MG Motor is expected to price Astor at a very aggressive price range of Rs 8-13 lakh (ex-showroom) undercutting most of its rivals in the compact SUV segment
MG Astor has already started to make the right noises among industry folks and consumers ahead of its highly anticipated launch in India in the coming weeks. The SUV is especially being talked about for its rich equipment with features filled up to the brim.
Among the crop of creature comforts offered in Astor, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) with Autonomous Level 2 features are getting highlighted the most.
In total, Astor will be offering as many as 14 ADAS features broadly categorised into five segments. Here we discuss the functionality and working of two categories- Lane functions and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Working of Lane Functions
The carmaker is offering three features under Lane functions- Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Lane Departure Provision (LDP). LKA works through a camera mounted in front of the vehicle which monitors lane markings and assists the driver in sticking to the lane on which the car is being driven. LDW gets activated when the driver starts to move out of its lane without an indicator and the driver is sent out an alert.
Finally, LDP is an extension of LDW that prevents the car from moving out of the lane by applying the brakes and taking the vehicle back to its original lane. All three lane functions can be selected and configured by the infotainment screen on dashboard. However, lane functions can only be activated when the car touches 60kmph and can work up to a top speed of 180kmph.
Working of Active Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an advanced version of regular cruise control which has become a very common feature in modern cars. The system matches the speed of the car with the vehicle in front and accelerates and decelerates depending on the speed of the vehicle moving in front. ACC is activated when the driver pulls the yaw stick behind steering wheel towards themselves.
For activation of ACC, the minimum speed of the car needs to be at least 30kmph. The cruising speed of the car can be increased or decreased by pushing the lever up or down respectively. The set button on the end of the lever fixes the cruising speed. The car hits a constant when it reaches the set speed or the speed at which the vehicle in front is moving.
Other Features on offer
Apart from ADAS features, MG is offering a plethora of goodies in Astor which include a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment unit enabled with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other notable features include a 7-inch digital instrument console, a panoramic sunroof and MG’s iSmart connectivity suite which offers a wide range of connected car features.
