[jailbird_fynix]

In this case, the tag line should be read as "Internet Inside, Driver Outside".

[sreejinair]

Sorry for the long post, I thought this might help who are in the same boat.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

1. I would prefer a bigger car, even though both are only 5 seaters.

If you have to have a bigger car, between these two hector is the clear choice, if you are ok with an old used Crysta or can shell out 7ish lacks more the 172 hp Crysta is a joy to drive and be driven in. But if seltos and hector are the only options, hector takes the space crown.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

2. Paint quality of Kia and panel gaps are much better than MG.

Paint quality of the hector is also good, but the panel gaps even in the cars being delivered is not great, Kia is a clear winner here.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

3. Interior dashboard design, I prefer the minimalism of MG and also the drama of the large portrait screen. It is far more colourful and intuitive (but laggy also) than Kia's.

Not sure if you have checked out the car in person, but if you are going by the pictures shared on the websites, dont. I recommend checking out the car in person. It really looks premium and the fit and finish is awesome. There are more buttons on the seltos than in the hector for a reason. You dont have to take your eyes off the road to play with that laggy touch screen. I know the voice commands will help. I prefer buttons for the AC, nothing else just the AC. Different people will have different opinion on this one, its personal preference.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

4. The leatherette quality in Kia and the seat design, seemed to be more premium in Kia. Lighter colour does help.

Kia has better quality seats and it looks and feels more premium too. I would still give this point to the hector because I just love the way hector supports my lower back (2 disc bulges, chronic back pain) the cushioning is just right for me, even at the rear.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

5. Quite a number of people have complaint about the lack of visibility in Seltos owing to the big screen placement

That is what I thought, 3 visits to the KIA showroom cleared that doubt. It doesnt, the screen absolutely doesnt hamper the visibility. I post another video on this, today if possible.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

6. The Sunroof in Kia is a joke and I would rather not have it. It further eats up the headroom, which is at a huge premium both in front and back. Most tall rear passengers will complaint.

Sunroof in the seltos is not panoramic, to be honest I would also prefer either no sunroof or a panoramic one. I'm 5'11 and I had enough headroom with the driver seat height set almost to the highest possible position and the rear headroom was also sufficient. Its not as spacious headroom wise as the hector but its good enough, but the rear seat under thigh support is, well there isnt any

Originally Posted by AGwagon

While my latest TD the sunroof reeked and made awful sounds, I could also see some watermarks on the blinds.

7. The DCT had moisture in one of the headlights (I tried to see if there was any external damage but I couldn't and this got me worried again!)

I read the entire thing, but not quoting it. This is just sad, damn. I always felt and also wrote here that the quality of the MG wasnt that good. This is nothing compared to their newly delivered hectors stalling on the road.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

8. The music system in MG (infinity) is much better (8 speakers + subwoofer and amp), while Kia (Bose) makes do with 8 including the front central speaker and the sub.

I agree on this one, I still prefer my setup over both, but if you dont want to mess with the speakers, woofers, wiring, etc and void the warranty hector is the clear choice in this department. Personally I wont consider this as the reason to buy a car. Of course it will be different for everyone.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

10. Suspension, power and handling. I was fairly satisfied and happy with my 3rd TD in MG. The refinement of the petrol is also very satisfying, coupled with the commanding ride height and good all round visibility. While, Kia would in my view be very soft, as I could see the rear suspension almost bottom-out with full load.

Check out this video I uploaded, I wanted to clear the doubt on the suspension as well. There are 3 people in total inside the car and not just 2 in the rear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlO2YXdnoK0

A total of 7 test drives done so far, 5 in Pune and 2 in Aurangabad. I didnt like the way hector handled, but I can live with it. This always has been a subjective subject

Originally Posted by AGwagon

11. Mileage - ...... yes the 1st km does start from 13kmpl, and I countered that in in my calculations

I dont think it does start with 13kmpl, at least it didnt in mine. Posted photos of the same here

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4629168 (MG India's first SUV named Hector. Edit: Launched @ 12.18L)

Anyway as far as mileage goes, seltos will give you more mileage than the hector doesnt matter even if you pick the petrol because it weighs a less than the hector, but then again we dont have real world mileage figures for both the cars.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

12. Safety- MG will have Kia licked here both with the quality of sheet metal and the plethora of safety kit, simply missing on the autos in Kia. Also the auto e-brake is great to have in the MG and will sorely be missed.

