[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by patron

Just back from a quick TD of the automatic.

- There is a severe lag when taking off from a standstill. Will be a pain in stop-go traffic
- Overall felt very underpowered (I did not drive the manual)
- Felt so underpowered that it's going to be a tough vehicle to drive on the highway
- Gear changes are slightly jerky but not a big turn-off
- No gear indicator - Just shows "D"

Price notwithstanding, I had high expectations from the vehicle but came back disappointed. I will cancel the booking and will wait for the Seltos.

I also just did a longish test drive of the top auto where I had asked the car to be sent home.

I agree there is a lag from the standstill, but that is more to do with the way it disengages the auto parking break control.

Gear changes are slightly jerky only with a heavy foot between 1st and 2nd, else it is completely smooth. There is also a sports mode which will help with the heavy foot style of driving.

I wasn't overwhelmed with the power, but not underwhelmed as well. Its a heavy car and in that way masks the speed quite well, saw the ODO and realised the acceleration is decent.

I found the suspension setup to be stiffer, with still a decent amount of travel. The car definitely has great presence, the driving position is great with excellent all round visibility and the car insulation is splendid.

I had my wife and dad with me in the car as well and their comment was that it definitely feels like a car from a couple of segments above.

I had booked the very same variant and most likely will be taking delivery soon. The only thing I am not sure about is the real world mileage on the Petrol Auto.

[PrideRed]

Kia probably knew that they cannot beat Hector hence they named their product Seltos and not Achilles . Given great pricing, hector will find some buyers, not sure if it will be able to sustain those numbers. If I was in a market would I buy? Hell no. I will wait for another 3-4 years until MG brand gets widely accepted. To me a good brand is important and MG is yet to earn that!

[Ooomph]

Originally Posted by GTO

If anyone is considering the Hector, I suggest taking a long test-drive first (and waiting for our Official Review).

When do you see the the teambhp reviews coming up for the available variants mate?

[Behemoth]

Very aggressive pricing by MG and this will really redefine the CSUV segment! Expect to see quite a few Hectors on the road. At this level it is very close to even Creta prices and offers much more bang for the buck!
Now let's see what Rabbit Kia pulls from its hat!

[yd_gli]

Super pricing! The Smart DCT at 15.28 is killer. I was at the MG showroom on Saturday to have a look at the car. It looks big, has good interiors, the sunroof has the wow factor and the build quality looked impressive. It basically ticks all the boxes that Indians would want. The showroom was packed and the demographic at the dealership had everyone from the salaried to the local political class. In terms of placement, this will find popularity among people who cant afford a blinged up Fortuner but dont like the Creta/Compass either due to their spartan/low key looks. All the chrome adds a bling factor to the car that the Harrier/Creta or even the Compass cant match.

The Harrier team is now going to sweat it out. They rushed the Harrier out to gain market before the pending Hector/Seltos lauch and that haste is going to put them in a hot spot now. It's been six months since the launch and I hardly see any on the road and the lack of any news on the AT is just going to kill the product further.

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by Debajyoti

Prices out now

Petrol Style MT 12.18 Lakh
Petrol Super MT 12.98 Lakh
Petrol Smart DCT 15.28 Lakh
Petrol Sharp DCT 16.78 Lakh
....

Wow!!!

Hector will be a massive hit.

The product has the required bling to attract the crowd. MG has invested heavily in swanky showrooms and the experience shared here thus far has been positive. They need to ensure the same experience while buying and during service. 5 years/unlimited km warranty shows the confidence they have in their product.

With this pricing they have good room for a top end diesel AT - 1.5 lacs premium for the autobox in diesel would mean 18.3 lacs which is pretty good since XUV 500 W11 AT retails at the same price.

Its time competition does a price correction especially Creta at the lower band and Compass at the higher band.

Hector is so much more VFM than the Harrier. Below are the tangible extras that you get for just Rs. 22K over the harrier (16.66 for XZ Vs 16.88 for Sharp)

1. 170 BHP Vs 138 BHP
2. Rear disc brakes
3. TPMS
4. Power adjustable passenger seat
5. Powered tail gate
6. Massive full length pano sunroof
7. 360 degree surround view camera
8. Connectivity

Also the difference in price between base and top end is very reasonable and sensible. The diesel base is 13.18 lacs vs 16.88 for the top end. Thats 3.7 lacs which is 28%. For reference the Compass 2.0 Sport diesel is 16.61 vs 26.85 for the Trailhawk, a massive 10.2 lacs difference.

Hector will eat into Creta, Harrier, XUV 500 & Compass sales. Kia probably needs to go back to the drawing board to revise the prices that they would have initially planned.

