[manpreetsj]

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

(A) your budget allows (B) CVT suits your driving style (C) you are okay with single digit average from this mountain of a car.

We are planning to TD Hector CVT in a day or two. Will take the call accordingly.

Good bless competition .

@manpreetsj - I say go for the Hector now. The OTR prices of the facelift should be more than 1 lakh which might not make a lot if sense. At 21.5 OTR, it's a terrific value for money proposition.

Thanks for your comment. Look forward to update from you on TD of Hector and its comparison with Astor. Since we are on same boat, I am very much interested in knowing which one you pick and why. I will be TD Astor and Hector back to back to get better understanding.

I agree, that the facelift will be more expensive and won't be that good VFM proposition. Seems like MG's strategy is to pull more people to showroom and cross sell Hector top model.

[immortalmechano]

I spent a good part of the weekend test driving everything I could lay my hands on in the 18 to 22L range so that my comparison was on par and fresh with no bias. This is what resulted:

VW Taigun:
Everything internally was of acceptable quality. The general fit and finish looked good until I looked up and saw the wierd plastic bits in place of a sunglass holder and the sunroof had mechanical bits visible. Else it was a sorted cabin. The showroom had a 1.0 TSI TC to test drive and I took it out for a decent spin and came back really impressed.

Skoda Kushaq:
Feels a little more old school premium than Taigun to me. Negligible differences for me else.

Hyundai Verna:
Having driven a Grand I 10 for the last 8 years, everything felt at home. I did come out a little disappointed as I felt there was no sense of occasion or the 'New car' feels.

Honda City:
More spacious than the verna, but again the interior did not have the congruency I was seeing in the new cars. Somehow I didn't find the appeal. This coming from a person who honestly believes sedans are a dying beed we need to conserve.

Seltos:
Driven the petrol GTX numerous times. It's a good car with nice sporty interiors. The Diesel auto is smooth and nice to use as well and can't really go wrong with this choise except the GNCAp rating that weighs on my mind.

Astor:
I somehow feel that the red interior and fit and finish was love at first sight for me. The decent turbo petrol has made me think this is the perfect compromise. The interiors have a sense of occasion.

Not bothered with the Creta as I don't like it's looks and have no intention of waiting for eternity.

Now my dilemma with a twist:

My heart says go for the Astor Turbo petrol AT Sharp optional. My mind did the math and given how expensive turbo petrols are and says Diesel which brings the Seltos GTX D into contention. However I'm not able to decide. Hopefully I shall choose soon after I bring my family to the testdrives...

[TheStRyder]

I was going through the Australian MG ZST specifications. The power figures for the australian ZST is 154 BHP @ 5200 RPM and the torque of 220 is available from as low as 1800 RPM whereas the Indian version has 140 BHP @ 5600 RPM and torque of 220 is available at 3600 RPM

As per our official Team-bhp review


" MG has confirmed that it's the same engine that is offered in the ZST in the Australia - New Zealand market. The outputs have been slightly tweaked to meet Indian emission norms and fuel standards. The motor has a single-scroll Mitsubishi turbocharger in its global specification "

Does this mean that with a simple tuning mod we can expect the Astor to deliver the Australian ZST power figures ? Can anyone confirm this ?

Also an interesting feature in the Australian ZST is Traffic jam Assist.

Explanation in the brochure " Detects heavy traffic and automatically follows the vehicle in front, controlling acceleration, braking and steering within the lane "

Wonder why this feature was not added in the Indian version. This would have been extremely helpful in city traffic conditions.

In Australia MG offers 7 years unlimited km warrenty, whereas in India standard warrenty is for three years only.

Dont know why Indian customers are shortchanged

[maverick88]

I would like to share a few unsettling observations about my test drive experience last Friday at MG Mumbai West. Initially, I did not put much thought to it but on thinking again it all seems shady.

1) My SA tried to pull a fast one on me by passing off the Turbo variant as 1.5 NA. Ofcourse, the moment I put my feet on the pedal I realized it was a turbo and not NA. He later said that he was mistaken and didn't know which one was which since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the car. (both cars had different colours, btw). My heart wants to believe it was a genuine mistake, my mid doesn't.

2) For the 1.5 test drive, I had to wait another 1.5 hours since the car was not available as the fuel got over mid-way during another test drive. Again, I wish the SA could have come up with a more believable excuse.

3) When I asked the SA about how to see the mileage info on MID, he told me it's only available on app. That sounded weird; anyway, during the drive when I fiddled around with the buttons, I could see the mileage and it was showing 5.5 Kms/Ltr. I know it's a test drive vehicle, but 5.5 is still really low.

