MG Astor launch today: Engine options revealed already

MG Motor is gearing up for the launch of their new mid-size SUV, Astor. The launch will happen later today. The Astor will be the most affordable vehicle in MG’s line-up. Now, the engine options of the new SUV have been revealed. MG Motor will be offering the Astor with two petrol engine options.

There would be a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The naturally aspirated petrol engine will produce 118 bhp of max power and 150 Nm of peak torque. It will be offered with a manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission. The turbocharged petrol engine puts out 161 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 230 Nm. This engine will be mated to only an automatic gearbox.

The turbo petrol engine will make the Astor the most powerful mid-size SUV in the segment. As of now, the most powerful mid-size SUV in the segment are the Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster. Both of them are powered by a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 156 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 254 Nm. Then there are the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun whose 1.5 -litre TSI engine puts out 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. Finally, there are the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. Both of them get a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 140 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 242 Nm.

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Yes, the torque output of Astor’s turbo petrol engine is still less than what the competitors offer but it seems like Astor will also weigh less than the competitors as it is more of a crossover than a mid-size SUV. The Astor measures 4,323 mm in length, 1809 mm in width and has a height of 1,650 mm. The wheelbase of Astor measures 2,585 mm.

Advanced Driver Aids System

Astor will be the first vehicle in its segment to get Advanced Driver Aids System. The closest vehicle that will offer ADAS features is the Mahindra XUV700 and will be priced higher than the Astor as it belongs to a segment above. Astor will come with Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist and Automatic Emergency Braking. MG will also equip the Astor with Rear Drive Assist, Speed Assist System and Intelligent Headlamp Control.

First in segment Personal Assistant

MG has equipped the Astor with a personal assistant. This is the first time we will be seeing this in the segment. The personal assistant will come with artificial intelligence. It would be able to understand your commands and can even have a short conversation with you. You would be able to command it to change music, control car settings like climate control and windows, set destination on the Navigation system, it will be able to tell jokes etc. The assistant also knows Hinglish.

Connected car technology

Most of the cars right now are coming with some sort of connected car technology. Astor will also get connected car technology and it will also get in-built applications such as JioSaavn, MapMyIndia and KoineArth. All of this will be connected through the Reliance Jio network.

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