2022 MG Gloster review, first drive - tech update
With the Endeavour gone, the MG Gloster remains the only real ladder-frame 4x alternative to the Toyota Fortuner. It happens to undercut its rival by some margin, so to strengthen the case even more MG India has now given it a minor update.
On the outside, this is limited to this deep golden shade of paint with almost a bronze hue. And you get a new design for the 19-inch alloy wheels. The rest of the simple but imposing design remains untouched. So you have an SUV with a slightly old-school, anonymous look but its sheer mass and adornments do give it the road presence someone shopping for it might want.
2022 MG Gloster interior changes, featuresAs for what's new on the inside, you get a new interface for the 12.3-inch touchscreen. It's the same as the one in the MG Astor and quite a bit more intuitive than the one that the Gloster got before. You get some more connected tech features to go with this. The i-Smart app can now be used as an in-car remote for audio, air conditioning, and ambient lighting. The MapMyIndia navigation also now displays weather and AQI information.
The rest of the interiors remain as it was. So it's got a good sense of quality to it. Soft materials and leather cover most of the panels and you get clear part-digital instruments, well-placed switches and great space. The seats remain the weakest link, with their hard cushioning and excessive lumbar.
But the long list of features will be a big draw. You get heated cooled seats, powered front seats with a massage and cooling function for the driver, three-zone AC, panoramic sunroof, auto headlamps and wipers, a powered tailgate and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
2022 MG Gloster engine, driving impressionsWe drove the top-spec Savvy 4x4 in its 6-seater configuration, the only trim this seating option is available in now. The driving experience remains unchanged. So the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel with its 215PS and 478 Nm does feel a touch sluggish in slow-moving situations. The engine's tendency to free-wheel also exaggerates this sense. But once up and running, there's about as much performance as you would need to move this big SUV. The 8-speed gearbox goes about its business in the background quite effectively.
The steering is light and visibility is good so driving in traffic isn't a problem. The Gloster, typically of ladder-frame SUVs, pitches and bobs around a bit over big, slow speed bumps but this smoothens out to a well-damped demeanour as speeds ride. The handling is quite good, the tall, heavy SUV feels planted around sweeping highway turns as well as holds good speeds over sharper corners.
2022 MG Gloster safetyThere are a few more ADAS features to go with this update to the MG Gloster. You now get Door Open Warning (DOW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Lane Change Assist (LCA). This is in addition to the adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning and prevention systems. Passive safety equipment includes front, side and curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, hill descent control, hill-hold, 360-degree cameras, TPMS and a driver fatigue system.
2022 MG Gloster price, verdict
With this update prices have gone up by up to Rs 50,000, now starting at Rs 32 lakh and going up to Rs 40.77 lakh for this one right here. So the Gloster's inherent strengths and weakness remain unchanged, just that it now has now strengthened already strong tech to better stand out against the Fortuner and other similarly priced SUVs.
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Spec Comparo: MG Gloster Vs Toyota Fortuner Vs Jeep Meridian Vs Skoda Kodiaq
Facelifted MG Gloster launched in India, prices start from Rs 31.99 lakh