MG Majestor review: finally an alternative to the Fortuner?

What Car Buyers Need to Know

The new Majestor is basically the Gloster underneath the shining new clothes with improved features, interiors and hardware bits for off-roading enthusiasts. There’s a certain honesty to large, ladder-frame SUVs. They don’t pretend to be agile hatchbacks or sporty crossovers—they are built with a clear brief: carry people in comfort, deal with difficult roads, and do so with a sense of effortlessness. The MG Majestor fits squarely into that philosophy, but what’s interesting is how it layers modern technology and refinement over this traditional base.After spending time with it across city roads, highways and a short off-road stretch, what emerges is a vehicle that feels carefully engineered for as a serious alternative to the Toyota Fortuner, a car known to offer bullet proof reliability. 

Design and Proportions: Function Dictating Form

The Majestor’s design is defined by its proportions more than its detailing. This car is based on the Gloster SUV, so the overall stance is the same. The upright stance, tall bonnet and long wheelbase immediately signal its intent. This is not a crossover trying to look tough—it’s a XXL-size SUV that uses its dimensions to establish presence.

The front end is dominated by a large grille, but it doesn’t feel excessive in isolation. The rectangular headlamps are neatly integrated, and the lighting signature is distinctive without being overly complex. In profile, the 5-metre length becomes more apparent, with a straight shoulder line running cleanly from front to rear. The glasshouse is generous, which not only improves visibility but also contributes to the sense of space inside. The 2950mm of wheelbase can almost eat up a Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 within its wheels.

The cladding is thick, deliberate and runs unbroken around the wheel arches and along the lower doors, giving the Majestor a properly tough, almost old-school SUV stance. It’s then contrasted by gloss black detailing on the window line, mirror caps and roof, which tries—quite successfully—to inject a bit of sophistication into what is otherwise a very upright, heavy-set design. The 19-inch wheels, shared in size with the MG Gloster, get a new pattern and, on our test cars, chunkier all-terrain rubber. But here’s the thing: against those vast proportions, they don’t quite fill out the arches the way you’d want them to. You’re left thinking it could have taken a size up without breaking a sweat.

The rear is where it all comes together more cleanly. The full-width LED light bar is neatly integrated and gives it a modern, almost premium finish, especially at night. That said, MG has gone a bit overboard with the badging—it feels like it’s trying just a touch too hard to announce itself. Lower down, the bumper sits proud and houses rectangular exhaust finishers, adding a hint of aggression to an otherwise well-resolved tail.

Cabin and interiors: better quality than Gloster

On the inside, the Majestor clearly moves the game on in terms of perceived quality. The redesigned dashboard feels notably richer, with generous use of soft-touch materials, neatly executed contrast stitching and satin-finish metallic accents that lift the overall ambience. The new door trims follow suit, incorporating a carbon fibre-effect insert that looks quite authentic, paired with ambient lighting that adds a subtle, premium glow.

There’s also a meaningful rethink of the layout. The gear selector has been relocated to the steering column, which frees up valuable real estate on the centre console. In its place are substantial rotary controllers for the 4x4 system, along with twin wireless charging pads. This reconfiguration also enables a more practical, tiered console design, with a lower pass-through storage shelf that neatly integrates USB ports and a 12V socket.

When it comes to usability, it ticks the right boxes. The cup holders can be concealed under a sliding lid, there’s a deep storage compartment beneath the armrest, door pockets are impressively large, and the glovebox offers plenty of space—just as you’d expect from a full-size SUV.

The overriding impression from the cabin is just how much space there is, most noticeably in the second row. You can have it as a traditional bench or, like in our test car, with individual captain’s chairs. The cabin will remind you of the bigger M9 MPV These seats offer slide and recline functions and come with their own armrests, making them particularly inviting. However, they do miss out on a few niceties—seat ventilation, boss mode adjustment and sunblinds, the last of which MG says is being worked on. Even so, the feature list remains strong, with a separate third climate zone, roof-mounted AC vents, USB ports, a 220V power outlet and a large panoramic sunroof adding to the sense of luxury.

The captain’s chairs are spaced far enough apart to allow easy passage to the third row, so you don’t have to awkwardly clamber in. Once seated at the back, the Majestor continues to impress. With the second row slid slightly forward, there’s a healthy amount of knee- and headroom on offer. Foot space is somewhat restricted, and as expected, the seating position is a bit knees-up, but for a third row, it’s genuinely usable. In fact, most adults should find it comfortable enough, even over longer journeys.