I like the electronic brake, doesnt mean its more efficient than the manual one. The sheet metal used in the hector is much better than in the kia, no question about that. Can you elaborate on which safety feature included in the hector is missing in the Seltos? I know 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, VSM, hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors and a blind spot view monitor are there in the seltos. I know as per the rumours the diesel variant of the seltos wont get 6 airbags, doesnt bother me because I'm looking for the petrol GT DCT. Oh and I hear the kia dealers have started accepting bookings for 1.4 petrol DCT GTX+ (the one with all the features) it might be they just want the money or may be there is such a thing called DCT GTX+, fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by AGwagon

13. AC ...................

I agree

Originally Posted by AGwagon

14. Durability and how would they be to live with? Well while MG has sealed it by covering all through their shield program, and it doesn't bother me too much if these early cars have some niggles which are promptly rectified by them (same was the case in my just launched XUV), but the recent videos of new cars breaking down, the Chinese heritage and my experience with the headlight and sunroof has made me cautious and second guess. While Kia will come with a similarly shitty and annoying Hyundai ASS, at least till the media drives and TDs are not out there is no one questioning these parameters.

I think Kia's ASS would be much better than of the MG, I dont know, its just a feeling. Only time will tell. I dont think KIA has revealed its warranty info yet, but I think it will be the same as the MG's. I've never seen newly delivered cars stalling on the road, it did happen to me in my Chevy Magnum which came out from the same Halol plant now owned by MG, the "vastu" of that plant might be really out of order

Originally Posted by AGwagon

So all in all, I am more confused than ever and in need of some serious guidance please

The more number of that car model you see on the road, the lesser is the attraction. Something that is rarely seen will have more attraction. For example a new hector on the road will give more head turns, for some strange reason it didnt happen in my 7 test drives but I dont buy that. Its a fact that when people see a new car on the road which they have never seen before they will check it out. I remember that happening to the XUV, after a few months there were so many XUVs on the road... you get my point. Same is going to happen to every car which sells a lot, I hear the hector has got lots of bookings

I agree bigger the car bigger the road presence. The fortuner and the endevour both are huge and also less in numbers on the road adding to its presence/value/attraction. If the cost of fortuner was 15 lacks do you still think it would get the same kind of attraction on the road, probably not.

You can bully people on the road with the huge vehicle, some will give you that "side" you are looking for. I personally like to over take everyone I see in front of me doesnt matter the size of the vehicle they have :P

I have booked both the Hector DCT and the Seltos DCT, I have seen both the cars, driven the hector many times. If I were you, which I kind of am, except that I'm also looking for a good 1 to 2 year old used fortuner with low kms on it. There is no way for me to accept the hector until I test drive the Seltos. If my hector is ready for delivery which I dont think will happens anytime soon as I booked it on the 1st of July, but even if it happens I'll ask them to postpone it or I might as well cancel my booking if it cant be postponed. I cant accept the seltos without doing a test drive either. Whichever car I end up buying is going to stay with me for a really long time. So I want to make sure I buy what I like, I honestly didnt like the way the hector rides, but yes I can live with it. But I would enjoy the 140hp low weight seltos more on the highway

I know you might think it makes sense for me to upgrade from a chevy magnum to a seltos/hector and hence all of this. I also owned the tucson (old model) for many years. I know what you are talking about and it might feel degrading yourself from a bigger vehicle if you end up buying seltos. Trust me all the features in both the cars will keep you engaged for a few months, in the end its the way the car drives will keep you happy for a really long time.

The t-bhp reviews for both the cars hopefully will happen by end of this month. I suggest you wait, if you are anything like me who will keep the car at least for 5-6 years, I would suggest do not rush into the decision and wait for at least you TD the seltos a few times.

Question for you, what if Kia since they have "the power to surprise" come up with a really low price tag?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

In this case, the tag line should be read as "Internet Inside, Driver Outside".

This is crazy! I really don't see a driver in the car that is being pushed. How will it be controlled & most importantly - stopped if someone suddenly walks in front. My god our fellow countrymen...

[OSH]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

So you have written off Hector completely ?

I am not in the market to buy any car so there is no point for me to choose any car just now.

But are willing to give a chance to Harrier (which is having its own issues) and Kia (without 6 airbags)? Interesting.

Speaking of the Harrier and the issues noted in the review; most of them have been sorted out by Tata at the factory level as well as for the early adopters and this has been reported by the owners themselves on the Harrier thread. The newer batch display vehicles are not having the mentioned issues which was again verified by the people who have gone to check the Harrier in showrooms. All this can be found here and here. Like I already said, niggles in one thing but atleast the Harrier was not reported with so many breakdowns. The Hector has been reported with a steering lock warning, airbag light on dashboard and multiple videos/pics of it being stranded, compare this to the Harrier's panel gaps problem, music system trouble or light steering and one should understand which is a safer bet.

Coming to the Seltos, more number of airbags won't help if the structure of the car itself is weak. So, till both the cars are not crash tested, nobody can say which car is safer.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by OSH

The Hector has been reported with a steering lock warning, airbag light on dashboard and multiple videos/pics of it being stranded, compare this to the Harrier's panel gaps problem, music system trouble or light steering and one should understand which is a safer bet.

