Team-BHP - MG Astor Review

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Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao (Post 5162481)

The Astor's 1.3 turbo petrol appears very competent in the low & mid revs range - where it will spend the vast majority of its usable life - both from a power delivery & refinement perspective.

Give it a try before you dismiss it as yet another small, unrefined 3-pot.

In addition to this brilliant explanation, the 3 cylinder engine of a similar displacement (in this case it can be compared to Hyundai's 1.4) has 3 larger cylinders vs 4 smaller ones, the con of course is they can't revv as high but the positive side is they will by their very nature have more torque lower down, in my 11 years of driving experience i have always enjoyed engines with great mid range/low end torque (read turbo diesels) as compared to high revving engines which need a lot of hardwork, consume a lot more fuel doing so, is not practical and repeatable in everyday circumstances, while we enthusiasts may enjoy it in open roads but the former engine can be enjoyed every day of the week, if a 3 cylinder is reasonably refined (as the MG has been reported to by many) then it is a compromise i will happily make.
In bikes the same analogy can be applied with Triumph's 3 cylinder vs maybe Yamaha r6's 4 cylinder, with the former having more useable power and is not that far off in peak power too, all this while sounding about as sweet as the 4 cylinder unit.

That being said the MG Astor is a car i will not consider at all, this was internationally launched closer to last gen Creta and even looks inspired by it from some angles especially the rear and looks somewhat outdated and very bland for my taste, this segment is literally thriving with options and i don't trust MG's engineering to match others at this point.
While Hyundai has slowly built its trust, MG is effectively bringing random old cars from different engineering backgrounds and it is difficult to form a cohesive opinion about their offerings. (Hector and Astor have hardly anything in common)

I’ve finally found time to watch almost all the major reviews of the car. I must say, TeamBHP’s review lives up to the expectations and is the most informative while remaining neutral.

I see a lot of people complaining about low revving nature and the engine losing steam past 150+. Let’s look at the target audience of this car. Urban families.
- How many times do we get to go bonkers on the accelerator with a baby/kid in the car?
- How many times do we go past 120 in the highways?

Any sensible driver would probably nod along with me when I say “not anymore”. While I absolutely loved high revving motors like the ivtec during my college days, becoming a family man has changed my perceptions. I haven’t driven the car yet, but this engine with lots of low end/mid range with a TC sounds like a marriage made in heaven for my city commutes. To quote a wise man, “Not everyone wants a corner craving, high revving car”.

Watched few reviews on YouTube just to get different perspective about Astor. Most of the reviewers spent a lot of time on the exteriors, interiors and the ADAS features. Would have been happy if they did a video on pure driving, handling and perfirmance of Astor.

Apparently Autocar India reviewer said he could feel the jerks during gear shifts. He was driving the same 1.3L Turbo engine Astor. didn't hear this with other reviewers.

Looks like MG has done a good job on the Ride and Handling along with a 1.3L turbo motor which while not being the fastest out there will certainly not leave the drivers disappointment.

Were there any 1.5L variants also available for test drive?

Well like they say, there is no "replacement for displacement" when it comes to internal combustion engines. A higher volume engine does have more bang for the go as there is much more air-fuel mixture being ignited in every cycle of the engine, hence high capacity engines will be more comfortable at low revs.
I for one would be happier with a 1.3/1.4 L 3 pot turbo engine instead of 1L 3 pot engine. When I had test driven the Kushaq 1.0 AT, I had found that low in power and torque. Having a bigger 3 pot turbo engine will certainly be beneficial. Along with the engine, the TC gearbox is also crucial.
The Astor engine gearbox combo seems decent performing and as per this video, does the 0-100 run in around 10 seconds.

https://youtu.be/aksREhvpZgY

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Originally Posted by ant_vas (Post 5162651)

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Were there any 1.5L variants also available for test drive?

Almost the entire fleet present there was the turbo petrol top variant. I did notice a couple non-turbo specimens (including a smoking hot black one with all-black interiors and red calipers:loveit), but don't think they were offered for the drive event to anyone.

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Originally Posted by ashis89 (Post 5162681)

How would the engine cover, which lies secure under the bonnet, be a probable risk to a pedestrian during a crash?

This makes for an interesting read. Great to see such features trickling down to lower segments. Emphasis in quotes below is mine.

NVH benefits, and pedestrian safety. Win-win.

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BASF has now developed a flexible polyurethane integral foam that can be used to produce lightweight engine coverings with the one-shot process, i.e. with one material in one process step. The so-called soft cover, made from Elastofoam® I 4603, is manufactured by the Austrian company POLYTEC Car Styling and fitted as standard in various car models with petrol engines of the Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo. The sound-absorbing material for the flexible visible part is characterized by a low component density of 140 kg/m³, is dimensionally stable, media-resistant as well as resistant to thermal aging up to 150°C. With this novel component, BASF is supporting the automotive industry in reconciling the – often contrary – objectives of lightweight construction, functional integration and compliance with safety standards.

The tailor-made PU foam Elastofoam® I makes it possible to produce engine covers that are characterized by good sound absorption and thermal engine encapsulation. While the part has an open-cell foam structure on the bottom surface, the material on the front side forms a coherent skin with an attractive surface appearance. The surface is accurate in every detail and is printable. The part can absorb a lot of energy on account of the open-cell foam structure, thus increasing passive safety for pedestrians in the event of impact against the hood

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Originally Posted by sunikkat (Post 5162466)

Based on many photos, videos and the reviews the interior quality, fit and finish seems to be top notch for the segment. Unfortunately other than that I dont find much of an USP for the car.

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Originally Posted by pradheepsr (Post 5162584)

Felt that MG is going overboard with the tech gimmicks especially with Bot and the ADAS related driving aids.

From my perspective, one USP would be ADAS.

People who have not used ADAS/Driver Assist features may feel these as gimmicks, but once you start using them, "most" people find these extremely helpful in regular driving. Of course, there will be people who do not like technology at all (like people who still use Nokia 1100) or there will be enough cases in India where you want to switch them off, but the point that they are there when you want it is great! For example, when you do highway drives or reversing/parking in chaotic traffic
(Airbag is an extreme extrapolation of such a "USP" feature - you do not want it to be put to "use" at all, but the feeling that it is there if a need arises is reassuring :))

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Originally Posted by Behemoth (Post 5162663)

Having a bigger 3 pot turbo engine will certainly be beneficial. Along with the engine, the TC gearbox is also crucial.
The Astor engine gearbox combo seems decent performing...

This is why Astor is on my shortlist. I have been on the market looking for a safe (the EV version has scored 5 stars), reliable automatic (TC gearbox) and a decent service experience and reliability (not heard of much incidents on other models yet).

Looks like the Astor has something to offer for everyone from a quality interior for the family, a decent driving experience and the AI bot for kids. :Cheering:

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 5162343)

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Any idea which Aisin 6-speed transmission is used in the ZST / Astor?...

We'll need MG to confirm, but I suspect it could be a TF70-Series derivative (Aisin AWF6F25) rated for ~300 Nm, which are also used in some Citroen models. There are others in use in some SAIC/GM & PSA group cars they could borrow (like the TF80-Series Aisin AWF6F45), but it's rated for much higher outputs and overkill for this car.