MG unveils Hector SUV, bookings and launch in June

Morris Garages (MG Motor) on May 15 unveiled the Hector sports utility vehicle (SUV), which the SAIC-owned company said will make its India debut in June.

The mid-sized SUV will mark the global entry of the MG brand that has been revived by the Chinese heavyweight SAIC targeting the Indian market. Though actual prices will be revealed next month, the street is expecting the Hector to be priced starting at Rs 13 lakh.

Touted as India's first internet-enabled car, the Hector will take on the likes of Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500, Jeep Compass, Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Captur and the upcoming Kia SUV.

MG currently has 120 sales and service points and will add another 130 by September this year

The launch will give a boost to the segment, which has performed better than the overall SUV market that fell 7 percent in April. While the Tata Harrier, which was launched in January, has started off well, Creta has continued its strong run. Xuv500 is also keeping pace.

Inspired by the Lockheed F35 fight jet design for the front, as claimed by the company, MG will be offering two engine and two fuel options on the Hector. There will be in all four variants and five colour options.

MG Motor India has bought the diesel engine unit from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India. The same engine, 2 litre, 170hp, is seen on the Jeep Compass mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Mileage is expected to be 17-18 kmpl.

The petrol engine is an in-house developed unit. This engine will be a 1.5-litre unit that will generate a peak power of 143hp and is mated to a six-speed transmission. Mileage is expected to be 13-15 kmpl.

There will be a 48V hybrid system that will also be offered, a first in the segment. A dual clutch and six-speed automatic transmission will also be offered.

However, the biggest selling point for the Hector will be the internet connectivity offered on it. The SUV will boast of more than connected features using the iSmart platform which is 4G-enabled now but is 5G-ready too.

The Hector is developed on a platform on which the Baojun 530 SUV was made. The Baojun 530 is a product of the General Motors-SAIC alliance in China.

Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India said, “The platform of the Hector is a global platform. There have been more than 300 changes made to it to make it suitable to the Indian conditions. The Hector is tested for more than a million km and even as we speak there are 50 Hectors taking feedback from people on the street”.

MG hopes to price the Hector competitively given the 75 percent localisation it has started production with. Even the engines are locally manufactured by the company.

Heated outside rearview mirrors, dual front airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera view, tyre pressure monitoring systems, dual pane sunroof, eight colour lighting, Infinity sound system, 7-inch multi-colour display are some of the features on the Hector.

MG claims the boot space, leg space, length, sunroof are the biggest in Hector's class. The front seats will be six-way power adjustable while the side passenger seat can be adjusted four ways. The rear gets a flat floor, one-touch tailgate shut/open. The boot space is the biggest with 587 litres.

The mid-size SUV will be made at the Halol plant in Gujarat which was formerly the General Motors plant that was taken over in mid-2017.

The SAIC-owned brand has promised to inject Rs 2,000 crore in the Indian operations on production, products, engines, technology and brand building. Hector is the first of the MG products which will be followed by an all-electric SUV eZS later in the year.

Original Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/auto/mg-unveils-hector-suv-bookings-and-launch-in-june-3976831.html