MG Majestor Vs Toyota Fortuner: Is The New Flagship Worth The Premium Price In India?

JSW MG Motor has finally announced the prices of the Majestor which start at Rs. 40.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The full-sized SUV will take on the Toyota Fortuner in the market which has been ruling the segment for a long time. As a fresher product in the market the Majestor has a lot more to offer than the Fortuner when it comes to tech, features and even offroad capabilities. The big question is will the Gloster replacement be able to dent the future prospects of the Japanese bestseller. Lets dig deeper into what both the SUVs have to offer.

Dimensions

Majestor is longer than Fortuner and also has more wheelbase.

The current generation of Fortuner has been selling in the market for long while the Majestor is a newbie. The contrast is evident when you look at the design, features as well as capability. But also important are dimensions because in a segment like this size does matter. And in every aspect be it length, width, height and even wheelbase the Majesty gets the better of the Fortuner and by some margin. In terms of ground clearance though things are quite even so taking on the rough roads should not be a problem for either of the SUVs. But crucially the Majestor gets bigger wheels in the form of 19 inch units while the. Fortuner has 17 or 18 inch options depending on the variant.

Also Read: MG Majestor Launched In India At Rs 40.99 Lakh

Design

Design of the Fortuner remains quite imposing.

Talking about exterior looks the Majestor gets a ‘Mosaic Matrix’ grille, LED DRLs, and tri-beam LED projector headlamps positioned lower on the bumper. The dusk sensing LED headlamps now look dated on the Fortuner and the grille is smaller too with doesn’t make the SUV feel as imposing as the MG. Connected tail lamps and faux exhausts make the Majestor look more premium and while the Fortuner is a design that buyers have now frown comfortable with, the Majestor breaks the monotony like how. When it comes to colours the Fortuner gives more options some of which look quire exclusive.

Tech & Interior

Majestor cabin is more feature rich and tech-laden.

The general feedback about the cabin of the Fortuner off late has been the lack of features in the cabin and that it hasn’t kept up with the times when it comes to these attributes. What it gets is an 8-inch touchscreen along with dual zone climate control and seat ventilation and an 11-speaker JBL sound system. In comparison, the Majestor has a freestanding 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, fully digital instrument cluster of the same size and a 12-speaker JBL audio system. Apart from offering ventilation the front seats also get massage functions. That’s not all the cabin has a 3-zone climate control and twin wireless charging pads making it more premium.

Also Read: New-Gen Toyota Fortuner Spied For The First Time

Seats in the Fortuner are quite cushy and comfortable.

How is the second row experience on both because that is where most owners will spend their time? It is only the Majestor which gets a big panoramic sunroof while Fortuner even now does not even a single pane sunroof. The MG also offers captain seats on the second row and a 220 V socket making it a more practical option but they are available only on the 2WD model. The third row also feels more spacious inside the Majestor but if you talk about seat comfort the Fortuner nudges ahead with big seats which provide better cushioning. Little separates the two when it comes to boot space with all three rows being used so take your pick.

Performance

Fortuner has more drivetrain options than Majestor.

When it comes to drivetrains the Fortuner has a lot more to offer when compared to Majestor. It gets both Petrol and Diesel options and even with the 4x4 it comes with both manual and automatic gearbox options. The Majestor has just one Diesel engine and gets only an automatic gearbox. The 2.0 litre unit is mated to an 8-speed torque convertor which makes 212 bhp along with 478 Nm which is an impressive number. The Toyota gets a much bigger 2755 cc unit which makes slightly lesser power at 201 bhp but generates a higher torque figure oof 500 Nm in the automatic. There’s also a smart hybrid version which helps in better fuel efficiency.

Also Read: Top 5 Things MG Got Right With Majestor, 3 Things It Didn’t

Dynamics

Majestor is the better handling car of the two.

Before we talk about offroad capabilities lets talk about the on road dynamics of both SUVs. Remember both are built on ladder frame chassis because they’re built to take on more challenging terrains. So ride comfort is something that is a bit of a compromise in both these cars. The handling also suffers due to high centre of gravity but having driven both back to back I felt the Majestor had better control. The roll movement intervention feature ensures that while taking corners more so at high speeds, the SUV inspires more confidence. The steering feedback is more or less the same on both cars and there is scope for improvement in either of them.

Offroad Capabilities

Majestor comes with man exclusive offroad features in the segment.

When talking about off-roading, the Majestor has arrived with many features neet seen till now in the segment which make it more capable. Things like triple locking differential, M-Crawl and altogether 10 different off road modes. It can also wade though more than 800 mm of water and having sampled this first hand more than once, I can clearly say the SUV is quite forgiving during off-roading and makes life easy for the driver. The Fortuner in itself has been able to taken the challenging conditions for long but driver skills will matter more while driving this one.

Also Read: Toyota Land Cruiser FJ Unveiled: 'Baby LC' 4x4 Is Smaller Than A Fortuner

Safety

Majestor gets ADAS functions while Fortuner has an extra airbag.

Between the two SUVs it is only the Majestor which comes with a long list of Level 2 ADAS functions. These include Automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and more. But crucially the Fortuner gets an extra 7th airbag when compared to the 6 on the Majestor. Hill assist control is found on both the SUVs while the Majestor also gets heated ORVMs something which could come in handy during the harsh winters up north. While we don’t have crash test ratings for both, they full sturdy enough during the drive.

Prices

Fortuner trims are more affordable than corresponding Majestor variants.

Prices are key too and here lets consider just the Diesel version of the Fortuner. It starts at Rs. 35.40 lakh for manual 4x2 while the Automatic is priced at Rs. 37.61 lakh which is more than Rs. 4 lakh more affordable than the Majestor. Even the 4x4 Automatic which is priced at Rs 43.12 lakh is almost Rs. 2 lakh more affordable. It is only the GR-S variant which is much more expensive with a price tag of Rs. 50.46 lakh, ex-showroom. Quite simply put you’re paying the extra money for a more capable and feature-rich SUV which feels fresher and more premium.

Verdict

Majestor is getting used to some tough challenges.

So is that choice really that simple? Spending close to Rs. 50 lakh on the road, does one go more with reputation and image or take a chance with the new kid on the block. To take on the mighty Fortuner isn’t a simple task but the Majestor is armed with all the arsenal to lure the buyers towards MG showrooms. This is the showdown we were waiting for. Only time will tell if the challenger will be able to dethrone the SUV that can do no wrong. And remember the next-gen Fortuner is not too0 far away and that could well tick all the remaining boxes.