MG Astor Variants

We drove the Astor mainly on the circuit, and after two hot laps around the Buddha's technical layout, we came away quite surprised. Obviously, it’s not a sports car, but we weren't expecting it to be as much fun as it turned out to be. The turbo-petrol motor has good pulling power, and thanks to its free-revving nature, we managed to cross 160kmph down the long 1km straight with ease. The gearbox does feel a bit slow -- both in terms of upshifts and downshifts -- especially out on the racetrack. But on the road, it might prove to be quick enough. What this gearbox does well, however, is it masks this motor's initial lag, which is typical of most turbo-petrol engines. So, even while exiting slow-second-gear corners of the circuit, the engine and gearbox combine ended up pulling away quite strongly and smoothly. Now coming to the handling bit. Obviously, it's a tall car with the suspension tuned for the road. So it does roll quite a bit when you hustle it into corners. But while doing so, it feels safe and predictable. In fact, to a certain extent, it feels quite sporty, thanks to the direct steering that has a quick ratio off-center, because of which the Astor feels quite agile. Even the chassis is well-tuned as you don’t experience much understeer even when you attack corners. Since we drove the Astor on a smooth surface, we cannot comment on how the Astor will tackle our usual potholed roads. So ride quality is something we will focus on when we drive it next on the road. Moreover, for a better understanding of performance and driving comfort, we would suggest you take a test drive. Follow the link and select your desired city for dealership.