MG Motor Hector Unveiled As India’s First Internet Car; To Take On Compass, Harrier

MG (Morris Garages) is finally on its way to mark its entry to India with the launch of its first SUV in the country. The British auto maker has unveiled the Hector, which, it is terming as India’s first internet car, offering 50+ connected features.

In addition, the Hector also comes as India’s first 48V hybrid SUV, a mild hybrid technology that is meant to reduce the emissions from the SUV’s petrol engine. A 48-volt lithium ion battery helps store energy and provide extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm when required, resulting in a more efficient drive. The 48V mild hybrid will come with select petrol manual trims and will enable three key functions – Engine Auto Start Stop, Regenerative Braking and E-Boost. MG says that the technology will be able to reduce the emissions on Hector by as much as 12%.

However, the connected features on the MG Hector steal the showlight. India’s first connected car comes with i-SMART technology that enables the users to remotely monitor as well as control several of the car’s functions. These functions include remote AC on/off, sunroof open/ close, door lock/ unlock as well as features like vehicle tracking, vehicle status check, multiple vehicle tracking and much more. MG says that the Hector comes with 19 such exclusive features.

As for its make, the company says that the Hector’s character lines are defined by geometric shapes, horizontal flow and symmetry. MG has tested the Hector over one million kilometers in India to test out the car’s durability in Indian conditions.

Performance of the Hector is backed by a 1.5 litre turbo-charged engine for the petrol variants delivering 143 PS power at a peak torque of 250 Nm. The 2.0 litre engine i9n the diesel variant will put out 170 PS at a peak torque of 350 Nm. The vehicle uses MG’s ingenious DCT transmission for the AT variants.

With 120 outlets across 50 cities, the Hector will be available in both diesel and petrol variants post its launch in the country next month.