[manpreetsj]

Got following message from MG Motors Gurgaon. Test drives confirmed to being in 1st week. Can get my slot for TD booked now.

Sharing text without person's details.

Dear XX,

It was our pleasure to have you at our Gurgaon/Faridabad showroom and experience the unveil of our brand new product "MG Astor - The AI affair".

Experience the MG ASTOR AI features with India's first "Autonomous Level 2" availability at MG Gurgaon/Faridabad

Exclusively, MG ASTOR test drives to be begin from the first week of October 2021.

Honoured to confirm your visit by giving us a call at __.

Regards
XX
Relationship Manager
Mob No. XX
MG Cargo Motors Kutch Pvt Ltd
Sec 15 Part- 2, 32nd Milestone Gurgaon

[ranjitht87]

Originally Posted by das_ren_auto

As per the Executive it is equivalent to "Sharp" variant and one more variant is expected to be above it.

It had all the features including Electronic Parking Brake,Autohold,360* camera, powered seat, sunroof, most of the ADAS features and AI

The executive told than in top end we will get "Brit Dynamic" badge , turbine inspired alloy wheel, car passport and parking reservation features.

As "Brit Dynamic" badge is missing, this should be the variant with 1.5L NA engine.
So now we can kind of confirm a top end variant including ADAS with 1.5L engine too.

[maverickNerd]

MG showroom is at walkable distance to my home, so went there just to checkout Astor, after reading the reviews here, my expectation was high, I already own Kushaq Style MT now, but here are my thoughts on Astor.

Pro:
1. Feels luxury, right from the point you open and close door, good soft touch padded leather on door (Kushaq is not padded like this).

2. All the buttons in cabin feels very good, in Kushaq light buttons on roof are of very bad quality. I really like the AC control and volume buttons in Astor, feels solid too.

3. Rood liner is just wow, I was disappointed with Kushaq liner earlier but now even more. Can someone please tell me how can I upgrade my roof liner in Kushaq please

4. Music system in Astor is really good, better than Kushaq I think, there is lot of bass, may be the woofer in Astor is inside cabin, this might be the reason.

5. Boot lid is of very good quality, Kushaq's is eyesore.

6. you can tilt both front seats in Astor to 180 degree and can enjoy Skyview. Really great to see.

7. Really liked sunroof buttons, and big sunroof in Astor.

8. AC vents are of really good quality, Kushaq's quality is very poor as noted by everyone who reviewed.

Cons:
1. Doors are heavy but Kushaq's doors feel heavier.

2. Under thigh support of Kushaq both at the front and rear seats are better.

3. Surprisingly I found that Kushaq has more rear width than Astor, though overall width of Astor says something else.

4. Rear Seats of Kushaq are much more comfortable than Astor though Astor has better leather use, but seats are hard.

5. Big hump in middle for rear occupant, much bigger than Kushaq.

6. I didn't like the steering wheel of Astor. It is not having soft touch leather and does not feel as premium as Kushaq.

7. No auto dimming IRVM. I found it very valuable in Kushaq drives.

Overall my feeling: If Kushaq was not launched till now, then on a first look, I would have selected Astor. Though driving reviews are pending, but on first look.

My wife word's: Astor feels luxuries, but misses out on comfort, especially front and rear seats thigh support and rear seat comfort. She just hopes, that Astor should not drive as good as Kushaq, otherwise she will feel sad

Dealer's take: Launch before Diwali, and just at launch delivery will start, no advance booking is allowed so no waiting until official prices comes, prices reveal in next 7-10 days. Read-black interior color will be available in mid and top end variants.

[TkyoPandaMan]

Originally Posted by dh.harshal

OMG! I hope, this is wrong information and launch happens in Navaratri and deliveries commence by Diwali.

Astor is actually growing on me. If the drive review is better than Hector (not expecting to be as good as Taigun/Kushaq) and it the top turbo model undercuts Seltos/Taigun by more than 50K ex-showroom, I think I'm sold.

