[hakunamatata]

A big hello to all! This is my first post on Team BHP.

We have recently booked MG Astor MT Super and are expecting the delivery in the next few days. Really excited to share my experience with fellow BHPians!

[woodstock3001]

So, my younger brother is planning to buy Astor 1.5 sharp variant. However during test drive, we both felt vehicle does not have initial grunt or pickup. Car has more of a linear pickup.

He likes to travel a lot by car, especially to mountains (Manali / Spiti) or even bit secluded places mountain passes, do you think it’s a good buy ?

On a separate note, we really like the build quality + look and feel of the vehicle. But are now confused as right before Astor test drive, we test drove Seltos and felt drive was much better in it.

[pannags]

Originally Posted by woodstock3001

So, my younger brother is planning to buy Astor 1.5 sharp variant. However during test drive, we both felt vehicle does not have initial grunt or pickup.

He likes to travel a lot by car, especially to mountains (Manali / Spiti) or even bit secluded places mountain passes, do you think it’s a good buy ?

I think your brother should consider the Smart 1.3L turbo instead. The turbo drives a lot better and is certainly more suited for driving in the mountains.

Drive both back-back and you'll notice the difference.

[hakunamatata]

Silver Super comes home!

Finally, we got delivery of our Silver Super Astor on Sunday.

MG Astor was the first car that I test drove in late November. And it was love at first sight! Both me and my wife just fell in love with the celestial front grille design and the super-premium interiors. However, at that time only EX variants were available. We were not interested in EX as we did not want to miss out on safety features such as traction control and ESP. So, we did not book the Astor and decided to check out the other options.

In the next few weeks, we test drove several other cars. Some of the contenders are listed below:

• Hyundai Venue N-Line: The sporty design looks good and the car comes fully loaded to the gills. Premium badging and interiors also add to the plush feel. However, the car fails miserably on the safety front.
• Volkswagen Taigun: Super solid build quality and the peppiest engine out of all the vehicles that I drove. The infinity tail lights look amazing as well. However, the resale value and reviews for service center near our place were not very encouraging.
• Skoda Kushaq: The car feels sturdy and drives well. Great interiors. However, the company has recently replaced the fabulous looking 10inch infotainment display with an 8inch piece, which looks horrible and outdated. It completely ruins the aesthetics of the otherwise wonderful interiors.
• Toyota Hyryder: Amazing “mini-Fortuner” type design. The car looks very appealing from the font. Superb mileage is like cherry on the cake. We almost bought the Hyryder. We had booked it at two showrooms in Bangalore. However, neither the SA nor the managers at Toyota had any clue when we can expect the delivery. Every time I asked, they gave a different timeline for delivery. However, the waiting period turned out to be a blessing in disguise. While waiting I learnt that many of the interior parts in the Hyryder (such as AC vents and steering wheel) have been taken from the Maruti Brezza and feel really low quality. Also, the NCAP safety rating for this car is still awaited. So, we cancelled both the bookings.
  

Even after taking several other test drives, it felt as if the heart was still stuck on the MG Astor. So, I called up MG showroom again three weeks later to check if they had any non-EX variants. And to my surprise they had several options available! So, without wasting any time, we went to the showroom and booked our vehicle the same day.

From Day 1, our experience with MG Motor India has been phenomenal. MG Motors kept us updated at each and every step of the delivery process. I was also able to see my delivery confirmation on the official MG app. We booked on 11th December and got the delivery on 18th December with all the accessories. No aftermarket work required.

In my first few days of ownership here are the initial observations:

The good

• Killer looks - The car looks so beautiful that even after parking it I keep turning back to look at it just one more time! It is parked next to a BMW 3 series and yet it has more presence than the Beemer in our apartment parking lot.
• Best interiors in the segment - This has to be the best part about this car. We also bought company fitted seat covers as shown in the pictures. These seat covers further add to the premium feel.
• Crisp audio- Although the Super variant comes with just 2 speakers and 2 tweeters, the sound quality is unexpectedly good.
• Comfortable ride - The ride quality is quite comfortable. The car has slight body roll, which one can also feel while cornering. However, the softer suspension tuning makes bad roads feel like a walk in the clouds.

