Morris Garages has had a fairly successfully run in India ever since it first launched the Hector SUV in the market in the middle of 2019. After that the company launched two more cars— first the ZS electric SUV and then the 3 row version of the Hector, the Hector Plus. But this festive season the company has launched its biggest and most loaded SUV yet—the Gloster. It is named after a British jet-engine aircraft prototype and, according to MG, the name is a nod to great British engineering. We first saw the car at the Auto Expo earlier this year, but now that it is launched in the market, we can tell you a lot more about it.
Looks
First look and the huge dimensions of the Gloster immediately intimidate you. This SUV is almost 5m long, 2m wide and close to 2m tall. Add to that a wheelbase of almost 3m and there’s no way you can miss this one out on the roads. It does look a little boxy when compared to its rivals, but if there’s one adjective that works for SUVs it is boxy! Some design highlights on the exteriors include an octagonal chrome grille, steering assist cornering lamps, LED headlamps with auto leveling and turn indicators on ORVMs. On the profile, the car gets 19-inch diamond cut alloy wheels with round wheel arches, nice big footboard and a lot of chrome on the window line. On the rear, what stand out are the dual barrel twin chrome exhausts and LED tail lights which MG says are inspired by a unique racetrack pattern.
Interiors
As we said earlier, this is an SUV that is loaded with features. The company’s now well-known i-SMART 2.0 touchscreen infotainment system comes with over 70 connected car features for all but the base variants. These include remote for all windows open/close, engine start alarm and remote AC On with temperature control, among others. Along with that you also get 64-colour ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, driver’s seat massager and 12-way electronically adjustable driver seat. That’s not all: The car also gets wireless Charging, a PM 2.5 filter, 8-way power adjust co-driver seat, intelligent start-stop, hands free tailgate with kick gesture, ORVM memory, tyre pressure, monitoring system and rain sensing wipers. Depending on the variant you pick up, you have the option of choosing between captain seats or a bench seat on the second row. There are ample AC vents and charging points on all 3 rows to make you journey comfortable.
Engine
MG says that the Gloster runs an all-new, in-house, first-in-segment Twin-Turbo Diesel engine which provides best in segment power and torque. It churns out a maximum power of 218 PS @ 4000 rpm and a peak torque of 480 Nm @ 1500- 2400 rpm. There’s a 2.0 litre turbo diesel on offer as well. The 2 higher trims provide an all-terrain system that promises better control during vehicle off-roading. There’s a dedicated rear differential and BorgWarner transfer case and an electronic shift-on-the-fly technology on offer. You can choose from seven different driving modes, namely ‘Snow’, ‘Mud’, ‘Sand’, ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Rock’.
Autonomous vehicle
MG says that the Gloster is India’s first autonomous (level 1) premium SUV and therefore comes with many driver-assistance systems. Known as Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), it consists of many features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and lane departure warning. But that’s not all, the Gloster also comes with features like automatic emergency braking, where the car applies brakes on your behalf to further prevent or reduce the severity of the possible collision and forward collision warning which alerts the driver with both visual and acoustic signals when a potential collision is detected. For a car of this size, a parking assist system for parallel and vertical parking is very useful.
Safety & Price
The Gloster has been introduced with more than 30 standard safety features. Driver fatigue, reminder system, automatic vehicle hold, 360 around view, hill descent control and 6 airbags are some of them. The SUV has been launched at a starting price of Rs 28.98 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi. However MG says that these prices will be revised at the end of October or when 2,000 cars are sold— whichever happens earlier. There are 4 variants on offer namely Super, Smart, Sharp and Savvy and the fully loaded 6-seater savvy version with Autonomous level 1 features will set you back by Rs 35.38 lakh. The company is offering a warranty of three years/100,000 km, three years’ roadside assistance and three labour-free periodic services on the purchase of the vehicle.
The writer is Senior Editor at carandbike.com.