SUVs are ruling the roost in the Indian car market. They are the most trending of segments among car buyers and every new car company is entering our market is foraying into it. The highly anticipated MG Hector is the latest to join the fray and will be launched in June. The SUV broke cover today and we have finally seen it in flesh for the first time. MG Motor has also revealed the details of the Hector and we now have a certain idea of its positioning in the market. Read on to find out where does it stand against its rivals in terms of specifications.
Also Read: MG Hector SUV Unveiled In India; Launch In June 2019
Exterior And Design
The MG Hector has a masculine aura in its design and looks the most butch of them all. The overall silhouette is more American and the face is dominated by a massive black mesh grille with sleek chrome surroundings. MG has also adopted a new design language where the headlamps assembly is mounted in the bumper and the daytime running lights (DRLs) are positioned right on the top, close to the hood. The wheel arches are a bit exaggerated and there are subtle profile lines on the side. The rear of the SUV is curvaceous and the design the tapering rear windscreen along with wraparound tail lamps add to the urban SUV design quotient.
The Harrier also has the same design for the headlamps assembly which is set low and DRls are placed on the top. However, the Harrier is the most radical looking SUV here. The sloping roofline perfectly blends with the rounded silhouette and the creases on the side and the boot lid are sharp. Moreover, elements like bold claddings and wide skid plates add to the SUV appeal.
The Jeep Compass, on the other hand, has the most understated design language which in fact, is preferred among SUV buyers. The straight-on-the face design, bold claddings, squared wheel arches and a high window line altogether come as traditional yet it doesn’t look dated.
The Hyundai Tuscon has a sharp design language.
The Hyundai Tuscon has a sharp design language and the cascade grille coupled with angular character lines on the bonnet and bumper make it look very contemporary and urban. The sleek headlamps and tail lamps also complement the design and the hunkered down stance looks very palpable.
Also Read: MG Hector SUV: Exterior Explained In Detail
Interior
The cabin of the MG Hector gets all black treatment and the upholstery is finished is soft touch leather. The design of the dash and central console looks minimalistic which is majorly due to the large 10.4-inch touchscreen which takes the centre stage. The longest cabin has also translated into a spacious cabin but and the large first-in-segment panoramic sunroof helps to brighten up the cabin which otherwise may look a tad dull, thanks to the all-black treatment.
The fit and finish of the Tata Harrier has taken over all the preconceived notions we had for the brand. Everything from the oak wood palette used on the dash and grab handles to the soft touch upholstery feel plush and better than its class. Aesthetically the cabin of the Harrier too looks alluring and uncluttered, be it the wraparound dash with a binnacle line running the width of the cabin or the 8.8-inch floating touchscreen which is high on functionality and eliminates many buttons.
The Jeep Compass also has one of the well-finished cabins in its class and the quality of materials used for the switch knobs (plastic and chrome) and on the upholstery (which are soft touch) feel premium. The cabin itself is well appointed and one cannot really complain about the ergonomics spare the ingress and egress for the rear passenger as the door wells don’t open wide enough for a climb given its high ground clearance. The legroom at the rear also isn’t the best in its class which could be because its wheelbase is comparatively shorter considering its length.
The Hyundai Tuscon has been around for quite some time now and the cabin looks a bit dated compared to its rivals. The black and beige finish looks common now as we have seen the same treatment in abundance in many models. That said, the fit and finish of the cabin is top notch and the materials used are upmarket. The 8-inch touchscreen has a good resolution and supports smartphone connectivity, i.e. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Tuscon also has the most practical cabin in the comparison and has sufficient storage spaces and cubby holes.
Also Read: MG Hector Unveil India: Live Updates
Engine
The most interesting part of this comparison is that three of the SUVs- the Hector, Harrier and Compass use the same powertrain. It’s the Fiat sourced 2.0-litre,four-cylinder, Multijet engine which is tuned accordingly. This engine is in its most powerful state in the Hector and Compass, however, the torque figure is the same in all three models.
The 2.0-litre engine in the MG Hector churns out 16 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission as standard. Even the Hector lacks an automatic transmission in the diesel iteration but the petrol gets a 6-speed dual clutch unit. The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine is mated to six-speed manual transmission as standard while the six-speed automatic is optional. The motor develops 141 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. MG is also offering the Hector with a hybrid variant which uses a 48 Volt mild hybrid system. 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 combination also helps in reducing emissions by up to 12 per cent using three key functions – Engine Auto Start-Stop, Regenerative Braking and E-Boost.
The Tata Harrier is offered with just a single drivetrain option at the launch- a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, multijet diesel which is mated to only a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. It lacks an automatic transmission which is quite a limitation considering the increase in the demand for automatic transmissions. That said, this is the second most powerful engine of the lot with 138 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque of tap.
The Jeep Compass is also available with two engine options. The diesel Compass has a 2.0-litre, four-Cylinder, multijet engine which produces 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed unit. The diesel Compass is also the only among these five which has a four-wheel drive variant. The Petrol gets a 1.4-Litre, four-cylinder engine which produces 160 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque, There are two gearboxes on offer with the petrol engine- a six-speed manual transmission and a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Also Read: MG Hector SUV Pre-Bookings To Start From June 2019
Features
The MG Hector will be a connected car and command centre of the system is the vertically-mounted 10.4-inch ultra large Full-HD infotainment screen that comes with pre-loaded entertainment content and allows you to manage complete vehicle settings. MG says that the display screen can withstand the high temperatures of Indian weather conditions. For full-time connectivity, the system also comes with a first machine to machine embedded sim, along with the SUV Internet Protocol version 6 makes it 5G-ready, making it future-proof. The system offers features like – Real-Time Navigation, Remote Location, Geo-Fencing, Emergency Response and much more. The software will be updated via over-the-air (OTA) downloads like firmware and features updates like any updates. The SUV will come with pre-loaded apps like – TomTom IQ Maps, Gaana Premium, and AccuWeather app among others and MG will give free data service for the first five years.
Also Read: MG Hector Connectivity Features: All You Need To Know
All the other SUV in the competition get other segment standard features but only the Hetor gets a panoramic sunroof. The Compass and Tuscon get a small sunroof while the Harrier doesn’t get one.
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