The bad

• Laggy Infotainment System - The infotainment system takes its own sweet time to respond to your commands. Even the reverse parking camera takes 2-3 seconds to show up when you put the car in reverse gear. I hope this can be fixed with a software update.
• Clanking noise on bumps - This is specific only to our vehicle. Every time the car goes on a bumpy road, the boot starts making a strange clanking noise. The SA visited today to understand the issue. It seems that one of the nuts in the back seat was not tightened properly after putting the seat covers. This will be fixed in the next few days.

Overall, it has been a wonderful experience and going for the Astor feels like a great decision. Looking forward to adding many more happy miles in the coming days.

Cheers!

[riturajsharma19]

Slightly OT but many of us are still waiting for the official TBhp review of the Astor. Yes, a first-experience report was provided after the BIC media drives, but a full-fledged review would have been wonderful.

[991.2GT3]

I've booked the Astor sharp 1.5 MT in black and just received the VIN from the dealer,

MZ7ED1HKL5H020866 - please help decode!

Would like to know MFD and confirm that it is not the inferior Sharp EX variant.

Thanks!

[das_ren_auto]

Originally Posted by 991.2GT3

I've booked the Astor sharp 1.5 MT in black and just received the VIN from the dealer,

MZ7ED1HKL5H020866 - please help decode!

Would like to know MFD and confirm that it is not the inferior Sharp EX variant.

Thanks!

10 th character (5) is the year of manufacture.
9th character (L) is the month of manufacture.
5 is for 2022
L is for November.
It's a Nov 2022 manufactured car

[caffeineAM]

Originally Posted by woodstock3001

So, my younger brother is planning to buy Astor 1.5 sharp variant. However during test drive, we both felt vehicle does not have initial grunt or pickup. Car has more of a linear pickup.

Definitely check out the 1.3 Turbo. That's the one I have and never noticed a lag during pick up or overtaking.

[Piyush Kanthak]

I really like MG cars, but my question here is that why aren't they selling? What's the problem which is keeping customers away from the brand? Astor feels like a complete package but still fails to grab good sales figures.

[Hickstead]

Originally Posted by Piyush Kanthak

I really like MG cars, but my question here is that why aren't they selling? What's the problem which is keeping customers away from the brand? Astor feels like a complete package but still fails to grab good sales figures.

Simple yet strong reasons:

1) Weak snob value
2) Car is cramped inside (Astor )
3) No butch road presence ( Looks like a cross over and no SUV feel, Astor )
4) Sluggish engines
5) Lazy transmission ( CVT )
5) Horrible fuel economy
6) Pathetic resale value
7) ADAS never caught the interest of the mass market. This is also a major debacle for Astor to succeed.
8) First brand with Chinese perception

and the list could go on based on individual preferences.

[vellatechie]

Originally Posted by Piyush Kanthak

I really like MG cars, but my question here is that why aren't they selling? What's the problem which is keeping customers away from the brand? Astor feels like a complete package but still fails to grab good sales figures.

The car looks like a nexon competitor for the price of Creta. If the overall car was just 10-15% for sure itl have a much bigger impact in the segment.

The second reason is that 10-15L segment is one of the most competitive segment in India. Customers want the whole kitchen sink for the price of kitchen tap.

[ronnie141]

Hey guys.. can anybody tell me if they also got this 'Deep Sleep' notification on their phone randomly. Is this car now running on Android, lol..

