The India-spec MG SUV will be based on the Baojun 530 that is sold in China, The new Hyundai Creta rival could be called Gloster
The wait is about to be over! MG India has revealed in a teaser image that it will announce the name of the highly awaited MG SUV for India tomorrow. The new Hyundai Creta and Tata Harrier rival in the Indian market will be based on the Baojun 530 SUV that has been on sale in China. As per speculations that arose earlier, the new model could be called Gloster.
The MG SUV for India will mirror the dimensions of the Chinese version, which has an overall length of 4,655 mm, a width of 1,835 mm, and a height of 1,760 mm. It has a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. It’s not known if the Indian SUV would be available in a 7-seater format or in both 7-seat and 5-seat options, but the only difference between the two versions lies in the boot space that the two variants offer.
The recently unveiled seven-seater Baojun 530 not only offers two additional seats over its 5-seater sibling but also has a big LCD instrument console that is likely to make it to the MG SUV for India. The China-spec model is powered by a new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that gets a Honeywell-sourced turbo setup. The new engine will even make it to the MG SUV for India.
The new turbo-petrol engine puts out a maximum power of 150.92 PS and a peak torque of 250 Nm on being paired with a CVT and 149.56 PS and 230 Nm on being mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Other than this engine, the MG SUV will even get a 2.0-litre diesel engine sourced from FCA. This is the same Multijet II motor that is available on the Jeep Compass and the Tata Harrier.
While this engine is available in two power tunes – 140 PS and 170 PS – the MG SUV for India should get the latter. Transmission options are expected to include both manual and automatic units. There is no official word yet but the company might even decide to play Santa and offer an all-wheel-drive system on the top-end variant.
The exterior of the MG SUV will be almost the same as that of the Baojun 530. The only difference will be in the front facade. The Indian model will get a bolder grille and will come with different 18-inch alloy wheels. Expect a very aggressive pricing for the company’s first model in India.