MG Astor vs Rivals In India | A Comparison

The all-new MG Astor has been unveiled and it looks ready to take on the fight against all its rivals. Let’s take a look at the car in all its glory before getting deep into the comparison of the MG Astor vs rivals in India.

Here is the New MG Astor and we can definitely say that it does meet the expectations in some areas, while it exceeds in many more. In terms of design, the exoskeleton of the car majorly resembles the MG ZS EV, which it is primarily based on but there are subtle changes that make it stand out.

Aesthetically, it gets a revised front grille that is inspired by the updated international model of the MG ZS EV, redesigned rear bumper with stylish faux vents and an updated boomerang styled LED DRL which looks very good on the car if you ask us.

On the engine and powertrain front, MG is also ditching the diesel engines and have opted for a 1.3-litre Turbo Petrol engine along with a 1.5-litre Naturally Aspirated(NA) Petrol engine. While the turbo-petrol comes with only a 6-speed AT, the NA engine comes with an option of a 6-speed manual and an automatic CVT transmission.

The prices are yet to be revealed but leaks indicate that it might come at a starting price of around 10 lakh which is an eye-watering deal.

Now let us see the MG Astor vs rivals who have already proved their worth and some of them have even shocked us with their impressive sales figures.

1. Price

   Let’s get serious straight away and the price is something that most of the time decides the fate of a vehicle that is launched. Here is a table to explain in simple terms :

   Model	MG Astor	Hyundai Creta	Kia Seltos	Skoda Kushaq	VW Taigun
   Price(in lakh)	10.00 (Expected)	9.99	9.95	10.50	10.00

   

   The pricing is smack dab right at the centre of the competition and is at par with its competitors. It is not a budget option nor is it too costly to afford and the expected starting price is around 10 lakh, where most of its competitors are present. The Seltos is still the cheapest purchase amongst its rivals. The higher-end models of the MG Astor might get pricier than its competition owing to the additional features offered on the Astor and it is the only car in the segment that gets Level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) so we think it is a reasonable price as well. So when it comes to the MG Astor vs rivals, we believe it is a sensible purchase considering what it has on offer.

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2. Dimensions

   Model	MG Astor	Hyundai Creta	Kia Seltos	Skoda Kushaq	VW Taigun
   Length (in mm)	4323	4300	4315	4221	4200
   Width (in mm)	1809	1790	1800	1760	1760
   Height (in mm)	1650	1635	1645	1612	1615
   Wheelbase (in mm)	2585	2610	2610	2651	2651

   

   This makes the Astor, the longest car among the competition but does not have the longest wheelbase. No official figures for the boot space are out yet, so it is difficult to confirm if they have sacrificed the wheelbase to provide more boot space. It is also the widest in the competition although not by a large margin and the Kia Seltos is only 9mm thinner. Surprisingly it is the Skoda Kushaq that offers the most wheelbase and hence roomier interiors.

3. Engine and Transmission

   Model	MG Astor		Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos			Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun
   	Petrol		Petrol		Diesel	Petrol
   Displacement	1.3L Turbo	1.5L	1.5L	1.4L Turbo	1.5L	1.0L Turbo	1.5L Turbo
   Power	138 bhp	108 bhp	115 bhp	140 bhp	115 bhp	115 bhp	150 bhp
   Torque	220 Nm	144 Nm	144 Nm	242 Nm	250 Nm	175 Nm	250 Nm
   Manual	N\A	6-Speed	6-Speed	N\A	6-Speed	6-Speed
   Automatic	6-Speed	CVT	IVT	7-Speed DCT	Torque Converter	Torque Converter or DSG

   The engine options have refrained to only petrol engines and sadly MG has opted to ditch the option of a diesel engine. But thankfully, there is a 1.3L turbo-petrol on offer which is not segment-leading but is more than enough with 138 bhp and 220 Nm of peak power and torque respectively.

   

   This means the 1.5-litre TSi from the VW Taigun is still the most powerful in the segment on paper and we believe VW’s lightning-quick DSG makes it even worse for the competitors. We would like to see the real-world tests that are yet to be conducted to see which one is actually faster as the spec sheet isn’t everything. The potent 1.4-litre Turbo petrol from the Seltos and Creta is also very impressive when it comes to performance. So in an MG Astor vs rivals race, we like to be sitting in the DCT version of the Seltos to keep things interesting.

4. Safety

   

   In terms of safety, MG has taken it to another level making it the first car in India to provide Level 2 ADAS technology. This boasts of features like automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, rear-drive assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot detection among many others. Obviously, the crash test ratings are still to be conducted and hopefully, it will perform better than the Kia Seltos that scored a dismal 3-star rating.

5. Features

   

   Apart from the ADAS, the MG Astor is a feature-loaded cabin and it all comes with a segment-first AI Personal Assistant. Interestingly the voice for these assistants is lent by the legend Amitabh Bacchan and Paralympic Athlete Deepa Malik as updated by MG. Apart from the personal assistant, the Astor gets a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch infotainment unit, and a 6-way adjustable powered driver’s seat. It will also be available with a choice of 3 interior colours.

   When you compare this list with its competitors, the others do fall short and we believe the Creta and Seltos come next. The cousins from VW are not far off but do come with almost all the bells and whistles that justify the price. When it comes to only features, the MG Astor is a clear winner.

Verdict

Well, it is already a pretty tough race to start with and looking at the current sales charts, we can see the Hyundai Creta has got a head start. The Kia Seltos is doing pretty good sales as well and Kia is about to update it with a radical design if the design leaks are anything to be believed, and not to forget the identical cousins from the VW family who have started garnering a lot of bookings and they have an advantage when it comes to maintenance as VW and Skoda claim that most of the parts are locally sourced. But the MG Astor has all the equipment required to win the race but is it worth it, is something we leave to you folks to decide.