[anti21]

Originally Posted by Hickstead

Simple yet strong reasons:

1) Weak snob value
2) Car is cramped inside (Astor )
3) No butch road presence ( Looks like a cross over and no SUV feel, Astor )
4) Sluggish engines
5) Lazy transmission ( CVT )
5) Horrible fuel economy
6) Pathetic resale value
7) ADAS never caught the interest of the mass market. This is also a major debacle for Astor to succeed.
8) First brand with Chinese perception

and the list could go on based on individual preferences.

I'd have to disagree with some of your comments.

1 & 8) MG is a Chinese brand and that had impacted its sales a bit. Also, it is a new brand in India, so people are a bit reluctant to buy it as they don't know the long-term reliability of the brand. Remember, Astor is the cheapest car in offer by MG.
2) It is the second biggest car in the segment after Kicks in length, breadth and height. Not at all cramped. Just A, B and C pillar are not made thin to compromise on quality.
3) This is subjective but all the other cars in this segment look like slightly raised boxy hatchboxes. None have an actual SUV presence like a Fortuner or Endevour. Astor is similar and is just curved.
4 & 5) Can't comment on NA but the 3-cylinder Turbo is not at all sluggish. NA/CVT also easily gets the job done and people have taken it to Leh/Ladakh. But since many people have reported issues with NA while climbing steep hills, this point is acceptable.
5 ii) Well a heavy body with ultra-high tensile steel will be a bit more fuel consuming. In the Turbo variant, the consumption isn't that much different from others in the segment. But agree with this point as Maruti is the one that drive's people's perception and people want more mileage in the end.
6) It is actually hard to find Astor in used car market, so I don't resale value is an issue.
7) It is because people have been afraid to use it due to inferior ADAS brought by companies like Hyundai with their Tucson. Astor uses Bosch's ADAS and I've never faced any issue that is mentioned in that infamous Tuscon thread. In next 3 years, all the cars in this segment will be available with option of ADAS and would become a must have feature.


The major issue Astor has not been selling in quantity is:
1) Lack of Diesel variant. Diesel is a significant source of sales in this segment and Astor lacks it. This eats away 50-60% potential sales.
2) Lack of availability of base variants. The waiting time for base variant is above 8-10 months and people are not willing to wait that long. The reason for this is MG is not able to expand its factory as Government has been blocking investment from its parent company for past 2 years. Now they are looking at other investors. The factory is operating at full capacity right now with double shifts.
3) MG's bizarre strategy to target AI Inside, AEB and stuff like that. They didn't even show proper ADAS usage with adaptive cruise control or the interiors. Look at how VAG India is milking NCAP score, even MG should have sent one (strangely they never send a vehicle to NCAP). Even a 4-star NCAP would have shown it to be above Creta and Seltos (they use a better-quality chassis than them so should've got a higher score).
4) Perception of new Chinese company with low mileage. This is something they've been trying to deflect on. Their after-sales service support is decent, and they provided solid warranty packages and even accessories for waiting for the car. The build quality is also top notch. So, if they start focusing on that instead of trying to deflect Chinese roots, it would be more beneficial for them. Start taking shades at competitors to draw attention. They need a completely new marketing team because I doubt the current one themselves aware about the features in their car.

[Hickstead]

Originally Posted by anti21

I'd have to disagree with some of your comments.

You are welcome to disagree. I have spent 9 months in the market this year before deciding on my car. I found no car is worth enough to pay 20 L in the market. Test drove Astor multiple times and pissed off with cons dominating the pros for my requirement. Build quality and interiors are the only pros with Astor.

2) Biggest car in dimensions, but not with respect to interior real estate. I wonder where that space has gone. Space management is not an easy thing. Japanese are best in that.

3) That curved design has not gone well with me and market as well. For sure the car lacks the road presence compared to the competition.

4) Don't want to talk much about FE, as Astor is a disaster in FE. Couple of my friends are able to extract only 7 kmpl in city. Agree that it depends mostly on driving style. Still, 7 kmpl is in bigger petrol engines territory.

