MG Motor India unveils MG Hector Connected SUV

Exterior Features of MG Hector:

The MG Hector will be one of the largest in its segment with a length of 4655mm and a wheelbase of 2750mm. The SUV  will also be available in a complete LED Package which includes LED headlamps, tail lamp, DRLs and fog lamps. The car gets 10-spoke alloy wheels and a ground clearance of 192mm. It will also get dual pane panoramic sunroof.

Interior Features of MG Hector::

There is plenty of space and comfort inside the cabin, which can be  lit with 8-colour ambient lighting. The driver seat  offers  5 way adjustment while the co-driver seat is  4 way adjustable. The second row seats will be 60:40 split as standard. The car has a 587L boot with a power tailgate.

Connected Features of MG Hector: 

The MG Hector will be pitted against the likes of Hyundai Tucson, Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass and Mahindra XUV500. But what will distinguish this SUV from the others will be its connected mobility technology. The platform is called iSMART Next Gen. It has been developed in partnership with global technology players including Microsoft, Adobe, Unlimit, SAP, Cisco, Gaana, TomTom and Nuance. MG Hector with iSMART Next Gen will be the first internet car in India that will redefine connected mobility.

The brain of the iSMART Next Gen will be housed in a 10.4” Head Unit. The screen is designed with a vertical interface that allows the driver to control the entire car system with either touch or voice command. The Head Unit is built to withstand extreme climatic conditions of India and comes pre-loaded with entertainment content. MG Hector iSMART Next Gen comes with an industry first embedded M2M SIM that ensures that the car remains connected and is future ready with 5G support. The customised solution has been developed by Unlimit in partnership with Cisco and Airtel who have collaborated with their Jasper platform and telecommunication network respectively.

The company will be the first in India to bring Over The Air (OTA) updates to their cars. Customers will be able to download the software updates immediately or schedule them for later, as in smartphones. The OTA feature would be standard in all MG cars enabled with iSMART Next Gen for connected mobility, starting with MG Hector SUV.

The Voice Assist, developed by Nuance for MG India, has been specifically designed for Indian accent learning. As a result of built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, the system will learn and get better every day with usage. Activated with ‘Hello MG’, the voice assist allows over 100 commands, including opening and closing of windows and sunroof, ac control, navigation etc. and works even under poor connectivity.

Other than this, the Hector will also come loaded with TomTom’s real-time navigation application, Gaana app with Premium Account and AccuWeather. The company has also developed the MG iSMART App that scans the car each time the App is opened, and information includes location of car, tyre pressure, or if the doors are locked or not. Owner can use the remote app to directly lock or unlock doors, turn on ignition and switch on the air-conditioner. This is very useful in extreme weather conditions of India. It would also allow owners to schedule a service and keep track of service history.

MG has set up a first of its kind customer management service centre called the Pulse Hub. This will enable eCall emergency response in all MG cars. If a car’s airbags are deployed under an emergency condition, automatic messages are sent to the Pulse Hub and the registered phones along with a series of emergency response actions that get activated instantly. MG hector also offers an industry first iCall. With just a touch on the Screen, driver is connected to Pulse Hub for a host of information services.