[mpthy]

Would have voted for "Something bigger".

I will be in the market sometime later next year, and Innova, XUV700, and Safari will be my top choices.

Though I'd love to buy one of the Indian cars, their supposed niggles and ownership experience does not inspire confidence.

I'll most likely go for the Innova or a used car from a segment above.

[CafeRacer16]

A tough choice between Kushaq & Seltos but voted for Seltos over Kushaq due to following reasons:
- Kushaq seemed overpriced to me for what it offers
- Since Kushaq is a new product, niggles & cost cutting is evident, would wait for an year/facelift to consider it
- As I am not a spirited driver, I found 1.5 NA drivability & refinement better than 1.0 TSI in city

I really like Kushaq's styling & hope they iron out the niggles & probably lower the price or provide additional kit.

[AutoConsultant]

Seltos - Poor safety rating
Creta - Unpleasant looks and bland interiors
Astor - Brilliant product but still pretty new in the market. Also, don't have enough trust on MG as a brand
Taigun - Badly done rear end

Assuming the niggles in Kushaq are all sorted by now and compromising a little bit on boot space, I would like to put my bet on this car (1.5 manual variant).

Although, there's no car currently in this segment for which I can go for with my whole (or at least 90%) heart. Hope Astor turns out to be great in the long term.

Not considering Hector, XUV 700 etc as those are from a different segment and the target customer is also different. Cannot put them in the same bracket just because the pricing of few variants is overlapping.

[porsche_guy]

Voted for the Astor.

Test drove the 1.3 Turbo AT last weekend and honestly, it greatly impressed me in all aspects.

The interiors felt really nice and high quality. Although I don't appreciate the AI Bot/Assistant, rest it was a very well appointed interior (miles ahead of the Kushaq and Taigun). Exterior paint quality and finish was excellent as well with consistent and thin panel gaps.

As for the drive, I felt the Aisin 6TC was well mated to this engine and the powertrain was very refined. You simply can't tell that it's a 3cyl motor unless you read the brochure. Even the road and tyre noise was very well controlled. It's not blisteringly fast or exciting but has more than enough pep for fast or fun driving. Even the suspension was superbly tuned and overall the quality felt a notch above the Hector as well.

Dare I say it even felt more "german" than its actual German rivals! Reliability is definitely a question mark though.

The chinese factor is there but doesn't bother me much and objectively speaking, I felt it to be the most well made product in the segment.

Overall, it's a great package. I wouldn't choose the XUV or Harrier since they're quite big(and I prefer compactness which is more practical in urban confines) and ridden with niggles. Hyundai twins feel overpriced by around 3 lakhs and the Compass is still quite far away in pricing. Not a fan of the VW twins either as they feel too cheap now in the company of newer and better rivals

[ZB86]

It is tough to pick one. All come with some deal breakers and something which other does not offer.

Astor - Yet to drive it, but sure the build is impressive and definitely takes on the Koreans. Will be interesting to see how the market responds. It may not dethrone Creta / Seltos but can definitely eat into their pie.

Creta - Has to be the most polarizing car in recent times when it comes to exterior styling. However, once you step in, it will not disappoint. By and large most will like what it has to offer, minus the hard plastics there is nothing much to complain about the interiors and how it drives. Despite not being the best looking car around, it remains a big seller. I have driven the DCT Petrol and enjoyed the experience.

Seltos - This car is exactly the opposite of Creta. Looks sharp from the outside, but the interiors somehow are less impressive than Creta, for me. Though both are identical in size, somehow the Creta seems more airy. I found the drive to little stiff compared to its sibling. Purely on looks, it looks much smarter no doubt.

Kushaq / Taigun - Yet to drive either, but have seen the Kushaq inside out in person. Somehow when you think of VW / Skoda, you expect a certain quality in terms of fit and finish. Most people who get a VW / Skoda are willing to pay little premium for that very reason. I have no problem with the pricing of the car even if it is a size smaller than the Korean twins, but I did not expect a compromise with the quality of the cabin. It feels a step down when you think of other cars from the group on our roads. Considering the amount of issues it faces right now, it might be best to consider it in it's 2nd gen.

