MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd, the local unit of the iconic British carmaker that is now owned by China’s SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd, today unveiled its Hector SUV, a connected car that is also the company’s first model in India. Hector SUV will be launched next month while booking will also start from next month. The Hector will be rolled out from its ₹2,200-crore manufacturing facility at Halol in Gujarat.
MG Motor India will begin shipments of the Hector SUV within the next few weeks to its network of 120 outlets across 50 cities. The carmaker aims to expand its network to 250 outlets by the end of September this year.
The Hector will be available in both petrol and diesel engines, right from its launch next month. The 1.5 litre turbo-charged petrol engine delivers 143 PS power at a peak torque of 250 Nm and will be available in both manual and automatic transmissions. Its 2.0 litre diesel engine will deliver 170 PS at a peak torque of 350 Nm, with best-in-class fuel efficiency.
The vehicle has gone into commercial production after one million kilometers of testing in diverse road and climatic conditions across India, the company had said earlier.
With extensive localisation, more than 300 India-specific changes have been carried out in the MG Hector to suit the customer preferences and road conditions, the company said.
The company claims that Hector will also be the first car in India with a "sophisticated 48-volt mild-hybrid architecture in its segment". “With this, MG Motor becomes the first mainstream carmaker in India to bring 48V technology to the mass market segment. The 48V mild hybrid technology is the latest global environmentally friendly engine technology that enables reduction in petrol engine emissions. A 48-volt lithium ion battery helps store energy and provide extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm when required, resulting in a smoother drive,” the company said.
"The MG Hector, as India's first internet car, has been built with a high level of localization and comes power-packed with features, inside-out. As MG's first offering in India, the Hector demonstrates our commitment to provide the best cars to Indian customers, that they love and appreciate," said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.
Hector is powered by iSMART technology from MG (Morris Garages) Motor, which includes an embedded connectivity solution, maps and navigation services, voice assistant, pre-loaded infotainment content, emergency and information services, and built-in apps.
Catch all the Auto News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.