MG Motors India has finally launched its Gloster. The seven-seater premium SUV is priced, starting at Rs 28.98 lakh and goes up to Rs 35.38 lakh for the top-spec model. The MG Gloster comes with a host of features and looks like a solid and balanced package. The top market leaders in the full-size premium SUVs in India, includes- Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and Mahindra Alturas. While the market was always divided between the Endeavour and Fortuner, the entry of MG Gloster, gives it a great chance to benefit from the growing customer demands in this segment.
Price:
| Variants | Price |
|---|---|
| MG Gloster | Rs 28.98 lakh- Rs 35.38 lakh |
| Ford Endeavour | Rs 29.99 lakh- Rs 35.10 lakh |
| Toyota Fortuner | Rs 28.66 lakh- Rs 34.43 lakh |
| Mahindra Alturas | Rs 28.72 lakh- Rs 31.72 lakh |
The Ford Endeavour starts at Rs 29.99 lakh, which is Rs 1.33 lakh more than the base model of the Toyota Fortuner, which costs at Rs. 28.66 Lakh. The Fortuner is the most affordable and practical SUV in the list, with the assurance of Toyota’s reliability and service. The Mahindra Alturas comes second in the list of affordability, followed by MG Gloster. The Ford Endeavour has the most expensive base model on the list. However, when we look at the top-spec model, the MG Gloster with its advanced driving assistance system, is the most expensive at Rs 35.38 lakh.
Power and performance:
| Variants | Fuel Type | Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive Type | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MG Gloster | Diesel Only | 1996cc | 215.01bhp | 480Nm | AMT | 4WD/RWD | 8-speed |
| Ford Endeavour | Diesel Only | 1996cc | 167.62bhp | 420Nm | AMT | 4WD/RWD | 10-speed |
| Toyota Fortuner | Petrol/Diesel | 2694-2755cc | 174.5bhp(diesel), 163.7bhp(petrol) | 450Nm(diesel),245Nm(petrol) | AMT/MT | 4WD/RWD | 6-speed/5-speed |
| Mahindra Alturas | Diesel Only | 2157cc | 178.49bhp | 420Nm | AMT | 4WD/RWD | 7-speed |
A lot of things have changed after the transition towards the BS6 norms. Many variants have been discontinued, especially in case of Ford Endeavour, which is now powered by a 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine. However, manufacturers like Toyota have ensured to retain their power. The Fortuner is the only SUV in the entire list to get the powerful 2.7-litre petrol engine. Although, the MG Gloster looks to be the most powerful SUV on paper, we cannot ignore the fact that it is the heaviest and the largest on the list. The only SUV with a petrol engine and a manual option, to give the real SUV like feel is the Toyota Fortuner.
Design and Dimensions:
| Variants | Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MG Gloster | 5005mm | 1932mm | 1875mm | 2950mm | 2518kg(Kerb) |
| Ford Endeavour | 4903mm | 1869mm | 1837mm | 2850mm | 2180kg(Kerb) |
| Toyota Fortuner | 4795mm | 1855mm | 1835mm | 2745mm | 2410(Kerb) |
| Mahindra Alturas | 4850mm | 1960mm | 1845mm | 2865mm | 1680kg(Kerb) |
As mentioned earlier, the MG Gloster is the largest, tallest and heaviest SUV in our list. The Gloster feels out to be enough for rivalling against a segment above of its present one. On the other hand, the Toyota Fortuner is the second heaviest SUV and the Ford Endeavour is longer, wider and taller than the Fortuner at a noticeably lesser weight.
Features:
Speaking about features, the MG Gloster comes with a host of features like leather seats, a huge 12.3-inch infotainment system, which comes with the support of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Gloster also gets an 8.0-inch instrument cluster, three-zone auto climate control, a fatigue reminder system, captain seats, LED cabin lights, panoramic sunroof, projector lens LED headlights, LED DRLs, and 12 speakers and 64 different colour options for ambient lighting, to ensure a completely different driving experience. To make the city drives easy, MG has also equipped its Gloster with the new i-Smart 2.0 AI assistance technology with 3D maps and new apps. The MG Gloster SUV also comes with a set of 19-inch wheels.
While the Ford Endeavour comes with a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, roof-mounted vents for the 2nd and 3rd row, 8-way adjustable front passenger and driver seat and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit that is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Ford also equips the Endeavour with Ford Pass which gives access to a host of connected features. This includes- remote start/stop the car and remote A/C operation. In addition to it, it also gets 55 additional features that can be operated via the app.
Lastly, the Toyota Fortuner gets a cabin with faux wood finish along with a host of controls for the MID unit and the infotainment system. The instrument cluster gets a touchscreen double-DIN head unit but unfortunately, it is still not compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This makes it a little outdated from the rest of the competition. However, Toyota offers 8-way electrically adjustable for the driver and front passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, roof-mounted air-con vents and cruise control for driving comfort.
Speaking about safety features, the MG Gloster is still unbeatable, with loads of safety features that includes autonomous parking, emergency stop and collision avoidance system. But that’s not all, it also gets front and side airbags, adaptive cruise control, ABS with EBD, driver fatigue alert, electronic stability management and front collision warning system, to name a few.
On the other hand, the Ford Endeavour comes with 7 airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control, rollover stability, traction control, centre differential locking, hill descent control and hill hold control.
Lastly, the Toyota Fortuner comes with 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, brake assist, electronic stability program, hill hold control, traction control system, hill descent control and an electronic differential lock.
Final Verdict:
It clear that the MG Gloster is a solid and well-balanced package. With a host of segment-first features and its segment-leading dimensions, the Gloster has started something new. The SUV has already attracted more than 500 bookings even before the price reveal and launch. The Gloster blends technology, features and safety, along with little off-roading abilities and spacious interiors. However, the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour continue will their age-old rivalry and continue to draw buyers who have loved these SUVs for a long time now.