After numerous teasers, MG has unveiled the Astor, a compact SUV that will sit below the Hector in MG’s lineup. The MG Astor will compete with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Renault Duster, and other vehicles in this category. What sets the recently unveiled MG Astor apart from the other vehicles in the segment is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Level 2 autonomous safety features.
We have covered the plethora of features the MG Astor offers, but here’s a quick refresher for those who missed it. The Astor gets a personal in-car assistant that the driver can actually have a conversation with. Passengers can demand the latest news, ask the Astor to tell you jokes, and even ask for facts that the vehicle will look up on Wikipedia and narrate. The personal assistant system was designed by a company called Star Design, and the system can react to a person and even look at you when spoken to.
Coming to the Astor’s connectivity features, MG has partnered with Jio for internet services and features a 10.1-inch infotainment system. With the vehicle’s i-Smart hub, one can enjoy internet services, and thanks to MG’s partnership with Park+ and MapMyIndia, drivers can reserve parking spots through the car, and pay for the same using Paytm FASTags. One for the tech geeks would be the Digital Passport feature that MG offers, which can be used to save digital vehicle documents and the Astor’s service history. Again, MG has partnered with L&T Technology Services to keep valuable data away from prying eyes.
Speaking about the Astor’s safety features, the MG Astor gets Level 2 autonomous safety tech, in partnership with Bosch. Features include Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Keeping Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Headlight assist, and more. The MG Astor even comes with a Speed Assist System, that automatically reads the speed limit on the road and keeps the vehicle within that. The MG Astor joins the recently-launched Mahindra XUV700 and the Gloster to have the Level 2 ADAS technology.
Finally, coming to the engine specifications, the MG Astor will get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor capable of 109 bhp and 144 Nm of torque, and a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine that makes 138 bhp and 220 Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre mill will have a manual or a 8-step CVT gearbox, while the 1.3-litre unit will come paired to an automatic. The MG Astor will be launched in India later this year.