I am really confused - I liked the car and the base variant is tremendous value but these shady practices along with the dismal mileage numbers are making me concerned. To add to the anxiety, MG is tight lipped about the mileage figures.

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by maverick88

1) My SA tried to pull a fast one on me by passing off the Turbo variant as 1.5 NA. Ofcourse, the moment I put my feet on the pedal I realized it was a turbo and not NA. ....

2) For the 1.5 test drive, I had to wait another 1.5 hours since the car was not available as the fuel got over mid-way during another test drive...

3) ... I could see the mileage and it was showing 5.5 Kms/Ltr. I know it's a test drive vehicle, but 5.5 is still really low.

I am really confused - I liked the car and the base variant is tremendous value but these shady practices along with the dismal mileage numbers are making me concerned. To add to the anxiety, MG is tight lipped about the mileage figures.

I believe it's ARAI that has to release the mileage figures.

As for the dealership experience (I am actually not able to follow the sequence of events you have written) but I believe MG should make more money from selling the higher priced turbo units (unless the whole thing has a very high ratio of imported component which reduces their profit margin). So, I would expect MG to offer more sales commission for the turbo variant rather than the 1.5 NA.

However, put that together with the fuel over during test drive for the 1.5NA excuse, I believe the SA was just trying to secure the booking from your end (All this is possible only if you let the SA know initially that you were only interested in the 1.5 NA variant). Did you finally get to drive the 1.5 NA variant? Can't tell that from your post.

I am not sure which mileage figures you have quoted. Is this for the 1.3 Auto (in which case for a turbo petrol with a toque converted abused as a test drive vehicle it seems ok) or is this for the 1.5NA (Manual or CVT, in which case it does seem kind of low but again it's a test drive vehicle).

If fuel efficiency figures are important for you then you might need to wait long enough for real world figures to start trickling in from customers. Anything that the SA or MG quote would be an over-exaggeration.

[maverick88]

Originally Posted by JithinR

I believe it's ARAI that has to release the mileage figures.

Ofcourse, mileage figures are released by ARAI, however, the onus of getting the test done and sharing it with consumers is the manufacturer's job, wouldn't you agree?

Originally Posted by JithinR

Did you finally get to drive the 1.5 NA variant? Can't tell that from your post.

I had already pre-booked the 1.5 NA so, yes the SA knew I am planning to buy 1.5 and not turbo. Yes, I did get to drive the 1.5 (as I mentioned after a wait of around 1.5 hours)

Originally Posted by JithinR

Is this for the 1.3 Auto (in which case for a turbo petrol with a toque converted abused as a test drive vehicle it seems ok) or is this for the 1.5NA (Manual or CVT, in which case it does seem kind of low but again it's a test drive vehicle).

The fuel efficiency numbers I quoted are for 1.5 CVT

Originally Posted by JithinR

If fuel efficiency figures are important for you then you might need to wait long enough for real world figures to start trickling in from customers. Anything that the SA or MG quote would be an over-exaggeration.

With the ever-increasing prices of petrol, I think it does become one of the factors; and yes, I do understand company stated mileage is exaggerated but you expect a vehicle of this segment to give you a mileage of 10-12, hence the concern. There's another post I read by @kings2306 who mentioned, he found Astor to have the lowest mileage of all cars he has test driven in this segment. Anyways, I do agree, we will have to wait for ownership reviews to confirm the mileage.

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by maverick88

I would like to share a few unsettling observations about my test drive experience last Friday at MG Mumbai West. Initially, I did not put much thought to it but on thinking again it all seems shady.

The SA definitely tried to take you for a ride. I would suggest to try a different SA/dealership. Don't let one bad experience take you away from buying a good car. I have heard real good feedback from multiple sources about MG sales and services. We have been to two dealers in two different cities and our experience with MG has been great so far.

Good luck!

[superutp]

Did anyone feel the footwell space in the 1.3 auto version to be a bit cramped, specifically for the left foot? Because of the way the central console is shaped, there is an angle to make your left foot reach the dead pedal which ends up hitting and cramping the left shank of the leg

[Varun_G]

I TD the Astor Turbo and Creta Diesel today for a relative and here are my observations:

MG Astor Turbo AT:

Pros:

1. I loved the interiors and dashboard outlook
2. All the buttons/features were well in reach and easy to operate
3. The ride felt well balanced and comfortable. Suspensions were good
4. The turbo engine felt punchy and quick to respond
5. Undercuts the competition by almost 1-1.5 lakh
6. Lot of innovative and new features onboarded including few segment firsts
7. The front grille is unique and loved the overall outlook of the car

Cons:

1. The front windshield has an acute incline and felt a bit uncomfortable to me from a viewing perspective (My Venue has a better viewing angle)
2. The indicator lever is on the left side
3. The boot felt small and a bit weird shaped
4. No ventilated seats
5. No creep mode
6. No paddle shifters

Hyundai Creta SX Diesel (Petrol wasn't available):
The car balances well and has the required features but frankly speaking felt very outdated after TD Astor.

