MG to launch 4 more SUVs in India: 7 seater Hector to all electric e-ZS SUV

MG will launch the much-awaited Hector SUV next month. It will mark the foray of the British brand (now Chinese owned) in India. MG, however, has planned a full inning ahead of the launch of its debut vehicle here. What we mean here is that the brand will launch as many as 4 SUVs in the coming two years. Going by the current craze of SUVs in India, it seems to be a logical step. For those guessing that MG will be an SUV only brand like Jeep, no, that’s not the case. The brand will bring other products like a sedan in the market too but its initial focus seems to be on SUVs through which it can make a good entry into the Indian automotive scene.

The first of these four upcoming SUVs will be the MG e-ZS electric SUV, which is expected to be launched in India before the end of this year and possibly during the festive season. It will have a starting price below the Rs 10 lakh price mark, which will make it among the lowest priced EVs in India upon being launched. Internationally, the MG eZS get powered by a 110kW electric motor that translates into about 150 PS of maximum power. It generates a maximum of 350 Nm of peak torque. The car can do 0-50 km/h in 3.1 seconds and offers a range of 350 km. Like the Hector, the e-ZS will also come with quite a few segment-first features including a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, embedded eSIM and more. The MG e-ZS will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Nissan Kicks among others upon being launched.

Next in the line is the 7-seater version of the MG Hector. It will be launched in early 2020. The same trick is being implemented by Tata too, in the form of the 7 seater Harrier, now called the Cassini. Unlike the Cassini though, the 7-seater Hector is expected to be virtually the same in terms of design and exteriors. The Hector has a huge amount of space at the back of its second-row seats and therefore fitting the 3rd row won’t be much of an issue. The Baojun 530 SUV, on which the Hector is based, already has a 7 seater version on sale in China. Expect the same engine and gearbox combination to be available on the 7-seater Hector too.

The next two SUVs haven’t yet been revealed by the company but will be here in the next two years. Going by the company’s current strategy, it could be that MG will bring in a full-size SUV, based on the X Motion concept, that would rival the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and even the Honda CR-V among others in the segment. The other SUV could be a smaller one, either a challenger to the Hyundai Creta or a sub-4 meter SUV. Taking into account the immense popularity of the smaller SUV segments, MG will try to get its own share in that market soon.