[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Who gives a 32 page book to prospective customers! I'd be lucky to get a Xerox/B/W leaflet at Hyundai. MG is doing everything 'King-Style'. The way they are splurging money, on all accounts, this is a Company that is determined to stay!

Car makers seriously underestimate the power of a glossy colorful brochure sitting in prospective customer's home. Real estate marketing folks know this, and they make sure customers walk away with a nice brochure.

[hiren.sharma]

Originally Posted by beast_within

So does this imply the following:

1. The exact phrases to be remembered for voice commands?
2. It recognizes only English

In the case of internet connectivity, will this system use AI and NLP to recognize the natural speech/alternate commands/language?

To your questions:
1. Yes, few prepositions give and take. Like "Switch on AC" or "Switch on the AC", both would work

2. Yes, only English. Although, it understands Indian English accents really well.


MG advisor told me that it has AI built in and it adapts to your accents with time. But at the time of launch, it will cater to most of them.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

The boot space of the Seltos is 433 liter, again less compared to the boot space of both Ciaz/City (500+ Litre) and Hector is a whopping 587 litre - again another aspect of space management being very weak.

I don't know how this 587 litre is measured in Hector. Boot space in Hector is one of the smallest I have seen in a big SUV. It has decent width and length but the depth (height) is pathetic. If you measure the boot space only till the parcel try, it should be well bellow 400 liters. Effective Boot space in my Forester (which is just 380 liters according to the specs)seems more than that of Hector. There is something wrong with the 587 figure.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Guna

I don't know how this 587 litre is measured in Hector. Boot space in Hector is one of the smallest I have seen in a big SUV. It has decent width and length but the depth (height) is pathetic. If you measure the boot space only till the parcel try, it should be well bellow 400 liters. Effective Boot space in my Forester (which is just 380 liters according to the specs)seems more than that of Hector. There is something wrong with the 587 figure.

Yup I also noticed this , and there is no way that the quoted 587 L Figure could be the space below the parcel shelf. Either they are including till the roof liner or they are including the Spare wheel and the space below the Tray too! The actual usable space under the parcel shelf and above the Spare tray is less than 400L. Would be great if someone could actually go and measure the boot dimensions though ( I started a thread on this and have put up some actual measurements for some cars on that thread).
The way that Manufacturers are reporting boot dimensions these days is quite deceptive. A Nissan Kicks with 400L boot dimensions has full usable boot while my Jeep Compass with on paper 440L of boot space has less than 320L of usable space!

[Iyencar]

The pricing is a breath of fresh air. It's not aggressive but rather "correct" pricing, which is something the Indian auto industry has forgotten to do. I believe the Seltos and Hector are going to cater to a different customer base. The way I see it, Kia will be a better put together product which gives a more refined, luxurious feel, and cater to an urban yuppie crowd. The Hector is for those who would like more bling, and show people they have arrived without breaking the bank. Both cars are packed with features but I think the Kia will be more elegant and aspirational than the Hector which is a bit more on the gimmicky side. Neither of these will be an enthusiaist's wet dream because there simply aren't enough of them (us?) to make a product for. If they do some things well and most things right, they have hit the nail on the head.

Regarding the Hector, are the voice commands replacing the physical buttons like the touch screen is?! If so that is a terrible way to go about things. Having just a touch screen is itself not ideal. When the screen goes bad in a smartphone it is a terrible experience. I can only imagine what happens in a car when the AC or navigation cannot be pulled up due to a tablet failing.

Nevertheless, good job MG for bringing some much needed sanity to our market.

Lastly, the concept of connected cars needs to die a quick and painless death. In my opinion it is going to taint the car ownership experience in a way that modern electronics have in luxury cars.

[smsrini]

It will be interesting to see how the marketplace hots up with the Seltos pricing. Seltos appears to be better put together and together with the Creta grab a big chunk of the sales.

The Harrier urgently needs the auto box along with the other bells and whistles.

The days of auto makers thinking 'We'll tell you what you need' seems to be over.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by simeonovitch

Looks like you didn't read the official Team-BHP review of the Harrier.

