MG Gloster Desert Storm Edition: A Sandy Surprise Arrives

MG Motor released an unexpected teaser of its flagship Gloster SUV. But forget a facelift; the Gloster is getting a new cosmetic edition, possibly called the Desert Storm Edition. Here’s what we expect from this new variant.

Exterior

When MG introduced the Gloster Blackstorm, it sported blacked-out badging, alloy wheels, grille, and red accents for a sporty look. Based on the teaser showing a sand-covered Gloster, we can likely assume it’ll be called the Desert Storm Edition. It will probably have a beige exterior with additional cladding and variant-specific badging. While variant-specific tires for the 19-inch alloy wheels would be nice, they’re unlikely.

Interior

Like the Blackstorm, the Desert Storm Edition is expected to get a variant-specific cabin design, possibly in beige with special branding. New features are unlikely; it’ll likely borrow from the top-of-the-line Savvy variant.

The top-of-the-line Gloster offers premium synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, powered front seats with a ventilated driver’s seat, a powered tailgate, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital driver display, a Level 2 Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and a 360-degree camera.

Transmission

Under the hood, the Desert Storm Edition retains the powerful 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine producing 215 bhp and 478.5 Nm, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It might be limited to the all-wheel-drive (AWD) option with different off-road modes. The Gloster also offers a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) setup with a 2.0-litre diesel producing 161 bhp and 373.5 Nm, also mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Expected Pricing and Competitors

The MG Gloster Desert Storm Edition is expected to be slightly more expensive than the standard model and will continue to compete with the Toyota Fortuner, Jeep Meridian, and Skoda Kodiaq.