MG Motor India has announced that the bookings for the Hector compact SUV will begin from June 4, 2019. The all-new offering is slated for launch later this month and will be available to book online on the company's website from 12 pm onward. MG Motor will initially commence bookings from across 120 centres in India, and will expand to 250 touch points across the country by September 2019. Production of the Hector SUV is underway at the company's Halol plant, while dispatches will begin very soon to the dealerships. The plant, formerly owned by GM, has seen an investment of Rs. 2200 crore from MG Motor, which included refurbishing the facility and rolling out its first product - the MG Hector. The automaker has installed an all-new assembly line, a press shop, a body shop, a parts distribution centre, a testing track and a new state-of-the-art training facility in the plant - all within a span of 18 months.
Also Read: MG Hector SUV Unveiled. Features, Engine details
The company recently showcased the production version of the Hector and we'll soon get to drive it too but it enters in the connected car space which is the next big thing in the Indian automotive space. In fact, it will be the segment's first connected car and gets over 100 connected car features which have been developed in collaboration with several tech companies. A vertically-mounted 10.4-inch ultra large Full-HD infotainment screen takes the centre stage and comes with pre-loaded entertainment content and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings a range of features. The system offers features like - Real-Time Navigation, Remote Location, Geo-Fencing, Emergency Response and much more. The software will be updated via over-the-air (OTA) downloads like firmware and features updates like any updates. The SUV will come with pre-loaded apps like - TomTom IQ Maps, Gaana Premium, and AccuWeather app among others and MG will give free data service for the first five years.
The Hector is MG Motor India's first car in the country
Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, "MG Hector has been developed with a high degree of localized content to cater to the specific needs of new-age Indian consumers. As India's first internet car with 50+ connected features, the Hector will come with 19 exclusive product features, making it the new benchmark in its segment. Customers will be able to experience the Hector first-hand very soon and we are ready to welcome new customers into the world of MG."
The cabin of the Hector SUV comes with a vertically-mounted 10.4-inch ultra large Full-HD infotainment screen
On the engines front, the MG Hector will come with a 2.0-litre engine which is the Fiat sourced Multijet unit which also powers other models in the segment like the Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass. It churns out 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard. It lacks an automatic transmission in the diesel variant but the petrol gets a 6-speed dual clutch unit which offers smoother shift. The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine is also mated to a six-speed manual transmission and develops 141 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. MG is also offering the Hector with a hybrid variant which uses a 48 Volt mild hybrid system. A 48-volt lithium-ion battery helps store energy and provide 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.
