MG Astor Unveiled With Drive AI: India’s First In-Car AI-Assistant With Human-Like Expressions

The AI assistance opens up a plethora of features that will help the occupants of the Astor to interact and perform various operations of the car. Additionally, you can also hear jokes and have a laugh with the AI assistant placed on top of the dashboard. Other AI-assistant features include:

• A rotating head pointing at the speaker called ‘Head turner'
• Access Wikipedia to answer questions asked by the user
• Can tell endless jokes to keep occupants entertained
• Read news
• Human-like expressions with emojis
• Chit-chat function
• Navigation
• Play Music
• Select in-car warning
• Critical in-car warning
• Understands Hinglish

The tech-fest on the Astor continues with the introduction of Level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assitance System) autonomous technology. This enables the SUV to feature:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
• AEB for pedestrian obstruction
• Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Lane Departure Prevention (LDP)
• Speed Assist System - Warning Mode
• Speed Assist System - Intelligent Mode
• Speed Assist System - Manual Mode
• Rear Drive Assist - Cross Traffic Alert
• Rear Drive Assist - Lane Change Alert
• Rear Drive Assist - Blind Spot Detection
• Intelligent Headlamp Control

MG also showcased (CAAP) Car As A Platform with a host of features enabled by the iSmart Hub. This includes a host of subscriptions and services, including maps and navigation with MapMyIndia, Jio connectivity, the first-of-its-kind Blockchain-protected vehicle digital passport by KoineArth and more.

MG car owners will also get access to music on the JioSaavn app along with the industry-first feature of reserving a parking slot through a head unit (powered by Park+ - select cities to begin with) in the car.

Along with the technologies, the company also unveiled Astor's front profile which is seen featuring the all-new Bold Celestial Grille that is inspired by cosmic lines and forms. The radial pattern concentrates the epicentre of the entire front face. The tungsten steel electroplated material forms a distinct appearance like the sun.

MG also revealed the interior colour scheme of the Astor called the ‘Dual Tone Sangria Red'. It is one of the three interior themes that will be offered by the company on the mid-size SUV.

The company will likely offer a couple of engine options. This includes the 1.5-litre unit and the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit. However, the India-spec SUV is expected to receive a larger 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine produces a maximum of 104bhp and a peak torque of 141Nm. While the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol unit produces 162bhp and 230Nm of peak torque. Both engines are expected to be offered with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic.

Mr Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India, said, "As an auto-tech brand, we've always introduced breakthrough technologies and now, we are moving forward with Artificial Intelligence. Astor is a step further and a catalyst for disruption with first-in-the-industry and best-in-class features that customers only get in premium/luxury segments. With a relentless pursuit of innovation and software at the heart of the production, our vehicles will continue to provide a smarter and safer driving experience by leveraging AI."

Thoughts About The MG Astor Unveiled With Drive AI

MG Motor India has announced the Astor, its fourth SUV offering in the country. The mid-size SUV is loaded with next-generation tech, which we are used to seeing in most high-end cars. However, the upcoming Astor will take on the much-established rivals such as the Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos.