March 2024 - MG Astor Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

In this variant explained article, you'll find out which variant of the MG Astor petrol you should buy based on the ex-showroom prices, variant-wise features and value for money. Here we compare and objectively analyse the 2024 Astor's petrol variants and the features to figure out which variant is worth buying for a good value for money and ownership experience. Then we will compare the engine specs, dimensions and mileage of the MG Astor with its competitors and other petrol-powered C-segment SUVs like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.

MG Astor

Updated: MG recently dropped the prices of the Astor and revised the variant lineup. This MG Astor Variants Explained article includes the buying recommendations for both petrol engine variants based on the March 2023 prices.

Also Read: Kia Seltos Facelift Variants Explained - Which Variant To Buy?

Hyundai Creta 2024 Petrol Variants Explained - Best Variant To Buy

What Are The Pros And Cons Of MG Astor Petrol?

The pros or advantages of MG Astor are:

  • At a sub-Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom) price, the base model offers phenomenal value-for-money and it’s worth considering even for people considering a higher variant of a smaller B2 SUV like Nexon, Brezza, etc.
  • The quality levels and feel of touchpoints is exceptionally good and completely unexpected from a car at this price point; there’s absolutely no visible cost cutting and you probably won’t find any even if you went looking for some
  • The driving feel, handling and overall cabin experience are a notch above many of the cars in the C-segment SUV space
  • The top-spec Savvy Pro variant with ADAS is also also a surprisingly good VFM option
  • ADAS features with 1.5L normal petrol as well as 1.35L turbo petrol-automatic
  • A fairly long list of features for higher variants - panoramic sunroof, power driver seat, adjustable steering feel, digital smartphone key, full-colour LCD instrument cluster, LED headlamps, DRLs and touchscreen infotainment
  • 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating
  • 200mm ground clearance is pretty good considering the segment standards

The MG Astor petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

  • No diesel engine option
  • No ADAS with manual transmission (Creta and Elevate offer ADAS with manual variants)
  • Stop-and-go traffic assist not available in ADAS variants
  • No manual transmission option with the turbo petrol engine
  • Turbo petrol engine carries a very high premium and doesn’t justify the incremental cost over Savvy Pro non-turbo
  • Mid-spec variants are so overpriced that you won’t need us to do a full-blown calculation; a rough napkin calculation is enough to find out that they are quite expensive and offer poor value for money

What Is The Price Of MG Astor Petrol Variants?

The MG Astor has a starting price of Rs. 9.98 lakh for the Sprint 1.5L normal petrol-manual and it goes up to Rs. 17.90 lakh for the Savvy Pro turbo petrol-automatic. The 1.5L normal petrol manual is available in 4 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 9.98 lakh to Rs. 14.40 lakh. The 1.5L normal petrol with CVT automatic is available in the higher 3 variants with ex-showroom prices between Rs. 13.98 lakh and Rs. 16.58 lakh. The CVT automatic carries a premium of Rs. 1.0 - 1.27 lakh over the comparable 1.5L normal petrol-manual variants.  

MG ASTOR PETROL | PRICES

EX-SHOWROOM | MAR 2024

VARIANT

1.5L Normal Petrol-Manual

Difference

1.5L Normal Petrol-CVT

Difference

1.35L Turbo Petrol-Auto

Sprint

Rs. 9,98,000

-

-

-

-

Shine

Rs. 11,68,000

-

-

-

-

Select

Rs. 12,98,000

Rs. 1,00,000

Rs. 13,98,000

-

-

Sharp Pro

Rs. 14,40,800

Rs. 1,27,200

Rs. 15,68,000

-

-

Savvy Pro 

-

-

Rs. 16,58,000

Rs. 1,31,800

Rs. 17,89,800

The 1.4L turbo petrol automatic is only available in the top-spec Savvy Pro variant and costs Rs. 17.90 lakh. The turbo petrol automatic is Rs. 1.32 lakh more expensive than the normal petrol automatic.

