Morris Garages India’s latest offering – the Astor – has already surpassed the 5,000 bookings mark. However, the real astonishing factor is that it happened in just 20 minutes after the brand officially opened bookings for the car. Don’t worry, the bookings counter hasn’t been shut. That is still open, and the minimum token amount is Rs 25,000. But, if you book one now, MG will only deliver the SUV early next year. In other words, the entire stock for 2021 is sold out. As for deliveries, they shall commence from November 1, 2021.

Remember that MG Motor India launched the Astor earlier this month with an introductory price list. Calculated guesswork would lead anyone to believe that the carmaker would increase the prices after the first batch was accounted for. Thankfully, that isn’t the case. Based on the brand’s official website, the SUV is still up for grabs at original prices. In all likelihood, the company will hold the same prices until the end of the year. Here’s how the Astor is priced at the moment:

5,000 seems like a small number for a brand that has a generous production capacity. And, of course, MG would love to garner and deliver more units at the earliest. However, due to the shortage of semiconductors, the carmaker is currently operating at 50-60 per cent of its capacity. That’s one common problem every vehicle manufacturer across the globe is tackling.

That said, MG Motor India is staying optimistic about 2022. It feels things on the supply front will improve, which should help grow the business and utilise more production space. The Astor slides in a hugely competitive segment that Hyundai Creta currently dominates. The Korean car has bragging rights with a market share of over 40 per cent. Other potent products in the same space include the Nissan Kicks, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun.