2026 MG Majestor first drive review: The biggest in its segment

If you enter an MG showroom, you will find a gaudy-looking Hector. That aside, you will find some cool-looking (or strange-looking, depending on your preference) electric vehicles. This includes the quirky Comet, the bigger-than-you-expect Windsor, and a practical ZS EV with its petrol counterpart. While the Gloster has been on sale for a while, it never really connected with the SUV buyers. On a whole the majority of the line-up points to a company that takes an eco-friendly fuel approach. So why has the same company doubled down on a large gas guzzler?

At first thought you would say it’s because people in India like a big car – whether it is to fuel their sense of self or to accommodate more people. If that were the only reason then some of the cars in the past like the Isuzu MU-X, Alturas G4, or even the MG Gloster would have made a larger impact in the market. On the opposite end of the spectrum lie the (memorable) Ford Endeavour and the entire D SUV segment – Toyota Fortuner. Where would the MG Majestor fall on this spectrum?

We will need to study this product first. The Majestor is essentially a facelifted Gloster. The redesigns include a large grille, the LED DRLs, placement of the headlights, and the rugged looking Gunmetal Grey front guard plate; all conscious design choices made to pronounce its presence. The new name is probably to give more gravitas to its stature and size. At a little over 5 metres in length, it is a significant 251mm longer than its direct rival, the Fortuner. The wheelbase too is 205mm longer, and the trend continues for other dimensions as well. The result is a much more spacious cabin and an imposing looking road bully. Some changes are also made to the profile and rear, like connected LED DRLs and a redesigned bumper. But the next set of major changes lay inside.

The cabin has been redesigned to appeal to the modern set of buyers with a 12.3-inch screen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, soft touch materials on the parts of the dash, brushed silver buttons, comfortable seats and more storage space in the cabin. For that last bit, they moved the gear lever from the centre console to the steering column – freeing up space for a floating console. But it was the five grab handles (one for each door plus one more for the front passenger) that caught my attention the most. Any vehicle that comes with grab handles from the factory means the manufacturer expects its owners to take it to places where most other cars wait for a road to be built. A closer look at the centre console acquaints you with the three differential look buttons, the drive mode selector and the selector for the part-time 4WD system. It was clear from this moment on that I would be spending the majority of the time testing what it can do on the rough stuff.

So 4 High (4H) was engaged and a forest trail on the ghats of Aamby Valley was our playground. In 4H the car splits power 50:50 on the front and rear axle. The Ceat Crossdrive AT tyres ploughed on the soft mud and then onto the pebbly surface with ease. Small rocks, moderate inclines, rocky humps and puddles were easy work. At this point I also discovered the setting to change the steering weight on the screen. I chose the Normal setting for the trail as it kept the wheel easy to turn and manoeuvre around the larger rocks, without feeling lifeless. More assistance came from the front camera which displayed the path blinded by the large bonnet on the 12.3-inch screen. The Hill Descent Control option is somewhere in the screen as well, which is irking because the touch screen isn’t as intuitive as we are now used to. Sometimes it takes multiple inputs to get what you want and the swipes lack smoothness. Nevertheless, once activated, the HDC limits the speed to 10kmph while descending. Being a bit old school, I trusted my body more to feel the sensations off the ground and my right foot to do the job of braking and accelerating, especially on the tricky bits.

When the really tricky bits arrived, it was time to pull out the big guns. Press the centre diff locker button and the car goes into low range. I thought this button should have been called 4L because engaging 4H itself locks the power front and rear. Regardless of this small deception, the added torque now helped us climb a very rocky steep incline. There was an immediate parallel between the Fortuner and the Majestor in this mode. While the Fortuner’s 4L feels smooth, the Majestor’s feels jumpy. The slightest of throttle inputs leads to the SUV making you well aware that it is using all available 479Nm torque in a very short range – quite edgy. But it gets the job done well. It is difficult to say which of the two SUVs has a better map for 4L; we would need to test them together for better analysis. When the going got tougher and the rocks were combined with loose mud at places, it was wise to engage the rear diff. That locks power at 25 per cent to each of the rear wheels. The Majestor moves on unfazed though the cabin felt bouncy and as my cameraperson described “uncomfortable” on this very rocky terrain. There is a solution to that too. It’s called the Crawl Control Operation. Similar to how the crawl function works on a Wrangler, the CCO crawls the car forward, chooses the amount of throttle, traction control and speed on the wheels to help the SUV navigate the terrain. Because the car now kept itself at a steady 4kmph (something my right foot could not manage on the terrain), the rest of the climb was far smoother. It is unsettling for me that technology is trumping my ability. But that’s the future. As a side note, we didn’t get to test it during a dry summer season, the car’s water wading capacity is at 810mm.