2024 MG Astor Petrol Sprint - Base Model Standard Features & Review

Sprint is the base model of the MG Astor, and it’s only available with the 1.5L normal petrol and a manual transmission. It costs Rs. 9.98 lakh and packs a fairly long list of must-have features. Here’s a look at the Astor base model standard safety, style and infotainment features:

MG ASTOR SPRINT

BASE MODEL STANDARD FEATURES

Safety & Infotainment

Style

Std. safety features

LED projector headlamps

16-inch steel wheels with covers

Traction control

All disc brakes

Dual tone interior theme w/ fabric seat upholstery

Hill descent control

ISOFIX

Leather wrapped steering

Day/night inside mirror

Rear defogger

Soft touch dashboard

Electronic stability control

Rear wiper & washer

Leather on dashboard, door armrest, door trim

Hill start assist

Anti-theft security system

Body coloured outside mirrors with indicators

Front seatbelt pretensioners

Auto-door lock/unlock

Body coloured outside door handles

Impact-sensing auto door unlock

Steering mounted controls

Silver skid plates

Rear fog lamp 

4x speakers

Shark fin antenna

Colour MID screen

Bluetooth

Rear spoiler

Seatbelt reminder (all seats - 5x)

10.1-inch touchscreen

Chrome finish on window beltline

Wired Android Auto

Wired Apple Carplay

LED DRL

In terms of functional features, here’s all you get with the Astor base variant:

MG ASTOR SPRINT

BASE MODEL STANDARD FEATURES

Functional

All power windows w/ driver one-touch down

Adjustable front & rear headrests (4x)

Height-adjustable driver seat

60-40 split-folding rear seat backs

Auto AC w/ rear AC vents

Front armrest w/ storage

Follow me home lights 

Rear armrest w/ cup holder

3x USB ports

12V front power outlet

3x steering modes

Wheel arch & door cladding

Power mirrors

Tilt steering

Seatback pockets

Boot lamp

Remote central locking

Cabin light

The list of features is very long considering that this is a base variant of a C-segment SUV. Even if you ignore that for a moment, for a sub-Rs. 10.0 lakh car the size of Creta, the list of features is extremely long.

This is one car worth considering even for buyers currently interested in higher variants of smaller SUVs like Nexon, Fronx or Brezza. Other missing and useful features like a parcel tray, tyre pressure sensor and rear camera are easy to install from the aftermarket or from the dealer.

The only notable features you can’t easily install post purchase are sunroof and cruise control. Both of these features are neither must have nor expected from a C-segment SUV at this price.

2024 MG Astor Petrol Sprint vs Shine Variant

The MG Astor Shine variant with the petrol-manual powertrain costs Rs. 11.68 lakh, which is around Rs. 1.70 lakh more than the base Sprint variant.

MG ASTOR SPRINT vs SHINE

PRICE COMPARISON

 

Sprint

Difference

Shine

1.5L Normal Petrol-Manual

Rs. 9,98,000

Rs. 1,70,000 

Rs. 11,68,000

The notable additional features of the Style variant are:

MG ASTOR SHINE

FEATURES OVER SELECT

Safety & Functional

Style

Rear parking camera

LED tail lamps

Front fog lamps w/ cornering

Silver roof rails

Cruise control

17-inch alloy wheels

Keyless entry w/ push button start/stop

LED cabin lights

USB ports (5)

 

The Shine variant only adds a few more features over the base variant. Moreover, the high-value features like the alloy wheels and cruise control are not must-have. It doesn't even come close to justifying the incremental cost over the base variant. Therefore, the Shine variant is not recommended.

2024 MG Astor Petrol Shine vs Select Variant

The MG Astor Select petrol-manual costs Rs. 12.98 lakh, while the automatic costs Rs. 13.98 lakh. The Astor Select petrol-manual is about Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than Shine petrol-manual. Select variant is also available with a CVT automatic transmission option for an additional Rs. 1.00 lakh and it costs Rs. 13.98 lakh (ex-showroom).

