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India will witness the launch of a brand-new midsize SUV today – the MG Astor is almost here, with prices set to be announced at noon today. Set to be the fourth – and most affordable – MG offering for the Indian market, the MG Astor will slot in below the MG Hector in the company’s India portfolio. Today, MG Motor India has confirmed it will announce prices of its new midsize SUV will be revealed at the start of next week, having revealed everything else about its latest offering in the last few weeks. The Astor name is derived from Raytheon Sentinel, an airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft formerly operated by the Royal Air Force. It is an adaptation of the MG ZS SUV that has been on sale in international markets for some time now, and has been available in India as the all-electric ZS EV since 2020. A key differentiator on the outside is the Astor’s ‘Celestial’ grille. MG revealed the Astor will come with three interior colour scheme options (red and black, beige and black and all-black) and will also come with six-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat. Additionally, the MG Astor will also pack three steering feel modes - Normal, Urban and Dynamic - which will vary steering weight as per the driver’s preference. The Astor will also come with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, 7.0-inch digital instruments display, heated ORVMs, a Bluetooth-enabled Digital Key, faux leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, air purifier, electric parking brake, automatic wipers, front and rear armrests, rear AC vents and over 80 connected car features. Safety kit includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, electronic stability control and hill descent control. The Astor is a petrol-only offering, with two options to choose from – a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit (available with either a five-speed manual or an eight-step CVT automatic) making 110 hp and 144 Nm of torque, and a punchier 1.4-litre turbo-petrol (available with only a six-speed torque convertor automatic) putting out 140 hp and 220 Nm of torque. The Astor will also become only the second SUV in the midsize SUV segment to feature advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) after the Mahindra XUV700, and also only the second MG SUV to feature ADAS after the flagship Gloster SUV. MG says the Astor will have ADAS ‘Level 2’, which 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. MG has equipped the Astor with an 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) understands Hinglish, 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 relay news and navigation updates, critical vehicle warnings and can even crack jokes. MG Astor prices are expected to range from Rs 10-17 lakh (ex-showroom), and it will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.
MG Astor India launch highlights: Introductory prices start at Rs 9.78 lakh, deliveries to begin in November
The MG Astor will slot in below the Hector in the carmaker’s India line-up; to be available with a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine.
 "MG Astor India launch highlights: Introductory prices start at Rs 9.78 lakh, deliveries to begin in November")
MG Astor: Deliveries
MG will commence deliveries of the Astor in November, with the company targeting delivery of at least 5,000 units before 2021 ends. Introductory prices will only be valid for this year.
MG Astor: Prices
The MG Astor has been launched at Rs 9.78 lakh, with prices going all the way up to Rs 16.78 lakh (all prices introductory, ex-showroom)
MG Astor: Variants
Here’s a look at the four main trim levels the Astor will be available in.
MG Astor: Safety features
The Astor will come with 27 safety features as standard, with the number rising to 49 for the fully-loaded variant.
MG Astor: Buyback programme
For those intending to sell their Astor after a few years, MG will also offer a programme to buy the SUV back at 60 percent of its value.
MG Astor: Annual maintenance packs
Here’s a quick look at the annual maintenance packages MG will offer for the Astor.
MG Astor: My MG Shield ownership package
The Astor will come with a 3-3-3 package, which covers warranty, road-side assistance and labour-free services.
MG Astor: Follow the launch
You can watch the live stream of the MG Astor launch right here.
MG Astor: What’s it like to drive?
There’s plenty of tech to talk about with the Astor, but what’s it like from behind the wheel? Read our review before the price reveal event gets underway!
MG Astor: On the inside
While it may look a lot like the ZS EV from the outside, the Astor packs many more goodies on the inside, and you can read all about them in our detailed first look story .
MG Astor: How different is it on the outside?
To distinguish the Astor from the ZS EV in a visual sense, MG has added a new ‘celestial’ design grille, new headlights, turbine-inspired alloy wheels, reprofiled front and rear bumpers, tweaked LED tail-lights and a few more badges.
MG Astor: The petrol-powered ZS
If you think the Astor looks familiar, it’s because it is the combustion engine version of the MG ZS EV, which was launched in India at the start of 2020 and has gone on to become one of India’s most popular electric vehicles.
Welcome to the MG Astor launch!
Good morning, folks, and welcome to Tech2’s live coverage of the India launch of the MG Astor. Prices for this brand-new midsize SUV will be revealed at noon today, but in the meantime, stick with us as we bring you all the details we have so far, followed by LIVE updates from the event.
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