MG Windsor EV Launched At An Aggressive Price Of Rs 9.99 Lakh, But There’s A Catch

Quick highlights

• MG Windsor EV launched at Rs 9.99 lakh, but you’ll have to pay extra for battery usage on a Rs 3.5 per/km basis.

• It is offered in three variants: Excite, Exclusive, Essence.

• Features a crossover-like body style with a stretched wheelbase and roofline

• Gets an all-black cabin contrasted with copper inserts.

• Top features include 15.6-inch touchscreen system, panoramic glass roof, and 8.8-inch digital driver’s display.

• Gets a 38 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of up to 331km

• Pricing puts it on par with the Tata Punch and lower variants of Tata Nexon EV.

The Wuling Air EV, dubbed as the MG Windsor EV, has been launched in India with introductory prices starting from Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The pricing is rather aggressive, but it isn’t the full picture. This is part of MG’s ‘Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS)’ program, which requires you to pay an additional cost as per your usage, i.e Rs 3.5 for every kilometer driven. So you’re effectively renting the battery, which helps bring down the initial price of procurement of the EV.

It’s not just the pricing that is unique but also the car itself with an unconventional approach to its design, a minimalist cabin with lounge-like rear seats and a plethora of features on offer. Let’s take a look at what it’s all about:

MG Windsor EV: Design

MG has a knack for standing out from the crowd with its unique car designs. The Comet EV is the perfect example of it, and even the Hector SUV is probably the most blingy in its segment. While the Windsor EV is anything but bling-y, it too will garner attention with its minimalist crossover like styling.

The curvaceous front houses the split lighting setup, with the main LED headlights housed in the protruding part of the bumper, while the LED DRL light strip, including the turn indicators, spans the width above.

The side profile is simple and clean. There are no cuts or creases and to add a premium touch, it gets flush door handles and elegant 18-inch alloy wheels. The rear too has a curved silhouette and a connected LED tail light setup. Most of the real estate is taken up by the huge rear window, while the rest of the design is rather sober with a chrome strip on the bumper rounding up the design.

It has a boot space of 604-litres.

MG Windsor EV: Interior and Features

The cabin of the Windsor EV imitates a typical EV design, especially the ones in the global markets. So the styling is minimalistic, and the theme is all-black with contrasting copper inserts. The free floating 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system takes centre stage, while the 8.8-inch driver’s display looks considerably tiny in comparison. 

What isn’t tiny is the list of features and amount of comfort for the rear passengers. Chauffeur driven owners will appreciate the lounge-like reclining rear seats, which can recline upto 135-degrees.

Its abounding list of features include the aforementioned screens, wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic AC, rear AC vents, air filter, powered front seats, 9-speaker Infinity sound system, wireless phone charging, panoramic glass roof and ambient lighting. 

For passenger safety, it gets equipment like six airbags, ABS with EBD, auto headlights, all four disk brakes, front and rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, and a 360-degree camera. 

MG Windsor EV: Powertrain

Unlike the international model that gets a 50.6 kWh battery, the India-spec Windsor EV gets a 38kWh battery pack, which is paired to a front-mounted electric motor with an output of 136 PS and 200 Nm. This setup has a claimed range of up to 331km.

With a maximum fast charging capability of 45kW, the Windsor's battery can be charged from 0-80kW in 55 minutes. A AC 3.3 kW and 7.7kW chargers will take 13.8 hours and 6.5 hours, respectively, to charge the battery fully from 0 percent charge. 

MG is offering free of cost public charging for the first year of ownership via their charging infrastructure. They are also offering a lifetime battery warranty for the first owners of the Windsor EV.

MG Windsor EV: Rivals

Considering its aggressive pricing, the MG Windsor EV is in the same range as the Punch EV, but is actually an alternative to Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400.