MG Motor India’s 6- or 7-seater Hector Plus will be offered in three variants: Super, Smart and Sharp
SAIC-owned MG Motor India showcased its upcoming Hector Plus at Auto Expo 2020 held in early February. The three-row avatar of the popular MG Hector was supposed to launch in April 2020. However, COVID-19 pandemic struck around the same time and all launches were put on hold. As the lockdown protocols were relaxed, MG Motor India commenced production of the Hector Plus at its manufacturing plant in Halol, Gujarat.
MG Motor India has already revealed its plans to launch the new Hector Plus in July. Over the weeks, the ‘internet SUV’ was spotted undisguised on multiple occasions. Compared to the regular Hector, the Hector Plus offers much more than added seating.
The Hector Plus has been added to the official MG Motor India website (which also list the Gloster premium SUV) albeit without full specifications. We have rounded up all the basic details you should know, including its variants, powertrain choices, dimensions and notable features.
The 2020MY MG Hector Plus will come in three variants: Super, Smart and Sharp. Its 5-seater sibling is available in a ‘Style’ trim as well. The three-row Hector Plus gets significant changes to its exteriors. For starters, it sports a sleeker grille design, revised bumpers and new lighting and DRL clusters. A new exhaust tip is also on the list.
In terms of dimensions, the Hector Plus measures 4,720mm in length — 65mm more than the standard Hector. Wheelbase, width and height remain the same at 2,750mm, 1,835mm and 1,760mm, respectively. Depending on the variant, the second row gets either a bench or individual captain seats. Sharing much of its interior design elements with the regular Hector, the Hector Plus will get new colour options. Other features include a 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment system, dual-tone dashboard, panoramic roof and the familiar MG in-car connectivity suite.
There will be three BS6 powertrain choices for the MG Hector Plus: 143bhp/250Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol, its 48V mild-hybrid variant and 170bhp/350Nm 2.0-litre diesel engine. Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DCT.
Once launched, the MG Hector Plus will be a compelling alternative to the Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass and a worthy rival to the Tata Gravitas. Hyundai Motor India is working on a three-row Creta model (supposedly called Alcazar) while FCA is planning an three-row Compass for global markets. One can expect the 2020MY MG Hector Plus to be costlier than its 5-seater counterpart by almost Rs 1 lakh. The MG Hector BS6 carries a starting price of Rs 12.73 lakh ex-showroom.