Latest Car News in India

MG Motor India, the Indian alliance of British carmaker has today taken-off the covers from its highly awaited compact SUV Astor. The Astor is basically the petrol variant of the MG ZS EV compact SUV that was launched in the beginning of 2020. It is said that MG Astor is miles ahead from ZS EV and other vehicles in the segment in terms of technical aspects. The new Astor is based on a new Concept of Car as a Platform (CAAP). CAAP is a new platform that is being used by the latest technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and others.

 

 

Under the hood, MG Astor is available with an option of two petrol engines. One is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that churns the power of 110 bhp and the torque of 144 Nm. The other one is a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine that generates the power of 140 bhp and the torque of 220 Nm. This engine will go against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, and Renault Duster. The former is mated with a manual gearbox and an 8-step CVT automatic gearbox. The latter is mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

 

On the exterior front it carries most of its looks similar to the facelift version of ZS EV sold in the international market. The ZS EV that is sold in India is based on the first generation of ZS EV. That means Astor receives a new front fascia followed by ‘Celestial’ grille, revised front bumper, new fog light housing, and a set of new headlights with LED DRLs. On the rear front it receives a new sport bumper with integrated faul dual exhausts and faux skid plate. The side profile receives 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels.

 

Inside the cabin it is decorated with a bunch of latest technical features. In the centre it receives a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports connectivity with a Jio e-Sim. It also receives an AI-based artificial personal assistant system to receive voice commands and reply to queries. The top end trim comes with additional features like panoramic sunroof, heated ORVMs, automatic climate control, digital key, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, rain-sensing wipers, leather upholstery, door cards, and a few more. The interior is offered with three-colour options of dual tone Sangria red, Tuxedo black, and a dual tone Iconic Ivory.