Kamal Ghorui
MG Motor India has silently launched the MG Windsor Commute taxi variant priced at Rs 13.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The fleet-only variant is priced about Rs 61,000 lower than the standard model, with a reduced feature set to achieve that price. It omits several convenience, technology and cosmetic features offered on higher trims. The variant prioritises cost-efficiency and practicality, aligning with the needs of fleet operators, who consider purchase price and maintenance as key factors.
The variant retains key exterior elements such as LED projector headlamps, ORVM-mounted turn indicators and flush door handles, but replaces alloy wheels with 17-inch steel rims without covers. Moving inside, it features a black cabin theme with gold accents on select trims and fabric seat upholstery. It uses a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster from the Excite variant, while the 10.1-inch touchscreen offered on higher trims is not available. Instead, it gets a basic infotainment system with USB, FM and Bluetooth support.
The feature list includes manual air conditioning, manually adjustable ORVMs, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel and power windows. It also offers USB charging ports, with one Type-C and one Type-A at the front and a Type-C port at the rear. Rear passengers get reclining seats. Safety features include four disc brakes, dual airbags, hill-hold assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system and three-point seatbelts.
Talking about the powertrain, the Windsor EV Commute uses a 38kWh battery pack, the same as the Excite variant, with no changes to the powertrain. The battery is rated for a range of 332km (ARAI) in the Excite trim. Charging from 10 to 100 per cent takes about 7 hours with a 7.4kW AC charger, while a 45kW DC fast charger can charge it from 20 to 80 per cent in around 45 minutes.
