The MG Windsor EV is the third electric vehicle from MG Motors for India
MG Motors were one of the earliest players in India’s proper push for electrification when it launched the ZS EV. It was then followed up by the uniquely compact Comet EV. And now, they’ve launched their third electric vehicle in India in the form of the Windsor EV. Priced from Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s not exactly a completely new model as it is also called the Wuling Cloud EV in the Indonesian market. Nevertheless, like the Comet EV, the Windsor EV also has plenty of unique bits that make it stand out from the rest. But there is a catch to that impressive introductory prices which we explain later in this story.
What immediately stands out is not the sleek crossover design philosophy, but the fact that there’s a distinct bulge up front. It might divide opinions but it’s something not seen in modern Indian cars. The rest of the design is fairly similar to its donor car with key bits including LED headlights, connected LED DRLs and tail lights, aero efficient alloy wheels and flush-fit door handles.
You’re greeted to a fairly premium-looking cabin thanks to the all-black theme, the leatherette upholstery as well as contrasting copper and wood inserts. There’s an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display and at the centre of everything is a massive 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
To really accentuate the premium feeling those who like to be chauffeur driven will be glad to know that the rear seats have the ability to recline up to 135 degrees and can be split 60:40. This, on top of the large panoramic sunroof and (not present in the Wuling EV) 256-colour ambient lighting, pretty much ticks the right boxes in the ambience factor. Additionally, the Winsdor EV also has a 604-litre boot.
There’s also a fair bit of tech onboard that includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, connected car tech, a wireless phone charging pad, automatic climate control, a nine-speaker Infinity sound system and cruise control. Safety is covered by six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), 360-degree camera and disc brakes on all wheels.
The main talking point is of course underneath the skin as the MG Windsor EV gets a single electric motor that puts out 136 hp and 200 Nm. Juiced to a 38-kWh battery pack, it’s enough for a claimed range of up to 331 km on a single charge. For comparison, its Indonesian counterpart gets a 50.6-kWh battery pack which offers a claimed range of 460 km as per the Chinese testing cycle.
MG Motor India have also introduced the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) program, which they say makes owning a full-size electric CUV at the price of an internal combustion engine-based compact SUV possible. This ownership program cuts the cost of the battery, and makes customers only pay for its usage. Buyers pay a fee per km driven, which is 40 per cent of the fuel costs of ICE vehicles. Additionally, the company is offering a lifetime battery warranty to first owners of MG Windsor EV. With the eHUB by MG mobile application, the company is offering one year of free public charging for Windsor EV owners to power up.
The introductory launch prices of the MG Windsor EV does not include the battery rental package which comes in at Rs 3.5 per km. The MG Windsor EV will be offered in the Excite, Exclusive, and Essence variants and in four colours. As for rivals, in this price range, it can be an alternative to the Tata Nexon.ev and the Mahindra XUV400.
Update: The base Excite variant is priced at Rs 13.50 lakh, the mid Exclusive variant is priced at Rs 14.50 lakh, and the top-of-the-line Essence variant is priced at Rs 15.50 lakh, all ex-showroom. All the prices include the cost of the battery. For more details, click here to read our first drive review
