The MG Astor is touted to be one of the most hotly anticipated cars in the sub-20 Lakh bracket and going by the features that have been officially revealed, it has what it takes to back the tag. The Astor might be the petrol-powered counterpart of the ZS EV but MG is making sure to differentiate the two SUVs and not just when it comes to what propels the affairs under the hood. Set to be unveiled on 15th September, the Astor is ready to take on the Korean and German rivals. To build its hype even further MG has now announced that the much-awaited SUV will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard in all the variants.
Apple CarPlay And Android Auto as standard
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto might have become more relevant in recent times but they are still being offered in higher or some mid-spec trims of other cars.
Now that MG has announced that the Astor will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard in all the variants, it is being considered as a welcome move.
Other USPs
The main USP of the Astor will be its AI assistant and autonomous level 2 capability. The assistant is basically a droid placed on the Astor’s dashboard that can interact with you. Perform certain functions and it can also change its expressions! Think of it as MG’s version of the ‘OK Google!’ voice assistance that we have on our Android smartphones but giving it a separate physical entity is one cool move!
Some of the key features of its autonomous level 2 capability are adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, speed assist system, blind-spot detection, and forward-collision warning.
Expected specs
The regular MG ZS, which the MG Astor will be derived from, can be had with three engine options in international markets. This is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with 115PS/150 Nm.
Also read: MG Astor To Become The First SUV In Its Segment With Level 2 Autonomous Tech And AI Assistant
Two turbo petrol engines are on offer as well, there is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit with 112PS/160 Nm and a 1.3-liter turbo with 126PS and 230 Nm. A six-speed manual and six-speed torque converter auto pair with these engines. The higher-spec models get a digital instrument console, 360-degree camera, and navigation system.