6) How many Astor's MG has sold to find many in used market . Based on my observation, so many used petrol Hectors available in market and struggling to sell. I was talking about the brand resale value here.

7) I am not sure how this ADAS is superior compared to that of in Hyundai. Time and sales number will decide that.

[anti21]

Originally Posted by Hickstead

You are welcome to disagree. I have spent 9 months in the market this year before deciding on my car. I found no car is worth enough to pay 20 L in the market. Test drove Astor multiple times and pissed off with cons dominating the pros for my requirement. Build quality and interiors are the only pros with Astor.

Same, I also spent months researching about cars and finally settling on Astor. Yeah, all the cars in the segment are a bit overpriced but I found that Astor delivered more bang for buck than any other manufacturer in the segment.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

2) Biggest car in dimensions, but not with respect to interior real estate. I wonder where that space has gone. Space management is not an easy thing. Japanese are best in that.

I don't see any issue with space. Plenty of it is available. The legroom is quite decent. Under thigh support is fairly good. The shoulder width is a bit less that Creta/Seltos but more than other cars. It appears to be small due to the huge pillar size which makes the interior feels a bit small. Unless they are faking the numbers or bending the laws of physics which I doubt.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

3) That curved design has not gone well with me and market as well. For sure the car lacks the road presence compared to the competition.

As mentioned, this is subjective. Some people like me love it over the boxy hatchback design. In fact, this car gets a more premium treatment than Creta and Seltos for sure. And again, road presence is of cars like Endevour or Fortuner or Thar. In this segment of raised elongated hatchbacks, all of them have it the same. I've never faced any "road presence" issue i.e. people tend to give way easily. The horn is pretty solid to be fair.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

4) Don't want to talk much about FE, as Astor is a disaster in FE. Couple of my friends are able to extract only 7 kmpl in city. Agree that it depends mostly on driving style. Still, 7 kmpl is in bigger petrol engines territory.

The figures are same of Kushaq, Taigun or any other solid build cars you take. Strong body weighs more and hence give slightly lower mileage. I get on an average 8-11 in City and 14-15 in highway on the Turbo. Granted I am a sedate driver, but on highways I cruise at 80-100 easily. This is in line with similar Kushaq/Taigun/Seltos/Creta. Just google their real-world mileage. This is more due to BS6 and throttle sensitive turbo engines which has reduced the mileage for the cars. Older cars non-BS6 cars have higher mileage.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

6) How many Astor's MG has sold to find many in used market . Based on my observation, so many used petrol Hectors available in market and struggling to sell. I was talking about the brand resale value here.

Well MG has been operating at full capacity and selling Astor from Nov 2021 now. So, there are a quite lot of Astor sold. The percentage of Astor being available for resale is too low compared to others in segment. Same goes for Hector compared to Compass or Harrier. 1 lakh+ Hectors have been sold so far.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

7) I am not sure how this ADAS is superior compared to that of in Hyundai. Time and sales number will decide that.

Again, as mentioned, I have not faced any of the intrusive ADASness that was mentioned on the Tucson ADAS thread on Team BHP. It has worked flawlessly for me even in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I drive 50-60% of time with ADAS on in City and almost always in highway. Also, Bosch ADAS is way ahead in ADAS tech than others in India (and even Tesla without radars is not gonna be that good). Bosch even partnered with Mercedes and an airport for auto parking features with their ADAS.

Granted that there might be personal bias, but the decision to buy was made after considering everything and similar sentiment is echoed by other users in the group. And everyone who sat in the car has been impressed by the interiors and build quality. Plus, they sell the same car in India, Europe or UK and do no cheapen the quality of car for India unlike Japanese and Korean manufacturers. They use the same Ultra High Tensile Steel Cage body (780 MPa+) and do not shift to lighter high strength steel (210-550 MPa) just for India like the Koreans for higher milage.

In the end, Astor is one of the best combination of reliable, safe and feature rich car in the segment.