[TorqueIndia]

Interesting move , recently Mr.Rajeev Chabba mentioned they are expanding their capacity by 4,000 units which might be the target for this crossover .

Also read some reports like they are targeting Brezza, XUV300 pricing which is similar to that of Duster/Kicks, may not come at insane premium like that of Creta or SELTOS .

MG could grab some eyeballs with a 5 star GlobalNCAP rating for ASTOR !

[Sankar]

Good of them to bring the petrol version of the ZS. A petrol ZS should give a boost to the ZS EV sales as well. Since Kona EV is now officially dead the MG ZS EV seems to be the only other choice left that's offering practical range and performance.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by tirumalavoleti

This is what indian market needed to avoid korean cousins monopoly

Sad that Maruti, Honda, Toyota, Mahindra and Tata also does not want to compete in this segment of ~4300 mm CSUV space.

I fully agree. There are only 3 cars in Indian market with no competition. Innova, Creta and Seltos. For Ferrari, there is Lamborghini. For Rolls, there is Maybach. For Merc, there is BMW, Audi and JLR, Volvo.

Since, Innova is alone it enjoys the monopoly and it can rig the market. Hence, the price-rise every 3-4 months or whatever. Next is Hyundai-Kia duopoly. Being from the same group, they can rig the market, too, and hence the insane pricing and frequent upward revisions.

But, I think the free run they had since 2016 would come under attack in coming days. Others are slowly waking up to it and readying their rivals. Most notable are Skoda IN Vision, Honda 'some-RV' and MG ZS. And, between the three, I think it is MG ZS which can upset the Koreans' apple cart. MG group is backed by Chinese Govt which has the deepest pockets anyone has ever seen. Their pockets are bottomless pits and they can keep pumping money and subsidise price, if they want to. Koreans or anyone can't stand a chance before them. ZS is also right-sized and comes loaded with features and that must-have pano-roof. All they need to do is, undercut Koreans on price and they will fly off the shelves faster than they can make.

[ram87pune]

Hello bhpians.

Just confirmed from my sources in MG that the petrol ZS will launch somewhere between the Ganesh festival and Diwali this year though MG is aiming for a September launch.

The ZS will come with 3 gearbox options viz; Manual, CVT and DCT automatic. The 1.3 turbo petrol is likely to be exclusively available with the DCT while the 1.5 NA petrol will have the option of a manual and a CVT.

Even though this product is aimed squarely at the Koreans and thus will sit below the Hector in the MG lineup, it will come with almost all the bells and whistles that the Hector offers. On top of this it will come with ADAS which may be the trump card in this segment for MG.

P.S- MG is also working on giving ADAS technology to the Hector and this may be made available later this year. Also MG is still in initial stages of deciding as to which automatic gearbox is to be shoehorned in the Hector and thus launch of the same is still more than an year away.

[Venkatesh]

New MG SUV could get ‘Astor’ branding upon launch.

Will be positioned below the Hector in the Indian market
Competitive pricing expected, thanks to huge amount of localisation

Source

[RM Motorsports]

MG Astor interiors spied. Gets a digital instrument cluster.

[tirumalavoleti]

Very nice styling and amazing engine options. Add in 1.6 Fiat sourced Diesel, Astor will head ON with creta/seltos

MG is getting good going in market, if they could build the reliability factor and serviceability factor, MG is going to be strong brand

BTW, Astor/ZS are based on actual British platform and not the china platform as Hector. Please correct if I am wrong

[07CR]

Originally Posted by tirumalavoleti

Very nice styling and amazing engine options. Add in 1.6 Fiat sourced Diesel, Astor will head ON with creta/seltos

MG is getting good going in market, if they could build the reliability factor and serviceability factor, MG is going to be strong brand

BTW, Astor/ZS are based on actual British platform and not the china platform as Hector. Please correct if I am wrong

Agreed. I am eagerly looking forward to this car. If anyone can stop the Hyundai-Kia dominance in the segment, it's MG.

[sunnsood]

In March 2021, I took a test drive of MG ZS EV and two glaring misses were
a. ventilated front seats
b. no ac vents at the rear

Though this could be apple to oranges comparison but I hope MG provides both of the above in petrol version.

That gives me hope that 2022 MG ZS EV update might have these too.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by sunnsood

In March 2021, I took a test drive of MG ZS EV and two glaring misses were
a. ventilated front seats
b. no ac vents at the rear
That gives me hope that 2022 MG ZS EV update might have these too.

I almost purchased a ZS EV last month. I am waiting to see if an updated version would come. Hopefully the ventilated seats from the Hector along with a larger ICE screen, digital instrument cluster from the Astor and the active safety aids like collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control that are provided in Thailand will be included.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by tirumalavoleti

Very nice styling and amazing engine options. Add in 1.6 Fiat sourced Diesel, Astor will head ON with creta/seltos

Isn't it barely larger than a jacked up i20? Might compete with the i20 active if it was still....active

[Revmatch99]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

Isn't it barely larger than a jacked up i20? Might compete with the i20 active if it was still....active

Well Creta is basically an i20 on steroids thats pretending to be an SUV so...

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by Revmatch99

Well Creta is basically an i20 on steroids thats pretending to be an SUV so...

True, they even used to call it the ix20 in Europe I think. But there is still a noticeable size difference b/w the i20 active, the hyundai kona electric and the new Creta/Seltos

[drpudhi]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

Isn't it barely larger than a jacked up i20? Might compete with the i20 active if it was still....active

Not sure if this comparison is logical. The current ZS EV is longer and wider than the Creta. So it's par for the course. The i20 and i20 active are sub 4m models. Not sure what will be the dimensions of the newer one, but won't be less than the out going model is my prediction.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

But there is still a noticeable size difference b/w the i20 active, the hyundai kona electric and the new Creta/Seltos

I really don't see much difference and the new Creta has lost that SUV appeal for me. The older one looked the part, but new one doesn't. Even a Ecosport looks a lot more SUVish than the new Creta.

BTW in terms of dimensions alone, the ZS appears bigger in each dimension.

ZS EV dimensions- LWH- 4314 vs 1809 vs 1644 (in mm)
Creta dimensions- LWH- 4300 vs 1790 vs 1635 (in mm)