MG becomes the first automotive company in India to bring an industry-first services under Car-as-a-Platform model with Astor

Gurugram, October 19, 2021: MG Motor India today announced the Car-as-a-Platform (CAAP) subscription model for its recently launched SUV, Astor. As MG turns its vision into reality, the industry-first concept of Car-as-a-Platform brings endless possibilities and software as a disruptor along with a host of service partners in Astor. The SUV will feature on-demand in-car services and subscriptions in the areas of utility, entertainment, security, consumer payment, and more in near future.

MG has partnered with Jio for embedded sim and technology to provide high-speed in-car connectivity. Jio’s eSIM and IoT solutions will enable MG users to access real-time connectivity, infotainment, and telematics. Customers can enjoy the music streaming service JioSaavn, which gives access to 60 million Bollywood, English, Hindi, and Indian regional tracks on the go, including podcasts. Customers will get a free 4GB monthly internet pack in the SUV, which can be further customized up to 9 GB and 14GB at an additional cost.

Additionally, MG has partnered with Park+ to bolster the driving experience for MG Astor. With this association, users will leverage its tech-backed value proposition to pre-book and pre-pay for parking slots before reaching their destinations. The in-car feature is available in three cities – NCR, Mumbai, and Bangalore and will expand to nine cities in near future. As an inaugural offer, the customers will get unlimited free parking for three months followed by additional six months for Rs 1199.

To enable a more value-added experience for the customers, MG has partnered with KoineArth to create India’s first-of-its-kind vehicle digital passport. Secured by blockchain, KoineArth ensures data privacy and facilitates customers sharing their digital passports with third parties like insurance partners or used car portals. This could benefit customers in getting higher resale value and a better insurance premium based on their driving behaviour and service adherence. As an inaugural offer, the digital passport can be availed for Rs 1000 for the first year.

Speaking about the Car-as-a-Platform subscription model in MG Astor, Mr. Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India, said, “Staying ahead of the innovation curve in the automobile industry in India, MG continues to introduce industry-first features in the Auto-tech segment with Car-as-a-Platform. We announced the CAAP vision in August and now we are incorporating the subscription-based model in Astor. Our constant endeavour is to evolve CAAP for providing innovative services in line with fast changing requirements of new age consumers by collaborating with more ecosystem partners.”

The partnerships will continue to be hosted at the i-Smart Hub as MG Motor India will add more services to its subscription model in the future to create a more personalized, safer, and smarter driving experience.

About MG Motor India

Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world-famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by many celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has thousands of loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic, and innovative brand over the last 96 years. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Halol, Gujarat, has an annual production capacity of 80,000 vehicles and employs nearly 2,500 work force. Driven by its vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility, the cutting-edge automaker has augmented the across-the-board ‘experiences’ within the automobile segment today. It has introduced several ‘firsts’ in India including India’s first Internet SUV – MG Hector, India’s first Pure Electric Internet SUV – MG ZS EV, and India’s first Autonomous (Level 1) Premium SUV – MG Gloster.