MG Windsor EV First Drive Review – Batteries Not Included
The new MG Windsor EV is the third electric vehicle from the Chinese-owned company. It has all the things you might want and a bit more. Here is how our drive went off in Delhi
Story: Charan KarthikPhotography: Sanjay Raikar
An almost 4.3-metre-long electric car from MG for under Rs 10 lakh? Well, that was definitely not on the cards when I opened my mobile phone that day. The new MG Windsor is the latest entrant in the electric space which is heavily backed by the Chinese-owned company, after the Comet EV’s success.
The Windsor EV is a badge-engineered Wuling Cloud EV, one that is sold abroad, and it is a mix of a lot of things to look at from the outside. It has a soft, easy-on-the-eye type of styling, with a front end that slightly mimics the infamous Fiat Multipla with the rest of the portion resembling the first-generation Mercedes Benz A-Class.
The car gets a stubby bonnet up front, like its cousin, the Comet EV, and it opens up to reveal fluid holding tanks for the windscreen washer, the battery’s coolant, and the brake fluid, apart from a bunch of wiring harnesses. A peek further down will reveal the 100-kW (136-hp) permanent magnet motor that powers the front wheels.
We got our hands on the top-of-the-line Essence variant, one that comes equipped with LED lighting, the highly appraised “Infinity Roof”, and the 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display. ‘Well, I didn’t expect a mini BMW iX,’ I muttered to myself as I pulled open the chunky door and got into the cabin.
At 4,295 millimetres long, the Windsor is a considerably long car. It may not be apparent from the outside, but it becomes clear when one steps into the cabin. It is also 2,126 mm wide (with mirrors open) and 1,677 mm tall. MG say they aim to provide a “lounge-like” experience that most people can easily access. This is evident as there are loads of soft-touch materials in the interior. As I entered the cabin, I found comfy materials on all the contact points. The two-spoke leatherette steering wheel and the fixed centre arm-rest had quality written all over them. The arm-rest has a storage compartment underneath with a 12-volt socket as well. Underneath the ledge-like arm-rest, there is a huge storage space with charging slots. The storage space can be closed as well, a neat touch in my opinion, keeping the dust out and the things in.
About the first “big” point of the car, yes, that would be the 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display, one that is bigger than my Lenovo laptop. The screen’s layout has a contemporary design to it and the icons are “squircles”. It supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It did have significant lag while booting up and the presence of the drive selector on the left side of the steering stalk also leads to some accidental touches on the home button of the screen.
The Windsor keeps the driver and the passengers content, I say this because of all the features that are accessible at the tip of the fingers. Need a place to put your coffee cup down? Well, you’ve got four cup-holders for that. Need a place to charge your phone? There is a wireless charger, a USB Type-C port, a USB Type-A port, and even a 12-volt socket under the arm-rest. Talk about options. The interior has a subtle and minimalistic design language. Underneath the infotainment display you get a-c vents and below that you get the only set of physical buttons, for climate control.
The driver instrument display is an 8.0-inch screen that also displays real time power in kW, which I found cool. As we slowly picked up speed on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, the Windsor quickly enveloped itself and felt more compact while driving than it had presented itself while idling. The driving dynamics are nothing to be applauded, but the feedback from the steering wheel is adequate and the inputs are taken and followed instantly, even at triple-digit speeds. However, hustling it around the corners will only result in understeer and screeching noises from the 18-inch Goodyear tyres. There are four driving modes—Eco+, Eco, Normal, and Sports—and three levels of energy regeneration. In day-to-day driving conditions, the expected range can be anywhere from 220 to 250 kilometres in one full charge, the claimed range of 331 km might be a bit of a stretch. A detailed road test should help us figure that out in the coming months.
As I hopped on to the back seat of the car, it became clear why MG had kept repeating “lounge-like” experience in their briefing the previous night. The comfy 60:40 split bench seat at the back oozed comfort and space. With my five-feet-eight-inch stature, I was able to happily extend my legs out and sit. The provision of an a-c vent, a USB charging port, and a cubbyhole make it even a better place to be in. The rear seats also have a 135-degree recline angle and, coupled with an arm-rest, you’re surely going to be in heaven as you get chauffeur-driven back home from a long day at work. Behind those seats is a 604-litre boot that has enough space to store all belongings for a quick weekend getaway or an airport pick-up. The rear seats fold down to provide even more space for storage.
The 38-kWh battery pack is located on the car’s floor and MG have made sure to keep the floor flat, so the rear half of the cabin not only looks spacious but also feels that way. The seats with their diamond-shaped stitching and even undulations did look like a form-over-function characteristic, although after spending more than four hours in them, I can confirm they are quite comfortable and have ample ventilation.
If you want to get a spirited response from the Windsor, Sports mode is the way to go, as the other driving modes all restrict throttle response to quite an extent. Eco+ is definitely for the city and, coupled with the energy regen set at the highest, it should return decent driving range.
The Windsor has an unladen ground clearance of 186 mm and it looked like it might scrape at some point. To my relief, that never happened and it took all of my belting very well. This is partly due to the suspension being tuned that way. Even while going over bumps and potholes at high speed, the damping is brilliant and we didn’t face any bottoming-out issues.
The catch with the MG Windsor EV being available with an attractive price tag is the controversial Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) initiative. To put it in simple terms, you get the base Excite variant of the car for Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom) but you don’t get access to the battery (that is inbuilt). For the latter, you have to choose one of the four financiers that have partnered with MG who are offering the best possible financing options. Bajaj Finserv is among the four financiers and their scheme has a minimum running of 1,500 km per month at a price of Rs 3.5 per km. You will be spending anywhere north of Rs 6,000 per month to drive the car, taking the cost of electricity units for charging into account. The other three financiers have different plans and it would be best to check the website or ask the dealer to get clarity on this if you are considering a purchase.
If you need something less complicated, well, then there is the conventional way of purchasing it. 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. The Tata Nexon.ev and the Mahindra XUV400 now have a serious competitor.
The Windsor gets a host of features like a nine-speaker system by Infinity, partnership with Jio for all the entertainment needs, and over 80 connected car features. However, there are some icks. Switching the headlights on and off can only be done using the touchscreen. The arm-rest on the driver side door is positioned too low, and the drive selector sometimes requires a hard nudge to slot into the desired setting.
The MG Windsor EV is a well-built car. Its fit-and-finish is impeccable, all the windows get one-touch up and down, there are enough creature comforts to keep passengers entertained, and MG are going to provide free public charging for one year for all the buyers.
Tags: all electric, Electric Vehicle, JSW MG Motor, MG, mg windsor ev
