MG Astor

Impressive Looks

The MG Astor faces a tough challenge as it enters a competitive market. It stands out in terms of looks. Compared to its larger sibling, the Hector, the Astor takes a simpler, cleaner approach to design. It's not flashy but exudes a sense of proportion and sophistication. The grille is a highlight, featuring a unique 'Celestial' pattern that adds a touch of elegance to the front. The LED headlamps and tail lamps are intricately designed, adding an air of sophistication. Unlike some of its rivals, you won't find an overdose of chrome here. Instead, there are plenty of glossy black accents that contribute to a more mature appearance.

The dual-tone 17-inch wheels and the sporty red brake calipers make a statement. In terms of dimensions, the Astor is taller, wider, and longer than many competitors, giving it a muscular appearance. However, it's worth noting that from the side, it leans more towards the crossover look than a traditional SUV.

Premium Interiors

If you like the exterior design, you'll likely fall in love with the Astor's interiors. The dashboard has a clean, European-inspired design with a well-positioned touchscreen infotainment system and stylish toggle switches for climate control. What makes the Astor stand out is its exceptional quality.

It's the first compact SUV to feature a soft-touch dashboard, instantly elevating its sense of luxury. Most of the buttons and switches are sourced from the Volkswagen parts bin, ensuring high-quality components. The dual-tone red and black theme adds a premium touch, and the leather used for the seats and dashboard feels top-notch. However, some minor elements like the stalks and lower dash area do feature hard plastics, but this is common among its peers.

Spacious and Practical

The Astor impresses with its generous legroom in both the front and rear seats. The front seats are comfortable and offer a 6-way powered driver seat. While the rear seats are also comfortable, they sit a bit low, and the seat base is on the shorter side, which can affect under-thigh support. The cabin's width is something to note, especially in the rear, making the Astor a comfortable ride for four individuals.

Storage space is ample, with spacious door pockets, a decent glove box, a center armrest with storage, and dedicated spots for mobile phones. Though there isn't a wireless phone charger, you'll find four USB ports, ensuring everyone stays connected. The boot space, however, feels a bit narrow and shallow. For larger items, you might have to leave the parcel shelf at home.

Tech Features

The Astor is well-equipped in terms of technology. It boasts a sizable 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It offers a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, connected car tech features, and some unique segment-first features, such as an AI Robot.

This AI Robot responds to voice commands and comes with a bit of personality, featuring blinking eyes and emoticons to enhance the interaction. It can perform in-car functions like opening the sunroof, rolling down the driver's window, and controlling the climate. It can even understand commands in Hindi, which is a bonus. Keep in mind that internet-dependent features may take a bit of time to execute depending on signal strength.

Safety Features

In terms of safety, the top variant of the Astor is well-equipped. It provides six airbags, ESP, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a traction control system, hill hold assist, hill descent control, and TPMS. What sets the Astor apart is its Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), offering a range of advanced safety features.

Punchy Drive

The Astor offers two petrol engine options, one of which is a 1.3-liter turbo petrol engine producing 140PS of power. We had the opportunity to drive the turbo petrol variant, and it proved to be surprisingly fun, especially on the circuit. While it's not a sports car, it's more entertaining than expected. The turbo petrol engine provides ample pulling power, allowing us to reach speeds exceeding 160kmph comfortably on a 1km straight.

The gearbox, however, may feel a bit slow, both in terms of upshifts and downshifts, particularly on the racetrack. On regular roads, it should be adequately responsive. The gearbox does well in masking the initial lag typical of most turbo-petrol engines, allowing for strong and smooth acceleration even when exiting slow corners.

Agile Handling

When it comes to handling, the Astor is a tall vehicle with suspension tuned for the road, which means there's some noticeable body roll in corners. However, the handling feels safe and predictable. It even exhibits a touch of sportiness, thanks to the direct steering with a quick off-center ratio, making the Astor feel agile.

The chassis is well-tuned, minimizing understeer even when pushing through corners. It's important to note that we drove the Astor on a smooth surface, so its performance on potholed roads remains to be tested. Ride quality is something we'll focus on during on-road testing.

ADAS Magic

One of the standout features of the Astor is its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). It includes lane-keeping functions, adaptive cruise control, and speed assist systems. In real-world driving, we found these features to be well-calibrated and highly effective. The lane-keeping functions have three modes: lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, and lane-keeping assist. They functioned as expected, with no surprises.

The adaptive cruise control, which automatically adjusts speed based on traffic, is particularly convenient for long-distance drives. It also allows you to set the following distance, making it suitable for crowded highways. The Speed Assist System, which uses cameras to monitor traffic signs and adjust the car's speed accordingly, is another valuable feature. It can operate in both 'intelligent' and 'manual' modes.

Verdict

The Astor impresses with its smooth and punchy engine and exceptional interior quality, setting a new standard for the segment. However, it does have some areas where it could improve, such as the back seat, which lacks under-thigh support, and the relatively narrow cabin that makes it most comfortable for four passengers.

Some features missing compared to rivals are also noticeable. Nonetheless, the ADAS system is a significant advantage, enhancing everyday safety and convenience. The final judgment will depend on the Astor's ride comfort and pricing, and considering MG's track record, it's expected to be competitively priced.