Harrier - Best looking SUV for me by a long stretch. Fantastic road presence, and drives well too. For the price tag, I expect a complete experience in terms fit / finish and features. This is where it falters a little. I hope it takes care of it in the second gen. It deserves all the bells and whistles. Even though I would not buy one right now due to my limited usage, I find it being the most attractive car to my eyes and heart.

Purely in terms of having a car which ticks most of the boxes and will be largely driven in city, my vote goes to Creta / Seltos. Astor might be a good alternative, but between a Chinese or Korean car, my vote would be for the latter.

If someone is a heavy highway driver one might better off looking at a Harrier / XUV 700 if spending a little more is not a problem.

[Livnletcarsliv]

I will choose "Something bigger".

However, it depends on the budget.
Out of this comparison, XUV700 will be my choice.
If it is just the best car of the mid-segment SUV, then it is hands down "Compass".

Yes, the Astor excels in a few areas like fit and finish, bells and whistles, price etc. - But it's not MG after all. It is a Chinese car. The same goes with Hector as well (Its pathetic looks and "tab on wheels" feel are other reasons against it as well).

Harrier/Safari is still in its beta version mode. Even though many of the initial niggles are sorted, it still significantly lags in some of the most important areas like Fit and Finish, Features, No-petrol option, ergonomics. Another important factor is the price and the so-called 'Indian Brand" - Harrier/Safari is expensive for what it offers plus what is Indian in these twins except for the product package as a whole - Platform from JLR, Powertrain from Fiat, Transmission from Hyundai, Infotainment from Harman/Visteon, Tuning done by Lotus and Land Rover, etc. Probably the next-gen/2022/23 Tata twins will get on par with the competition, let alone exceed.

Creta/Seltos - The Korean cousins are the most value for money cars of this lot. And of course the reliability of Hyundai which gives us peace of mind. The only exception is the initial DCT trouble, which I think is sorted now. Except for the plethora of features it offers, everything else is only "GOOD". Not bad, not excellent.

PS - Nissan Kicks (a heavily underrated car) should have been included in this comparison.

[chetancm7]

Voted for Astor. Was really impressed by the Chinese makers for not making a Chinese product. Interior fit and finish appears to be a segment above feature and many have vouched on this aspect. Currently being a Sonet owner not inclined to change my vehicle but if not Sonet then I would have definitely gone for Astor.

Creta/Seltos: IMHO a bit old now in the segment, would need to wait for new gens in 2022. I feel Astor has brought in a fresh appeal with value for money features.

Taigun/Kushaq: Newly launched, need to wait and watch but was not impressed by its exterior design. I felt this to be a bit costly for the features it offered compared to the Koreans.

The rest are really big to navigate in city traffic and doesn't really make sense to drive such a big car by sitting alone in it during my office drive.

[SoumenD]

Thankfully not in the market looking for a car in this segment. With so many options making a decision would be tough

Voted for ‘Others’.

If I have to choose one, it would be the XUV700 Petrol AT simply because of the powerful motor and the real estate for that money. Of course provided this manages a 5* GNCAP rating.

Jeep Compass would be the perfect car in every respect but for the price.

Loved the VAG twins but the ongoing issues were unexpected.

Hyundai/Kia: Not touching with a bargepole until atleast 1 of their offerings come out with ‘stable bodyshell’ rating.

If am spending 20L, I would want a car with 5* rating. Period!!! But that’s just me.

[TechSavvy]

Mg ZS EV cries for not being in this list. After my TD of Ather and ZS EV, I’m sold that’s the most fun you can have on a light pocket and I’ll be eagerly waiting for the next gen ZS EV which looks like the Astor I guess.

[antz.bin]

Voted Other.

My vote goes to the MG ZS EV. It should have been here all along. It is roughly the same size as all of the options here. Makes roughly as much horsepower as their more powerful variants.
Has roughly as much boot space as well. And is priced almost at par when you consider the running costs for reasonable urban use.

The range is pretty good as well, it will increase even more in the 2022 edition.

[TheStRyder]

I am faced with a dilemma regarding my impending car purchase and need guidance from the forum.

