KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Several web stories are mentioning this as the Astor facelift
- VS Hybrid is already on sale internationally
- Based on the Astor, with revised front and interiors
A few weeks back, during the MG - JSW partnership announcement in Mumbai, a 'covered' SUV caught the attention of a few journalists. While I also had a chance to lift the cover for a few seconds (see below), fellow media friends went ahead and unwrapped the car completely! Those images are now doing the round of the internet as the Astor facelift. Is that true?
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Seeta-Geeta / Ram-Shyam
I would says the Astor and VS are twins : one with a petrol heart and the other with a Hybrid one. The vehicle in question above is the MG VS Hybrid, which is already available for purchase internationally. In fact, during the 2024 Bangkok Motorshow, I had the opportunity to do a walk-around, and the screen grabs from the video are what you see here.
Is this also the Astor facelift? Not at the moment! However, the VS is indeed based on the Astor, but it features a distinct front design and a new cabin layout. The frame, chassis, suspension, and rear of the VS remain unchanged. In my view, MG is demonstrating a serious intent to introduce a true hybrid to India, positioning it between the Astor petrol and the ZS (Astor essentially) EV. This move could potentially provide a strong competitor to the Grand Vitara Hybrid and Hyryder Hybrid as well.
But Astor facelift?
I agree that the Astor is due for a facelift in India. But will MG give it the VS face? This is a question that interests me. The VS looks smart and has a modern cabin with a connected screen, a better-looking dash, etc. But will this happen, or will the Astor facelift get its own identity? In my humble opinion, the VS Hybrid will influence how the Astor facelift 2024 (or 2025) looks like in and out, but won't be the same.
Fingers crossed from my end! MG had recently slashed prices for the Astor mid-size SUV and it now has a tempting entry level price of less than Rs 10 lakh. Was this done to create a gap for the VS Hybrid?
Verdict
MG will be launching several new cars (all new + facelifts) in the next 18 months and the VS Hybrid might be one of the first ones. Astor facelift will happen later on..
