Taking on large SUVs has never been a cinch. And when car manufacturers intend to take the fight to established rivals, it takes a lot of grit to churn out a product that is attractive in many ways to take on the best. MG Motors is a perfect example of what a new entrant in the market should be like. And despite being owned by a Chinese brand, it has managed to successfully lure Indian buyers to showrooms – the first of which happened to be the Hector and ZS EV. And to strengthen its presence in our market, the brand has ushered in their flagship SUV – the Gloster, which is currently their largest offering in our market. With those massive proportions and huge list of features, we’re sure it’ll make a strong case for itself, taking the fight to the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.
Appearance matters
In terms of dimensions, the Gloster is bigger than the Endeavour and Fortuner. The MG cars has massive road presence, and carries its own identity. You see a lot of chrome on the outside, giving it a classy, premium look. The front and rear overhangs look good, and the Gloster doesn’t look disproportionate in any way. But the 19-inch wheels looks dwarfed because of its girth, and the major party-pooper is that overtly-sized badging at the rear, which gives one the impression that it’s trying too hard.
Comfort, and what have you!
On the inside, there are acres of space, thanks to its gigantic size, and there’s ample room for six occupants to be seated comfortably.The second row impresses with legroom and headroom, and that panoramic sunroof looks lovely. But the third row impresses even more, because it can seat a towering passenger without any fuss. But the boot is quite small, considering how space all the rows take up.
Feature-packed
Even the equipment it gets is bound to have you bowled over. The iSmart connectivity suite features over 70 features that include starting the car remotely, personalisation, OTA updates and a host of other connectivity and convenience features. Through voice commands, you can also control the cabin temperature and the sunroof. It also gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The seats are huge and comfortable and the fit and finish is excellent. On the safety front, it gets traction control, ABS and EBD. This is also the first SUV in its class to feature Automatic Driver Assistance Systems.
Punchy performer
The engine is impressively refined, and the engine can barely be heard inside. Under the bonnet lies a 2.0-litre, twin-turbo diesel engine that makes 215bhp and 480Nm of torque. Paired to the motor is an 8-speed automatic transmission that shifts well and is smooth too. You also get various driving modes and a lockable mechanical differential. The engine does propel the SUV quickly and performance is sufficient, but is not too responsive in the city. The ride quality is brilliant, as the bumps are dealt with effortlessly.
Summing it up
This segment has had the Fortuner ruling the roost for quite some time now, and the Gloster, with its bigger dimensions, space and features. However, we still wish it had a bit more power. By and large, the Gloster is, by far, the best MG you can buy in India. And with all its 4WD tech, it can conquer off the road too. Also, grab the latest info on the new cars, only at autoX.
