2020 MG Gloster Review: Can it beat Fortuner and Endeavour on-road & off-road

We drove the top-end MG Gloster 4WD, and came away impressed. It's good, but is it good enough to make you choose it over the Fortuner and Endeavour? Let's find out.

The MG Gloster is MG Motor's fourth vehicle in India. The Hector, Hector Plus, and ZS EV comprise the other three in the company's Indian lineup. Please note that the Gloster is also known as the Maxus D90 and LDV D90 in other parts of the world, and why is it important for you to know that? Well, because Australian NCAP awared the LDV D90 a full five-start rating in their crash tests. With that out of the way, let's begin the review.

2020 MG Gloster Review: Dimensions, design, and presence

This is a really big SUV, people. It's bigger than the Ford Endeavour, which, as you may already know, is bigger than the Toyota Fortuner. The Gloster is almost as big as Lexus LX 570, and the MG's wheelbase is 100 mm longer the LX 570's!

However, the MG doesn't have a threatening demeanour. However, it still has amazing road presence and many might also like the splattering of chrome on the rear. Overall, it's big, bold, and good looking.

2020 MG Gloster Review: Interiors

The interiors are on a different altogether. There's swathes of leather in there and the cabin not only feels a lot more premium than any of its competitors', it "smells" premium too.

The driver's seat is not only ventilated, but also gets a massage function too. Strangely, the passenger's seat is neither ventilated, nor does it have a massage function. Still, the passenger seat is 8-way power-adjustable (the driver's is 12-way adjustable) including 4 lumbar-support adjustments. It's also heated, which should help if you live in the mountains.

The Gloster also has best-in-class headroom, legroom, and kneeroom all around. The 3-zone climate control works great, and the Gloster's is the quietest cabin in the segment.

But there are a few misses. The glovebox is hopelessly tiny. Then there is the small matter of storing your phone upside down while using Android Auto / Apple CarPlay because the dedicated phone holder won't take it the right way, thanks to the wire that becomes a problem. It's not a big deal, but people with OCD might disagree.

Let's talk about the boot space now. With all seats up, it's 343 liters. The Fortuner's in the same configuration is 296 liters and the Endeavour's is a class-leading approx. 450 liters. Well, MG has clearly given more importance to "space for occupants" in the Gloster.

2020 MG Gloster Review: Performance & Fuel Efficiency

The Gloster comes four variants: Super, Smart, Sharp, and Savvy. All get the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, but Super and Smart get a single turbocharger, whereas Sharp and Savvy get a twin-turbo unit. Here are the power and torque figures:

2.0 Twin-turbo: 218 PS at 4,000 rpm and 480 Nm at 1,500–2,400 rpm
2.0 Turbo: 163 PS at 4,000 rpm and 375 Nm at 1,500–2,400 rpm

All media houses, including IBT, drove only the top-end variant. In fact, even if you buy the Sharp variant, you will still be able to indulge in a bit of chest thumping that your vehicle is the most powerful in its segment. The Gloster goes from zero to hundred in under 12 seconds, which is quick for such a heavy vehicle. The braking composure is even better, and the Gloster comes down to zero from hundred in under three seconds!

The outward visibility is excellent; the steering wheel is light, and the responsive yet smooth engine and gearbox combo makes day-to-day driving a breeze. Please note that all variants of the Gloster get the same eight-speed automatic transmission.

The stability at high speeds, ride quality, and body roll are again things that are the best in segment! The handling is great as well, and once you get comfortable with the gigantic dimensions of the Gloster, you can drive it enthusiastically without the fear of crushing a Nano or two while at it.

You can't do a tankful-to-tankful fuel efficiency test on first media drives, but I can at least share figure shown the Gloster's MID—9.5 km/l. Expect around 8 km/l in city traffic, and a couple of km per liter more on highways.

2020 MG Gloster Review: Price and Verdict

While the 2WD variants of the Gloster are around a lakh to 2.5 lakh rupees cheaper than the 2WD variants of Endeavour and Fortuner, respectively, there's not much price-wise to separate the top-end 4WD variants of all three. So let me give you the verdict on the top-end variant of the Gloster because that's the one I tested.

Simply put, the Gloster has better interiors, space, and it is also the most powerful in its class. The feature and equipment list is on a different level altogther. Therefore, I don't see a reason why I won't recommend it over its competition.