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by GTO

If anyone is considering the Hector, I suggest taking a long test-drive first (and waiting for our Official Review). Based on what I've heard, the driving experience & engineering finesse vary between average -> above average in most areas, and good in a handful. Of course, the car has more than enough bling & gizmos for mass market tastes.

GTO, I am in the market and almost sold on Hector, got the longish TD about 25min and agree somewhat on the engineering finesse but looking at the price, it is a complete VFM.

However you have now mentioned this a couple of times now and as a prospective buyer I would like to understand these in greater details. When is the Tbhp review out? Given I had booked the car on the first day itself and have no changes now to the colour, model or variant, I am quite certain I will be in the first delivery lot. So would be very keen to have the review ASAP.

Thanks

[jailbird_fynix]

A comparison
(Source 2)

[Rajeevraj]

Considering the combination of size, features, engine options and the Warranty and RSA package, the pricing definitely looks very attractive. Thinking for myself, if I was in the market for a vehicle in the 15-20L range OTR, the Hector would figure dominantly in that list. I don't think there is another car in that range that really attracts me (Use case of Petrol/Diesel Automatic)

Having said that-

Originally Posted by GTO

- MG has spent a lot of money on the outside (bling visible to customers) and saved money on the inside (engineering finesse)

-the above statement from GTO is the key. How much is the compromise between bling and engineering finesse and whatever it is, is it enough to sustain this car in India. All the novelty around touch-screen, connected car , sun roof and the rest of the bling will wear off within a few days. The quality of the engineering aspects is what will determine how well you feel 'connected' to the car over a longer period.

Overall MG have done everything right so far- A good disrupter in a struggling market.

Side Note: I don't think the Hector will really impact the Creta in a big way and sell in multiple thousands. Most variants of Creta are atleast a couple of lakhs cheaper and that is a significant amount in this price band. Some impact on the top variants maybe.

[madhavan1605]

MG Motors has cleverly addressed few concerns of Indian Buyers.
1. Reliability of their vehicle - providing Industry leading 5 years unlimited kilometers warranty. 2. Also defined service package to address concern
3. Aggressive pricing in a pricing sensitive market
4. Providing advanced features in.a car less than Rs 20 lakhs.


All in all they have done what ever they could do at this stage.

Now onto actual on road performance of the vehicle in a tough market from an engineering stand point

[nishsingh]

Looks like MG Hector has everything in its favour now -

• Good Looks
• Good Features
• 5 years unlimited warranty
• Better pricing than the competition

Lools like MG was inspired by the Fogg advertisement -
"MG hai toh aur kya chahiye ?"

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

The quality of the engineering aspects is what will determine how well you feel 'connected' to the car over a longer period.

On the forum, among enthusiasts - yes. The masses will be very happy with the soft suspension and basic dynamics. This is no Compass as evident from a short drive itself - but as a package for the general public, is looking quite an all rounder now.

[Durango Dude]

MG has taken a longish swipe at the SUV market: that will hit right from Creta/Seltos, home grown XUV 500, Harrier, Hexa, Compass, et al. It has set two bench marks namely price and features: for that given price if it's half as reliable, user friendly and comes with decent back up service then the other's HAD it! MG has taken the intial steps in the right direction; wish others don't cry and ask for an "anti dumping duty" levied on this product. Alturas, MU-X etc are dead!

[FrodoOfTheShire]

Excellent pricing and overall value packaging by MG. Another homework well done after their product and marketing strategy!

Harrier and XUV500 would surely feel the heat but only after MG sets up adequate numbers of showrooms, else prospective customers from those cities/towns might not be able to buy one even if they want to.

Creta wouldn't be too worried as its an established product from an established company.

[streetfighter]

From "Hello MG" to "Chalo MG"... looks like MG has a winner in Hector and sure to make a big impact in the Indian automobile market. The way they created the buzz around the product, the advertising, the showcasing, the launch and then the pricing announcement has been impeccable. The pricing announcement covered resale, lease and service package details which shows that it is a well thought and planned product. They chose Ooty and Coonoor for the press drive where they tried to show off their confidence that the Hector is a performer on the twisty ghats and fun to drive. They even gagged the press not to release their first drive reports till a certain date, which added to the curiosity factor for the consumers. The features and pricing looks spot on. I hope they can iron out the small niggles like making the rear seat more comfortable by bolstering under thigh support which will make it a great chauffeur driven car owing to oodles of space in the rear seat and good ride quality due to the soft suspension.
MG should now focus on delivery and after sales and try to be at least the Hyundai/Honda level. Looks like a great start for MG, almost everyone is awed by the pricing, the product has its plusses and minuses but I sincerely hope they succeed given they've put in lot of thought (and hardwork too). Good Luck MG