052 JULY 2019 →TOPGEAR.COM
ish and chips. No one is sure
where this dish originated from
although there is a strong chance
you may think – “aha, UK!”. There
are many debates on whether it is
British or from somewhere further west. Pretty
much like this SU V which wears a quintessential
British badge for braces but has its origins a lot
more east. While that debate rages, for whatever
consequence, we were given a chance to put this
much-talked SU V through its paces around the
outskirts of an equally automotive enthusiast
city – Coimbatore.
This industrial hub, once known for its
textile manufacturing capability, is also home
to many a rally driver such as the likes of Narain
Kathikeyan and former rally ace Naren Kumar.
The reason for dropping these names is to
showcase the natural automotive enthusiasm of
this town. Which could be one of the reasons that
this Hector made a lot of heads turn by its design
and that massive MG badge.
On the design front, the Hector is quite
likeable. Now, I am sure there will be a few
detractors who find it ‘boxy’ and a bit too
shiny, but this actually works when you put the
vehicle on an Indian road. It stands out, and
not necessarily in a bad way. The fact that it is a
big SU V, allows it to get away with a bit of those
straight lines. In fact it actually works well in
its favour. There are oodles of chrome streaks
throughout the car, but not in a grotesque
manner. Okay, maybe if it was designed for
Britain, it would have less chrome, but then this
is also supposed to sell outside of Britain, a lot, so
better to go with global sensibilities than that of a
particular countr y.
The stance is pretty much butch from
most angles. You may find a bit of Tata Harrier
happening around the face with its sleek DRLson top of squarish headlamps but that seems to
be the trend now (also seen in the new Hy undai
Venue). The massive mesh grille at the front ends
nicely in the DRLs. MG calls it its signature ‘star-
rider grille’. In profile, you will notice the large
wheelbase with tyres snuck into mildly flared
and squarish wheel arches. Doesn’t get more
conventional than this. The alloy wheel in itself is
a classic 10 -spoke design but maybe looks a notch
undersized for the overall bulk of the car.
Things get better around the rear hatch in
the way it wraps around the butt with the tail-
lamps running across it. Looks classy too aided
by the dual-colour bumper set-up and faux twin
exhaust pipes on our test vehicle.
Before we move inside, you should know a bit
about the ‘Internet Inside’ virtues that precedes
the arrival of the Hector any where. Essentially,
the makers have managed to bring in many
features that once, only premium electric cars"Hector turned a lot of
heads by its design,
and that big MG badge"
F