The MG Hector has finally been unveiled. It will come in four trim levels, with three power-train choices, for a total of 13 variants, in petrol, diesel and hybrid options. Bookings for the MG Hector will begin shortly and the price announcement will happen in June 2019. Deliveries will start only by July.
MG Motor is setting up 120 dealer outlets across the country. The Hector is a five-seater SUV, which is pretty large. It measures 4,655 mm in length, making it bigger than the Tata Harrier and Mahindra XUV500.
It has a wheelbase of 2,750 mm and its boot is huge at 587 litres of space. But it’s not as wide as the Harrier or XUV500, given its width of 1,835 mm. It has a ground clearance of 192 mm, about at a par with its rivals. It comes with 17-inch wheels and 215/60 R17 tyres, which are slightly smaller than its competitors wheels and look puny on this bulky SUV.
It will come in four trim variants – Style, Super, Smart and Sharp (top-end variant). Prices are expected to start at Rs 15 lakh for the base model going up to Rs 20 lakh for the top-variant.
Earlier it was expected that the Hector would compete in the Rs 25 lakh segment. It will now rival the Mahindra XUV500, Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass rather than the Hyundai Tucson and Mahindra Alturas.
MG Hector Engine Choices
The MG Hector will be available with a choice of three power-trains – a 2-litre diesel engine, a 1.5 litre turbo-charged petrol engine and a 48-volt hybrid system with the 1.5 litre petrol motor. All variants will come with front-wheel drive only, which is a pity considering it’s marketing itself as an SUV.
The 2-litre diesel engine puts out 170 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. It will come with a six-speed manual transmission and two-wheel drive only on the diesel models.
The 1.5 litre turbo-charged petrol motor puts out 143 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque. It comes with a choice of either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission depending on the variant.
The third power-train option is a 48-volt lithium-ion mild-hybrid system. This is similar to the SHVS system that Suzuki uses in the Ciaz, Ertiga and S-Cross. It comes with a starter generator system that adds another 20 Nm of torque to the petrol motor, via a belt assist. It also shuts off and starts up automatically for better fuel-efficiency.
MG Hector Variants & Features
The MG Hector will be available in four trim levels, with various combinations of manual or automatic transmission and hybrid system, for a total of 13 variants. Standard features will include airbags, ABS, traction control, parking sensors, rear AC vents, roof rails, reclining rear seat power adjustable mirrors and DRLs.
Here are some of the features of each variant.
MG Hector Style
Besides the standard features listed above the MG Hector Style gets regular steel wheels with wheel caps and misses out on MG’s 10.4 inch smart infotainment system. It gets a regular sound system with four speakers instead.
MG Hector Super
The Super variant adds LED tail-lamps, LED fog lamps, cruise control, and rear-view camera. It also gets MG’s 10.4-inch touch-screen smart-infotainment system that has Android Auto and Apple Car Play, but misses out on Internet connectivity functions.
MG Hector Smart
The Smart variant adds internet connectivity via a built-in SIM for a range of functions. This includes remote operation of the car via an app, AC controls, car tracking, voice assistant and 8 speakers. It gets four airbags and power-folding mirrors. The instrument panel gets an LCD multi-info display, push-button ignition, power adjustable driver’s seat and leather upholstery.
MG Hector Sharp
Besides all the features present in the Smart variant, the Sharp variant adds a panoramic sunroof, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, six airbags, powered passenger seat and 360 degree camera.
The 10.4 inch connected infotainment system of the MG Hector is its talking point. So much so, it even has a badge on the outside saying “Internet Inside”. The iSmart system can perform a range of functions. It has been developed in partnership with tech companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, Reliance Unlimit, SAP, Cisco, Gaana, TomTom and Nuance.
Scroll the images below for a photo gallery of the MG Hector
Photos & video by: Gunjan Hariramani & Gautam Sharma
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