The compact SUV segment is really catching the fancy of new entrants in the Indian car market. MG Motor has just launched the Hector SUV in India and Kia Motors is gearing up to launch the Seltos in August this year. Both SUVs are come equipped with connected car tech and are loaded to the brim with plenty upmarket and segment features. That said, both of them have also upped the ante in the looks department with a fresh design language and have unique appeal. Read on to know which one appeals more with its design and has more impressive feature list.
Design
The design and overall silhouette of the Hector are definitely something buyers in this segment will admire. Though MG is historically a British brand, the outline and impression of the Hector are more American (a bit like GMC SUVs). It has a butch looking front which is dominated by a massive black mesh grille with sleek chrome surroundings. MG has also adopted a new design for the face where the headlamp assembly is mounted in the bumper and the daytime running lights (DRLs) sit right on top, close to the hood. The side profile of the Hector is little understated. The bulges are quite apparent and the shoulder line doesn’t do much to keep it unnoticed. The overhangs also aren’t tight and that would make cutting through the city traffic a bit difficult. The rear of the Hector, however, looks more curvaceous and the tapering rear windscreen adds to the appeal. The gloss black plastic element falling right under the spoiler’s edge looks good as well.
The Kia Seltos is definitely a stunning looker and has the most aggressive design in the segment. It was a head turner even in its concept stage and the design is in fact revolutionary and speaks well about one of Kia core strengths. Sharp line on the face and shoulder helps shape its bulges aesthetically. The upright face is dominated by the Tiger nose grille which is aesthetically fringed in chrome and unlike the Hector and other new launches, the headlamps have been positioned traditionally and this looks better in comparison here. A bit of Creta flavour is also visible in the profile, especially the way the pillars have been designed. However, rising window line and sculpting on the rear haunches are unique. The rear of the car is aesthetically segmented as well, giving almost equal area to the raked windscreen and lower sections. As we already know that Kia will offer the Seltos in two trim lines- GT Line and Tech Line. The major difference between the GT Line and Tech Line in appearance are the red highlights on the face, wheel hub caps and above the skid plate. Of course, you also get the GT Line and Tech Line badging.
Elements
MG Motor has been thoughtful in designing the Hector and has not overdone it anywhere, be it the design or adding elements. The use of chrome overall is subtle and the colour of plastic claddings blends with the paint shade rather than contrasting too much. Up front, it also gets projector headlamps and the fog lamps are underneath. Both the units come into a frame surrounded by the tall c-shaped chrome integrand. Both headlamps are also conjoined by a two-slat plastic bar below which is the wide faux-silver skid plate housing a relatively large centre air-dam. There is a fine chrome line right above the break over angle and it gets 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels which look modern but a size small under the squared wheel arches. Moreover, there are silver roof rails and a large panoramic sunroof. At the rear, there is a massive plastic cladding which adds to the proportions without looking odd. It also integrates the silver cladding which mimics a skid plate, the colour of which is a bit too contrasting. There’s also a sleek chrome bar above the license plate area.
Even Kia has not overdone anything in the Seltos, however, elements have been used to go with the aggressive design. For instance, the all-LED headlamp assembly in the Seltos is darkened and doesn’t look as glary as the ones in the Hector do. DRLs, bold claddings which incorporate the silver skid plates and angular detailing on the face and hood add a sense of modernity to the design. Elements like sleek chrome bar which insets into the tail lamps and dual exhaust finished in faux silver add to the sharp looks as well. What also build upon the contemporary looks are in-trend elements like dual-tone roof, silver roof rails and 17-inch machined alloy wheels which go perfectly with the design.
Features
The MG Hector SUV packs-in the best of connected car tech Indian customers have seen so far. The vertically-mounted 10.4-inch screen comes with pre-loaded entertainment content and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings and some more. The system offers features like – Real-Time Navigation, Remote Location, Geo-Fencing, Emergency Response and Indian accented voice assist for a plethora of features. The software is updated via over-the-air (OTA) downloads like firmware and features updates like any updates. The MG Hector SUV also comes with pre-loaded apps like – TomTom IQ Maps, Gaana Premium, and AccuWeather app among others. The system also comes with a first machine-to-machine embedded sim, along with the SUV Internet Protocol version 6 which makes it 5G-ready. The e-Sim will be provided by Airtel and MG Motor will give internet connectivity for free until the SUV is under warranty period. Moreover, the MG Hector scores really well with plenty upmarket features as well. It gets a panoramic sunroof, premium sound system by Infinity, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hill Assist, cruise control, MID, powered seats and wing mirrors and powered tailgate among others.
The Kia Seltos is the second connected compact SUV in the Indian market and that was quite expected given its sister brand Hyundai has launched the Venue with the connected car tech. Kia calls it UVO which offers a total of 37 connectivity features. Yes! Just like the Venue you can your phone to operate several features even in this one. The 10.4-inch infotainment unit features smartphone connectivity options like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, the highlight is that it comes with a bunch of segment first features like a 360-degree camera, wireless charging, head-up display, rear sunshade and 7-inch TFT MID among others. The Seltos will also feature three drive modes- Normal, Eco and Sports. It also 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, HAC, VSM and is built using advanced high strength steel (AHSS). Features like front and rear parking sensors are standard and higher variants get a blind view monitor as well. The UVO connected car tech also offers some safety features like dedicated buttons on the IRVM for roadside assistance and SOS that alert the call centre- in case of an emergency.
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