MG GS is a well-styled crossover car that should hit the local automobile market on the sweet spot. Offered in front wheel drive and priced at Rs. 67 lakhs, it comes with an admirable number of features including six airbags, stability control, dual-clutc

The MG brand was established in 1924. It is a historic English brand designed for the British roads, and with British drivers in mind. Even after a century, it continues to persistently shine and earn a reputation for itself. By constantly infusing innovation and style, MG has established itself as an icon of glamour in the hearts of true car fanatics. It carries a rich legacy of being a classic roadster and compact sports car. You fall in love with its fluidity, uniqueness, and eye-catching model.

MG GS is an elegant beast designed in Birmingham, refined in the UK, launched in China, and now available in Nepal. This 1500 cc family-sized soft-roader’s amazing performance, practicality and value are bound to turn heads.

 A classy crossover loaded with high-tech features for only slight more than half a million rupees is quite an impressive deal.

Performance

The 1.5-litre petrol engine of this car gives about quarter more power and torque than the trending rate for a petrol-powered, Rs.67 lakhs compact crossover. MG claims to take only 9.6 seconds to reach a whopping 62mph. There is enough power to make steep inclines feel quite gentle, unlike most of its petrol-based competitors. Good refinement, drive ability and fuel economy are the major factors that motivate buyers to opt for MG GS. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine of this two-wheel drive produces 167hp (124 Kw), with 250 Nm of torque being available from well under 2000rpm. It can race up to 190km/h and has a transmission 7 speed TST.

The engine is inaudible, smooth and always rev-ready. Potholes and broken pitch are pleasantly smoothed out during driving, and excellent visibility is brought about by the high driving position. The steering wheel is smooth, well weighted and precise. The automatic gear change is pleasantly smooth.

Interior

The interior is undoubtedly spacious and there is ample head and leg room for driver and passengers. The six-way adjustable driver seat, four-way manual adjustable front passenger seat, and manual lumbar support on the driver’s seat enhance the comfort of the cockpit. Rear seats that split 60/40 can be adjusted for backrest angle, and also folded down completely flat. Packed with awesome features for the entire family, the MG GS will keep all passengers cheerful and amused, irrespective of road condition or travel duration.

The center console has a 6.1 inch touchscreen infotainment screen surrounded by an array of functionality buttons. The boot can accommodate 483 liters, which is quite practical. However, it was a little disappointing to find that the dash was made from nothing but hard, scratchy plastic. It is justified from the point of view of durability, but is a far cry from posher interiors of most comparable cars.

Exterior design

The car’s aesthetics speak a distinctly British-accented language. The curved edges, raised beltline, relatively shallow glasshouse, raked pillars and futuristic overall design give GS a distinguishing, dynamic and striking appearance. The compact SUV is 4,500 mm long, 1,855 mm wide and 1,699 mm high, which is longer, wider and taller than most of its rivals. It has a ground clearance of 1,85 mm and a lengthier wheelbase of 2,650 mm.  It has automatic dusk sensing headlight, ‘Follow me home’ lights, rain sensing front wiper blades, front fog lamps, LED Daytime Running Lamp, electronically foldable outside rear mirror with heating, rear sport air spoiler, and a fuel tank capacity of 55 liters.  This two-wheel drive ride stands on a 17” alloy wheel with tyres sized 235/50R18.

Safety and convenience

GS’s game is a winner when it comes to safety. In addition to mandatory systems such as anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability control, and electronic brake force distribution, MG is one of the few manufacturers to come up with cornering brake control, or CBC. This works with ABS to help avoid loss of control if you have to brake heavily when cornering.  Because of these features, GS’s braking is powerful and consistent. From basic safety apparatus such as reverse parking sensor, rear parking camera, seat belt reminder, to sophisticated safety measures such as six airbags, anti-rolling program, and auto hold, this crossover has it all. Automatic air conditioner, lazy lock system, trip computer, cruise control are additional point in the safety and convenience department.

Currently available in two colors -- white and brown -- this 5-seater gives a lot of metal for your money. A classy crossover loaded with high-tech features for only slight more than half a million rupees is quite an impressive deal. Functionality and affordability going hand-in-hand! As it is on its way to India by 2019, the prices are expected to go down and even more spare parts can most likely be found easily within the next two years. MG Nepal is also coming up with 2000cc 6TST all-wheel drive very soon which is priced Rs.82 lakhs. MG GS is certainly a futuristic car with q great lineage.