The
MG Hector SUV from MG Motor India has the words “Internet Inside” displayed at
the rear in the case of the diesel model and on the side, in the case of the
petrol hybrid vehicle. There is plenty of reason for that. But let’s check out
the connected car as a whole.
Engine & Transmission
Engine
|
Maximum
Power
|
Maximum
Torque
(Nm/rpm)
|
Transmission
|
ARAI
Certified Figures
(kmpl)
|
1451cc
petrol hybrid
|
141hp@5000rpm
|
250Nm@1600-3600rpm
|
6-speed
manual
|
15.81
kmpl
|
1956cc
diesel
|
168
hp@3750rpm
|
350Nm
|
6-speed
manual
|
17.41
kmpl
|
Exteriors of MG Hector
The
front and tail of the MG Hector are inspired by the F35 aircraft's large engine
air intake. Both the front and rear have all LED lights that include the DRLs,
the floating light turn indicators and the auto headlights, front and rear fog
lamps and tail lights. The grille with chrome accents makes the front smart.
The side profile of the vehicle is attractive with an almost sloping roof,
chrome finish on window beltline, roof rails, shark fin antenna, a dual pane
panoramic sunroof and 17 inches dual tone machined alloy wheels. The tyre size
is 215/60 R17. The spare wheel size is 215/60 R17 and they are of steel.
The
SUV has a length of 4655mm, width of 1835mm, a height of 1760mm and a wheelbase
2750mm. It has a 60 litre fuel tank.
Other exciting features include rain sensing wipers and heated ORVMs
Interiors of MG Hector
Step
inside and you are treated to leather seats, leather on door trims and
dashboard, leather driver arm rest, leather wrapped steering wheel, 60:40 rear
seat, rear seat incline, front and rear
LED reading lights and 8 colours ambient lighting. The driver seat is 6-way
power adjustable, while the co-driver seat is 4-way power adjustable. As for
the rear seats, these can accommodate three people. All three seats get 3 point
safety belts as well as adjustable head rests. There is ample head room and
knee room, though three adults could be a bit of a squeeze at the back. Rear AC vents and fast charging point for
your mobile are added advantage at the rear.
The
leather seats with some perfect white stitching at the borders are very
comfortable. The front seats have ample thigh support as well as good support
for shoulders and the bottom area.
Apart
from the 10.4 inches vertical touch screen you also get a 7 inches coloured
multi information display for the driver. The steering wheel is adjustable for
both reach and rake.
The
vehicle has a powered tailgate which can be opened from the rear as well as
from the key fob button. The boot area
is ample and the parcel tray is split in such a way that those sitting at the
back can access the area from the flaps at the edge. These are attached to the
seats with the help of Velcro.
Incidentally
as a lot of people nowadays use cameras, also known as dash cams, to track the
traffic in front. The same is fixed on the windscreen from inside. A USB slot has been provided on the inside rear
view mirror to charge such devices. In such a scenario, you will not have the
wire hanging all the way down and distracting you when you are driving.
You
also get fast charging USB ports in front and rear. These are basically 2 amp
ones. There are a plethora of buttons on the dash area, on the steering wheels
and on the floor console. Just below the large vertical screen are buttons for
switching off and on the screen, volume control, defoggers for both front and
rear. On the floor console just before the gear lever are buttons for your
switching on and off your rear parking sensors, and for your 360 deg
camera. In the hybrid variant you get an
additional “A Off” button which primarily means that you can stop the Automatic
Start/Stop of the engine. The engine will not automatically turn off when you
come to a stop to save fuel, thus the hybrid function is in a way disengaged. Tucked on the left of the screen is a
traction control off / on button.
On
the right side of the steering, the buttons are used for voice command, SRC for
source changes on the radio, volume control, radio channel search, mute, and
phone call. On the left steering mounted buttons, you have cruise control
buttons, speed limitor and buttons that enable you to set your fatigue warning
time and your door ajar warnings. The scroll buttons also help you with your
radio settings, phone, lithium battery charging indicators in case of the
hybrid and your tyre pressure monitoring.
