MG Hector SUV to be launched today: What to expect from the Tata Harrier rival

MG Motor will launch the Hector SUV later today. The Hector is a rebranded Chinese SUV called the Baojun 530, which has been significantly re-engineered to suit the Indian market. The MG Hector is expected to rub shoulders with the likes of the Tata Harrier and Mahindra XUV500, and is a 5 seat SUV. A 7 seat version of the Hector is likely to arrive early next year. As for pricing, MG Motor could pleasantly surprise us by pricing the Hector at par with the Tata Harrier, or even slightly cheaper. The SUV has already begun reaching MG Motor dealerships across India and test drives have begun. Even pre-bookings of the SUV have begun. MG builds the Hector at the former General Motors factory in Halol, Gujarat, which is now owned by SAIC – the company that also owns the British car brand MG.

The MG Hector will be offered with two engine options: a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 140 Bhp-250 Nm and a 2 liter Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel engine with 170 Bhp-350 Nm. The petrol engine also gets a 48V mild hybrid powertrain to reduce fuel consumption and tail pipe emissions.

Both engines get 6 speed manual gearboxes that drive the front wheels while the non-hybrid version of the turbo petrol engine is also available with a 6 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox. The Hector will not get a four wheel drive layout even as an option but what the SUV will get is a bunch of segment leading features, with which MG Motor will try to attract SUV buyers who have many SUVs to choose from in the 12-20 lakh rupee segment.

Do check out our review of the MG Hector!

Some of the segment leading features on the MG Hector include a largest-in-class panoramic sunroof, reclining rear seat, longest wheelbase of 2,850 mm, spacious interiors with rich leather upholstery, powered tail gate, a 360 degree camera to make parking the large SUV easy, 8 colour ambient lighting and the biggest boot in the segment.

Other features on the SUV include driver and passenger airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, TomTom infotainment unit with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 60:40 split rear seat, rear AC vents, push button start, keyless entry, an eight-speaker entertainment system and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The SUV will be available in four trims – Style, Super, Smart and Sharp, across 13 variants.