MG Astor Blackstorm Edition launched at Rs 14.48 lakh

The British motoring brand Morris Garages, owned by the Chinese auto giant SAIC Motor, has finally launched the Blackstorm edition of its popular mid-size SUV, MG Astor. This new blacked-out Astor has been launched with a starting price of Rs 14.48 lakh. Just like the MG Gloster Blackstorm, the Astor also boasts an all-black appearance. The car has been given a complete blackout on the exterior and the interior. Mechanically the car remains unchanged and retains the drivetrain and other features from the standard variants of the outgoing Astor.

Commenting on the launch of the new Astor Blackstorm, Gaurav Gupta, Deputy Managing Director, MG Motor India, stated,

“As the whole country preps up for the upcoming festive season, we at MG Motor India, want to ensure that our customers feel extra special with the Astor’s latest limited edition – BLACKSTORM. It has a premium finish with a bold and distinctive design that is sure to win our customers’ heart as they look to upgrade their existing vehicles with tech-enabled cars that are not only futuristic but also delivers a superior driving experience.”

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What has changed?

The MG Astor Blackstorm Edition features an all-black honeycomb pattern grille, black alloy wheels with red front brake calipers, black finish for the headlamps, glossy black door garnish and black finish roof rails on the outside. The new model also gets the Blackstorm badges on its front fenders on both sides.

Moving on to the changes on the interior the new Astor Blackstorm gets a Tuxedo black upholstery with red stitching. The Blackstorm variant of the Astor also comes equipped with Sangria red-themed AC Vents, an all-black floor Console, a black leather steering wheel, and doors with red stitches. Additionally, the car also comes with JBL speakers. Apart from these changes the rest of the car is the sam as the standard model. The company has priced the Astor Smart MT variant at Rs 14.48 lakh and the CVT variant at Rs 15.77 lakh.

Comfort and Convenience features

In terms of features, the MG Astor Blackstorm Edition gets the same features as the outgoing model. It comes equipped with a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, leatherette upholstery, electric parking brake, tyre pressure monitoring system, 360-degree camera, and heated ORVMs. Additionally, the car also gets steering weight adjustment through various modes, a panoramic sunroof, and a massive 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Safety features

MG has loaded up the Astor Blackstorm Edition with safety features such as dual airbags, electronic stability program, an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake distribution, brake assist, traction control, rear parking sensors, active cornering brake control, Hill Hold Control, hill descent control, and an emergency stop signal.

In addition, this mid-size also gets disc brakes on all four wheels, an emergency fuel cutoff, and ISOFIX child seat mounts as standard. Higher spec variants also get 4 or 6 airbags, an electric parking brake with auto-hold, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a rear parking camera, or 360-degree parking camera, heated outside rearview mirrors, and front fog lamps with cornering assist.

ADAS

Apart from these, the MG Astor Blackstorm edition also gets the same suite of ADAS features for which the Astor is known in the country. As part of the ADAS features, the Astor gets lane-keep assist, lane departure prevention, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, and adaptive cruise control. It also gets Automatic emergency braking (AEB), front collision warning, speed assist system, and an intelligent headlamp control feature as well.

Engine options

Coming to the powertrain side of things, the MG Astor, just like the standard model, comes equipped with the same powertrain options. The outgoing MG Astor comes with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine and a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The naturally aspirated engine produces 110 PS and 144 Nm. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine puts out 140 PS and 220 Nm. It is offered only with a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. There is no diesel engine on offer.

MG Astor rivals

As for the competitors of the MG Astor in India, it goes against the likes of the other popular mid-size SUVs in the country. The list of these SUVs starts with the segment champion Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. Additionally, because of its pricing, some of the variants of the Astor also compete against the larger SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV700, Tata Harrier, and Mahindra Scorpio as well.

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