MG Majestor First Look - Tough Enough?

For years, the D-segment SUV market in India has essentially been a one-horse race. You know the name, you know its resale value, and you certainly know its bouncy ride quality. But MG is now attempting to shift the goalposts with the all-new Majestor. But in a world of mall-crawlers, just a pretty face and massive Matrix grille don’t get you up a mountain.

So, we went to the proving grounds to see if the all-new Majestor is just a luxury cruiser with an identity crisis or a genuine off-road weapon. Under the hood is a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine making 215bhp and a healthy 478Nm of torque. It’s a lot of muscle on paper, but can it hide its massive 5-metre footprint when the tarmac ends?

MG Majestor Off-Road Test: High-Speed Braking and Suspension Check

Before we hit the deep ruts, we started with a high-speed brake test on loose gravel. At 60km/h, slamming on the anchors is usually a recipe for a sideways slide, but the Majestor’s electronics kept it tracking straight and true. It is a seemingly mundane test until you actually need it on a monsoon-soaked highway.

Then came the rutted stairs. This isn’t just about the 219mm ground clearance; it is a torture test for the damping. With a double-wishbone independent setup up front and a five-link rear, you could see the body working hard from the outside, but inside, the cabin remained impressively composed.

MG Majestor Off-Road Capability: Water Wading, Diff Locks and Crawl Control

Then things got wet. The Majestor is rated for 810mm of water wading – the highest in its segment. To further bolster its off-road credentials, MG has equipped the vehicle with three differential locks: front, rear, and centre.

With 4-low and the front and rear diff-locks engaged, we dropped into the pit. The twin-turbo motor kept purring along, and off-road tech did its bit to ensure we didn’t get bogged down.

Before tackling the next major obstacle, the Majestor faced a tight slalom course to showcase its handling prowess. It was impressive for an SUV that weighs over 2.5 tonnes and stretches 5m in length.

But the real magic happened at the 35-degree incline. MG has introduced what they call ‘M-Crawl’ or Crawl Control Operation (CCO). We literally took our feet off the pedals and let the machine manage the throttle and braking for every individual wheel. It was an eerie sensation, but the system worked flawlessly. While coming down a 42-degree descent into a ditch, the Hill Descent Control kept progress measured and manageable without locking a single wheel.

MG Majestor Suspension and Off-Road Performance Test

The standout moment, however, came while tackling the ‘Devil’s Hump.’ This obstacle tests suspension damping, body control, and low-end throttle response all at once. In this specific regard, the Majestor managed to impress even more than the Fortuner. It controls its body movements with a level of sophistication we aren’t used to in this segment, softening hard landings and using that low-end grunt for seamless, controlled movements.

With triple-differential locks and 10 off-road modes (including a dedicated Mud mode), the capability of a vehicle this size is impressive. And our final test was a boggy mud section. We switched off the front and centre diff-locks for maximum manoeuvrability and maximum steering angle, while engaging the dedicated Mud mode. This was enough to help the MG Majestor practically sail through.

MG Majestor First Look Verdict: A Real Toyota Fortuner Rival?

So, is the Fortuner’s crown in danger? I think that the Majestor is a sophisticated tool – smart, comfortable, and capable. However, we weren’t the ones driving today; we were experiencing it from the passenger seat.

While the performance is clearly there, the real test will be to see how easy it is for a non-expert to harness it. Stay tuned for a detailed road test.