MG Motor has announced the name of its first-ever offering in India: Hector. The mid-size SUV will be fully revealed in April before going on sale in June 2019. Here are 10 important things that you should know about the upcoming MG SUV:
1. MG: A ‘new’ carmaker for India
Operational since 1924 (pre-Independence era), MG a.k.a Morris Garages was founded in the UK (95 years old) and is known for its classic sports cars and cabriolets. MG was acquired by China’s state-owned SAIC Motor Corporation (SAIC, formerly Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) in the late 2000s.
While it already has around 500 customers in India (owners of the classic models), it will officially enter the market with the Hector SUV in June 2019. MG Motor India bought GM’s defunct Halol facility and will invest north of Rs 2000 crore (initial investment) over the course of time for its Indian operations. The factory was inaugurated in October 2017 and will start rolling out the Hector SUVs in a few months. The manufacturing plant has an initial capacity of 80,000 cars per annum.
2. What’s in the name Hector?
According to the British automaker, the name ‘Hector’ takes inspiration from a couple of sources, all with reference to Europe. First off, the Hawker Hector which served as a biplane in the British Royal Army back in the 1930s. Second, Prince Hector of Troy, the warrior who fought valiantly in the Trojan War.
3. Hector is based on Baojun 530
The 2019 MG Hector will share its platform and styling with the 530 SUV from Baojun, another carmaker like MG Motor that comes under SAIC. As per the latest teasers, the Hector appears to be identical to the Baojun SUV save for the MG badge.
Pictured: Baojun 530
4. Competitive pricing and rivals
MG is targeting 75 per cent localisation with the Hector at launch. It is expected to be priced between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, similar price range as the Jeep Compass. The MG Hector will also go up against the Tata Harrier, Hyundai Tucson and the Mahindra XUV500.
5. Size matters!
The MG Hector will be the longest car in its segment in terms of overall length and wheelbase as well, that too by a wide margin. It will also be taller than the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson, and wider than the Compass. This should ideally result in a dominating road presence compared to its rivals.
By: CarDekho