Looking to replace my Polo 1.6 which has faithfully done duty for a decade plus.

The vehicle would be mainly for city use with once in two months outstation trip.
My annual usage is not more than 6k to7k kms.

My requirements are automatic transmission, driving pleasure, safety features with 6 airbags, and decent boot space

Was pretty impressed with the new Honda City but the home minister vetoed it and any sedan is now out of the equation

Other vehicles I test drove are


1. Skoda Kushaq 1.0 AT.

Loved driving the Kushaq 1.0 AT. The steering felt light enough for the city and the beautiful TSI has enough grunt for the city. Car felt quite chuckable and felt like driving a hatchback. Was pretty disappointed with the interior fit and finish. Hated the touch sensitive ACC. The exterior fit and finish and the paint quality was excellent.

2. Volkswagen Taigun 1.0 AT and 1.5 DSG

Interior quality of Taigun felt better than the Kushaq. Was blown away by the 1.5 DSG. Again the roofliner quality was abysmal. Touch screen was sleak and responsive. The rear seating is strictly for 2 adults.

3. MG Astor

Was wowed by the interior fit and finish and the quality of materials used. 1.3 turbo AT has enough grunt for city and highway drive though the 1.5 TSI with DSG is obviously superior. The 3 cylinder engine was butter smooth with no viberations. Handling and suspension were perfect for city use. Tested the ADAS features and found blindspot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and Adaptive Cruise Control quite useful. Lane Assist is practically useless in our country.

4. Nexon EV

Enjoyed the drive in sports mode. The instant torque is addictive. Trying to get the test drive car home since a month so that family can experience it but the RM is absolutely not interesed in making a sale. Has stopped responding to my texts and calls now.

5. Kia Seltos / Sonnet / Creta

Test drove the Kias and the Creta but eliminated from the shortlist due to safety concerns.

Initially the budget was around 16L OTR but now stretched it to 20 big ones.

Have booked the Astor 1.3 turbo Savy and the app shows delivery in December but am still not convinced with the astor. Though the 1.3 turbo is a competent engine with class leading interior qualities and features with decent handling I am not sure how the Astor will age. The 1.5 NA engine is pretty underwhelming as per few ownership reviews and test drives by people in Astor whatsapp groups I am part of. Since I hold on to my cars for atleast 7 to 10 years dont want to stuck with a car which might be discontinued.

I am now confused between the Taigun 1.0 AT Topline and Astor 1.3 Turbo Savy. ( 1.5 DSG goes over budget and since most of the drive will be in city in traffice dont think DSG is the right choice)

Taigun is around 1.5L cheaper than Astor but has Ventilated seats, Wireless Android Auto, auto dimming IRVM, paddle shifters and telescopic steering wheel which the Astor does not have.

Meanwhile the Astor has segment above interior quality, blindspot monitoring, 360 camera, electronically adjustable drivers seat, ADAS features, heated ORVM, panoramic sunroof better back seat and boot space.

As both cars are untested I would rate them equal in safety aspect with ADAS features providing an edge to the Astor.

Also interested in the upcoming Slavia but convincing the homeminister for a sedan seems like an uphill task.

Kindly help with your suggestios.

[FiatDiesel]

Originally Posted by TheStRyder

Have booked the Astor 1.3 turbo Savy and the app shows delivery in December but am still not convinced with the astor. Though the 1.3 turbo is a competent engine with class leading interior qualities and features with decent handling I am not sure how the Astor will age. The 1.5 NA engine is pretty underwhelming as per few ownership reviews and test drives by people in Astor whatsapp groups I am part of. Since I hold on to my cars for atleast 7 to 10 years dont want to stuck with a car which might be discontinued.

I am now confused between the Taigun 1.0 AT Topline and Astor 1.3 Turbo Savy. ( 1.5 DSG goes over budget and since most of the drive will be in city in traffice dont think DSG is the right choice)
.

Hi TheStRyder, Congratulations for booking Astor. I can help with in general quality feedback of MG as the owner of Hector and having friends who own first generation Hector launched back in 2019.

