SAIC-Owned MG Motor India on Wednesday unveiled MG Astor. The company claims that it is India’s first SUV with a personal AI assistant and comes with Autonomous (Level-2) technology which is first-in-segment. Voiced by the paralympic athlete Deepa Malik, the car’s personal AI assistant can perform numerous operations like giving critical in-car warnings, selecting in-car controls, sharing information from Wikipedia, sharing mews and many more. The company said that it has partnered with Bosch for ADAS. The car comes with six radars and five cameras to manage 14 advanced Autonomous Level-2 features. It also comes with 27 standard safety features like ESP, TCS and HDC, along with six airbags.
The MG Astor also comes with a host of features like 6-way power-adjustable driver seats, electric parking brake, heated ORVM, rain-sensing wiper, PM 2.5 filter, panoramic sky roof, rear AC vent and front and rear armrest, 10.1-inch HD infotainment system for the cinematic experience and full digital cluster with 7-inch embedded LCD screen. In terms of features, the car has 80+ internet features as a part of MG i-SMART technology. Moreover, building on CAAP (Car as a platform), the new SUV comes with subscriptions and services plans, including maps and navigation with MapMyIndia, Jio connectivity, the first-of-its-kind Blockchain-protected vehicle digital passport by KoineArth. Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India, said, “We have introduced several industry-firsts with our SUVs to the Indian automotive market. This time we have Autonomous (Level-2), MG Astor, with a personal AI assistant. With its elegant exteriors, luxurious interiors, and futuristic technology, we believe that Astor is a desirable package that will strike a chord with the customers.” Carl Gotham, Advanced Design Director, Global Design Centre in London, said, “The mid-size SUV is a visual delight with an exceptional level of detailing and remarkable features. We have placed design at the centre of creating the car to make it look as good as its technology.
The SUV comes with a Celestial Grille design and nine crystal diamond elements in the LED headlamps. The Astor will come with two engine options – the Brit Dynamic 220 Turbo petrol engine with a 6-speed AT delivering 220Nm of torque and 140ps of power and VTi Tech petrol engine with manual transmission & an 8-speed CVT, delivering 144Nm of torque and 110ps of power. The SUV will be on display at MG showrooms from 19th September, and bookings will start soon after that.