Right now I'm sitting on fence between XUV700 and Astor.
Astor:
+ Looks stellar, closer to Mercedes GLC.
+ Plush interiors, all reviewers seem impressed by the interior quality
+ Easy to Maneuver, can be driven by wife & dad
+ 3 point seatbelts for all passengers
- missing essential features like Ventilated seats, wireless charging, wireless android auto and auto dimming IRVM

XUV700:
+ Safety and build
+ Enormous space
+ Brilliant engines
- Size is large for my wife/Dad to drive
- Top model will be at least 4-5 lakh expensive than Astor top model
- missing 3 point seatbelt and ventilated seats

I also cannot get my head off Kia Seltos. It still is the car that ticks most of the boxes, apart from big safety point.
It has all the essentials & practically usable features (360 camera, Ventilated seats, wireless charging, paddle shifters and even the rear glass sunblinds).
It has nice Turbo Petrol and good diesel engine mated with a brilliant torque converter.
I so wish, it hadn't screwed on the safety parameter.

Kushaq & Taigun are fun to drive, but are one step short on everything - features, Pricing, quality, space. I wish, they had walked that last mile and most of us, would have happily paid them a premium over Koreans.

Anyway Going to witness Astor today, will post my experience soon.

Totally with you on the dilemma between XUV700 and Astor. Am waiting for some more information on both before a decision can be made.

Do keep us "keen" bhp'ians updated on your decision!

[das_ren_auto]

Originally Posted by ranjitht87

As "Brit Dynamic" badge is missing, this should be the variant with 1.5L NA engine.
So now we can kind of confirm a top end variant including ADAS with 1.5L engine too.

Oh is that the case. While leaving the showroom I noticed a sticker in the quarter glass specifying it as "CVT". I mentioned about this to the Executive also because from the beginning he was telling that it is the "Turbo" engine. In fact he opened the engine hood and confirmed that it is "Turbo'. At that time I just took his word and when I noticed the "CVT" sticker the Executive was in the mood to pack up as it was quite late in the evening. As icing on the cake he told me that "the company may have pasted the "CVT" sticker by mistake".

After reading your post I am sure that that is 1.5 NA Engine. But the engine was looking too small in the bay with lot of space to spare.

[shibulijack]

Originally Posted by maverickNerd

Overall my feeling: If Kushaq was not launched till now, then on a first look, I would have selected Astor. Though driving reviews are pending, but on first look.

If I were on a time crunch to buy a car, I would have probably been in your situation too. Fortunately for me, I had the luxury to wait. I concur with most of your observations, except that I felt that seats' under-thigh and lumbar support were better in Astor but missed the ventilated front seats of Kushaq.

I'm pretty sure Astor won't be a driver's delight like Kushaq but you gain some and then you lose some! Personally, I'm not keen on the driving dynamics since my usage is 90% city and I'm more concerned about the safety and creature comforts because both my wife and I would be driving on a regular basis. My wife is sold on the Astor already (panoramic sunroof + 360-degree camera + premium interiors sealed the deal for her) and I wouldn't be getting any dinner if I chose Kushaq over Astor just for my driving pleasure

[TheWanderer]

Checked out both Taigun and Astor back-to-back. The interiors are very good in Astor compared to Taigun, especially, the sunroof looks so much better in the way it is put up and controlled! Feature wise, it scored much above Taigun.

On the other hand, I felt Taigun to be more roomier in the front than Astor. Personally, I like the cruise control buttons on steering than on the stalk, so that is one thing I missed in Astor. Boot also looked smaller than Taigun, but the arrangement of stuff inside boot and the boot floor material appeared better in Astor!

[dh.harshal]

Originally Posted by dh.harshal

Anyway Going to witness Astor today, will post my experience soon.

Note - For perspective, I own Volkswagen Vento Highline 1.2 TSI DSG for 5 years now & we absolutely love it.