In terms of driver assistance, the Majestor takes a step forward by moving from a Level 1 to a more advanced Level 2 ADAS package. Along with features already familiar from the MG Gloster—such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and auto park assist—it now also includes lane keep assist and lane departure prevention. That said, we didn’t get the opportunity to properly evaluate these systems during our drive, so a more conclusive verdict will have to wait until a full road test.

Beyond ADAS, the overall safety kit is fairly comprehensive. The Majestor comes equipped with six airbags, hill-hold and hill-descent control, disc brakes on all four wheels, ISOFIX mounts for child seats and the usual array of electronic stability and traction aids. However, as of now, it hasn’t been subjected to an official crash test, which means there’s no rating to reference just yet.

MG Majestor: Key Specs & Highlights

Driving performance: torquey diesel delights

Powering the Majestor is a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine producing approximately 213bhp and 478Nm, paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

What defines the driving experience is not outright acceleration, but the linearity of power delivery.

In urban conditions, this translates to a relaxed driving experience. The engine rarely feels stressed, and the gearbox works unobtrusively in the background. The engine does suffer from a bit of turbo lag at low speeds but once the turbo spools past 2000rpm, the engine is an eager and responsive unit. The best point is that unlike the Fortuner, this unit on the MG does not feel rough at all. 

At highway speeds, the Majestor settles into a steady cruise. It maintains speed with ease, and the engine remains relatively quiet for a diesel. There’s enough torque in reserve to handle overtakes without requiring aggressive throttle inputs.

Ride and dynamics: Comfort oriented

While MG quotes 10 terrain modes, in reality, there are five primary ones—Normal, Sand, Rock, Mud and Snow—which can be paired with Auto, 4H or 4L depending on conditions. These modes adjust throttle response and traction settings, but in most situations, leaving it in Normal is perfectly adequate, which speaks volumes about its underlying ability. It dealt with everything we threw at it with impressive ease. For those who prefer minimal input, Crawl Control functions like an off-road cruise system, allowing the SUV to inch forward at a set pace. In 4L with Crawl Control engaged, it negotiates rocks and uneven surfaces with remarkable smoothness. Importantly, all this added off-road capability hasn’t come at the cost of its on-road manners—something that will matter far more to most buyers.

Pick up the pace and the steering begins to communicate a little more, which helps build confidence. There’s also a decent amount of grip on offer, aided by the wider 265-section tyres—broader than those on the MG Gloster. That said, this remains a ladder-frame SUV, so it’s never going to feel particularly sharp. What the wider stance does do, however, is lend it a more settled, planted feel at speed. Body roll is quite evident due to the soft suspension, so it’s best not to attack corners too enthusiastically, but respect its nature and it feels surprisingly composed.

The upside of that softer setup is ride comfort. It does a commendable job of soaking up rough surfaces, delivering a plush, easy-going experience. There is some kickback, which is typical of this construction, but it becomes less noticeable as speeds increase. The independent front suspension paired with a 5-link rear setup ensures occupants aren’t tossed around, unlike in something like the Toyota Fortuner. Braking performance is reassuring too, with disc brakes at all four corners bringing it to a controlled stop, even if there is a pronounced nose dip under heavy braking. All things considered, it sets a new reference point for ride and handling among ladder-frame SUVs in this segment, effectively moving the goalposts beyond the Gloster.

Technology integration: well-executed

Technology is a key part of the Majestor’s positioning, but what stands out is how it is implemented.

Core Systems

The infotainment system responds quickly to inputs, and the interface is structured in a way that reduces the learning curve. The digital instrument cluster offers multiple views, allowing the driver to prioritise information based on preference.

Off-road capability

The available 4WD system is supported by multiple terrain modes—Sand, Mud, Snow and Rock. These modes adjust throttle response, traction control and braking to suit different surfaces.

While it is capable off the road, the emphasis is on ease of use rather than hardcore off-roading. The electronics do much of the work, reducing the need for constant driver intervention.

Where it makes an even bigger stride is off the road. In Auto mode, the 4WD system is quick to detect slip and redistribute power, but for tougher climbs, switching to 4H—where torque is evenly split between front and rear—makes more sense. 

Final analysis - Overall score - 95/100 marks

In the overall analysis, the MG Majestor feels like a modern, upmarket and tech loaded XXL-sized SUV. It errs on the side of comfort. The Toyota Fortuner looks and feels outdated in front of the Majestor. The Majestor is a very compelling buy over the Toyota product and feels much more modern and ahead in every way. Go for this new MG. We give it a strong 95/100 marks.