MG India’s Jeep Compass challenger downloads the Baojun 560's dashboard

SAIC Motor will commence its Indian innings with a Baojun 530-based SUV in the second quarter of 2019. Autocar India has the first-ever spy image of the India-bound SUV's interior, which, at first glance, looks a lot like that of the Chinese-spec model.

That said, a closer look reveals disparities between the Baojun 530 and the MG-badged version. The top-most portion of the three-layered dashboard is covered in a soft-touch material with contrast stitching. The middle section has a dark grey gloss finish while the bottom is finished in a shade of beige.

The dashboard features chrome highlights around the AC vents and its controllers. An analogue timepiece will occupy the space between the two central vents. There's a provision for a floating-type touchscreen infotainment unit. The instrument binnacle holds a large TFT screen flanked by the speedometer and tachometer dials. Some of these features are picked out from the Baojun 560, the seven-seat model that sits at the very top of the line.

The three-spoke steering wheel features audio and telephone controls, along with the cruise control settings. The test mule which has been caught testing near Halol is reportedly kitted out with a push-button start, a panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats, an electric parking brake, an auto-hold function, a reverse camera, and front and rear parking sensors, the features one expects on an INR 17 lakh vehicle.

Powering the first MG in India will be a 2.0-litre Multijet II diesel engine from the FCA. While the Baojun 530 comes with a rotary gear selector, the spy image shows a conventional gear selector for the Indian market.

Also See: Baojun E100 EV spied in India for the first time

MG Motor's first SUV for India will rollout of SAIC Motor's Halol plant that was acquired from General Motors in 2017. Its adversaries will include the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson.

[Source - autocarindia.com]