MG Hector SUV clocks 10,000 bookings: Get ready for long waiting periods

MG Motors launched its much-awaited debut vehicle in India yesterday. Called the MG Hector, the SUV has been launched at a terrific price point, starting at Rs. 12.18 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is cheaper than Tata Harrier (12.99 lakh). The top end diesel variant of the car costs Rs. 16.88 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Bookings for the MG Hector were open since the 4th of June and now have clocked the 10,000 figure, making it one of the quickest cars to reach that figure. What this also translates into is that the waiting periods of the SUV will rise rapidly.

Currently, MG has 120 touchpoints across India and the bookings were being accepted through offline and online modes at a payment of Rs 50,000. Taking the case of the Harrier, the Tata SUV had waiting periods of more than 3 months after a month from its launch due to extremely high demands. However, that also depends on the production capacity of the manufacturing plant. MG Motor’ first plant has been established in Halol, Gujrat, with a proposed capacity of 80,000 units per year. With that killer pricing strategy, the demand for the SUV is expected to rise by next month. However, the success of the vehicle will be determined by its sales performance after the initial months.

Talking about the MG Hector, it comes with several unique and segment first features to boast of. The SUV gets an M2M (Machine to Machine) communication chip which enables it to be connected to the internet all the time. The 10.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system can recognize over a 100 voice commands apart from performing a plethora of functions. The Hector also gets the largest boot space in the segment apart from sporting the largest panoramic sunroof ever seen at this price point in India. Other features including reclining rear seats, ambient mood lighting, electric tailgate, real-time navigation, remote location, emergency response and geo-fencing. On the outside too, the Hector looks impressive with those LED DRLs up front and dollops of chrome all around.

Talking about the engines available on the Hector, MG will offer both petrol and diesel engine options with the SUV. The petrol engine will be a 1.5-litre petrol unit that will pump out 143 PS of power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine, on the other hand, will be the 2.0-litre Multijet unit that produces a maximum power of 170 PS and 350 Nm of peak torque. MG will also offer a 48V hybrid system as an optional feature with the top three petrol variants and the Hector will be the only vehicle in its segment to come with a hybrid drivetrain. Talking about the gearbox options, the petrol variants will get a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission as an option while all other variants get a 6-speed manual gearbox.