MG Hector has been the talk of the town recently and rightly so, as this newest SUV comes with several class-leading features. Owned by China based SAIC Motor, MG will be looking to sell around 3K units of Hector per month. We already know quite a bit about MG Hector, as the company had revealed almost all the details at an event earlier this month.
What most probable buyers are now asking is, how to book MG Hector. Well, that answer too has been answered today. MG Hector can be booked at all the 120 outlets across India from 4th June 2019. All these 120 outlets are spread across 50 cities of India, whose list will be made available on the MG India website soon.
Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “MG Hector has been developed with a high degree of localized content to cater to the specific needs of new-age Indian consumers. As India’s first internet car with 50+ connected features, the Hector will come with 19 exclusive product features, making it the new benchmark in its segment. Customers will be able to experience the Hector first-hand very soon and we are ready to welcome new customers into the world of MG.”
MG Hector will be offered in a choice of petrol 1.5 liter engine, petrol hybrid and diesel 2 liter. MG Hector hybrid variant features 48-volt mild-hybrid system and is offered with 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Standard petrol variant of Hector has a fuel efficiency of 14.16 km/l whereas the hybrid variant delivers 15.81 km/l. This is quite close to 17.41 km/l mileage of Hector diesel variant. Hector hybrid variant is offered only with 6-speed manual gearbox and is available in top-spec trims – Super, Smart and Sharp. Fuel efficiency of petrol automatic variant is the lowest at 13.96 km/l.
When the objective is to reduce cost, mild-hybrid system works out as a better option, as compared to full-fledged hybrid system. This is why MG has chosen mild hybrid system for Hector in the Indian market. Apart from being fuel efficient, Hector’s mild hybrid system will also be advantageous in terms of enhanced torque output. It will deliver around 20 Nm of additional torque at low speeds, which will reduce turbo lag and ensure improved driving dynamics in city traffic conditions.
MG Hector hybrid variant is also equipped with regenerative braking, which converts the kinetic energy generated during braking into electricity. This is then used to charge the 48-volt battery. Another great feature is the automatic engine stop-start system, which switches off the engine at idle speeds in order to save fuel.
As BS-VI emission norms are set to increase the cost of manufacturing compliant diesel engines, Hector’s petrol mild-hybrid variant will be available at a relatively affordable price. It will also allow MG to comply with stricter Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms.
When launched, Hector hybrid variant will be the cheapest 48V mild-hybrid vehicle in the country. The only other such vehicle in the Indian market is Mercedes-Benz C-class, which comes with a price tag of Rs 43.46 lakh (ex-showroom).
Expected to be priced in the range of Rs 15-20 lakh, MG Hector will go on sale next month. It will take on rivals such as Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass and Mahindra XUV500. MG’s next launch in India will be all-electric eZS SUV, which also comes with several class-leading features.
