Special Feature: Driving the future with MG Astor

The wonderful thing about Earth is that it is a beautiful amalgamation of all sorts of creatures. Some live in the sea, some live in the air, and some live on land. Some can talk and some howl. But in the context that is relevant to us today, some like cars and some like gadgets. For the most part, we all co-exist within this delicate balance that prevents the Earth from slipping into utter chaos. But this doesn’t mean their preferences aren’t well defended. That brings us to our topic of discussion today. Does an automobile that appeases both the tech enthusiast and the auto-junkie at the same time exist? Difficult? We agree. Impossible? MG Motor India will beg to differ. 

For the purpose of our experiment, we got together an auto enthusiast and a tech geek – say hello to Zaran and Kaizad – and introduced both specimens to the subject we chose for our experiment – MG’s formidable, futuristic Astor. Zaran’s the sort who will drive/ride anything as long as it has wheels, while Kaizad, we are sure, has a brain that comes with its own Operating System. The idea was to get them to go for a drive in the Astor. If we could establish that the Astor, which is based on the global ZS platform, was the ideal environment for both specimens to co-exist, we would have proved its merit as a product that combines technology and automotive innovation and proved the existence of that fabled middle ground where both tech and auto junkies live happily ever after. 

Aesthetic superiority

Whether you’re talking about tech or automobiles, aesthetics is a very subjective, well, subject. Everybody has their own opinion on what looks good. In the Astor’s case, though, both Zaran and Kaizad were in consonance: the MG Astor was indeed a striking car, they said. Which is true. Starting from the concave ‘Celestial’ grille and Hawk-eye all-LED headlights, to the intricate LED tail-lights and the red-painted brake calipers, several key design elements come together in the Astor to perfectly encapsulate MG’s design philosophy of ‘Emotional Dynamism’. Zaran, especially, loved the subtle rear diffuser with twin exhaust exits. But that is a given because he is an auto guy. We were genuinely surprised when Kaizad, too, plumped for it. Maybe, car guys and tech guys are not so different after all. 

The Astor, a bonafide 5-seater, is longer, wider and taller than many other SUVs in its class, but that is not the only reason why its interiors score so high in the books of most people. Besides soft-touch materials and high-quality leather and a ton of options to customise the interiors to suit your style, MG’s SUV punches above its weight when it comes to the cabin. And, truth be told, it gives off the vibe of an automobile from a class above.  The large glass area and the panoramic sunroof only serve to reinforce that notion. 

Tech Nation

The car enthusiast is a simple creature. The way to their heart is easy. Give them great handling and insane amounts of horsepower and they’ll be a happy camper. The tech enthusiast, on the other hand, is rather demanding with their asks. They demand the latest of technology and there is no room for second best. So, it’s a good thing that the moment you step into the Astor, the first thing you see is MG’s AI assistant, a segment-first, next-gen piece of technology with over 80 connected car features. 

Kaizad felt all warm and fuzzy the moment the Astor’s AI Assistant, which depicts human like emotion and voices, ‘waved’ at him. We think he is mildly infatuated with it. But the AI Assistant is not just a showpiece on the Astor’s dashboard. It can help you with various functions of the car, fetch you information from the internet and even tell you a joke. It can provide weather and news updates. The Astor is also equipped with MG’s revolutionary Car-As-A-Platform (CAAP) concept that allows you to use your vehicle as a base to use services from third-party service providers. For example, the CAAP will allow you to use JioSaavn’s streaming services via data connectivity provided by Reliance Jio.

MG’s revolutionary Car As A Platform concept allows owners to use the Astor as a base to receive services from a range of third-party providers, including MapMyIndia, JioSaavn, and Park+

Another example is the integration of Park+, which allows users to pre-book parking slots across the city. You can also use MapMyIndia’s navigation services, and MG will also soon integrate the Koinearth digital passport service which will keep track of individual driving styles, preferences, and usage statistics, etc. This will help ensure better insurance premium and resale value if you do decide to ever sell your Astor. To say Kaizad was impressed would be an understatement. Here, finally, was a car that spoke his language. And, to his delight, things just got better for him when he learnt that the Astor’s tech portfolio also includes a host of safety and driver assistance systems that keeps all kinds of people, including auto and tech enthusiasts, safe..

Apart from features such as geofencing and pre-cooling, the MG Astor gets a digital key that will come in especially handy for forgetful people.

The Astor’s Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System is another first for the segment. With six radars and five cameras located at various parts of the car, the SUV is able to incorporate active safety systems such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. It also gets lane departure prevention, intelligent headlamp control that automatically adjusts the headlight beam on detecting oncoming traffic, rear cross traffic alert to make reversing out of your parking slot easier, and speed assist, which can read road speed limit signs and automatically adjust the cruise control.

This is aside from the other class-leading passive safety measures like six airbags, ABS with EBD, Hill Hold Control, Electronic Stability Programme, Hill Descent Control, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, cornering fog lamps and disc brakes for all four wheels. Quite a list, no? Enough to keep the tech enthusiast happy you’d think. But wait, there’s more. While all of these systems function in the background most of the time until you actually need them, the MG also comes kitted with a whole bunch of tech that enhances the user experience.

To start with, there is a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 7.0-inch full-digital instrument console that wouldn’t look out of place in a well-equipped home theatre, a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 360-degree cameras, automatic climate control, tyre pressure monitor, auto headlights and wipers, heated wing mirrors, electric parking brake and even an air purifier. And if you ever happen to forget your car key at home, fret not, for the Astor also comes with a digital key that allows you to use an app to get into and drive your car!

Under the hood

While technology is one of the standout features of the Astor, the SUV’s primary function remains transportation. And if you’re a car enthusiast such as Zaran, no amount of electronic gadgetry will impress you if the vehicle doesn’t perform well. And to make sure that it does perform well, MG offers two engine and three transmission you can choose from. The first is the 1,498cc VTi-TECH engine that makes 110PS and 144Nm and this can be specced with a 5-speed manual or CVT transmission. The second is a 1,349cc turbo-petrol that puts out 140PS and 220Nm and gets a 6-speed automatic gearbox. This sterling engine was under the hood of the Astor piloted by Zaran, who revelled in its go-fast abilities – 100kph in 10.23 seconds. Kaizad, on the other hand, liked the comfortably set-up suspension that also doesn’t disappoint when you’re out on the road. But if you’re in the mood for some spirited driving, the Astor has a trick up its sleeve – steering modes. The three modes – Normal, Urban and Dynamic – will alter the steering feel and weight according to the driver’s preference. So, it’s perfect when you need to customise your driving experience, depending on whether you’re out on a grocery run, commuting to work, or heading up your favourite mountain road for a spot of R&R. Smiles all around it looks like.

When we set out to conduct this experiment, we put two different types of enthusiasts together. One cared only for the technological prowess and the other for the mechanical experience of the automobile. Both parties looked for different things from their cars. Would there exist a product that catered to both their demands? History said it was difficult. But as with all things that evolve, the automobile also seems to be headed in the same direction. Ultimately, the multiverses will cross over, and this has happened with the Astor. It is an SUV that works for both categories of enthusiasts with plenty to be excited about for both. In that sense, we feel that our premise has held true. The MG Astor does combine the best of both worlds. And in doing that the MG Astor might just be the hero we need.

Also see: 

MG Astor review, test drive