The MG Astor is the newest entrant in the hotly contested mid-size SUV segment. Essentially a facelifted, petrol-powered version of the ZS EV, the Astor will be positioned below MG Hector as a more direct competitor to the current segment leader – the Hyundai Creta.
The mid-size SUV segment has been steadily growing with recent launches like the Skoda Kushaq and also the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun. Here, we have compiled the technical specifications of the MG Astor and all its rivals – Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster – to see how they stack up against each other, on paper.
MG Astor vs rivals: dimensions
As can be seen from the table above, the MG Astor is actually one of the longer SUVs in this segment. In fact, the Astor is marginally longer than both the Creta and the Seltos and almost a 100mm longer than the Kushaq and Taigun. It is also wider and taller than both the Korean duos as well as the Skoda-VW siblings. However, despite its larger footprint, it still has the smallest wheelbase of 2,565mm in this segment.
In terms of sheer size, however, the Nissan Kicks and the Renault Duster are still the longest, tallest and widest of the lot. The Kicks and the Duster also have the longest wheelbase in this segment, which is 88mm more than the Astor. All models ride on 17-inch alloy wheels on their top-spec trims, and so does the Astor. MG, however, hasn’t revealed the exact ground clearance or boot space of the Astor.
MG Astor vs rivals: engine specifications
While the base petrol engine for most SUVs in this class, including the MG Astor, is a 1.5-litre NA petrol engine, the Kushaq and the Taigun get a smaller 1.0-litre turbocharged unit. In terms of power, the Korean duo and the Skoda-VW siblings are the most powerful, producing 115hp. Meanwhile, the Kicks and the Duster are the least powerful with 106hp. The Astor producing 110hp is 4hp more powerful than the Kicks and Duster, but 5hp down on the Korean duos and Skoda-VW siblings. All SUVs produce a similar level of torque, although the Kushaq and Taigun have a considerable advantage, thanks to turbocharging.
As for their turbo-petrol engines, the Nissan Kicks and the Renault Duster are the most powerful. The 1.3-litre engine on the Kicks and Duster produce 6hp more power than the 150hp output from the 1.5-litre engine on the Skoda-VW siblings. The Astor also gets a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit, but produces power similar to the 1.4 units on the Korean duo at 140hp. Again, the TSI engines on the Kushaq and Taigun have the most torque at 250Nm, while Astor has the least torque, 30Nm down on the Skoda-VW siblings. Notably, while all SUVs get a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, the Astor's turbo-petrol engine is a 3-cylinder unit.
It is worth pointing out that the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta are also available with a diesel engine, while all other SUVs are petrol only models. It’s also interesting to note that while all SUVs have a sister model from another brand with which it shares its powertrain options and platform – Creta and Seltos, Kushaq and Taigun, Kicks and Duster – the MG Astor does not have a sister model.
MG Astor vs rivals: price
MG has abosulte nailed the pricing of the Astor. It has one of the lowest starting price in the segment, only more expensive than the Nissan Kicks. Even the CVT automatic variants of the Astor are on the more afforable side as compared to its rivals. Even at the top-end, the Astor is relatively more affordable, only more expensive than the Duster and Kicks.
As for the other models, the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are priced on the higher end of the segment, while still being competitive. The 1.0-litre manual versions of the Kushaq and Taigun are marginally pricier than the 1.5-litre versions of both the Seltos and Creta. Meanwhile, the 1.0-litre automatic price range is cheaper at the base and top end when compared to the Seltos and Creta.
For the turbo-petrol versions again, both the Taigun and Kushaq have a higher starting price than the Seltos and Creta, but have a lower price for its top-spec trim than the equivalent Creta.
Meanwhile, the Renault Duster and the Nissan Kicks are the most affordable of the lot, both for the base NA petrol and turbo-petrol versions. Even among the Duster and the Kicks, it is the former that is the more affordable model, although the Kicks has the lowest starting price in the entire comparison.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
Rivan RS 
Lenny D'sa