MG ASTOR SHINE vs SELECT

PRICE COMPARISON

 

Shine

Difference

Select

1.5L Normal Petrol-Manual

Rs. 11,68,000

Rs. 1,30,000

Rs. 12,98,000

Difference

   

Rs. 1,00,000

1.5L Normal Petrol-Auto

-

-

Rs. 13,98,000

For the Rs. 1.30 lakh higher price, the Astor Smart adds the following additional features:

MG ASTOR SELECT

FEATURES OVER SHINE

Others

Functional

Panoramic sunroof

Power-folding outside mirrors

Connected car tech/Telematics

One touch up driver window

LED front & rear reading lamps

Driver & passenger vanity mirror

Electronic parking brake w/ auto hold

(CVT only)

Wireless phone charger

(CVT only)

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Rear seat middle headrest

7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster

Heated outside mirror

Wireless Apple Carplay

Auto headlamps

Wireless Android auto

Rear parcel tray

For a balanced ownership experience, the incremental cost of the Select variant over all lower variants is mostly justified. This variant earns our top recommendation for Astor automatic buyers. It’s also worth buying for petrol-manual buyers but it doesn’t beat the value quotient of the Sprint base model, which remains our top pick.

2024 MG Astor Petrol Select vs Sharp Pro Variant

The price jump from MG Astor Select to Sharp Pro variant will cost you Rs. 1.43 lakh with the manual transmission and it costs Rs. 14.41 lakh (ex-showroom). The Sharp Pro variant with the CVT automatic transmission is Rs. 1.70 lakh pricier than the lower Select trim and costs Rs. 15.68 lakh. The price difference between Sharp Pro manual and automatic is at Rs. 1.27 lakh, which is a little high.

MG ASTOR SELECT vs SHARP PRO

PRICE COMPARISON

 

Select

Difference

Sharp Pro

1.5L Normal Petrol-Manual

Rs. 12,98,000

Rs. 1,42,800

Rs. 14,40,800

Difference

Rs. 1,00,000

 

Rs. 1,27,200

1.5L Normal Petrol-Auto

Rs. 13,98,000

Rs. 1,70,000

Rs. 15,68,000

For the higher asking price, the Sharp Pro variant adds the following features:

MG ASTOR SHARP PRO

FEATURES OVER SELECT

Safety & Style

Functional

Auto dimming inside mirror

Auto wiper

360 degree camera

Ventilated front seats

Leather upholstery

Digital key with key sharing function

2x front side thorax airbags

6-way power adjustable driver seat

2x curtain airbags

 

Considering the steep incremental price, the Sharp Pro variant comes across as offering poor value for money. Thus, it’s not recommended for Astor manual or automatic buyers. For a feature-rich ownership experience and a decent value for money, you should either choose the lower Select variant or stretch for the top model Savvy Pro with CVT automatic.

2024 MG Astor Petrol Sharp Pro Vs Savvy Pro Variant - Top Model Features

The top-spec Savvy Pro variant of the Astor is also available with turbo petrol-automatic powertrain option. It costs Rs. 16.58 lakh with the normal petrol-automatic and Rs. 17.90 lakh with the turbo petrol-automatic. The Savvy Pro normal petrol is Rs. 90,000 more expensive than the lower Sharp Pro automatic variant.

The turbo petrol-automatic costs another Rs. 1.32 lakh more than the Savvy Pro non-turbo automatic. While 30 extra horsepower and 76Nm of higher torque are very nice to have, the asking price for the turbo is not quite justifiable even after factoring in the exclusive style features.