I would rather put my money (or rather my relative's money ) on Astor than Creta!

[JoBlo]

Hi all,
I am a very satisfied owner of a 15 year old Honda city CVT. The engine is still butter smooth, and ride quality is still amazing. However, there are rust issues (replaced 3 doors, got trunk patched up, and the 4th door is showing damage). With the current resale value just around 1 lakh, and the anxiety that it might quit on me, I think it's time to say goodbye.

My head says "Go for another City: it's dependable, great to drive, good mileage, decent set of features etc.". But my heart (and family) says, "How about a change? You've been driving a sedan since 95, try something different!". The battle is ongoing.

I test drove the top-end turbo versions of Creta, Taigun and Astor back to back recently. Creta was impressive, Taigun felt cheap inside. I'm not a fan of how the Creta looks and the Kushaq seems to be having major issues - so I gave them a pass.

So far, Astor feels like something I might choose, especially with ADAS. I booked the turbo Sharp variant. I am still debating what interior color to go with - ivory (not clear if available on the top variant) will feel spacious, but will need regular cleaning; tuxedo black with red stitching looks sporty, but worried about how hot the car will get; Sangria Red seems exciting, but might get boring in a while. Any thoughts or recommendations?

By the way, my wife pointed out that there is no way for a passenger to unlock the door once it's centrally locked. There's just one big handle, and no unlock lever. Does the driver have to unlock all doors for allowing one of the doors to be opened?

Thanks.

[ranjitht87]

Originally Posted by JoBlo

So far, Astor feels like something I might choose, especially with ADAS. I booked the turbo Sharp variant. I am still debating what interior color to go with - ivory (not clear if available on the top variant) will feel spacious, but will need regular cleaning; tuxedo black with red stitching looks sporty, but worried about how hot the car will get; Sangria Red seems exciting, but might get boring in a while. Any thoughts or recommendations?

As far as i understood, the interior choice is available only for 1.5L CVT Sharp (O) variant with ADAS. The default interior colour will be ivory with an option to upgrade to Sangria Red for an additional 10k.
For all other variants of 1.5L engine( Manual and CVT) the interior comes in ivory.
1.3 Turbo Sharp(O) variant comes with Sangria Red.
Rest all variants of 1.3 Turbo comes with Tuxedo black interiors.

[nasir88]

So I was finally able to get a test drive of the NA 1.5 CVT and was satisfied with the performance. Since I have been driving a diesel manual, driving the CVT in sports mode brought back memories of my erstwhile honda city.

While the build quality of the car is impressive, one thing I feel lacking was space, especially in the front footwell, with the cruise control stalk intruding.

While the space in the rear is adequate, it does seem like a bit of a downgrade from my current Gen 1 Creta. Would be interested in knowing if someone has compared this with the current creta and Seltos in terms of cabin space?

The second thought going on in my head now is the Astor bs Hector debate, which other pointed out. Does anyone have thoughts on the expected mileage between Hector CVT vs Astor cvt? Any other thoughts?

[JoBlo]

Originally Posted by ranjitht87

As far as i understood, the interior choice is available only for 1.5L CVT Sharp (O) variant with ADAS. The default interior colour will be ivory with an option to upgrade to Sangria Red for an additional 10k.
For all other variants of 1.5L engine( Manual and CVT) the interior comes in ivory.
1.3 Turbo Sharp(O) variant comes with Sangria Red.
Rest all variants of 1.3 Turbo comes with Tuxedo black interiors.

As per the brochure, ivory is available on all trims. Sangria red is an upgrade at extra cost. However, the booking web page is forcing black interiors on the sharp variant.

[Sammy1234]

Doesn't Turbo AT/cvt versions have the creep mode.?? I was under the impression all automatics have creep mode by default... Can someone clarify on this pls.

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by Sammy1234

Doesn't Turbo AT/cvt versions have the creep mode.?? I was under the impression all automatics have creep mode by default... Can someone clarify on this pls.

The Turbo AT does come with the creep functionality. We experienced it during our TDs. This has been noted in the TBHP review as well:

Slot the gear shifter into D, release the brake pedal and the Astor crawls forward without any throttle input - a handy feature in peak urban traffic.

Haven't tested the CVT but I'm sure it should be a standard feature there too.