While we didn’t need it for the trail, we engaged the front diff for an articulation pit just for demo. That locks 25 per cent power on each wheel, so even if one or two wheels are in the air, the wheels with traction keep the motion going. All-in-all, I came away more impressed than I thought I would be for its off-road ability. And we covered the rocky mountain, while the AC was saving us from the toasty 40 degree heat and the seat ventilation kept my back happy.

It’s ideal to engage the Auto mode on the road. The system automatically switches between 2WD and 4WD based on the condition. One can also select the 2H mode to drive only the rear wheels if you are feeling brave with a +2.3 tonne SUV. This time I selected the Sport setting for the steering, which adds the weight preferable for high speeds. The 2-litre (Fiat sourced) twin-turbo diesel is the same as before and so is the gearbox and platform. These heavy SUVs are not particularly known for fast build-up of speed and it shows – 0-100 came in a little over 13 seconds. Drive it smoothly and the engine-gearbox combo feels the most at ease; push it and you wish it had a bit more to offer. The Fortuner reaches 100 in a little over 11 seconds even when its power reading on paper is about 12bhp lower than the Majestor’s 213 bhp. I tried using the paddle shifters to take some control, but the time lag between input and the shift only made me switch back to auto with the time left with the car was now not enough to get used to it. But between the two, Majestor claws back some advantage in the corners. It felt more composed and carried lesser body roll while attacking a corner than the Fortuner – imparting much more confidence. The ride quality is pretty comfortable as well. At high speeds it feels heavy footed and stable; while there is slight harshness at low speeds on potholes, it doesn’t lose its composure. Unlike the Gloster, Majestor’s 4x2 version also gets the same twin-turbo engine spec with 213bhp (167bhp earlier with the single turbo).

Before we had to hand the car back, I checked out the second and third rows for the readers who are interested. The seats in the second row have recline and slide functionality. This means the space on offer is segment leading. Our car had the bench setup, but captain seats are available as well. The panoramic sunroof is covered with a thin veil which may pose a small challenge in the Indian summer, and the larger miss are the lack of sun blinds for the rear windows. What were you thinking MG? The third row has impressive space especially if you move the second row slightly forward, but you still sit in a knees-up position. I would do 20 mins at best there. So, this row can be considered for kids or for short distances. The boot has 343 litres of space with all rows up, expandable to 1350 litres – significantly more than the Fortuner.

Back to the spectrum. Without the price, it would be difficult to place it with complete confidence. Considering MG says D+ segment in their marketing material, expect it to be priced higher than a Fortuner spec to spec. But considering that the Gloster tops out at ₹42.5 lakh (not considering the Black Storm variants), we can expect the Majestor’s top variant to be about ₹45-47 lakh. For context, the Fortuner tops out at ₹43.3 lakh (not taking the GR-S variant into account). Actually, there is no spec comparison because the Majestor just out-dazzles the Fortuner with equipment like 12-speaking JBL audio system, panoramic sunroof, larger screen, 360-degree camera, massage and ventilated seats, and app connectivity. But people buy Toyota for its unbeatable reliability, ease of ownership, and having a car that will probably outlast you. MG has a long way ahead before it can prove itself on those parameters. While much of the car felt solid, there are plastics that quite simply do not match up to the level on the Fortuner. But it has potential. And that is why MG has brought a large gas guzzler to its otherwise largely eco-friendly line-up. Since the exit of Ford, there has been a huge hole in the D SUV segment and the Majestor ticks all the right boxes to fill it up. Will it displace the Fortuner? I don’t think so. The legacy and trust it has built over many years is too strong. MG would require to be committed and consistent for the next decade or two to challenge a Toyota. Until then, for those looking to stick their heads out of a large SUV, here is an MG. (Please don’t let anyone stick their heads out of the roof of a moving car, it’s irresponsible).