MG ASTOR SHARP PRO vs SAVVY PRO

PRICE COMPARISON

 

Sharp Pro

Difference

Savvy Pro

1.5L Normal Petrol-Manual

Rs. 14,40,800

-

-

Difference

Rs. 1,27,200

 

-

1.5L Normal Petrol-Auto

Rs. 15,68,000

Rs. 90,000

Rs. 16,58,000

Difference

-

 

Rs. 1,31,800

1.35L Turbo Petrol-Auto

-

-

Rs. 17,89,800

This variant adds the following notable features:

MG ASTOR SAVVY PRO

FEATURES OVER SHARP PRO

Infotainment & Style

ADAS

AI Chatbot on dashboard

Red front brake callipers (turbo only)

Adaptive cruise control

Forward collision warning

Machined alloys

Smoked headlamps (turbo only)

Lane departure warning

Forward collision avoidance assist

Glossy black skid plates (turbo only)

Black outside mirrors (turbo only)

Lane keep assist

Auto high beam

Glossy black door garnish (turbo only)

Dual-tone red cabin accents (turbo only)

Traffic sign recognition

Rear cross traffic alert

   

Blind spot alert

 

Once again, the list of additional features is small, but these are absolutely essential features.

If the auto emergency braking or lane keeping features save you even once from a potential collision, then the feature pays back for itself practically in just one instance. From there, every time it saves you, it’s virtually putting money in your pockets by saving you from not just the expensive repairs, but also the time and hassle of going through the insurance and refunds. So, the Savvy Pro is worth considering in the MG Astor’s petrol-automatic variant lineup, if you are looking for a car with good-to-have and ADAS tech features. However, the turbo petrol comes across as a little expensive. So, consider buying with the normal petrol-automatic (the CVT auto).

Which Variant Of The MG Astor Petrol Should You Buy?

Let’s start with the 1.5L normal petrol-manual. It starts at Rs. 9.98 lakh, and the base variant itself looks like an attractive proposition. MG loaded it up surprisingly well considering the asking price and segment. It has all of the must-have features for a car costing around Rs. 9.98 lakh (ex-showroom) regardless of the size, segment and body style. Once you factor in these 3 aspects of the Astor, it comes across as even more impressive. The Astor Sprint variant is worth considering even if you’re looking to buy one of the higher variants of a smaller SUV like the Brezza or Nexon.

From there, it only goes downhill as the Shine and Sharp Pro variants are not good value for money. The Sprint and Select are the only other variants we feel comfortable recommending.

MG ASTOR MANUAL

BUYING RECOMMENDATION

Variant

VFM %

Price

Recommendation

Sprint

100%

Rs. 9,98,000

Top recommended

Shine

64%

Rs. 11,68,000

Non recommended

Select

89%

Rs. 12,98,000

The feature-rich variant to buy w/ the manual transmission

Sharp Pro

84%

Rs. 14,40,800

Non recommended; consider upgrading to Savvy Pro automatic for an upmarket ownership experience

For the 1.5L normal petrol CVT automatic, the Select variant is our top recommendation as it offers a decent feature balance and value for money. However, if you can splurge, the Savvy Pro CVT automatic is also a good option. The turbo petrol engine is quite expensive for the incremental asking price. However, if you’re used to the rolling acceleration and drivability of a turbo petrol and you don’t mind paying a little premium for the same, then it’s certainly worth a look.

MG ASTOR AUTOMATIC

BUYING RECOMMENDATION

Variant

VFM Rank

Price

Recommendation

Select

100%

Rs. 13,98,000

Top recommended

Sharp Pro

62%

Rs. 15,68,000

Not recommended

Savvy Pro

104%

Rs. 16,58,000

For those who want high-end features without compromising on value

Savvy Pro Turbo

85%

Rs. 17,89,800

Slightly expensive upgrade

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The MG Astor Petrol?

Just like most C-segment SUVs, the Astor also has 2 petrol engine options. The base engine has power and torque figures on par with the non-turbo petrol cars. Only the turbo petrol engines like the C3 Aircross, Taigun and Kushaq stand out with their phenomenal torque output, which is not only available at lower RPMs, but it’s also spread out nicely. Thus, these cars should offer better drivability in the city as well as on the highway.

