2019 MG Hector SUV unveiled in India

Tuhin Guha Updated: September 27, 2019, 05:27 PM IST

MG Motor India has unveiled its first offering for India, the MG Hector SUV. The MG SUV is expected to be priced around the Rs 16 to 20 lakh mark when it launches in the coming months. It will go up against cars like the Tata Harrier and Hyundai Creta.

The bookings will commence in the Month of June and deliveries to be expected, soon after that.

The Hector will get three engines at launch, two petrols and a diesel. One petrol will be a 1.5 litre turbocharged unit with 143PS and 250Nm while the other will add a 48V mild hybrid system to the mix. This will possibly allow for it to feature a start-stop system, regenerative braking and add torque fill functionality. The diesel engine will be the 2.0-litre FCA Multijet unit as seen on the Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier. The Hector will get it in the 173PS and 350Nm guise. Gearbox options are expected to be a six-speed manual and DCT.

Dimensionally, the Hector is 4,655mm long, 1,835mm wide and 1,760mm tall. Wheelbase is 2,750mm.

The Hector will be available in four variants, Style, Super, Smart and Sharp. The diesel and petrol manual drivetrains will be available on all trims. The manual hybrid will not be sold with the base trim while DCT petrol will come with only the top two trims. The Hector will be available in five colours, candy white, Aurora silver, starry black, burgundy red and glaze red. The flagship glaze red will only be put on Smart and Sharp trimmed cars.

The top-spec Sharp trim will get numerous features unseen in this segment before. These include panoramic sunroof, heated outer mirrors, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, 4-way electrically adjustable co-driver seat, mood lighting in 8 colours and 360-degree camera.

The MG Hector's party trick is its 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This system comes with numerous connected car features, previously unseen in this price bracket. It gets real-time navigation, internet-based entertainment and music apps, and a voice assist system. All via an onboard 5G ready SIM card. Further, through the iSmart app, users can remotely lock or unlock the Hector, switch on air-conditioning and keep a check on vehicle stats.

Initially, only a five-seater will be available, similar in size to the Harrier and Tucson. The styling is as expected, it shares much with Baojun 530 from China but with an MG-specific grille and mildly reworked headlamps. So overall, the car looks quite imposing with an angular, boxy theme. There is some prominent sculpting along the side while the rear follows into a set of quite sharp creases, dominated by large rectangular lamps. The Hector's tail lamps are connected by a red reflector band, unlike on the Baojun.

The MG Hector will have localized content upto 75 per cent. The SAIC-owned brand is expected to have 100 sales and service outlets by the time of the Hector's launch. MG Motor India has put in Rs 2,200 crores in refurbishing the ertswhile GM facility in Halol, Gujarat. This facility has a 80,000 car capacity and production of the Hector has already begun.