Today we visited the showrooms of MG & Volkswagen back to back and frankly it was a complete 180 degree opposite experience.
Sharing my honest personal experience, not just quoting the facts or the features (opinions can differ). Please hold on for a long post with some pictures in the end.


MG Astor:
Man! I was flabbergasted by the Astor on the first look.
This does not feel like a Chinese car at all. In fact, I for once thought I'm experiencing BMW X1 in orange colour.

Positives -
+ The exterior paint is VW quality.
+ All the panel gaps were consistent.
+ Interior shangria red theme looks awesome in real than in pictures. I would not trade it for any other combination.
+ The leather, the switches, the steering, everything is of superb quality. You cannot find this quality even in a segment above. There's tactile feel in every switch.
+ Digital cockpit layout, fonts, colours; everything is spot on.
+ The infotainment screen is excellent and touch response was good (though Korean cars' touch is little more fluid).

Negatives -
- Rear row width is less than Seltos & Creta. You can fit 3 adults just enough & if at least one is slim.
- Speakers are good, but not as good as Seltos/Harrier/Hector. Lack of woofer is felt.
- AI bot is honestly redundant and only a kids' attraction. It couldn't get me IPL score or needed more efforts to recognise commands


Volkswagen Taigun:
We went with only reasonable expectations. But it still did not meet the heart or the brain.

Positives -
+ The infotainment is really good. Wireless android auto was seamless.
+ Sheet metal is heaviest, you can feel it on lifting the boot or engine bay.
+ Exterior paint quality is superb.
+ Couldn't drive it, but can guarantee that the Taigun is the best driving car in the segment, given TSI & DSG combination.

Negatives -
- Fabric seats do not justify the price point.
- Sound system is just okay.
- Interior quality is really a step down and cheap (look for pictures below). I actually felt ashamed as Vento owner.
- Rear seat width is really cramped. It cannot accommodate 3 adults in any case.
- Looks really tiny. Even saw it beside a Polo, but it still didn't feel big enough.

Comparison:
- Taigun is fraction better in exterior paint quality and build. Astor is very close though.
- Astor is way ahead in interior and material quality. It feels 2 segment above of Taigun.
- Sound system is almost the same in both the cars.
- Taigun has better leg space in rear, while Astor is wider. I measured the seats. The shoulder width difference is 2 inches while the thigh width difference is only 1 inch.
- The leather on Astor is top notch while the leatherette touch points in Taigun feel like rexine fabric.
- Cost cutting in Taigun is evident at places like parcel tray, boot liner, etc.

Verdict:
I suggest everyone to at least experience the Astor without any prejudice of MG badge and you would be pleasantly surprised. We went to Volkswagen with moderate expectations, but Taigun just disappointed me in the quality as I see everything from the old Vento/Polo quality perspective & Astor had raised the bar.
My wife is not a cognizant automobile fan, but she loves our Vento like anything. On experiencing both the cars, she said that Astor is almost as good/plush as Jeep compass (which we experienced couple of weeks ago) and she just made creepy faces while sitting in Taigun.
Even the overall showroom experience in MG was splendid as compared to Volkswagen where we were not even asked for a glass of water.
Net, if Astor doesn't turn out as bad as Hector in driving, MG has a real winner here.
I still can't finalize on Astor because we are a family of 4 adults + 1 infant. We felt that the rear seat may not be comfortable for 2 adults with 1 ISOFIX mounted child seat, especially as the middle part of the seat is little raised and there's a big transmission hump.
I'm more likely to jump to XUV700 or Jeep Compass.

Pictures:
Astor looks stunning in orange, reminds me of BMW X1 in Orange.



Sangria Red interiors are like wine red; not as bright red as they look in pictures. They give a premium and sporty feeling inside the cabin.



Over the Air (OTA) update are available for Infotainment. So we can hope that wireless Apple car play/ android auto will make an entry.



Follow me headlamps are available and we can also turn off each of the ADAS feature individually.



Even the so called piano Black and chrome plastics quality is top notch. You should feel them



Boot liner of Astor is of excellent quality. Liner fabric behind the rear seat is also of good quality.



