MG Hector In Pics: Looks, Interior, Features & More

MG’s first offering for India is equipped with various segment-first features, including a 48V mild hybrid system

Updated on: 17 May 2019 5:09 pm

Slated for launch in June 2019, MG has unveiled its first offering for the Indian market, the Hector. It is a mid-size SUV that will take on the likes of the Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500 and the Hyundai Tucson. So let’s take a detailed look at what the Hector has to offer.

At 1835mm, the Hector is not the widest SUV in its class (Harrier - 1894mm), but it looks imposing when seen from the front thanks to the large radiator grille flanked by the LED DRLs.

The top-mounted LED DRLs also work as dynamic turn indicators on the Hector. The Harrier also features dual purpose LED DRLs but the turn indicators on the Tata are not dynamic in nature.

The Hector features bumper-mounted headlamps, like the Harrier. It gets a dual-barrel LED projector setup. Sitting below the headlamps are the LED fog lamps. The Hector is also equipped with front parking sensors.

The Hector, when launched, will be the second connected SUV in the country after the Hyundai Venue. It is equipped with e-Sim which allows the user to control car functions like AC, door lock/unlock, engine start/stop through a mobile app.

Seen from the side, the Hector looks rather sporty thanks to a floating roof and sharp shoulder line. Also adding to its presence is the window line with a kink behind the C-pillar (the third pillar near the passenger door) and squared-off wheel arches. Moreover, at 4655mm, the Hector is the longest SUV in its class (Harrier - 4598mm). It also has the longest wheelbase at 2750mm (Harrier - 2741mm).

The Hector rides on 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels which are wrapped in 215/60R17 tyres.

The Hector features quirky styling at the back. It comprises a small windshield sitting above that integrated spoiler. Just below the spoiler comes the LED tail lamps that are connected by plastic trim element underlined by chrome strip. The rear bumper gets a dual-tone setup with a faux skid plate housing the dual exhaust ports. Out of the two ports, only the one on the left is functional, while the one on the right is a fake port.

The MG Hector will be available with both petrol and diesel engine options. Visible in the image above is the Hector petrol, which is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. It makes 143PS of power and 250Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as well a dual clutch automatic transmission.

The Hector diesel, on the other hand, gets a 2.0-litre engine that makes 170PS and 350Nm with a 6-speed MT. This engine also powers the Compass and the Harrier. Where in the Compass, it is available in the almost similar spec (173PS/350Nm), in the Harrier it is offered in a lower tune producing 140PS and 350Nm.

The Hector is the first mass-market offering to feature a 48V mild hybrid system. The mild hybrid system will only be offered with the Hector in addition to the E variant, that too as an option. Additionally, this setup will only be offered with the 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Hector features an all-black cabin. The portrait-oriented 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system takes centre stage. It is after all the biggest in the segment.

The infotainment system in the Hector is one of the most advanced units in its class. Along with standard features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, it also offers convenience features such as navigation (powered by TomTom) with live traffic alerts, a 360-degree parking camera, AI-enabled voice recognition, which MG says has been developed to understand Indian accents, TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system), and separate controls for media, phone and system alerts. MG will also offer an iSMART mobile application that will allow users to control the AC, door lock/unlock, tailgate and even open and close the sunroof.

The Hector features an analogue instrument cluster. However, you do get a large 7-inch MID (multi-info display) in between the speedometer and tachometer.

The Hector is equipped with a panoramic sunroof. However, it is not the only SUV in its class to offer this. The Tucson and the Compass are also offered with panoramic sunroofs.

Mounted on the central floor console are the controls for the 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake and the auto start/stop function. The auto start/stop feature is expected to be limited to the petrol-hybrid variant.