MG Astor – The AI Affair

MG Astor

"Hello, Astor" that's how you greet the MG Astor Personal AI Assistance, along with AI the car is furnished with ADAS Level 2 Autonomous driving technology for improved driver comfort and road safety. The Astor is the cousin to ZS EV that was launched in the Indian market back in February this year. Technically speaking Astor retains the shape, size, and dimension of the EV edition except for the battery pack, electric drive train instead Astor is armed with a petrol motor in two power options.

Design

A hexagonal grille with chrome segments in an outward fashion like an exploding bomb distinguishes the Astor from its elder sibling ZS EV. Full LED Hawkeye headlamps with sharp-looking DRLs. Black body cladding under the front bumper continues onto the wheel arches and extends to the rear of the vehicle with fake exhausted vents and skid plate like a sports car. 

Astor looks more like an XL version of a hatchback with roof rails that add up a chunkier look to the car, wheels dressed in 17-inch dual-tone machined alloys, black ORMV with LED turn indicators, and LED tail lamps. The inside of the car is a very premium, soft-touch dashboard with a dual-tone theme stitched in Sangria Red, Seats sawed from premium leather along with leather treatment on the dashboard, door trims, center, and door armrest. If you don’t like the dual-tone Red theme the company has on the offer other colors as well like Badge and Black with Red stitchings. The car is equipped with a PM 2.5 Filter for clean air for the passengers along with rear A/C vents. The main attraction of the mid-sized SUV is the 10.1-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system enabled with the i-Smart 3.0 connected car technology and fully digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch LED screen.

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)
Lane Function:

Lane Keep Assist. Lane Departure Prevention. Lane Departure Warning

Camera to identify lanes for keeping the car on course in case the vehicle deviated from the lane by controlling the steering wheel without human intervention.

Rear Drive Assist: 

Blind Spot Detection. Lane Change Assist. Rear Cross-Traffic Alert

A monitoring system that detects the vehicles which are often missed by ORVM, reverse camera, or sensors, be it a vehicle approaching while changing lane or reversing the car alerts the driver by visual and acoustic signals.

Adaptive Cruise Control: 

An advanced version of cruise control that senses and monitors the road ahead and automatically manages the speed to maintain a proper distance from the vehicle ahead.
Front Collison Prevention:

Front Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking – Pedestrian & Obstacle

Be it a 2/4 wheeler or pedestrian when the gap becomes too close the car automatically decelerates if there is no action from the driver.
Speed Assist System: 

Speed Warning, Intelligent & Manual

The car automatically slows down if the car speed infers from the speed limit signboard or the speed can be set manually.

Intelligent Headlamp Control:

The system autonomously activates or deactivated high beams depending upon the oncoming traffic thus preventing others from blinding due to high beams.

i-Smart

The main highlight of i-Smart is the Digital key with Bluetooth technology which means you don’t need to carry the car keys everywhere with you instead your smartphone will be the key to your car. Other ingredients of the smart infotainment are maps with navigation & parking slot finder powdered by Mapmyindia along with Geofencing, Saavn App with a premium membership, Shortpedia News app with English & Hindi readout, AccuWeather application.

Features (Sharp Trim)

1. AI Personal Assistant
2. Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
3. ABS+EBD+Break Assist
4. Traction Control System (TCS)
5. Active Cornering brake Control (CBC)
6. Hill Hold Control (HHC) & Hill Descent Control (HDC) Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
7. Electronic Parking Brake with Auto hold
8. Front Fog with Cornering Assist
9. Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock & Impact Sensing Door Unlock
10. Heated ORVM
11. ISOFIX Child Anchor
12. 6 Airbags including Curtain
13. Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
14. 360 Around View Camera
15. Panoramic Sunroof
16. Electronic Staring with Modes Adjustments (Normal, Urban, Dynamic)

17. Android Auto & Apple CarPlay

18. Anti Theft Immobilisation

Powertrain
MG Astor is fitted with two engine options a 1.5L VTi-Tech Naturally Aspirated Petrol engine producing 110PS (108 bhp) power and 144Nm Torque mated to a 5-speed manual/CVT gearbox, while the second engine option is a 1.3L which MG calls 220 Turbo Engine fused to a 6-speed Automatic transmission which gives an output of 140PS (138 bhp) and 220Nm of peak torque. In terms of dimensions the length of the car is 4323 mm, 1809mm Width, 1650mm height, and wheelbase of 2585mm. The car comes with R17 alloys 215/55 tires while its spare tire is an inch smaller i.e. R16 215/60.

Colors
Astor is up for a grab in 5 color
Spiced Orange

Aurora Silver

Glaze Red

Candy White

Starry Black

The car is offered in 4 trims Style, Super, Smart, Sharp & price for base variant Style trim starts at ₹9.78 lakh, and top of the line Sharp variant with ADAS is priced at ₹15.78 lakh (Ex-showroom)

Competition:
Astor has been launched in a tightly segmented market to take on the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun & Skoda Kushaq.

Hyundai Creta

Engine: 1.5L,1.4L Turbo Petrol & 1.5L Diesel
Transmission: AT(CVT/DCT) & MT
Price: ₹10.16 lakh – ₹17.87 lakh

Kia Seltos

Engine: 1.5L,1.4L Turbo Petrol & 1.5L Diesel
Transmission: AT(Torque Convertor/DCT) & MT
Price: ₹9.95 lakh – ₹18.10 lakh

Skoda Kushaq

Engine: 1.0L & 1.5L Petrol
Transmission: AT(DSG) & MT
Price: ₹10.5 lakh – ₹17.6 lakh

VW Taigun

Engine: 1.0L & 1.5L Petrol
Transmission: AT(DSG) & MT
Price: ₹10.5 lakh – ₹17.5 lakh

Booking for MG Astor commenced on 21st October 2021 and the first batch of 5000 units was completely booked within 20 minutes on MG India's official website, and the delivery of the vehicle is likely to start in November next month. Fuel economy figures are claimed to be 14-15kmpl for VTi-Tech MT & CVT 10-12kmpl while a 10-12kmpl for 220TURBO AT. 

Gallery

With an aim to take on the rival in the compact SUV segment loaded with ASAD and AI it's one of its kind with autonomous level 2 car that will ply on Indian roads moreover MG intent to repeat the history created by Hector in the Indian market.