The Windsor is MG Motor’s third EV for India, but more importantly, it is an EV that’s got everyone talking. No prizes for guessing, that’s courtesy its starting price of just Rs 9.99 lakh ex-showroom, made possible by the fact that you essentially ‘subscribe’ and pay a separate monthly rental for the battery powering it. What’s this about? And what does the Windsor bring to table – given MG Motor’s claims of it being loaded to the gills with equipment? I spent day behind its wheel to find out.
Styled as an MPV, the Windsor looks quirky from the front. That’s thanks to its headlamp design and DRLs that are connected from end to end like the Comet. The headlamps sit in the bottom half of the face, connected by a black strip of plastic. From the sides is where you notice the Windsor’s MPV like stance. The Windsor runs on 18-inch wheels, while its wheelbase is 2,700mm and overhangs are short to maximise cabin space. Ground clearance is pretty good at 186mm. The rear also looks distinctive given the tail lamp design and overall, the Windsor looks interesting, despite its quirky front end.
The first thing you notice about the cabin is how much more spacious it is than conventional vehicles that are as long, given the overall length of 4.3 metres. I also like the amount of space around the driver’s seat. But what you simply cannot miss is the massive, 15.6-inch touchscreen – that’s larger than most laptops! I also like the dashboard design, especially the top part with its faux wood strip, soft touch plastic and two additional cup holders besides the three on the centre console. In fact there’s lots of storage space below the floating centre console too and you can stash a few valuables and shut it.
There’s lots of interesting design cues inside too, like the speaker design and the door handles. The steering wheel looks similar to the Comet’s but has a different finish and gets toggles too. A distinct highlight inside are the seats that get a fish scale like design and lots of padding to offer excellent comfort. There’s a massive glass panel overhead and it does not open like a sunroof, but you can open the sunshade. There’s no physical button for this though, as you can only operate it through the touchscreen. The Windsor’s rear seat will be one of its biggest USPs though given its comfort and large amounts of legroom and knee room. Also, the floor is flat given that the Windsor is a FWD EV, adding to comfort. And then there’s the party trick, which is the 135 degree recline angle for the rear seatback! This alone should help the Windsor appeal to chauffeur-driven buyers!
Like other MG cars the Windsor is loaded with features and connected technology – the Infinity tuned music system sounds good! This time, MG has even partnered with Jio for digital services, games, apps and the ability to use OTT apps for watching movies, besides Jio set top box integration for ordering services. On the safety front there’s ESP, hill start and hill descent control besides six airbags and 360 degree view. Almost all functions in the car are controlled via the touchscreen though, which gets a little distracting while driving.
A 38kWh battery pack powers a single electric motor that drives the front wheels. The Windsor offers 136PS and 200Nm, and being an EV, peak torque is available instantly meaning acceleration is quick. Overall performance is impressive and you also get four driving modes, including Eco+ which limits top speed to 80kmph. Throttle response is progressive but when step on the throttle and the Windsor builds speeds quickly. It also feels adept at highway duties and is an impressive mile muncher. Claimed range per charge is 331km and a 7.4kW charger lets you recharge the batteries in 6.5 hours while DC fast charging (50kW) lets you recharge them up to 80 percent in less than an hour, though the Windsor only supports up to 45kW. MG is also offering free fast charging across India for the first year through its e-HUB app and has partnered with most charging companies.
The Windsor offers a planted feel on open roads, besides which steering feedback is adequate. Ride quality is good too, as the suspension soaks up undulations well to shield you from potholes, despite the 18-inch wheels. This also helps the Windsor tick the one box that chauffeur-driven buyers look for. And while it isn’t an EV you’d look at for its handling, the Windsor also handles well, offering a confident feel in most driving conditions.
Now coming to the pricing. When you buy it, you have to pay a monthly rental for the battery, which will cost about ₹ 3.5 per kilometre. MG has tied up with finance companies and every month the number of kilometres you drive gets conveyed to these companies via a system onboard, enabling generation of your bill. So instead of paying for fuel, you pay every month for powering the Windsor, while also having to pay a smaller initial cost to buy it as compared to petrol/diesel cars. You can also pay the ‘full’ price and buy the Windsor like any other car, starting from Rs 13.50 lakh ex-showroom onwards. There’s 3-60 program as well, meaning you get 60 percent value for your Windsor three years later, besides a lifetime battery warranty for the first owner.
Effectively, there’s a lot going for the MG Windsor. With the BaaS or Battery as a Service, the ₹ 9.99 lakh ex-showroom price tag is very attractive, as that’s also the starting price for most compact SUVs which are smaller, less spacious and less comfortable to say so. But BaaS hasn’t been done before by any manufacturer in India ever and it should be interesting to see how buyers react to it. Having said that, the Windsor is certainly a very interesting addition to the EV space in India and could potentially even change the way buyers look at EVs!