Coming to the Seltos, more number of airbags won't help if the structure of the car itself is weak. So, till both the cars are not crash tested, nobody can say which car is safer.

The issues reported against Hector are all based on rumours or lack of information and MG brand patronage. I am interested to see at least one genuine complaint from a Hector Owner which will provide vital vehicle information and nature of defect identified in an ASS with claims for warranty.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

This is crazy! I really don't see a driver in the car that is being pushed. How will it be controlled & most importantly - stopped if someone suddenly walks in front. My god our fellow countrymen...

Driver is using voice control. Hello MG, steer right. Ok, hold the route!

[pavi]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Driver is using voice control. Hello MG, steer right. Ok, hold the route!

Or is it actually the case of ‘missed while doing photoshop’. That red dressed guy looks like a Santa with out the mask. I was just wondering why no owner reviews/complaints are pouring in for a product which has seen these may breakdowns in pictures.

[OSH]

Originally Posted by deehunk

The issues reported against Hector are all based on rumours or lack of information and MG brand patronage.

You should have gone through this very thread before making such an assumption. All the issues have been witnessed by BHPians themselves and have been reported on our forum, linking a few for you, there are other posts as well.

Airbag warning - 1
Airbag warning - 2

Steering lock warning

Electronic parking brake malfunction

I am interested to see at least one genuine complaint from a Hector Owner which will provide vital vehicle information and nature of defect identified in an ASS with claims for warranty.

Well, if the above linked posts which have been reported by BHPians themselves still cannot make you believe that issues do exist in the car, you can continue to assume that everyone is speaking lies and spreading rumours, there is little others can do in such cases.

[deehunk]

OSH, it is my way of analysing things and do not expect anybody to either follow me or get influenced by my posts. I am only surprised at the micro-management of MG Brand, is this just because of Chinese tag?

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by sreejinair

Sorry for the long post, I thought this might help who are in the same boat.

We are aren't we? but I do feel we have quite different perspectives. But that is what this forum is about.

If you have to have a bigger car, between these two hector is the clear choice, if you are ok with Crysta...

I know Crysta is excellent, but not something that I would like to self-drive, I am more than fine to be driven in one though.

Not sure if you have checked out the car in person, I prefer buttons for the AC, nothing else just the AC. Different people will have different opinion on this one, its personal preference.

I have visited the showroom thrice. Spent considerable time with the ICE and MID on GTX+ and test drove it as well. Have also posted my mini review on the Kia thread . And yes, I would have also liked separate AC controls, but I do like the ease of voice command and the minimalist design of MG, so will take that.

Kia has better quality seats and it looks and feels more premium too. I would still give this point to the hector...

I would have to agree, I did manage to check the car in person again last night (for TD) and waited around 45 min in the showroom to further hone my observations and talk to many patrons who were there as the SAs were just plain confused and mostly il-informed. The light seats were almost soiled in less than 2 days and were full of black/blue marks from people's jeans/pants. It would be a nightmare to maintain. Also the ventilation seats didn't feel effective to make a perceptible difference.

That is what I thought, 3 visits to the KIA showroom cleared that doubt. It doesnt, the screen absolutely doesnt hamper the visibility. I post another video on this, today if possible.

I agree having done the TD now. However, the driving position is better IMO in Hector. The high long bonnet with relatively low seating position in Kia, doesn't help.

Sunroof in the seltos is not panoramic, to be honest I would also prefer either no sunroof or a panoramic one. ...the rear seat under thigh support is, well there isnt any

Completely agree, further the high window line at the back, the small transmission tunnel, the lesser kneeroom and width, also doesn't work in Kia's favour.

I agree on this one, hector is the clear choice in this department

Music is fairly important and I dont like to mess with the Warranty. The system in Hector has just more oomph and clarity than Kia.

Check out this video I uploaded, I wanted to clear the doubt on the suspension as well. There are 3 people in total inside the car and not just 2 in the rear.

Thank you for sharing, and I would have taken some videos as well had I seen this post prior to my visit. But saw this again in the same showroom with the HTX+ with 2 fairly healthy ppl, that the rear went a good 2 inches lower. Plus on the TD of the GTX+ I found the suspension to be very firm and slightly uncomfortable on broken patches.

I dont think it does start with 13kmpl, at least it didnt in mine. Posted photos of the same here, Anyway as far as mileage goes, seltos will give you more mileage than the hector

I had seen your earlier post and had agreed to it at the time, but having done the TD again, I can confirm the observation. It only comes at 13 once you complete nearly a km, and then is on a steady decline. Given my experience of what I have read of Hyundai petrols and DCT Turbo Venue mileage, I would not be surprised if Kia is less or equal to MG. I did reset the trip in my Seltos TD last night, but forgot to check while getting off.

