MG Astor Compact SUV Unveiled In India!

MG Motor India is ready to launch its fourth SUV in the Indian market. Named as the Astor, the compact SUV will get a segment-first personal AI as well as Autonomous Level 2 technology. This will enable the MG Astor with 14 Autonomous Level 2 features thanks to radar and a multipurpose camera.The MG Astor is the facelifted version of the MG ZS compact SUV. It is almost identical to the ZS EV from the outside, however, it gets minor cosmetic differences. The Astor is distinguished by a concave celestial grille that is flanked by new hawk-eye headlamps. The Astor features a long hood and a powerful stance lending a sporty appearance. The car also comes with red brake callipers to accentuate the sporting DNA of the brand. For the exterior, MG has revealed the car in three different colours: black, orange and red.The biggest highlight of the MG Astor is the first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence (AI) driven robot, that will act as the driver’s personal assistant. Developed in conjunction with US-based firm Star Design, the in-car assistant (with the help of natural language processing and understanding) depicts human-like emotions & voices, swivels to face the user – just like an individual would – and can provide detailed information on any general knowledge topic by tapping into Wikipedia. It can also pass transmit news and navigation updates, critical vehicle warnings and can even crack jokes.On the inside, the MG Astor comes with a multilayered dashboard with soft-touch materials and a dual-tone leather cabin. It also comes with contoured 6-way adjustable seats, a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel with controls and three steering modes - Normal, Urban and Dynamite. The Astor also features 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment along with a 7-inch instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, a digital key, heated ORVMs, Electric Parking Brake, and a Rain-sensing wiper, etc.The Astor will be available in two engine options - a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit that is capable of producing 140 PS of power and 220 Nm of torque, and a 1.5-litre petrol motor that will deliver 110 PS of power and 110 Nm of torque. The latter will get a manual transmission and an 8-step CVT automatic option, while the turbo petrol motor will come mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.The company claims the SUV will come with 27 safety features. The ADAS ‘Level 2’ (developed by Bosch) will utilise mid-range radars and a multi-purpose camera to enable functions including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, intelligent headlamp control, rear-drive assist and speed assist system.