See the Taigun's boot liner and Rear seat liner fabric. It is worse than Harrier's fabric (which I thought was horrible).



Taigun's Boot liner even doesn't have a hook/handle to lift it to open spare tire space.



Astor's boot spare tire lid is heavy and thick.



Taigun's boot spare tire lid is really thin like a sheet.



Taigun's wireless charging slot couldn't fit my OnePlus 7T Pro. So beware, phones with more than 6.5 inches display will not fit here easily.

[911CarerraS]

I am in the same dilemma as most of the guys in the forum. It's Xuv700 v. Astor. Our budget is strictly 17 OTR so we would only be able to get Ax5 variant max

The things Astor has over Xuv700
1. Leather seats
2. 360°camera (Ax5 Xuv700 doesn't even have rear camera )
3. Automatic Transmission
4. Much better Millage ( Xuv700 2.0 petrol would only be able to offer 7-8 Kmpl max in the city)
5. Electronic brake
6. Electronically Powered seats

What Xuv700 has over Astor
1. 2.0 sumptuous 200bhp petrol engine
2. Bigger size, more space
3. Bigger boot
4. Probably better driving dynamics ( probably)
5. Better suspension ( probably)( due to FSD)
6. Amazing touchscreen and that fantastic Instrument cluster

I'm confused between the two cars and it seems like a heart vs head situation.
2.0 Litre Xuv 700 would be a gas guzzler. I would be happy if I even get 10-12 Kmpl in the city but I don't think that would be possible considering the size of the car, with petrol touching 100 in delhi, milleage becomes an important consideration.

What do you guys think? What else can be a differentiating factor between the two?

[Venkatesh]

MG Astor variant details.

The 1.3L turbo AT, it will be available in seven trim levels – Super, Smart STD, Smart, Sharp STD, Sharp, Savvy, and Savvy Red



The 1.5L CVT version will have seven trims on offer – Super, Smart STD, Smart, Sharp STD, Sharp, Savvy, and Savvy Red.



The 1.5L MT will be available in a total of six trims – Style, Super, Smart STD, Smart, Sharp STD, and Sharp.



Source

[shibulijack]

Originally Posted by 911CarerraS

What do you guys think? What else can be a differentiating factor between the two?

To me, the ultimate differentiating factor was the size! While I absolutely loved the XUV700, I couldn't even shortlist the car due to its sheer footprint. If I had to nitpick one more reason, it's that MG Astor is a tried and tested model (ZST in Australia, UK and UAE) whereas XUV700 is brand new. Going by M&M's track record, there might be plenty of niggles during initial ownership (I hope M&M prove me wrong here!).

[KapilD]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

MG Astor Automatic Emergency Braking feature highlighted in new TVC

https://Youtu.be/US-kzG7n0uU

Could not find the information (posted below) on the forum, hence updating:

1. Auto Emergency Braking up to 40 kmph reduction in speed
2. Pedestrian Emergency Braking up to 25 kmph

Also, got the user manual for the various car functions. Hope it helps the members of the forum on checking out the features.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Media drive for the MG Astor will be conducted this week at the Buddh International Circuit.

Source -



Interesting choice! BIC is not very forgiving to mid segment cars - case in point: Baleno RS. Wonder how a compact SUV with a torque converter will fare there! Or is MG very confident of taking the fight to the Germans in terms of driving dynamics?

[KapilD]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

… Or is MG very confident of taking the fight to the Germans in terms of driving dynamics?

Ooo!! Can’t wait for the verdict. Hope it comes close to the EU counterparts. Br(ex)it Dynamics!

[nasir88]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

MG Astor variant details.

Source

Thanks for sharing the variant details. Based on the weight difference (40kg) between the smart and sharp variant, is it safe to assume that this is on account on the sunroof, and it will be offered from the sharp variant onwards?

Would be interested to know if there could be some other reasons to account for this difference.