steel cage body.

Engine

The Astor will be available in two petrol engine options. The 1.3-litre 220 Turbo engine generates 138bhp and 220Nm of torque. This engine comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The second petrol engine is a 1.5-litre VTi tech that generates 107bhp and 144Nm of torque. This engine is available in a five-speed manual transmission and a CVT option.