In terms of mileage figures, the Astor non-turbo petrol engine has the lowest mileage figures compared to the base petrol engines of all C-SUV rivals.

2024 MG ASTOR VS COMPETITORS

BASE PETROL ENGINE SPEC COMPARISON

 

Astor

Seltos

Kushaq

Taigun

Creta

Gr. Vitara

Hyryder

Elevate

C3 AC

Engine

1.5L

1.5L

1.0L Turbo

1.0L Turbo

1.5L

1.5L MH

1.5L MH

1.5L

1.2L Turbo

Displacement

1498cc

1497cc

999cc

999cc

1497cc

1462cc

1462cc

1498cc

1199cc

Cylinder

4

4

3

3

4

4

4

4

3

Power

110PS @ 6000rpm

115PS @ 6300rpm

115PS @ 5000rpm

115PS @ 5000rpm

115PS @ 6300rpm

103PS @ 6000rpm

102PS @ 6000rpm

121PS @ 6000rpm

110PS @ 5500rpm

Torque

144Nm @ 4400rpm

144Nm @ 4500rpm

178Nm @ 1750 - 4500rpm

178Nm @ 1750 - 4500rpm

144Nm @ 4500rpm

137Nm @ 4400rpm

135Nm @ 4400rpm

145Nm @ 4300rpm

190Nm @ 1750rpm

Manual

5MT

6MT

6MT

6MT

6MT

5MT

5MT

6MT

6MT

MT FE

15.43kmpl

17.0kmpl

19.76kmpl

19.87kmpl

17.4kmpl

21.1kmpl

21.1kmpl

15.31kmpl

18.5kmpl

Auto

CVT

CVT

6TC

6TC

CVT

6TC

6TC

CVT

6TC

Auto FE

14.82kmpl

17.7kmpl

18.09kmpl

18.15kmpl

17.7kmpl

20.58kmpl

20.58kmpl

16.92kmpl

17.6kmpl

The Astor’s turbo petrol engine has decent power and torque figures but not enough to win any awards. In fact, among the turbo petrol engines, the Astor turbo has the lowest power, torque and mileage figures. Only the non-turbo, hybrid petrol engines of the Grand Vitara and Hyryder offer lower power and torque figures but make up for that slack with outstanding mileage figures.

MG ASTOR VS RIVALS

TOP PETROL ENGINE SPEC COMPARISON

 

Astor

Seltos

Gr. Vitara

Hyryder

Kushaq

Taigun

Creta

Engine

1.35L Turbo

1.5L Turbo

1.5L Hybrid

1.5L Hybrid

1.5L Turbo

1.5L Turbo

1.5L Turbo

Displacement

1349cc

1482cc

1490cc

1490cc

1498cc

1498cc

1482cc

Cylinder

3

4

3

3

4

4

4

Power

140PS @ 5600rpm

160PS @ 5500rpm

116PS

116PS

150PS @ 5000rpm

150PS @ 5000rpm

160PS @ 5500rpm

Torque

220Nm @ 3600rpm

253Nm @ 1500 - 3500rpm

141Nm

141Nm

250Nm @ 1600 - 3500rpm

250Nm @ 1600 - 3500rpm

253Nm @ 1500 - 3500rpm

Manual

-

6MT

-

-

6MT

6MT

-

Manual FE

-

17.7kmpl

-

-

18.6kmpl

18.61kmpl

-

Automatic

6TC

7DCT

CVT

CVT

7DCT

7DCT

7DCT

Auto FE

14.34kmpl

17.9kmpl

27.97kmpl

27.97kmpl

18.86kmpl

19.01kmpl

18.4kmpl

What Are The Dimensions Of The MG Astor?

The MG Astor is about as long as the top-selling SUVs like Creta, Seltos, which is what we expect from a C-segment SUV. It’s considerably longer than the Kushaq and the Taigun. The Astor’s ground clearance and boot space are also satisfactory. Otherwise, the Astor is about as big as a typical C-segment SUV. Nothing noteworthy in this area, and nothing to find fault with either.