The
audio system is provided by Infinity and the system has 8 speakers and
tweeters.
i-Smart Technology
The
SUV is powered by i-Smart technology. The i-smart contains 50+ connected car
features. Of this, the voice assist feature allows over 100+ voice commands
activated by saying "Hello MG" for hands free control.
To
assist you with the function is a 10.4 inches vertical touch screen that looks
quite striking and gives you access to information and complete control. The infotainment
system is Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatible.
Just
by saying “Hello MG”, you get the attention of the car and it allows you an
entire range of functions that include play radio, play AM, play FM, play a
particular frequency, pause radio, control volume, stations, the brightness of
the screen, open sunroof, close sunroof, I want to see the sky, set ac
temperature, open window of driver side, open window of passenger side, close
window, increase fan speed, raise or lower temperature, the list of commands is
almost endless.
The
Hector has a Machine to Machine or M2M embedded 5G ready SIM with internet
protocol version 6.With this SIM, new software and entertainment content are
automatically updated. You also have online navigation with live traffic
updates. Moreover, a lot of entertainment content is already preloaded in the
car's head unit. There is a built-in Gaana Premium account. All you need is a mobile
in which you need to download the Hector i-Smart app. Remote Controls functions
like AC switch on/switch off (this is only with the automatic transmission
version of the SUV), sunroof, tailgate and door lock/unlock, ambient lighting etc
can be managed with this mobile app.
Other
i-Smart functions include emergency call, i-call function to get a call from
24/7 pulse hub, scan car for a status check before every journey or anytime you
want, geo fencing, driver analytics for checking on harsh braking, running idle
drive time, routes taken etc, finding the car's location, and so on and so
forth.
Performance of MG Hector
The
MG Hector comes with three engine options, a 1451cc petrol hybrid which is a
1.5 litre turbocharged intercooled engine with belt starter generator. The
second engine option is a 1.5 litre turbocharged intercooled petrol engine
which is not a hybrid. The third option is a 1956cc or 2 litre turbocharged
diesel. All three engines are mated to a six speed manual transmission. The non
hybrid petrol engine is the only one that gets an option of a six speed dual
clutch automatic transmission.
The
Hector hybrid vehicle has a 48V Hybrid System that increases the fuel economy
by 12% and reduces CO2 emissions by 11%. It is India's first 48V hybrid SUV.
I
drove the diesel engine Hector first from Coimbatore to the Kodanad hill spot
in Tamil Nadu. The 2 litre engine is the same one that powers the capable Jeep
Compass. The climb came easy for the diesel SUV but what I did not like about
the drive was the manual gear shift. It was a bit sticky and did not have the
finesse I expected from MG. I also faced some problem on the air conditioner
front where I felt the AC compressor was shutting off a bit too
frequently. Otherwise the ride and handling
was perfect and the steering wheel felt well tuned. With disc brakes on all
four wheels, there was never a moment of insecurity. The diesel engine rattle,
I felt, seeped a bit into the cabin and this was a bit irksome.
But
when it came to the hybrid petrol, the drive from Coonoor to Coimbatore was
smooth as butter. Here too, I felt the gear shifts a bit sticky and
unimpressive. NVH levels I felt were better in the hybrid version. Because of
the lithium ion battery, here an extra boost was available at the tap of the
accelerator pedal. As for the suspension, I felt it was well tuned to provide
the right comfort to the passengers inside. While in front, the MG Hector has
Macpherson Strut with Stabilizer bar, the rear is Semi Independent with Helical
Spring Torsion Beam.
Safety
features in the SUV include 6 airbags for the top end, electronic stability
programme, traction control system, hill hold control, ABS, EBD and brake
assist, 360 deg camera view, electric parking brake, front parking sensors, ISOFIX
child seat anchors, etc.
Verdict
The
new MG Hector is an ideal SUV for an Indian customer but only time will tell
whether the company has gone overboard in providing so many tech features. Since
it is an Internet Inside car, it can also mean that you are at the mercy of
mobile network. In India, network providers are notorious for their unpredictable
services. And if the network is bad, it could really stump the Hector from
showcasing its internet smartness.