MG Gloster

A few years after entering the Indian market, MG stepped foot into the full-sized SUV space in 2020 with the Gloster This huge SUV rivals the Toyota Fortuner and the now discontinued Ford Endeavour, along with others like the Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Meridian and Volkswagen Tiguan.

But in 2025, after a few small updates, the MG Gloster is still more or less the same. It is super spacious, feels premium, and offers a comfortable ride. But does it need more updates, is there something that can be improved, and does it still give its rivals a tough competition? Find out here.

As far as looks are concerned the biggest draw for the Gloster is its intimidating size. In terms of design, unlike the smaller Hector, the Gloster has a traditional SUV stance and elements. 

Up front, the main highlight is the massive grille that is tastefully finished in matt chrome and the wing-shaped full LED headlamps. DRLs are integrated in the headlamps, fog lamps are placed closer to the bumper, and just like other MG models, you spot a lot of chrome on the face.

In profile the size does the talking and the mildly flared wheel arches and the chrome strip surrounding the glasshouse adds some jazz. It sits on 19-inch alloy wheels finished in a bright silver shade. 

From the rear the Gloster looks a bit ordinary and there are also some elements that are a bit tacky. The Gloster lettering pasted on the boot lid looks a size too big and the quad tail pipes are actually fake. Behind the shiny metal exhaust tips you will find just a single outlet. 

MG offers the Gloster in four shades: Deep Golden, Metal Black, Metal Ash, and Warm White. If you want your Gloster to look a little different, you can go for the special editions namely Blackstorm, Desertstorm, and Snowstorm. These editions come with cosmetic changes inside and out.

Design & Quality

Getting in and out of the Gloster does require some effort. It is a big car which makes it tall. For ingress and egress, you have to climb inside, which might not be that difficult for a young person, but for the elderly, it won’t be the most convenient option. Thankfully, there is a side step to make this process a little easier.

The Gloster’s dashboard is attractive and reminds you of the cabin layouts of some BMWs. You get a black and brown cabin theme which does make it look premium, and while there are chrome touches on the steering wheel and centre console, the AC vents are finished in black.

The first thing that really surprises you is the quality: it feels premium and a cut above the segment in most places. The upper portion of the dash and door pads uses premium soft touch materials and the leather finish on the dash oozes quality. Even the leather upholstery on the seats look fantastic thanks to the stitching consistency and quilted finish. 

Unfortunately, because of these very high grade materials some other bits do seem a bit budget grade. Lower down on the dash you will find hard scratchy plastics and the rear air con vents look out of place and a bit cheap. But apart from that, the Gloster’s cabin impresses in terms of quality.

Front Seats

With the Gloster, you get a 12 way power adjustable driver seat from the base variant along with both tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, which makes it very easy to find your ideal driving position.

The front seats are wide which offer great space for everyone. There is ample headroom, the seats hold you in place, and the footwell has enough space to keep your legs properly. On top of this, the driver seat is ventilated, heated, and gets a massage function with multiple modes.

Thanks to the high seating, you get a commanding view from the Gloster’s driver seat. And there are no major blindspots to obstruct your view.

The co-driver seat, on the other hand, is 8-way power adjustable, and it only gets seat heating.

Second Row Space

In the 6-seater variants, you get captain seats in the middle, and considering the size of this car, the space on offer is no surprise. There is an abundance of knee-room and despite the large panoramic sunroof, headroom too is good enough for tall people. These captain seats also get height and reach adjustable headrests for better support. Combined with the massive glasshouse, it is a comfortable place to be in. On the downside, the seat is placed quite low to the floor, which compromises on under thigh support.

The 7-seater variants get a bench in the middle which offer similar space. You can easily seat three passengers here and everyone will get ample shoulderroom. But, the middle passenger will have to sit a little upright due to the bulge in the seat base and back. Fortunately, all three passengers get adjustable headrests.

On the visibility front, there is no issue. The cabin’s theme makes it look airy and the big windows provide excellent outside visibility.

Third Row Space

The third row of seats is placed even lower to the floor and the flat seat base results in you sliding forward if the driver goes a bit hard on the brakes. Other than that the Gloster arguably has the best third row in its segment. 

The sliding second row ensures there is more than enough knee-room, and even headroom is not an issue. As a result adults will find these seats quite comfortable even over long journeys.  

Storage Options

When it comes to practicality the Gloster doesn’t disappoint. Other than the smallish glovebox, you get big door pockets up front, a huge storage box under the front armrest and a phone slot with a wireless charging pad. 

Middle-row passengers also won’t feel left out with them getting two foldable cup-holders, a mobile holder, seat back pockets and two bottle holders in the doors. The third row passengers too get two cupholders and seatback pockets.

Charging Options

In terms of charging options, you get a wireless phone charger, two USB Type-A ports, and a 12V socket up front. Second row and third row get a USB Type-A port and a 12V socket, each. 

The Gloster’s cabin is still impressive after five years of launch, and the special editions add a personal touch. The space is great, cabin quality is excellent, and you get all the practicality you could need.

The basic safety features of the Gloster include 6 airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold control, all-wheel disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, and some ADAS features like lane change assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert. 

The top-spec variant additionally gets more ADAS features like forward collision warning, lane departure warning, auto emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control.

The MG Gloster has been crash tested by Australian NCAP (ANCAP) where it received a full 5-star safety rating.

With all three rows up, there isn’t much boot space on offer, but once you fold the third row down you get a humongous square-shaped loading bay which has enough space to keep a set of suitcase and a couple of soft bags.

