• 
• 
• 

More from Motoring

Cars

Survivors

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 580: Exclusively Efficient

20,000 units have been sold since its debut in September 2024, which shows how popular the MG Windsor is. Now, JSW MG Motor India is aiming to further up its sales figures with the MG Windsor Pro. What is different with the Pro variant, you ask? A bigger battery pack, ADAS functions, and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) charging capabilities are just some of the changes that the Pro variant offers compared to the standard Windsor.

Starting with the most significant change of the Windsor EV Pro is its 52.9 kWh battery pack, which offers a claimed range of 449 km (MIDC). Realistically, under normal driving conditions, you could expect a range of around 350 km, which is almost 20 km more than the claimed range of the regular Windsor. This battery pack sends power to a 100 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous (PMS) Motor. Simply put, it makes around 134 bhp and 20.39 kgm of torque. Nothing too fancy, but these are decent numbers, and they show. While the power delivery won’t throw you in the back of your seat, it feels adequate for what most people will use the Windsor Pro for. It is rather calm and composed, and builds power fast enough to keep you entertained most of the time.

The Windsor’s ride quality has always been its biggest USP, and it continues to offer a plush ride for its occupants. It is light and easy to manoeuvre at slow speeds, but at higher speeds, it feels a bit wooden, and that doesn’t impart a lot of confidence, especially when you are trying to make quick direction changes. Even on the twisty roads of Meghalaya, the Windsor felt planted around corners, and only under extreme driving conditions did the EV start to show its limitations.

• 
• 
• 

More from Motoring

Bikes

News

Triumph Scrambler 400XC Launched At Rs 2.94 Lakh

Additionally, the Windsor Pro now comes with Level 2 ADAS technology, which includes lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking. Although these features do aid the driver, I personally feel they aren’t meant for Indian highway conditions since most ADAS systems tend to panic under heavy traffic conditions and don’t detect sudden objects on the road. I, for one, switch off everything because I trust my instincts better than technology developed for foreign markets, but that’s my personal choice.

A larger battery pack has also now allowed MG to offer Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) charging capabilities, which means that you can basically use the Windsor Pro like a portable power bank to charge your electronic devices or even charge another electric vehicle. However, it’s not a feature most owners will really use unless it becomes the last resort. But it’s interesting to see the MG Windsor Pro offer it nonetheless. Speaking more about charging, using a 60 kW DC fast charger takes just 50 minutes to charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent, whereas the 7.4 kW AC home charger takes 9.5 hours to charge from 10 per cent to 90 per cent. You also get a portable charger cable that can plug into any 15 A socket to trickle charge the Windsor Pro, although expect this to be the longest wait time for charging.

Apart from the larger battery pack, MG has made a few subtle changes to the Windsor Pro on the outside and inside. The dual-tone 18-inch machined alloys are shared with the Hector SUV. Furthermore, three new colours were added to the colour palette: celedon blue, aurora silver, and glaze red. Personally, I found glaze red to be the most appealing of all the new shades. Move to the rear and look closely for the tiny little ADAS badge on the tailgate. Speaking of the tailgate, unlike the regular Windsor, the Pro version offers an electrically powered tailgate.

As for the interiors, the only change here is the new dual-tone ivory upholstery compared to the all-black interiors offered on the standard Windsor. As for the features, it retains its 15.6-inch Grandview touchscreen infotainment system, which contains many of the car’s core functions and can be pretty cumbersome to operate while driving. But kudos to MG for retaining physical buttons for the AC controls; I really hope the trend of integrating everything into the screen slowly dies down since I don’t want to be fiddling with the screens while I am driving.

Other features of the Windsor Pro include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with MG’s i-Smart connected car technology. This includes over 80 connected car features, such as over 30 Hinglish voice commands, remote car controls, and an MG Appstore offering Jio Apps and AI features. Additionally, there is an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, which is informative, and a huge glass panel called the Infinity View Glass Roof makes the cabin look even more spacious.

With the Windsor Pro, MG is making the EV market relevant and appealing. ₹ 17.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) might be quite a premium for the Windsor Pro, but with more range, more features, and a price that still beats many electric SUVs, it still sounds like a winner for family buyers who wish to step into the EV lifestyle without any major sacrifices. It could even be a good deal for fleet operators wanting a comfortable cruiser with a decent range.