The Week India – June 30, 2019

118 THE WEEK • JUNE 30, 2019

AUTO REVIEW

he Birmingham-based

iconic Morris Garages, now

a subsidiary of the Shang-

hai-based SAIC Motor Corporation,

is gearing up for its debut in India

with its first SUV, the Hector. Named

after a Trojan prince, the Hector

sure looks ready for the tough battle

ahead as it takes on the likes of the

Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass.

It is the longest SUV in the

five-seater segment, and it has gone

all the way to ensure that it is a safe

one, too. The two combinations of

sheet metal thickness, 1.4mm and

0.7mm, make the door panels really

heavy, making you feel very secure

inside. The B pillar has been hot-

stamped for additional strength and

the hi-tensile strength steel makes

the vehicle structurally safe. At the

base of every door is a black strip,

which the carmaker calls the ‘sari

guard’. It also keeps dust out.

The Hector boasts a 10.4-inch

head unit and a 7-inch instrument

cluster. There is also a panoramic

sunroof that adds to the space inside

this already big car. The interiors

are in black leather in the top two

variants, and fabric in the other two.

At the rear, the middle passenger’s

comfort has been taken care of—

there is an adjustable headrest, a

three-point seatbelt, and a reclining

feature!

The Hector is a connected car (it

comes with an embedded SIM), and

with the help of an app called MG

iSMART, you can do a bunch of clev-

er things—from getting a complete

scan report of your car’s health to

geofencing, and remote locking and

unlocking (through the phone). With

more than 100 voice commands and

three ways to activate them, there is

never a dull moment in the Hector.

The instrument cluster contains

all basic info, and has one not-so-

common feature—a fatigue alarm,

which can be set depending on when

you wish to take a break. With Apple

CarPlay and Android Auto, online and

offline navigation, over-the-air updates,

fast phone charging at the front and

the rear, MG has provided almost every

conceivable comfort in the Hector.

The 1.5-litre petrol hybrid I drove de-

livers 143hp @ 5000rpm and 250Nm of

torque @ 1600-3600rpm. It comes with

a 48-volt hybrid technology, which, MG

claims, improves fuel efficiency by 12

per cent and reduce CO2 emission by

11 per cent. During rapid acceleration, I

did experience the 48-volt battery com-

ing into play and providing an additional

surge of torque. However, unlike the

Toyota Camry hybrid, the Hector cannot

be driven only in the hybrid mode

because it is more of a support system.

The 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine is the

same one that powers the Harrier and

the Compass, and it belts out 350Nm of

torque @ 1750-2500rpm and 170hp @

3750 rpm.

The Hector’s steering is grippy and

precise. It is also light, which may not

appeal to many drivers as it does not

inspire confidence while driving an SUV

this size on the highways. However, it

does well in cities. Also, the Hector’s

360-degree camera is configured to

work up to the speed of 15kmph, which

is a thoughtful touch. The gearboxes on

both the petrol hybrid and the diesel

feel slightly notchy, especially while

slotting them from the second to the

third gear. Also, despite the premium

cotton felts, insulation on the dash, and

MEL sheets on the floor, there is some

tyre noise and engine whine that is

audible inside the cabin.

With ABS, EBD and ESP as standard

safety features even in the base vari-

ants, the best-in-segment stopping dis-

tance of 45 metres from 100-0 (thanks

to all four dual-ventilated disc brakes),

and six airbags, the Hector shows MG’s

commitment to safety. Then there is all

the tech and all those great features

that make a pretty strong case for it.

TECH WARRIOR

@LEISURE

The MG Hector comes laden with several

features, from internet inside to a sari guard

BY RACHNA TYAGI

T