MG Hector Plus to get all wheel drive shortly

MG Motors is working on an all-wheel-drive model of the Hector Plus. They will be launching the 4×4 system with the new Savvy variant which will be the new top-end variant for the Hector Plus. Currently, the top variant of the Hector Plus is the Sharp. MG Motors is also planning to introduce ADAS or Advance Driver Assistance System features for the Hector Plus. It was the Gloster that first debuted with the driver aids functionality in the Indian market. However, MG Motors wants it to make these features more accessible to Indian customers. Once these features are available with the Hector Plus, it will be the cheapest vehicle that you can buy that comes equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance System features.

All of this is being done to position the Hector Plus, as a worthy competitor to the upcoming Mahindra XUV500 which is also expected to get the same feature set. The previous generation of the XUV500 was also offered with an all-wheel-drive variant and the upcoming new generation of the XUV500 is expected to get the Advanced Driver Assistance aids.

The new XUV500 will also get 4×4 system on the higher end variants making it a very practical family SUV. The 2021 XUV500 is expected to go on sale in mid of 2021. Whereas, we think that MG Motors will be launching the new Savvy variant of the Hector Plus in the first half of 2021 to give it a first-mover advantage over the 2021 XUV500.

Powering the Hector Plus 4×4 will be the existing options of powertrains. So, there will be a 1.5-litre petrol engine as well as the 2.0-litre diesel engine. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine produces 143 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to 6-speed Dual Clutch Automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox. You can also get a 48V mild-hybrid variant which is only offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Whereas, the 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine produces 170 PS of max power and 350 Nm of peak torque. The engine is only offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox as there is no automatic transmission on offer.

Also read: MG Hector Facelift to be launched in 2021

MG Motors is also working on a facelift of the Hector to give it a more modern touch as it has been some time since it is on sale. This will refresh its appeal among the competitors. We still do not know if it will get a feature upgrade or not. What we do know is that it will get a revised more muscular grille and a new set of diamond-cut alloy wheels. We hope that the alloy wheel size is now upgraded to 18-inches instead of 17-inches on the current one. This will help in improving the stance of the SUV.

The LED headlamps and the LED Daytime Running Lamps will be carried over from the current generation of Hector. Just like other manufacturers, MG Motors has also announced a price hike from January 2021. MG says that the prices are being increased due to an increase in miscellaneous costs. The price revision will be up to 3 percent, depending on the model. They will also be launching a 7-seater version of the Hector Plus soon in the Indian market.

Featured image courtesy MotorScribes

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