5 Things That The Upcoming MG Majestor Does Better Than The Fortuner
The Fortuner needs no introduction in India. It has been enjoying a clear dominance in its segment for a long time. Things may, however, change with the launch of the MG Majestor. Set to debut on February 12th, the Majestor will make the Fortuner face some heat. Here are five things about the Majestor that are better than the Fortuner.
The Majestor is huge. It measures over five metres in length, notably more than the Fortuner that continues to dominate the segment. It measures 5,046mm in length, 2,016mm in width, and 1,876mm in height. The wheelbase here is 2,950mm. The Fortuner, on the other hand, measures 4,795 mm in length, 1,855 mm in width, and 1,835 mm in height- 251mm, 161mm, and 21mm less than the corresponding dimensions of the MG SUV. The wheelbase, too, is shorter at 2745 mm.
Clearly, the difference in size isn’t small. It is likely to translate well into a notable difference in cabin room, especially in the third row. The outgoing Fortuner has just enough room for three to be seated comfortably in its rear row. The Majestor is likely to offer a notably better third row. However, we haven’t been able to see or verify this in person, even though the SUV was showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo last year.
The Majestor is expected to be a capable off-roader SUV. It is based on the Maxus D90’s rugged ladder-frame chassis, and will reportedly come with up to three differential locks. This system will feature three lockable differentials- front, centre and rear, and will thus have superior traction and crawling abilities on tricky terrains. The SUV was recently spied undergoing off-road trials in challenging terrains.
The Fortuner, in contrast, has one main electronic differential lock for the rear axle that works in tandem with a transfer case for 4WD. It is indeed a capable off-roader and we often see Fortuner owners taking their SUVs to intermediate and hardcore trails.
The Fortuner is butch and capable. It, however, falls slightly short when it comes to features that pamper the occupants. The outgoing model has just enough equipment to keep people happy with their purchase. It doesn’t try to overwhelm them with modern tech and gizmos.
On the safety front, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is a glaring omission. Despite its steep pricing, the Fortuner doesn’t come with this feature. Even the tech-focussed Legender doesn't get it. Interestingly, even B-segment cars come equipped with ADAS features these days.
The Majestor will offer Level 2+ ADAS features. This setup is likely to remain similar to that of the outgoing Gloster. It may even be better than the same in actual efficiency. More details are expected to surface closer to the launch date.
The Majestor will use the same diesel engine as the Gloster. The 2.0L diesel engine will be available in two states of tune, with the higher one expected to produce around 213hp and up to 480Nm. Delivering 204hp, the Fortuner isn’t that powerful. It is, however, torquier and can make 500Nm.
Toyota’s 2.8L turbo-diesel engine may not be as fuel-efficient as MG’s smaller 2.0L unit. But this is something we will have to wait to find out. For now, we can only speculate based on engine size and on-paper output figures.
The Majestor will have bigger wheels than the outgoing Fortuner. Currently, higher variants of the Fortuner (and Legender) ride on 18-inch wheels while the lower ones get 17-inch units. The Majestor will have 19-inch alloy wheels. Bigger wheels may also mean relatively smaller tyre walls. It remains to be seen if this would harm the SUV’s actual off-roading abilities. Usually, a bigger tyre wall favours a vehicle’s off-road abilities than narrower ones.