MG ASTOR FACELIFT VS COMPETITION

C-SEGMENT SUV DIMENSION COMPARISON

 

Astor

Seltos

Kushaq

Taigun

Vitara/Hyryder

Elevate

Creta

C3 AC

Length

4323mm

4365mm

4225mm

4221mm

4365mm

4312mm

4330mm

4323mm

Width

1809mm

1790mm

1760mm

1760mm

1795mm

1790mm

1790mm

1796mm

Height

1650mm

1645mm

1612mm

1612mm

1645mm

1650mm

1635mm

1669mm

Wheelbase

2585mm

2610mm

2651mm

2651mm

2600mm

2651mm

2610mm

2671mm

Ground Clearance

200m##

190mm

188mm

188mm

208mm

220mm

190mm

200mm

Boot Space

448L**

433L

385L

385L

373L

265L (Hyb)

458L

433L

444L (5S)

511L* (7S)

Fuel Tank

48L/45L#

50L

50L

50L

45L

40L

50L

45L

Tyre Size (Base)

205/60 R16

205/65 R16

205/60 R16

205/60

R16

215/60 R17

215/60 R16

205/65 R16

215/60 R17

Tyre Size (Top)

215/55 R17

215/55 R18

205/55 R17

205/55

R17

215/60 R17

215/55 R17

215/55 R18

215/60 R17

*C3 Aircross 7-seater boot space with 3rd row removed.

**Based on UK-spec model

#48L with normal petrol engine. 45L with turbo petrol engine.

##Unladen ground clearance estimated based on 181mm laden ground clearance

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The MG Astor 2024?

The 2024 Astor is available in the following 5 monotone and 1 dual-tone exterior colours:

  • Silver 
  • White 
  • Black 
  • Grey 
  • Red
  • White with black roof

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.

CLASSIFICATION OF CARS

UPDATED: MARCH 2023

SEGMENT

LENGTH

BODY STYLES

EXAMPLE

A Segment

< 3699mm

Hatchback

Alto, Alto K10, Celerio

SUV (Micro)

Exception: Kwid

S-Presso

       

B1 Segment

3700 - 3850mm

Hatchback

Grand i10 Nios, Swift, Tiago

SUV (Mini)

Punch, Ignis, Tiago NRG

       

B2 Segment

3850 - 3999mm

Hatchback

Altroz, Baleno, i20

Sedan

Dzire, Amaze, Verna

MPV

Triber

SUV (Sub-Compact)

Brezza, Nexon, Venue, Magnite, Altroz, C3, Kiger, Fronx, Sonet, XUV300

Off-Road

Thar, Jimny

       

C1 Segment

4000 - 4399mm

SUV (Compact)

Kushaq, Creta, Seltos, Grand Vitara, XUV400, Hyryder, Taigun, XUV400

MPV

Ertiga

       

C2 Segment

4400 - 4599mm

Sedan

City, Verna, Ciaz, Slavia, Virtus

SUV (Mid-size)

Alcazar, Scorpio Classic

MPV

Carens, XL6

       

D1 Segment

4600 - 4799mm

SUV (Large)

Harrier, XUV700, Innova Hycross, Hector, Safari, Hector Plus, Scorpio N, Ioniq 5

Sedan

Octavia

MPV

Innova Crysta

       

D2 Segment

> 4800mm

SUV (Full-size)

Exception: Fortuner (5mm less)

Gloster

MPV

Carnival

Sedan

Superb, Camry

You can read more about vehicle segmentation at the following link:

Car Segments Explained - With Body Styles And Examples

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mahesh Yadav

Mahesh is a fan of compact, quirky and underrated vehicles that punch above their weight. Multix, Nano and Navi are his favorites.

2 Comments

  1. S Sandeep Sharma T says:
    November 24 2021 18:17:41

    Who is the main competitor of Mg Astor?

  2. N Nirmal kukna says:
    November 26 2021 18:54:11

    First look in good

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