Some drives aren’t planned around a machine. They’re planned around a mood. The kind where you toss a duffel bag into the boot, point the nose toward the hills and let the road decide the pace. The MG Astor feels built for exactly those weekends where travel is unhurried, comfort matters, and the destination is only half the story.

The winding route from Pune to Lavasa, stitched between cliffs and forests, becomes the perfect canvas to understand what the Astor is really about. Not chasing numbers. Not chasing drama. Just discovering how an SUV fits into a journey.

DESIGN THAT FITS THE JOURNEY

On these hillside roads, the Astor doesn’t try to dominate the landscape. It blends into it. Clean lines, a neatly sculpted face and a stance that feels modern without being loud allow it to sit naturally against misty slopes and winding tarmac.

There’s a quiet charm to watching its LED headlamps cut through early morning haze, or seeing its silhouette emerge against terraced hills as the light shifts. It’s the kind of SUV that looks just as composed parked at a viewpoint as it does flowing through a curve.

COMPOSED IN MOTION

A CABIN MADE FOR ESCAPES

Open the door and the Astor immediately changes the atmosphere. The Sangria Red cabin feels less like a cockpit and more like a carefully curated lounge. Soft-touch textures, tasteful detailing and a warm colour palette create a space that invites you to slow down.

The seats deserve special mention. They’re supportive without being firm, comfortable enough to make even zig-zag hill sections feel relaxed. As the road climbs, the panoramic sunroof transforms the cabin into a moving viewpoint clouds drifting past, sunlight spilling across the dash, and a constant reminder of why this drive exists.

A LOUNGE ON WHEELS

TECH THAT TRAVELS WELL

On long drives, technology becomes more than convenience. It becomes companionship. The Astor’s large touchscreen, crisp graphics and seamless smartphone integration keep navigation, music and calls effortless throughout the route.

The highlight, though, is its ADAS suite. On unpredictable ghat sections where fog, sudden two-wheelers or blind corners can catch you out features like adaptive cruise control, lane assist and emergency braking work quietly in the background. It feels like an invisible co-driver. Present when needed. Invisible when not.

TECHNOLOGY THAT ADDS CONFIDENCE

PERFORMANCE IN THE REAL WORLD

The Pune–Lavasa route throws everything at a car tight hairpins, long sweepers, elevation changes and broken patches of road. Exactly the environment where character shows.

The turbo-petrol engine responds with a smooth, willing nature that suits both relaxed cruising and the occasional burst of enthusiasm. The CVT, often a weak link in many SUVs, feels intuitive here, especially on gradients where maintaining momentum matters most.

Switch the steering to its heavier mode and the Astor settles in, giving reassuring connection through downhill bends. The suspension clearly leans toward comfort, absorbing rough surfaces without unsettling the cabin. There is mild body movement when pushed, but never a moment that breaks confidence.

A CALM, CONFIDENT COMPANION

SAFETY THAT LETS YOU EXPLORE MORE

With multiple airbags, ESC, ABS, a solid structure and its intelligent driver-assistance layer, the Astor builds trust quickly. Whether descending through fog or squeezing past a hillside village road, it remains calm and predictable traits that quietly reduce fatigue and make journeys more enjoyable.

VERDICT: A COMPANION FOR THE CURIOUS TRAVELLER

The MG Astor doesn’t pretend to be a hardcore off-roader or a performance SUV. Instead, it focuses on something far more relevant creating an environment where travel feels easy, modern and emotionally engaging.

With competitive pricing, a generous feature list and a cabin that genuinely suits both daily life and spontaneous escapes, the Astor strikes a balance many SUVs chase but few achieve. On the hills around Pune and Lavasa, it doesn’t just carry you. It settles into the journey.