[earthian]

I had booked the car online by paying Rs 50,000/-, without seeing the car or going on a TD. I did the TD about 2 weeks back and did not like the car at all. I asked for a refund 13 days back. The mail, and a reminder was not acknowledged at all.

I leaned on them, ( pressure of 4/10, in my opinion) and they acknowledged my mail and said that the refund was being processed. That was 5 days back.

Let's see how many days it takes.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

What do people think of the Kia Seltos? Anybody in the market for a new C. SUV took a test drive of both?

Would love if someone would share a Hector vs Seltos comparison.

I haven't driven neither. But if I was in the market and looking at that segment, i would go for the Seltos.
The Hector though offers more space and a bigger engine, probably caters to a higher segment in that case. But going by the reviews and not looking at the space, but looking at the engine options, especially the GDI, and other features on the Kia, I would go for that.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by tharian

I haven't driven neither. But if I was in the market and looking at that segment, i would go for the Seltos.
The Hector though offers more space and a bigger engine, probably caters to a higher segment in that case. But going by the reviews and not looking at the space, but looking at the engine options, especially the GDI, and other features on the Kia, I would go for that.

I'd say the ride and handling seems to be better in the Seltos. As well as the steering feedback.

But space. That's something where the Hector wins. And road presence. The panoramic sunroof is gorgeous.

There are complaints that the Seltos can't seat 3 people at the back comfortably. Three can sit at the back in my S Cross easily, so that sounds like a big negative.

After going through all the reviews that are available as of now, I think both cars need to be studied and real performance and ownership figures need to be obtained over time to actually see which one to invest in.

I am in the market to replace my ageing but able workhorse, the Civic. Both these cars got my attention. But I've read such a wide range of reviews - some good, some bad , that I'm thoroughly confused. I test drove the hector on launch day , and like everyone else, was blown away with the equipment kit. Quite liked the styling too. But after digging deeper, reading about the niggles, I thought I'd wait a bit more. Yet to check out the Seltos though. Waiting for the official pricing.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

But after digging deeper, reading about the niggles, I thought I'd wait a bit more.

Can you please elaborate and help prospective buyers on the niggles you have read so far? It will be great if you can share anything that has not been posted on t-bhp yet.

Originally Posted by coolkurt

What do people think of the Kia Seltos? Anybody in the market for a new C. SUV took a test drive of both?

Would love if someone would share a Hector vs Seltos comparison.

I have driven the Hector petrol automatic and the Seltos Diesel automatic, the fit and finish on the seltos is much better than the hector no question about that. The seltos looks beautiful, it really is a very good looking car. But because of its size its attraction will fade with time. I feel a similarly designed sedan might not lose its attraction that soon, just a theory.

The ride quality on the seltos is a bit on the stiffer side, but nothing to complain. Hector comparatively has a softer suspension setup.

Hector gives you that commanding view the seltos doesnt, but you dont feel like you are driving a bigger can in the hector. The steering is light, well I feel its too light, it does weigh up as you drive faster. I think one should be able to live with it. The turbo lag on the hector however is a concern and not sure if one can live with it or not. On the seltos the lag didnt bother me that much compared to the hector.

You can checkout my older post on this thread which shows the rear size comparison, leg room and under thigh support of both hector and seltos, I've posted pictures as well.

You can read on the features provided by both the cars, there are lots of them.

Originally Posted by vkochar

Just got this below message - found it very very strange - on one hand there are rumors that car is not available for months ! And then this !

Attachment 1903806

Its a good thing that they provided cell phone numbers in there. Now you can send that picture to pulsehub@mgmotor.co.in

The landing page of MG's Indian website i.e. https://www.mgmotor.co.in/ shows the following.

If you come across any MG dealer or third party promising fresh booking of the HECTOR, or seeking additional charges for early delivery of the HECTOR, please report it to pulsehub@mgmotor.co.in

[anandpadhye]

Took a TD of Hector Petrol DCT.

Engine lacks punch and sounds strained while accelerating hard. However, when driven relaxed, it is smooth, and this car is meant to be driven relaxed. It's a lovely cruiser and you get the feeling of traveling in Volvo B7R . The DCT, in it's own right feels good, shifts quickly. Tried all 3 modes D, S and M - box works well. In D and S, if you press the accelerator hard, it downshifts also pretty quickly, it's the engine that lets it down. We have seen so many cars in our mass market that have good engines but mediocre automatic gearboxes. Hector is the opposite, what an irony! They should have plonked a bigger engine considering the fact that this is a huge car.

Due to really big potholes on NH4 and especially near the entrance of the showroom, off-roading capability also got tested. Didn't bottom out anywhere, ride was a bit stiff in the rear seat, but superbly comfy in the driver's seat.