Before jumping to respond, request you to re-read the team-bhp review of the Harrier, excerpts below:

Headline Positive: “2.0L diesel offers good driveability and a punchy mid-range”

Other statements on engine, ride, handling, stability, off-roading etc. from the team-bhp review are quoted verbatim below:

“The 2.0's low end is superb & overall driveability is good”, “There is some lag below 1,500 rpm, but it’s not excessive at all; you can start pulling the engine from ~1,200 rpm itself”, “On the open road, the Harrier is quick and you can make fast progress”, “The mid-range is simply fantastic and gets very addictive”, “You'll enjoy the punch & it pulls very nicely till ~4,000 rpm.”, “The Harrier's ride quality is mature, but has a firm edge to it. At city speeds, it is compliant enough and the Harrier's occupants will be kept comfortable.”, “On the highway too, the Harrier's ride quality is compliant & adequate.”, “Straight line stability is good, even at high speeds. Additionally, the Harrier isn't bouncy at speed and the rear end recovers quite quickly from expressway up / down undulations”, “If you should hit a rough patch on your holiday outings, Tata has you covered there too, with the Rough Road Mode”, “The 205 mm of ground clearance is impressive “, “We jammed the brakes at high speed too and the Harrier stopped straight & true, with no drama”

The only major negative quoted was the nervous steering. Some owners subsequently posted that in their cars manufactured later on, TATA seems to have firmed up the steering.

I would be surprised if we get half as many positives about ride, handling and cornering when the Hector is reviewed by team-bhp, but let us wait and see. All media reviews seem to indicate that it is not a driver's car.

[travelwriter]

Originally Posted by nishsingh

Looks like MG Hector has everything...aur kya chahiye ?"

The cynic in me does not let me believe MG actually is a good car. The focus thus far seems to be on Infotainment and decibel level during launch. Not a peep on performance, safety or handling.

I recall Jaspal Bhatti where, in an episode of Ulta Pulta, he said, "If the masala on the tikki chhole is right, it doesn't matter if the tikki is stale or not cooked. Everyone will eat it."

I have seen Chinese vehicles outside of India and have seen how dangerous they can get even when they go over minor road undulations. I'd rather pay a premium for an actual car than save costs for a voice-driven infotainment system on wheels.

Having ranted all this, I will wait for TBHP review and then happily change my mind if the view is totally contrary.

Travelwriter

[anu21v]

Originally Posted by simeonovitch

Same here mate.
The seltos does nothing for me.
I would, however, wait for the Team-BHP Hector review. They usually point out stuff that other reviewers gladly skip, in effort to keep the manufacturers happy.

For those who are still waiting for Seltos,Let me remind them that Chevy Captiva Outsold the Hyundai Santafe despite 1/3rd the network size and below par service experience.

Product to Product, Hector might be better than Seltos given the previous gen track record.

Originally Posted by travelwriter

I have seen Chinese vehicles outside of India and have seen how dangerous they can get even when they go over minor road undulations. I'd rather pay a premium for an actual car than save costs for a voice-driven infotainment system on wheels.

Travelwriter

Really? I would love to understand which vehicle was this. SAIC/MG's home markets are higher specced than Indian Markets (Min 4* required in Euro-Chinese markets) and in likelihood and on any given day, you are going to get Structurally better and safe vehicles than Suzuki /Hyundai /Nissan / Honda. Maybe a lot of people will not agree to my thoughts, but you need to see the fatality rates in Japanese cars (Especially Suzuki) to understand how unsafe are the vehicles we have been driving driving in india atleast for last 10 years. I trust Tata and Mahindra more than Japanese on this count.

[hiren.sharma]

Originally Posted by anu21v

For those who are still waiting for Seltos,Let me remind them that Chevy Captiva Outsold the Hyundai Santafe despite 1/3rd the network size and below par service experience.

Product to Product, Hector might be better than Seltos given the previous gen track record.



Really? I would love to understand which vehicle was this. SAIC/MG's home markets are higher specced than Indian Markets (Min 4* required in Euro-Chinese markets) and in likelihood and on any given day, you are going to get Structurally better and safe vehicles than Suzuki /Hyundai /Nissan / Honda. Maybe a lot of people will not agree to my thoughts, but you need to see the fatality rates in Japanese cars (Especially Suzuki) to understand how unsafe are the vehicles we have been driving driving in india atleast for last 10 years. I trust Tata and Mahindra more than Japanese on this count.

Well said. The Captiva and Baojun are really praised for their overall quality in their respective markets and people are liking it too.


Although, it'd be interesting to see how it performs in India since we prefer low maintenance over safety .

[travelwriter]

Originally Posted by anu21v

Really? I would love to understand which vehicle was this....I trust Tata and Mahindra more than Japanese on this count.

I think it was the SAIC, the one with the triangular logo. I remember the doors were quite light when I closed them, I experienced a lot of body roll and the vehicle would do a 'twist' when it went over a speed bump. I did not drive it myself, though; I was seated in the front.

I don't deny your statement about the Jap cars in India or your other views. I am just not convinced that MG can deliver a great experience on safety, performance and handling (which, as I said, I am willing to concede of reviews prove otherwise).

From what I have read so far, it seems MG has focussed in getting the price and the frills right. I haven't heard much about the rest.

