MG Motor Discontinues Astor Midsize SUV in India Amid Dwindling Sales
MG Motor India has officially discontinued the Astor midsize sport utility vehicle, bringing an end to the model's five-year commercial presence in the domestic market. The decision to pull the plug on the midsize SUV follows sustained dwindling retail sales in an increasingly competitive segment dominated by Hyundai, Kia, and Maruti Suzuki. Between September 2025 and September 2026, the vehicle recorded an anemic average of just 112 units in monthly sales nationwide. Prior to its market withdrawal, showroom prices for the Astor ranged between 9.79 lakh rupees and 15.30 lakh rupees ex-showroom across various petrol trims. Despite offering segment-first artificial intelligence assistant features and autonomous driving aids upon its 2021 debut, the model struggled to convert interest into sustainable sales volume.
MG Astor achieved a sales milestone of 1,884 units in the Indian market over the past 12 months.
From the date of sale, the standard warranty on the overall vehicle is for 3 years across JSW MG Motor India vehicles.
MG Motor India will address existing orders and bookings before discontinuing the engine option altogether.
In 2021, MG Motor India discontinued the Hector Super variant in India following the introduction of the Shine trim.
Powertrain Limitations and Commercial Setbacks
Industry analysts identified a severe lack of powertrain diversity as the primary structural factor impeding the Astor's market performance. At launch, MG provided a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine alongside a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit to appeal to urban buyers. However, the automaker discontinued the more energetic 1.3-litre turbo-petrol variant in February 2025 due to low consumer demand. The withdrawal left the SUV reliant exclusively on its 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine paired with either a 5-speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox.
Competitive Pressures in the Lucrative Midsize SUV Arena
Although an all-electric sibling vehicle dubbed the ZS EV remains on sale in India, its substantially higher retail price serves a different demographic. The absence of a competitive diesel option or self-charging hybrid system restricted the Astor's appeal among high-mileage family purchasers.
Replacement Strategy and SAIC SIGMA Architecture
The company is actively engineering a clean-sheet replacement sport utility vehicle scheduled for domestic market introduction in 2027. The forthcoming replacement is expected to be built on parent group SAIC's modular SIGMA architecture to support multiple propulsion technologies. The modular SIGMA platform can accommodate internal combustion, strong-hybrid, and pure battery-electric powertrains to resolve earlier variety deficits.