You also get an electric tailgate which adds to the convenience. On the downside the loading lip is quite high which can make putting heavy luggage a bit of a pain.

The Gloster comes with two engine options: a 2-litre twin-turbo diesel and a 2-litre turbo diesel, both of which are available only with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The former is offered with both four-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive setups while the latter is only two-wheel-drive.

2-litre Twin-turbo Diesel

This diesel engine is well refined, but there are still vibrations here and there. Thankfully, the good cabin insulation keeps the engine noise from getting inside.

City Performance

At first you might think that the Gloster will be intimidating to drive but that's not the case. The engine feels powerful from the get go and the Gloster moves forward from standstill with enthusiasm. 

This engine has loads of low end torque and combining that with the smooth shifting automatic transmission, the Gloster feels punchy yet smooth to drive. Ambling along in city traffic is easy too, and because the gearbox is quick to downshift, overtaking even fast moving cars in town is easy.

However, the downside of this performance, and, of course, the car’s heavy weight is a low fuel efficiency of around 9kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

If the engine and gearbox behave well in the city then out on the highway it impresses even more. Thanks to the tall 7th and 8th gears, the Gloster cruises in a relaxed manner with the engine spinning at just 1750rpm at 100kmph. Even overtaking is easy thanks to the punchy performance and the quick shifting transmission. 

The Gloster also gets three driving modes for the road. There is Eco which feels more than adequate for a relaxing drive, then there is Auto which adapts the gearbox and the throttle response according to the way you are driving. And then there is Sport which sharpens up the throttle and the gearbox stays in a lower gear for quicker responses. You also get paddle shifters if you want to change gears manually. 

But, even on the highway, the fuel efficiency stays around 11-12kmpl.

2-litre Turbo Diesel

This engine is slightly less powerful which does take some of the fun away. But for relaxed driving and slightly better fuel efficiency, this is the engine to pick.

City Performance

In the city, you get enough punch to perform quick overtakes and you gain speeds quickly. This engine also has good low end torque which means bumper-to-bumper traffic can be handled easily. 

Since the transmission is the same, you get the same quick and smooth gear shifts, and the drive does not give any issues.

Fuel efficiency here is around 10-11kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

It is not as quick on the highway as the other engine. You get enough power to gradually gain speeds and reach triple digits, but you do have to plan your overtakes a little, especially at high speeds.

Fuel efficiency on the highways is around 13-14kmpl.

Ride Comfort

Apart from the potent powertrain, the Gloster’s ride quality makes it an even better highway companion. It easily absorbs everything our roads throw at it. Potholes are dispatched with a distant, well-damped thunk and it manages to retain decent composure without feeling uncomfortable out on the highway. Straight line stability too is impressive with it feeling reassuring even at high speeds. 

At low speeds however you do hear the suspension working over rough road surfaces.. There is quite a bit of body movement too but it never gets to the point where it feels uncomfortable. 

We also drove the Gloster in peak hour traffic and the sheer width and length can make it a bit of a squeeze through tight spots. Still, the light steering, big glass area and square sides make it easy to judge where its extremities lie.

Handling

When it comes to handling, the Gloster feels exactly how we expect a heavy and tall SUV to feel. The steering is slow and has a lot of turns lock to lock, and the high centre of gravity results in body roll around corners. On the upside, when driven in an unhurried manner, it surprisingly feels manageable and more importantly, safe and predictable. There is plenty of grip from the wide tyres and the brakes too offer good stopping power. 

In terms of off-road ability the Gloster comes with three modes: Snow, Sand and Rock. You also get hill descent control and hill hold assist. This system alters the traction control, ABS and ESP to make it commendable in any given situation. But considering the Gloster doesn’t have a low range gearbox we don’t expect it to be as capable as the Ford Endeavour or the Toyota Fortuner when the going gets tough. 

• The Gloster is offered in just two variants: Sharp & Savvy.

• Sharp variant comes in a 7-seater configuration while the Savvy variant gets both 6- and 7-seater layouts.

• The more powerful diesel engine and the 4WD powertrain are offered only with the Savvy variant.

Sharp

• Gets 19-inch alloy wheels along with all LED lighting.

• Cabin gets a dual-tone theme with leatherette upholstery.

• Features include a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, 12-way powered driver seat with ventilation, heating, and massage, 8-way powered co-driver seat, and 3-zone climate control.

• Infotainment package gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a 12-speaker sound system, and an 8-inch digital driver’s display.

• Safety kit gets 6 airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold control, all-wheel disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

• It also gets some ADAS features like lane change assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert.

Savvy

• Gets faux quad exhausts as part of exterior upgrades.

• Cabin gets a 6-seater layout with captain seats.

• Feature additions include auto park, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the base Sharp variant as it offers a near complete package with all the premiumness and flashy features. Only pick the Savvy variant if you want 4WD or additional ADAS features.

While the MG Gloster has remained more or less the same since its launch, the competition has not surpassed it yet. The space on offer is great, the design still looks good, and the features list is still loaded. The Gloster also makes a strong case for itself over its rivals if you want the most usable third-row space.

If you are considering buying a big SUV, the Gloster is a very potent option which will not disappoint. The only thing that stings is the low fuel efficiency, and you’ll have to live with that.

Other Options To Consider

Jeep Meridian

Reasons To Consider

• Much more affordable

• Better ride quality and driving dynamics

Reasons To Ignore

• Less features

• Not as powerful

• Feels much smaller inside

Toyota Fortuner

Reasons To Consider

• More extensively proven reliability and resale value

• Better off-road performance

• Gets a petrol engine option

Reasons To Ignore

• Outdated looks

• Less features