MG Motor unveils Hector SUV, launch in June

Pune: New entrant MG (Morris Garages) Motor, the British car brand owned by the Chinese biggest automaker SAIC Motor, on Wednesday unveiled the much awaited all-new Hector sports utility vehicle (SUV), which will make its India debut in June.

MG Motor India has invested Rs 2,200 crore till now to rebuild its Halol factory in Gujarat which was formerly the General Motors plant that was bought in mid-2017 and to roll out the Hector.

Though actual prices will be revealed next month, the new mid-size SUV is expected to be in the Rs 15-20 lakh range.

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

In fact, the new Hector SUV will mark the global entry of the MG brand that has been revived by the Chinese heavyweight SAIC targeting the Indian market.

The launch will give a boost to the mid-size SUV segment, which has performed better than the overall SUV market that fell 7 per cent in April. While the Tata Harrier, which was launched in January, has started off well, Hyundai Creta has continued its strong run. The Mahindra 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 such as Style, Super, Smart and Sharp 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.