- The MG Astoris likely to be launched in the festive season

- The model will be powered by 1.5-litre and 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engines

MG Motor India has unveiled the Astor midsize SUV for the Indian market. The model, which is essentially the ICE-powered version of the ZS EV, is expected to be launched around the festive season.

The MG Astor will get features such as a personal AI-assistant and Level-2 Autonomous technology, details of which are available here. Also on offer will be the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Elsewhere, the model will get a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard across the range, a panoramic sunroof, a seven-inch fully-digital instrument console, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a six way power-adjustable driver seat, three steering modes (Normal, Urban, and Dynamic), an electric parking brake, an engine start-stop button, front and rear arm-rest, an air purifier, and silver inserts for the dashboard. Customers can choose from three interior themes including dual-tone Sangria Red, dual-tone Iconic Ivory, and Tuxedo Black.

Exterior highlights of the 2021 MG Astor include a new front grille, LED projector headlamps with integrated LED DRLs, halogen fog lights, red front brake calipers, 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, heated ORVMs, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, LED tail lights, rear wiper and washer, Astor lettering on the bootlid, as well as an integrated spoiler with a high-mounted stop lamp. Safety features on the model will include six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, HDC, traction control rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

Under the hood, the MG Astor gets two powertrain options including a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine and a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine. The former produces 108bhp and 144Nm of torque while the latter produces 138bhp and 220Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre variant gets a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT unit, while the 1.3-litre variant is offered exclusively with a six-speed automatic unit. The model, which is expected to be launched in the festive season, will rival the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Skoda Kushaq, and the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun.