MG has officially revealed the DriveAI tech in India, which will debut on the upcoming Astor, followed later by other vehicles in the company’s range
MG Motor India has officially revealed the DriveAI tech for the upcoming Astor mid-size SUV, which is a personal AI assistant that sits on an additional screen on top of the dashboard. The system can be activated via voice commands, capable of understanding natural human speech, and the screen can swivel to face the one interacting with it!
The Astor also gets Level-2 Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, speed limit assist, lane departure warning & prevention, lane-keep assist, auto headlamp control, rear-drive assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The SUV is based on CAAP (Car as a Platform), which puts software at the heart of the vehicle.
The car uses an embedded Jio sim for seamless internet connectivity for the i-Smart hub connected service. There’s also a ‘Park+’ feature on offer, which lets you pre-book parking space if possible, and even pay in advance. MG has also partnered with MapMyIndia for navigation, with gets 4D maps, real-time traffic updates, speed breaker alerts, speed camera alerts, etc.
MG is offering a vehicle digital passport as well, in association with KoineArth. This feature can help the owners to get a lower insurance premium and higher potential resale value, by monitoring and storing driving statistics, which the owner can choose to share with third parties. All data collected by the vehicle will be saved securely by Microsoft Azure cloud servers in India, with L&T taking care of cybersecurity.
Although the DriveAI has been revealed in all its glory, we only get a few brief glimpses at the interior and exterior of the Astor. The SUV is essentially the petrol-powered version of the ZS EV, with a few changes in the aesthetic department. The front fascia has been restyled, featuring new LED headlamps, a different front bumper, and a restyled front grille. The design of the alloy wheels is different as well.
The dashboard design of the Astor is the same as the ZS EV, but it gets new interior colour schemes. The Sangria Red interior theme was showcased in the unveiling video. Other than that, the SUV will offer features like a digital instrument console, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a voice-operated sunroof, and more.
MG Astor will be powered by a 1.5-litre inline-4 engine with mild-hybrid assistance, with 142 PS and 240 Nm on offer. Transmission options are expected to consist of a 6-speed manual and a CVT. Upon launch, the upcoming MG SUV will go up against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Renault Duster, Skoda Kushaq, etc.
