MG Motor India has launched a bigger variant of its much successful SUV in India - the MG Hector. The new variant comes with captain seats in the middle row and a corresponding ¡®Plus¡¯ moniker, highlighting its name as the MG Hector Plus.
Priced from Rs 13.49 to Rs 18.21 lakh for the petrol variant and between Rs 14.44 and Rs 18.54 lakh for the diesel option, Hector Plus is meant to be a chauffeur-driven SUV with the car owners being able to relax for the ride in the middle rows. There is a third-row that is able to seat teenagers as well.
Apart from the extended dimensions, is there any difference between the Hector and the Hector Plus? The few upgrades are mentioned here -??
Hector Plus is around 65 mm lengthier than the regular Hector. This is thanks to reworked front and rear bumpers. In addition, MG has come up with a new mesh design for the grille and has restyled the headlight clusters around it.
On the inside, the Hector Plus gets an additional row of seating with the captain seats as the highlight of the car. Other than that, the 6-seater SUV gets a recoloured interior theme that uses tan brown leatherette upholstery instead of the regular black one on the MG Hector.
The rest of the features, including the 10.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, analogue instrument cluster with touch display, multi-function steering wheel and connected vehicle technology remain the same.
Just like MG Hector, the Hector Plus gets a panoramic sunroof, an Infinity audio system and ambient lighting. Safety features include six airbags, ABS, ESC, traction control, hill-hold assist, a tyre pressure monitor as well as a 360-degree camera.
An additional feature on the Hector Plus is a hands-free function for opening the tailgate. Users can simply swipe their leg across the underside of the tailgate to signal it to open.
The Hector Plus comes in four engine-gearbox options, similar to those seen on the Hector. These include a 170 hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine with 6-speed manual gearbox; a 143hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DCT automatic; and a hybrid system with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired to a 48V system and a 6-speed manual gearbox.
MG Motor has already begun taking pre-orders for all the four powertrain options in India, at a booking amount of Rs 50,000. The SUV is available in six colour options - Starry Sky Blue, Glaze Red, Burgundy Red, Starry Black, Candy White and Aurora Silver.
MG is also expected to launch a 7-seater variant of the Hector Plus with bench-styled seats in the second row. Till then, the 6-seater Hector Plus will compete with the likes of Mahindra XUV500, Tata Gravitas and even Toyota Innova Crysta.