First Drive: New MG Windsor to disrupt EV market
By : Michael Gonsalves
Update: 2024-10-19 08:19 GMT
MG Motor has set the cat among the pigeons by introducing the MG Windsor EV with the size of a crossover and the practicality of a utility vehicle. It is an electric vehicle focusing on cabin space, features and practicality. The company calls the Windsor a CUV or Crossover Utility Vehicle.
The MG Windsor EV has been brought to India from the SAIC-GM-Wuling global portfolio and sold in different markets under different brand names.
It is a born-electric vehicle with a front wheel drive system. The vehicle is aggressively priced between Rs 13.50 lakh and Rs 15.50 lakh for the top variant.
The company has also introduced a unique way of owning the Windsor EV without paying for the battery upfront. Called ‘Battery as a Service’ (BaaS) plan, you pay only for the vehicle without the battery and pay Rs 3.5 per km as a rental fee for the battery. If you opt for BaaS, the MG Windsor is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh and the battery rental starts at Rs 3.5 per km.
MG has partnered with companies like Bajaj Finserv, Hero Fincorp, Vidyut and Ecofy Autovert to provide the BaaS program. Different companies offer different programs which can be prepaid or postpaid and have different minimum monthly running costs.
We drove it around city roads and highways to check out what it promised.
The Exterior
With an MPV-like shape, the Windsor looks nice and striking with sleek and clean bodylines. The front features bumper-mounted headlamps and DRLs at the top with an illuminated MG logo. The door handles are flush and attractive. At the top, roof rails are for aesthetics. The vehicle has got chunky five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the LED tail-lights look sleek, and the lower bumper edge is finished off with a nice black panel. The Windsor EV does not come with a spare tyre but you get a puncture repair kit.
The Interior
Once you get into the car, you at once notice the comfortable sense of spaciousness both at the front and rear. It has enough legroom and headroom too for two tall adults and a third person can also be accommodated at the back in the middle but may not be all that comfortable. The big feature though is the reclining rear seat that goes back 135 degrees from the seat base and the front seatback that reclines enough to touch the rear seat base, making for a full lounger ride. The seats are ergonomic and make for a fantastic chauffeur-driven experience. Overall, the seats are comfortable and the driver’s seat getting a 6-way power adjustment.
The CUV’s boot space is impressive at 604 litres for the lower two trims called Excite and Exclusive and 579 litres in the top Essence variant. The vehicle also provides for huge storage space around door pockets, cup holders and below the armrest. There is a larger slot below the central console with a neat shuttered lid. Packed with tech features, it has a 15.6-inch central touchscreen. The instrument panel is narrow with a smaller 8.8-inch screen. A lot of the car controls like mirror adjustment, headlight adjustment, and drive mode selection are from the touchscreen. The unit is responsive to touch: the icons and fonts are easily legible, with a pleasing design. It has an impressive massive panoramic glass roof that makes for a nice, airy feel and adds to the openness that the large all-around glass area creates.
The Drive Experience
With a front-drive layout, the Windsor’s motor makes 136hp and 200Nm of torque and its power delivery is more measured for a relaxed drive. It comes with a 38 kWh battery pack and the claimed range is 331 km on the MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle). As you drive the car, power delivery is strong enough and typically linear with the focus on smooth driving. MG claims the Windsor takes 9.4 seconds to sprint from 0kph to 100kph.
There are four drive modes to select: Eco+, Eco, Normal and Sport. All the drive modes have distinct characteristics and you also have three levels of regeneration as per the need. When you walk up to the car with the key in your pocket and the flush-fitting door handles open automatically. Once inside, just press the brake pedal, select the ‘D’ transmission mode with the left stalk behind the steering wheel and you are ‘Ready’ to drive. No need to push a start button or turn the key. Lift up your foot off the brake pedal and the car rolls off smoothly.
Driving in the city traffic was a breeze and even easy to overtake whenever required. On the highway, the Windsor EV can easily glide into triple-digit speeds without a fuss. Normal mode was good enough to accelerate from 80 km to 100 km/h and there was no need to switch over to Sport mode for overtakes. Ride quality is good and the car does just fine over slightly uneven roads, even absorbing potholes and bumps. According to MG, a 7.4kW charger would take 6.5 hours to charge from 0 to 100 percent and on a 45kW fast charger, it would take 55 minutes to charge from 0 to 80 per cent.
Should I buy one?