You will be fine and won’t regret your decision in terms of quality of car. My friend with first generation Hector is still very happy with car and has fuss free ownership. He has petrol DCT Sharp. To give you an example of quality, my Hector got rear ended by a Triber due to sudden braking of Kia sonet in front of me. I managed to stop Hector without hitting Sonet, thanks to all 4 disc brakes however car behind me, Triber with 7 adults on board couldn’t stop and hit us towards the left side of rear bumper. There was pile up as car behind Triber, Wagon R, hit Triber rear and so on and so forth.
Our Hector remained standstill, engine running, AC blowing chilled air, it was just 4 months old. When Triber hit us, we just felt slight jerk inside. Nothing more. I got down, went and saw rear of Hector and then saw Triber, couldn’t take eyes off it. While Hector’s bumper towards left side had gone inside, Triber’s bonnet had folded at 90 degrees and its coolant chamber has gone bust. It’s driver door was not opening smoothly and was making creaking sound as front of car as bent inwards.

As you can see I was overwhelmed by the scene of other car then mine because my car didn’t gave me the vibes of much hurt apart from bumper. No lights or error message and Infact later I found reverse parking sensors also working fine despite left side of bumper being damaged.

We were on flyover in NAVI Mumbai, Triber had ladies as well, no one hurt, got 4 of the Triber occupants in my Hector and dropped them to nearest pickup point of Uber.

I drove my car whole day in Mumbai and came to Pune late evening. Next day, handed over to dealership for repair. I inspected the car when they opened bumper and to my surprise, not even a scratch on the body inside bumper, forget dent. Hector has bull bar running across inside bumper .

And while bumper took the hit, it must have exerted pressure on side panels where it connects with them, no slightest impact anywhere.

I had zero dep insurance, got my car back within a week as good as new. Though accident was sad, specially for folks with severe damaged cars but it reinforced my belief and trust in MG in terms of quality of car. No corners are cut to save costs, you are actually getting very high quality car.

To top this, after sales service is very good. This is also the reason I am happy customer.

Sorry for the long rant and if you found it boring. Just wanted to alley your fears w.r.t long term reliability. You will be happy.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by FiatDiesel

Though accident was sad, specially for folks with severe damaged cars but it reinforced my belief and trust in MG in terms of quality of car. No corners are cut to save costs, you are actually getting very high quality car.

To top this, after sales service is very good. This is also the reason I am happy customer.

I think stating such experiences is very important as it has become a habit for most of us these days to generalize attributes based on specific instances. Too often I have seen people dismissing a product while making choices for new cars because it is of a particular brand, or has origins of a specific country.

[immortalmechano]

Originally Posted by TheStRyder

Have booked the Astor 1.3 turbo Savy and the app shows delivery in December but am still not convinced with the astor. Though the 1.3 turbo is a competent engine with class leading interior qualities and features with decent handling I am not sure how the Astor will age. The 1.5 NA engine is pretty underwhelming as per few ownership reviews and test drives by people in Astor whatsapp groups I am part of. Since I hold on to my cars for atleast 7 to 10 years dont want to stuck with a car which might be discontinued.

Kindly help with your suggestios.

Having to need a replacement for my 1.5L km run Grandi10, I have arrived at the same conclusion and made the same choice.I await delivery of my 1.3 Savvy in Red hopefully in Dec. Having gone through this analysis and multiple test drives, I don't see myself making another choice. Perhaps only if the Seltos came with a 4 or 5 star rating but else, no. Stay strong. I expect the Astor to ease all confusion once it arrives.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by immortalmechano

Having to need a replacement for my 1.5L km run Grandi10, I have arrived at the same conclusion and made the same choice.

How do you feel about the left leg position in MG Astor? I am 6 feet and I didn't feel ok with the central console intruding into left leg position, and the odd placement of dead pedal. Perhaps it is okay for shorter city drives, but I don't think it would be comfortable if I have to drive for longer streaches, even from Gurgaon to Noida!!
Windshield and roof line is too close to my forehead.

Otherwise I liked the interior. And I felt good inside the cabin looking outside in the static car.

Want to understand is it just my feelings about Astor ergonomics or a real issue.