Upcoming launch of the MG Hector has been the talk of the auto town recently. To let you know MG (Morris Garage) used to be a British brand and has a very rich heritage, but it is now totally owned by top Chinese carmaker SAIC. MG is all set to make an entry in the Indian market in the coming months and their first product here will be the MG Hector. MG Hector’s launch can take place sometime around the middle of 2019. While the Hector SUV maybe the first vehicle that the brand will launch in the Indian market, the Chinese-owned British brand has 3 more cars that it will launch in India.
Talking of the other upcoming vehicles of the MG brand in India, following the launch of Hector the brand will then launch the MG e-ZS in the country’s market. As the name already gives away, the upcoming car will be an all-electric vehicle, an electric SUV to be precise. This new electric SUV could be launched in India around October 2019. The expected price for the upcoming electric SUV has been pegged at around Rs. 20 lakh. The other vehicle that will be soon launched in India by MG will be a –seater SUV. This upcoming full-size SUV will actually be based on the Hector SUV, however it will be brought under a different name. Something similar to what Tata is doing with the Harrier and Cassini in the Indian market. The fourth car that the Chinese-owned British brand will launch in India will be a small SUV that will lock horns with Maruti Brezza and Hyundai Creta in India.
As far as the smaller SUV is concerned, the Baojun 510 SUV was seen testing in India recently. Baojun 510 will be the small SUV that will find itself stacked under the MG Hector in Indian market likely with a sub Rs. 10 lakh price. Upon launch, the Baojun 510 SUV will be the most affordable MG car in India. Later, when the brand launches a sub-4-meter compact SUV in India, that will take the place of Baojun derived SUV as the most affordable MG SUV in India.
MG Motors has been investing heavily in localization of their upcoming models and they are aiming for a 75 percent localization for their cars in India. Having acquired the defunct plant from US carmaker GM in Gujarat’s Halol, the brand plans to manufacture their first SUV the MG Hector there.
MG Motors India’s Managing Director Rajeev Chaba said the following about the brand’s intention in India.
We are a serious player, and would make sure that a customer not only gets the right product but also enjoys a healthy post-sales experience.
The company will price the Hector SUV very aggressively and load it with features so that it can lure in the customers headed for Compass or Harrier. The Chinese SUV will come with 360-degree parking camera, flat-bottomed steering wheel, cruise control, and TPMS. Apart from that, the SUV will be equipped with dual-tone dashboard, sunroof on top models, LED projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, Harman Infinity audio system, 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and leather seats.
As far as the engine options for the MG Hector are concerned, the upcoming Chinese owned British brand SUV will come equipped with two engine options. The first will be a 1.5L liter turbocharged petrol and the other a 2L Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel, the latter being the same one found on Compass and Harrier. The outputs for petrol engine will be 143 Bhp-250 Nm. Whereas the diesel engine is supposed to be produce the same kind of output seen on Compass – 170 Bhp of power and 350 Nm