British carmaker MG (Morris Garages) Motor on Wednesday finally unveiled its first offering for the Indian carbuyer: the Hector. Also touted as India’s first internet car with over 50 connected features, it will be the first ‘mildly-hybrid’ model in the market.
The company has introduced the Hector with 19 exclusive features that, it says, will make the SUV a new benchmark in its segment. Some of these include MG Motor’s new iSMART technology suite designed to offer customers safe and connected experiences, alongside the biggest HD touchscreen in its segment at 10.4 inches.
MG Motor, which is owned by Chinese auto giant SAIC India, has invested Rs 2,200 crore so far to rebuild the Halol manufacturing facility which is manufacturing the Hector. MG’s Halol plant currently has a production capacity of 80,000 units per annum.
MG Motor India will begin shipments of the Hector SUV within the next few weeks to its widespread network of 120 outlets across 50 cities. The carmaker aims to expand its network to 250 outlets by the end of September this year. With pre-booking and the launch of the car expected to take place within the next few months, the new SUV is set to take on rivals like the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass.
On the engine side, the three SUVs are powered by the same Fiat sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The power and torque output of Hector and Compass are same, at about 171 PS and 350 Nm, while that Harrier has been reduced to 140 PS and 350 Nm. The fuel efficiency of the diesel variant of the three vehicles hovers at around 17 km per litre.
The petrol-powered models, meanwhile, are offered in two variants in the Hector, one of which comes with a 48V battery-powered hybrid system. The power output remains the same for both variants with the 1.5 liter petrol engine (143 PS), but the torque in the hybrid unit is 20 Nm more than that of the non-hybrid version. The Compass petrol model comes with a 1.4 liter engine that produces 160 PS and 243 Nm. Tata does not offer a petrol variant for the Harrier.
The MG Hector is bigger than its rivals and also offers the largest boot space. The Tata Harrier stands second in terms of the wheelbase and length, while the Jeep Compass is the smallest. Features-wise all three come loaded, boasting six airbags in their top variants.
As for the price, the Tata Harrier starts at Rs 12.7 lakh and goes up to Rs 16.25 lakh, the Jeep Compass ranges from Rs 15.60 lakh to Rs 23.11 lakh and the MG Hector is expected be priced between Rs 16 lakh to `21 lakh.