Technology has played a major role in the advancement of humankind. Today be it medical science, information technology, or even the most trivial things that are used in our regular day-to-day lives, we are future-ready in almost every aspect. But what about cars? Ever since the first modern automobile was invented back in 1885, cars have essentially been just a mode of transport. Of course, there are more than enough examples of cars that have been the product of indulgence rather than just a necessity; however, one cannot deny that despite all the development in the automotive field, the basic purpose of a car hasn't changed. It's this very notion that Morris Garages or MG Motor is aiming to change with its all-new model, the MG Hector - the internet of cars. The iconic British brand has finally unveiled its all-new SUV, the MG Hector, India's first connected car that has been specifically designed for the Indian market.
The new MG Hector is part of an automotive legacy that goes all the way back to 1924. MG Motor has been making cars that are ahead of its time for decades now. Over the past 95 years, the company has achieved several milestones, like the MG K3 Magnette winning Mille Miglia, one of the toughest races in the world in 1933; the MG Ex181 driven by Sir Stirling Moss set a land speed record of over 410 kmph in 1957, or in 1983 when the company launched the very popular MG Maestro, its first five-door hatchback. In fact, the MG brand has a special royal connection as well. In 1962, the year when Prince Charles of Wales went to study at the university, he bought the MGC, one of the company's most popular two-door sports car.
While these cars talk about the illustrious past of the Morris Garages brand, the new MG Hector is here give us a taste of the future, with its revolutionary iSMART next-gen technology. An all-new advanced connectivity system, iSMART is a completely integrated technology that combines software, hardware, connectivity, services and application, which offers connectivity on the go. Essentially, the system has been designed to offer customers an easier, smoother, and smarter driving experience.
The highlight of this smart infotainment system is the large, highly intuitive 10.4-inch full-HD vertical touchscreen from Cisco that gives all the information at a glance and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings, with just a touch. To make your life easy, the system comes with a host of features like a voice assistant, so like saying Hey Google, here you can activate the in-car control system by saying "Hello MG" to use voice command for doing something simple as opening the sunroof, turning on the air-con system, opening windows, or play music, among others. In fact, unlike most voice assistants that we find on our mobile or home devices, MG's AI (Artificial Intelligence) supported assistant adapts to our Indian-English pronunciation, so the car system can hear you correctly. For full-time connectivity, the system also comes with a first machine to machine embedded sim, along with the SUV Internet Protocol version 6 making it 5G-ready and hence future-proof. Furthermore, the SUV also comes with remote control function that can be accessed through the i-SMART Next Gen app. It's essentially a digital key to your vehicle that allows you to remotely start the vehicle, control the air-con system, open the sunroof, tailgate, and even lock the doors with just a few clicks.
With an aim to make the new MG Hector more than just your average vehicle, MG Motor has equipped it with 19 exclusive features that make the car a part of your everyday life. Some of them that MG Hector offers include - Geo-Fencing, and Emergency Response. What do they do? Well, geo-fencing technology takes car security to a whole new level. This GPS-based technology sets a digital boundary for your car, so in case the system detects that your vehicle has left the pre-set perimeter, it immediately alerts you about it on the iSmart Next-Gen App. To make the SUV safer for you, the carmaker also offers a special Emergency Response system featuring the E-Call function. Basically, all MG Hector SUVs come with a head unit that houses a self-initiated Emergency Call feature connected to MG's 24x7 Pulse Hub. So, in the event of an accident, the system detects that the airbags have been deployed and sends a text message to the Pulse Hub with your location. A call is made to the head unit immediately. In case of no response, the owner's phone is called followed by a call to his/her emergency contact. In case the owner does not respond or needs assistance, emergency response is initiated to offer speedy assistance.
While you can connect your phone to the system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, for your entertainment, the infotainment unit already comes with several pre-installed apps, including the Gaana app. In fact, the MG Hector comes embedded with a Gaana Premium Account, so forget about hassling for your USB cable, because you can listen to your favourite music while driving, at the tap of a button. Moreover, like a smartphone, the system also over-the-air (OTA) downloads function to keep the software up to date. Now that's what you call technology at its best.
Visually, the new MG Hector is undoubtedly one of the most premium-looking SUVs coming to India. The bold chrome detailing along the grille and the headlamps add a rich character to the MG Hector's overall styling, accentuating the projector headlamps and LED daytime running lamps. Adding some extra oomph to the SUV's design are the sporty dual tone diamond cut alloy wheels. One of the biggest highlights of the MG Hector is that it also gets the largest panoramic sunroof in the segment.
Right now, the MG Hector is possibly the most-anticipated SUVs of 2019. The bookings for MG Hector will begin in the first week of June 2019 and we for one, cannot wait for this beautiful and future-ready SUV to hit our roads.