The Windsor EV is neat, appealing and spacious with an aggressive price tag too. With a large feature list and attractive touchscreen along a big glass roof, the new Windsor is here to disrupt the EV market and pull in buyers. It is undoubtedly MG’s best EV in the fiercely competitive Indian growing EV market.
The MG Windsor EV has been brought to India from the SAIC-GM-Wuling global portfolio and sold in different markets under different brand names.
It is a born-electric vehicle with a front wheel drive system. The vehicle is aggressively priced between Rs 13.50 lakh and Rs 15.50 lakh for the top variant.
The company has also introduced a unique way of owning the Windsor EV without paying for the battery upfront. Called ‘Battery as a Service’ (BaaS) plan, you pay only for the vehicle without the battery and pay Rs 3.5 per km as a rental fee for the battery. If you opt for BaaS, the MG Windsor is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh and the battery rental starts at Rs 3.5 per km.
MG has partnered with companies like Bajaj Finserv, Hero Fincorp, Vidyut and Ecofy Autovert to provide the BaaS program. Different companies offer different programs which can be prepaid or postpaid and have different minimum monthly running costs.
We drove it around city roads and highways to check out what it promised.
The Exterior
With an MPV-like shape, the Windsor looks nice and striking with sleek and clean bodylines. The front features bumper-mounted headlamps and DRLs at the top with an illuminated MG logo. The door handles are flush and attractive. At the top, roof rails are for aesthetics. The vehicle has got chunky five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the LED tail-lights look sleek, and the lower bumper edge is finished off with a nice black panel. The Windsor EV does not come with a spare tyre but you get a puncture repair kit.
The Interior
Once you get into the car, you at once notice the comfortable sense of spaciousness both at the front and rear. It has enough legroom and headroom too for two tall adults and a third person can also be accommodated at the back in the middle but may not be all that comfortable. The big feature though is the reclining rear seat that goes back 135 degrees from the seat base and the front seatback that reclines enough to touch the rear seat base, making for a full lounger ride. The seats are ergonomic and make for a fantastic chauffeur-driven experience. Overall, the seats are comfortable and the driver’s seat getting a 6-way power adjustment.
The CUV’s boot space is impressive at 604 litres for the lower two trims called Excite and Exclusive and 579 litres in the top Essence variant. The vehicle also provides for huge storage space around door pockets, cup holders and below the armrest. There is a larger slot below the central console with a neat shuttered lid. Packed with tech features, it has a 15.6-inch central touchscreen. The instrument panel is narrow with a smaller 8.8-inch screen. A lot of the car controls like mirror adjustment, headlight adjustment, and drive mode selection are from the touchscreen. The unit is responsive to touch: the icons and fonts are easily legible, with a pleasing design. It has an impressive massive panoramic glass roof that makes for a nice, airy feel and adds to the openness that the large all-around glass area creates.
The Drive Experience
With a front-drive layout, the Windsor’s motor makes 136hp and 200Nm of torque and its power delivery is more measured for a relaxed drive. It comes with a 38 kWh battery pack and the claimed range is 331 km on the MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle). As you drive the car, power delivery is strong enough and typically linear with the focus on smooth driving. MG claims the Windsor takes 9.4 seconds to sprint from 0kph to 100kph.
There are four drive modes to select: Eco+, Eco, Normal and Sport. All the drive modes have distinct characteristics and you also have three levels of regeneration as per the need. When you walk up to the car with the key in your pocket and the flush-fitting door handles open automatically. Once inside, just press the brake pedal, select the ‘D’ transmission mode with the left stalk behind the steering wheel and you are ‘Ready’ to drive. No need to push a start button or turn the key. Lift up your foot off the brake pedal and the car rolls off smoothly.
Driving in the city traffic was a breeze and even easy to overtake whenever required. On the highway, the Windsor EV can easily glide into triple-digit speeds without a fuss. Normal mode was good enough to accelerate from 80 km to 100 km/h and there was no need to switch over to Sport mode for overtakes. Ride quality is good and the car does just fine over slightly uneven roads, even absorbing potholes and bumps. According to MG, a 7.4kW charger would take 6.5 hours to charge from 0 to 100 percent and on a 45kW fast charger, it would take 55 minutes to charge from 0 to 80 per cent.
Should I buy one?
The Windsor EV is neat, appealing and spacious with an aggressive price tag too. With a large feature list and attractive touchscreen along a big glass roof, the new Windsor is here to disrupt the EV market and pull in buyers. It is undoubtedly MG’s best EV in the fiercely competitive Indian growing EV market.