I like the electronic brake, doesnt mean its more efficient than the manual one. The sheet metal used in the hector is much better than in the kia, no question about that. Can you elaborate on which safety feature included in the hector is missing in the Seltos? I know 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, VSM, hill start assist, front and rear parking sensors and a blind spot view monitor are there in the seltos. I know as per the rumours the diesel variant of the seltos wont get 6 airbags, doesnt bother me because I'm looking for the petrol GT DCT. Oh and I hear the kia dealers have started accepting bookings for 1.4 petrol DCT GTX+ (the one with all the features) it might be they just want the money or may be there is such a thing called DCT GTX+, fingers crossed.

When I wrote my post, I was considering the HTX+ CVT, however, since the GTX+ DCT has now been confirmed, I would now consider that. So yes it doesn't miss on anything, however, I have in the Kia thread explained that the BSVM and 360 camera are not implemented well in Kia IMO.

Also I have been told that the fully loaded GTX+ DCT will be close to 17L ex-showroom. At that price, I will not consider it over Hector at all!

I've never seen newly delivered cars stalling on the road, it did happen to me in my Chevy Magnum which came out from the same Halol plant now owned by MG, the "vastu" of that plant might be really out of order

I requested the dealer now to give me numbers of a few customers who have been delivered their cars. Spoke to them, although other than one most of them have hardly driven them, but they have no complaints whatsoever, and have all confessed that most of their family and friends are cribbing to have missed the opportunity to book a Hector in time. I also came across at least 3 families yesterday in Kia showroom while I was waiting for my TD, who were cribbing for the same.

The more number... I have booked both the Hector DCT and the Seltos DCT...There is no way for me to accept the hector until I test drive the Seltos.... I honestly didnt like the way the hector rides, but yes I can live with it. But I would enjoy the 140hp low weight seltos more on the highway

and therefore I made an exceptional effort yesterday to spend good time with the Seltos and do a TD. I have detailed my drive experience in the Kia thread, but I was really disappointed with the GT performance. It doesn't have anything over the Hector manual I can assure you that in terms of engine feel. Suspension I prefer Hector, and Brakes are better in Kia.

I suggest you wait, if you are anything like me who will keep the car at least for 5-6 years, I would suggest do not rush into the decision and wait for at least you TD the seltos a few times.

Question for you, what if Kia since they have "the power to surprise" come up with a really low price tag?

After the TD of Seltos and the expected price tag of 17L, I am getting more comfortable going with Hector. It is an upgrade, a bigger car (important to me), drives just as well IMO, decent quality (interiors & exteriors) and the AMC, RSA, EW will ensure some piece of mind.

[AGwagon]

Just learnt from my dealer, due to the incessant rains, the Halol plant neighbouring area has also flooded, which means neither the cars are getting despatched where these allocations were already confirmed to the dealers (including mine) and nor are they able to receive JIT deliveries of parts and spares, which is hampering the production. They are expecting the situation to get normalised by 8/9th, post which normalcy will be resumed.

So the deliveries will be further delayed. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for potential owners.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

the Halol plant neighbouring area has also flooded

Hope the cars there are not flooded, make sure you check it in PDI

The 2 shots are to check how much width there is inside the cabin, beige is seltos and black is the hector. What I do is sit behind the driver seat with my right arm on the door hand rest. Extend the left hand towards the right door without leaning and try to touch the door with my hand or the mobile. I could touch my hand easily without using the mobile in the Venue. The above 2 pictures are of seltos and hector where you can see I couldnt touch the hectors door no matter how much I extended the mobile phone.


Also posting the knees up and knees down position on both hector and seltos, the driver seat was set to my driving position (5'11). You can check the legroom and under thigh support in both.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I am only surprised at the micro-management of MG Brand, is this just because of Chinese tag?

Any new car with such high visibility would have attracted equal attention. Imagine if 4 or 5 Seltos were seen stranded on roads and it would have resulted in similar reporting. I think we should encourage such reporting (both good and bad) as long as there is no misinformation.

[swissknife]

Does the Hector "understand" only English? Is there an option to change the language to one of the popular Indian languages? If not, would it not be missing out on customers who don't speak English?

I ask since many controls seem to be activated by voice. Hopefully it's not only by voice.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by swissknife

Does the Hector "understand" only English?

I couldnt control myself.

I am afraid so, its an "English" brand. Only english speaking people should buy it. MG might also introduce english speaking courses in the future.

Jokes apart, I have seen some Indonesian videos, they were speaking in the Indonesian language and Wuling Almaz was able to respond accordingly, dont think it would be a difficult thing to achieve in India. As far as I think it understands english and can manage all sorts of accents starting from "Oye Hello MJee" to "Yellow Yum G", I am on fire