MG Gloster Bookings Open; Gets A Host of Segment-first Tech

MG's latest SUV will not only be competing in the full-size SUV segment, but will also set a benchmark for its rivals with its expansive feature list

Update (08/10/2020): MG has launched the Gloster SUV at a starting price of Rs 28.98 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

MG made its breakthrough in the Indian market with the Hector, which was followed up with the ZS EV and Hector Plus, and now the carmaker has decided to rival the likes of Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner with its latest full-size, body-on-frame SUV, the Gloster. The brand is now accepting bookings for the same for a token sum of Rs 1 lakh.

The Gloster was first seen at the 2020 Auto Expo but we didn't know much about it then. Now, MG has revealed the specs and features of the SUV.

To get the nitty-gritties out of the way, take a look at the dimensions of the Gloster in the table given below:

While the Gloster is available with petrol and diesel engines in international markets, MG will only be bringing the diesel version to India. The top-of-the-line variant will feature a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, the specs of which are given in the table below:

A less powerful, single-turbo version of the Gloster's 2.0-litre diesel engine will also be offered. It will however be available in a rear-wheel drive format.

As the Gloster created a lot of buzz around its new safety systems let's start with those. Apart from your usual ABS with EBD, brake assist, six-airbags, ESP, traction control, hill start assist, hill descent, roll movement intervention and rear disc brakes, the Gloster comes loaded with:

• Forward collision warning (Car alerts you in case the vehicle in front gets too close for comfort)

• Automatic emergency braking (Incase of a possible collision, the Gloster will automatically brake to avoid collision with the car in front at up to 40kmph)

• Lane departure warning (Car warns you if you are drifting out of your lane)

• Blind spot detection (Car warns you if there is another vehicle in your blind spot)

• 360 degree around view camera (A camera system that gives feed from all four corners of the car)

• Driver fatigue reminder system (The car alerts if it senses the driver is fatigued by sounding an alert)

Apart from these, you also get front parking sensors, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, a reversing camera, speed-sensing door locks, ISOFIX mounts, driver and co-driver double stage pre-tightening seatbelts and a seatbelt reminder for the two front passengers.

The Gloster doesn't only cocoon you in safety, it also offers various comfort and convenience based features that you will appreciate on a daily basis. Apart from LED lighting all around, the front lights are also adaptive in nature. Then there are the follow-me-home headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, an electronic parking brake, a 12-way power adjustable driver seat with massage functionality, an 8-way power adjustable co-driver seat, a tyre pressure monitoring system, heated and ventilated front seats and other such features that you might find on other cars in the segment. But the Gloster knocks it out of the park with even more advanced features such as:

• Automatic park assist (Will allow the Gloster to park itself in certain conditions)

• Adaptive cruise control (Gloster can follow the car in front at a preset distance)

• Fully automatic tailgate

• 3 zone auto AC with PM 2.5 filter

• Heated ORVMs

• Terrain select mode with 7 modes (Auto/Sport/Eco/Mud/Sand/Snow/Rock)

• 12.3-inch HD touchscreen

• A 12-speaker sound system including subwoofer and amplifier

And that brings us to one of the biggest party pieces of the Gloster, the iSmart system. The 12.3-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard houses all the relevant information, and allows you to control most aspects of the vehicle. However, if you wish, you can control a lot of these features, such as remotely:

• Locking/unlocking the car

• Opening/closing the sunroof

• Controlling all windows

• Starting

• Controlling the AC

• Setting the seat heating

• Light flashing and honking

All of these features can be controlled by the iSmart application on your phone or even an application for your Apple Watch.

The Gloster will go up against the stalwarts in the segment such as the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner and will have an edge over them with its features list. As far as prices are concerned, we expect them to start Rs 30 lakh, ex-showroom. But how does the latest MG SUV feel when you are up, close and personal with it?

We had a chance to drive the car. Our opinions are, however, embargoed until 2PM tomorrow so do drop by our website and YouTube channel at the time, to find out our initial impressions of the Gloster.