MG Motor has big plans for the Indian market and it's only starting with the Hector. The Chinese carmaker is gearing up to introduce as many as four new models in India in the next eighteen months and one of them will be a seven-seater version of the Hector. Speaking with carandbike, Gaurav Gupta, Vice President- Sales & Marketing, MG Motor India said, "In eighteen months from today we are targeting to bring four new platforms and these will be SUVs starting with the Hector and towards the calendar year Q3 and early Q4 which is the September-October timeframe we bring in the electric vehicle. In early January we bring in the six-seven seater of the Hector and then in the remaining 12 months we bring in the two new platforms."
Also Read: MG Hector Will Be Launched In Four Variants
The seven-seater MG Hector will be spawned by the same platform which underpins the five-seater version.
We already know that the company has plans to introduce four new platforms by 2021. The Hector and the Hector seven seater are spawned by the same platform which underpins the Baojun 530 SUV (MG Motor's sister brand from SAIC) in China. The MG eZS electric vehicle which shares its underpinnings with SAIC's Roewe RX5 will be its second launch. It is scheduled to be launched in Q3 of this calendar year and the Hector seven-seater will follow after that. Yes! As you would have guessed by now, SAIC is a big marquee in China and has multiple brands under its umbrella. Albeit, the fourth model which will be a subcompact SUV will be more than a corresponding model of any other SAIC's badged product. So expect something like we saw Mahindra doing with the SsangYong Tivoli and tailoring it to suit the taste of Indian customers as well as complying with the sub-four-metre norms. Now the big news is that top officials at MG Motor are planning to introduce the iSmart connectivity features in its entire line up in a bid to be future ready. And this also means another subcompact SUV with connected car features is almost certain.
Also Read: MG Motor Opens Its First Flagship Showroom In India
MG Motor's every model in India is likely to feature the iSmart connected car tech.Coming back to the Hector seven-seater, be assured that it will be a connected car as well and will share an extensive range of features with the Hector. As far as engine options are concerned, we expect Hector's petrol and diesel engine options to be carried over on the seven-seater version in a slightly uprated state of tune. Plenty details about the Hector have already been revealed and we are well aware of the engines that will be on offer. The diesel engine is the Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre Multijet engine which churns out 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and develops 141 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The petrol also gets a 6-speed dual clutch unit which offers smoother shifts. There is also a hybrid variant where the same 1.5-litre petrol engine is coupled with a 48 Volt mild hybrid system. A 48-volt lithium-ion battery helps store energy and provides extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm when required. The combination also helps in reducing emissions by up to 12 per cent using three key functions - Engine Auto Start-Stop, Regenerative Braking and E-Boost.
