British automaker MG launched the much-anticipated Hector SUV in India in June. The new car has received a pretty good response from buyers in the country. The company has already received more than 12,000 bookings for the SUV. A reason behind the good response to the car is also the aggressive pricing strategy adopted by MG for its debut vehicle in India: Hector starts from Rs. 12.18 lakhs for the base petrol variant and goes up to Rs. 16.88 lakhs for the top diesel variant.
An interesting insight from the bookings data is that more than 50% people have expressed interest in the petrol variant of Hector and 70% of these are for DCT-equipped models. The top variants of the Hector are more in demand as can be seen in these pictures below where Instagram user techtraveleat taking delivery of his MG Hector. He became the first person in Kerala to get delivery of the new SUV by MG.
The MG Hector challenges the likes of Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500, Tata Hexa, and Kia Seltos in India. While Tata Harrier is the sales leader in the segment for now, it will be interesting how the scene changes in the next 2-3 months. MG is offering segment-best after-sales support with the Hector in the form of 5 year/unlimited km warranty along with 5 years free RSA cover and 5 years of labor free service. This can be a deciding factor for several potential buyers. Another factor that makes Hector an attractive option are the features that remove any doubt whatsoever from the minds of new customers.
These include a 10.4-inch infotainment system, embedded e-SIM with Internet-based facilities, reclining rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, panoramic sunroof, heated ORVMs, powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera surround view camera, 8-color ambient lighting. Coming to safety features, the SUV comes with ABS+EBD, reverse parking sensors, Electronic Stability Control, traction control, fatigue reminder system, hill-hold control, and six-airbag system.
Talking about mechanicals, Hector will be offered with both petrol and diesel options. The petrol variant will come with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that generates 143 PS power and 250 Nm torque. The diesel variant, on the other hand, will come with a 2.0-litre Multijet unit that produces 170 PS power and 350 Nm torque. MG will also offer a 48V hybrid system as an optional feature with the top three petrol variants of the Hector, making it the only vehicle in its segment to come with a hybrid drivetrain. MG offers the petrol variants of Hector with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission option while all other variants get a 6-speed manual gearbox.