Travelwriter

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by fache89

Their onslaught in the automobile segment is akin to the way they made rapid progress in the mobile and telecom segment. Of course, this time around Maruti can be replaced by Samsung and MG is analogous to Xiomi.

The analogy is flawed till such time that MG has a competent product at all the significant price points, just like Maruti does. Till then, MG is no Xiaomi to Maruti's Samsung. The reason why Xiaomi is so successful is that it has products at all price points up to a particular level, to cater to the budget conscious Indian buyer. Just like Maruti, which has bestselling products at all price points till INR 15- 16 lakhs. Not to mention the enormous trust that they have built over decades, and which is pretty much indelible at this point in time.

MG as of now is a one trick pony, and till such time that they diversify their portfolio in the INR 8-20 lakhs price bracket , their ability to penetrate or disrupt the Indian market in any significant way will be limited at best. This is assuming, in the first place, that the product(s) is a stellar one in terms of reliability and longevity - which is anyone's guess at this time. Predatory pricing can only take you along a quarter of the way. The rest of it is a much, much harder slope to ascend in the brutal Indian market, where brands have been known to give up the ghost without so much as a whimper.

Bodes well for the customer, no doubt, but I really have my reservations about how much the top brands in the market such as Maruti/ Hyundai are sweating it now.

[anu21v]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

I think it was the SAIC, the one with the triangular logo. I remember the doors were quite light when I closed them, I experienced a lot of body roll and the vehicle would do a 'twist' when it went over a speed bump. I did not drive it myself, though; I was seated in the front.

I don't deny your statement about the Jap cars in India or your other views.

Travelwriter

Appreciate your thoughts. Think SAIC vehicles are on the roads since 1980s, Depends on which Generation vehicles you sat on. If you happened to sit on one of those SAIC/VW Taxis which ply on Beijing/Shanghai roads (VW santana) then frankly those were 1980-1990 models and they ought to have these problem owing to the old gen technology. I remember asking a taxi driver in shanghai, why do they still drive a santana when there are so many good cars available, and his reply was "despite all the problems, its very easy to get it fixed even on roadside due to a very simple engine".

I am just not convinced that MG can deliver a great experience on safety, performance and handling (which, as I said, I am willing to concede of reviews prove otherwise).

It is like Making a view on Tata's quality based on experience of Indica-V1 and sticking on this while purchasing Tata-Harrier.

I too am waiting with with bated breath for official T-BHP review which will settle down this question. Going by the lineage, MG-Hector seems to have all the right ingredients to emerge as winner.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

The analogy is flawed till such time that MG has a competent product at all the significant price points, just like Maruti does. Till then, MG is no Xiaomi to Maruti's Samsung. The reason why Xiaomi is so successful is that it has products at all price points up to a particular level, to cater to the budget conscious Indian buyer. Just like Maruti, which has bestselling products at all price points till INR 15- 16 lakhs. Not to mention the enormous trust that they have built over decades, and which is pretty much indelible at this point in time.

MG as of now is a one trick pony, and till such time that they diversify their portfolio in the 8-20 lakhs price bracket , their ability to penetrate or disrupt the Indian market in any significant way will be limited at best. This is assuming, in the first place, that the product(s) is a stellar one in terms of reliability and longevity - which is anyone's guess at this time. Predatory pricing can only take you along a quarter of the way. The rest of it is a much harder slope to ascend.

It's more like Oneplus than Xiaomi.

MG has a huge portfolio of cars planned for India including multiple EV options.

That's the thing they are backed by SAIC which has 1) huge reserves of money 2) multiple brands in their portfolios that it can use.

Remember this Hector is being sold as the Captiva elsewhere around the world.

Secondly they have played safe. They got the diesel not from Mahindra or Tata but went with FCA. This actually cost them more money cause Fiat gets royalty.

I don't think you can compare MG with Toyota reliability by any means but when you have Jeep, Mahindra and Tata in the picture, MG might end up being in the same category. Tata and Mahindra are anyways not ranked high in terms of longevity and reliability so MG doesn't have a very high target to reach.

The 5 year warranty also is a big confidence booster as well as the myles subscription.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

It's more like Oneplus than Xiaomi.

MG has a huge portfolio of cars planned for India including multiple EV options.


The 5 year warranty also is a big confidence booster as well as the myles subscription.

Agreed on the above. OnePlus is a good example of how one can be a one-product company at sane price points, but establish a stellar reputation for itself. But that has a lot to do with the high quality of the product. Hopefully, the Hector is equally good on the quality and reliability counts! As I said, nothing better than solid competition for us, the consumers.It will indeed to be interesting to see how Kia plays the pricing card on the Seltos.

The MG portfolio does seem impressive, and it'll be great if they do manage to bring most of them to our country.