A couple of weeks ago, I really enjoyed driving the new MG Windsor EV around Delhi-NCR. This is the first car to be launched by the newly-formed joint venture between the Sajjan Jindal-helmed JSW Group of Companies and Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation, the Chinese conglomerate, which owns the Morris Garages (MG) brand.
I must admit that I do not understand the car’s name. It celebrates the small hamlet outside London that inspired the name of the Germanic Clan currently on the British throne. That’s a long-winded story that trivia geeks like me enjoy, but I really wish SAIC had kept the ‘Cloud’ name used in other markets. While the automotive brands differ, the MG Windsor is sold as the Wuling Cloud in China.
The MG Windsor isn’t exactly what you’d call a ‘looker’. However, when it comes to car design, functionality is first and foremost, and in that respect, the Windsor EV ticks the boxes. During a discussion with fellow automotive journalists, we agreed that the Windsor reminded us of the old Fiat Multipla—an ugly yet practical vehicle.
That’s exactly what Windsor EV is: extremely practical. It is easy to drive, extremely comfortable in the second row, with plush, well-padded seats reminding one of the old Hindustan Ambassador. Even with the rear seats reclined, there is more than enough luggage room. Thanks to the flat floor, which all electric vehicles have, the Windsor is easy to get in and out of, and in the Indian context at least, it seems especially designed for people sitting in the back seat.
I also say that because this car is a bit strange to drive, at least initially. The main reason is that it has replaced physical buttons for everything but the air-conditioning controls and power windows. There is no ‘Start’ button; instead, you open the car and tap the brake to start it before shifting into gear. You can use a stalk to dip the headlights, but to actually operate them, you have to go to the large infotainment screen.
Similarly, MG’s ‘Infinity Roof’—a fixed panoramic sunroof—can only be opened and closed through the infotainment screen. There are no dedicated controls for the outside mirrors either; you have to toggle through the steering controls to adjust them. To be fair, you can use voice commands to operate the sunroof. As for the headlights, I usually put them on ‘Auto’ and forget about it. While I can complain about the way the side mirrors work, this is just an initial issue. Owners will get used to these vagaries fairly quickly.
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Drivability of MG Windsor
The car has a 100 kilowatt (135PS) motor for the front wheels, which is more than enough power. Being electric, the power delivery is incredibly smooth, and if pushed, the Windsor EV can easily break speed limits. Thanks to the low-slung weight of the battery, body roll is countermanded for the large part and the vehicle is fairly confident at highway speeds. Given that road quality on city roads had declined precipitously post-monsoon, the Windsor EV handled even the worst of the potholes well, though I wasn’t driving fast through them.
Now, let’s address the big elephant in the room: the innovative ‘Battery as a Service’ (BaaS) concept. MG Motor’s new system of selling the battery and the body separately. Thanks to some new-age finance companies, you can take out separate loans for the body and the battery, paying a monthly leasing fee for the battery instead of owning it outright. Leasing options start at Rs 3.5 per kilometre (for a minimum of 1,500 kilometres per month). This allows MG to price the Windsor as low as Rs 9.99 lakh, which is fairly good considering its feature set up.
Despite spending about 30 minutes with JSW-MG Motor CEO Emeritus, Rajeev Chaba, as he tried to explain the concept to me, I was not fully convinced. However, I did agree that the pricing would bring people into the showroom. With finance companies able to structure deals according to individual needs and usage, it could work well for many people. “Otherwise, we are going to announce prices for the ‘full’ car. We want to make EVs accessible to everyone,” Chaba said.
I had spoken with Chaba before MG announced the prices for the ‘full’ Windsor. The base Excite model is priced at Rs 13,49,800, while the top Essence model costs Rs 15,49,800, with the Exclusive model in between. To further dangle the carrot for EV buyers, MG was offering a guaranteed 60 per cent buyback for owners after three years, along with a lifetime battery warranty for the first owner, provided they subscribe to an MG service package. “I want car buyers in India to understand that EVs are just as affordable to run as petrol or diesel cars and can also have good resale value,” Chaba said. To add yet another sweetener, the company is offering one year of free charging through the MG eHUB app.
In that regard, the Windsor EV is actually quite good. The 38 kilowatt-hour battery on MG Windsor is good enough for a range over 300 kilometres, which might preclude it from long-distance highway runs. However, the small battery size coupled with fast-charging ability and more chargers on the way means this vehicle should be able to make journeys like Delhi to Jaipur, but it is more of an urban commuter.
While driving the car I felt that the MG Windsor EV could become a successful electric taxi. The BaaS scheme would work superbly for taxi drivers, much more than private car owners, and the rear comfort and luggage space would make this an excellent choice for those going to the airport or office. With many more electric cars on the way, in the coming six months, the Maruti Suzuki eVX and Hyundai Creta EV in particular, the EV space is definitely getting interesting.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.