The fit and finish is top notch. The mirror adjustment buttons and all the switches are of high quality. The panoramic sunroof is heavenly. The rear seats are big and they recline. Driver seat was multi-way adjustable (forgot exact number) and I could quickly find a perfect position for myself - something I find a bit illusive in my BMW! The only thing missing is ventilated seats, which they should have included.

But overall a lovely car. Actually it's a party room on wheels or a palace on wheels. I saw some posts on how ordinary or ugly the side profile is. Sure, but then so is Innova and Hexa. Is there someone who thinks Innova is Madhuri Dixit? I think people are just playing down the Hector for it's Chinese origin but it is a fantastic car. And the first MPV in our market that offers a dual clutch gearbox with a turbo GDI engine.

I was told no AT in diesel so did not bother to TD that one, but if they plonk the same DCT in diesel, it may be a "joy to drive MPV" considering the fact that 2.0 Multijet is a potent engine. Or, just give us a 1.8L or 2L turbo GDI and we are set. MG, are you listening?

Some photos:
The awesome pano sunroof (picture does not do justice to the grandeur of this thing):



Hector and Innova Crysta in one frame (they both look just as beautiful or as ugly as each other ):




Cheers!

[DASKD24]

I'm in the middle of changing lanes - from Kia Seltos to MG Hector.
Had seen the Hector long before its launch in Mumbai Intl Airport, the black top end..loved it then!!
But I was looking for something more compact with good engine-gearbox and all modern gizmos - so focus had been on the Seltos all along.
Had some detailed walkthrough of Seltos last weekend, and was disappointed. Even with the promise of GTX+ DCT , it quite didn't look like the upgrade we were looking for from my current 2013 i20, for several reasons.
And then we hopped into MG NorthBangalore next door...

Was refreshingly surprised.
The sheer presence, it does have gravity, especially the black one!
The space - how can anyone complain ? The tyres did look a size smaller, but again the feeling can be overridden if the riding and handling is good.
It seemed to have today's bells and whistles available.
The Infinity Audio quality seemed superb (I have experienced Harman in Hexa and Harrier)
The Panoramic Sunroof - yes it might be just a good to have , possibly gimmick - but it DOES add to the rich in cabin experience.

Family instantly loved the car and I was impressed!!

So started following MG now ! The 107 forum pages it'd take time to savour.

But it'd be great if any of you can please point me to some of those handful of posts which can expedite my curve here.Especially the known pluses and deltas!

[jailbird_fynix]

Owner's post in the MG Hector Club India Fb page (Diesel Sharp variant). I've lost count of the number of such similar posts.



Mods: Please remove if inappropriate

[ecosport rules]

Mg hector 30 kms test drive


Pros :
*Good road presence especially from the front
*Good space overall
*Vehicle Stability Control works well but understeer evident
*Comfortable driving position, spot on,no ergonomic flaws
*Good front view
*Reclinable rear seats ,can seat 3 adults
*Solid heavy doors
*Excellent infinity speakers

Cons :

The petrol DCT auto lacked punch and felt strained and has very little low end torque

Steering wheel lacked feedback
Soft suspension

Rev counter sweeps anticlock wise(weird)

No physical buttons for the aircon control

Unreliable voice commands doesn't serve the purpose either
So one has to take eyes off the road and do it via the touch screen which is very dangerous)

The panoramic sun roof has thin blinds so the heat ingress will be higher compromising the aircon efficiency
Leaky roof already reported by few

The infotainment screen is too bright even at the lowest setting and there is no option to switch it off(will lead to eye fatigue on long drives)


Infotainment screen has lot of glare in day time due to wrong angulation
The screen resolution is not that good too
Has lag and takes 20 seconds to boot

Instrument cluster is very dim on the highest setting for day time use

Unreliable voice command function
Hit or miss
It was responding to conversations not directed towards it.

There were Dashboard and body rattles in a 5000 km driven test drive vehicle

Airbag checklight was on on 2 test drive vehicles and the consultant said it wasn't getting resolved. (Same issue with many cars across India )

Check engine light was on at the end of test drive (went into limp mode )

The tyres look too puny for the size of the vehicle (disproportionate)
Weird side profile like a station wagon on stilts(like the BRV)

Malfunctioning electronic hand brake(multiple instances)
Harsh ABS juddering


Overall it felt like a beta test version and looks like have to wait out for an year atleast for them to iron out all niggles(reminded me of the first gen XUV 500)

But inspite of all this it will pull the unsuspecting regular customer with all the bling and gizmos.

[Sebring]

With so many issues, MG must tighten their quality control. The sunroof, especially, is the crowning glory. If it leaks then its quite a bad scene. I think I have missed the reports of the leaky sunroof, in previous pages. You're right about voice control though, initially, it was not taking commands - then after the reboot, it was taking every conversation not directed towards it. That needs fine-tuning.

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

The panoramic sunroof - Leaky roof already reported by few

[SaiSW]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

What do people think of the Kia Seltos? Anybody in the market for a new C. SUV took a test drive of both?

Would love if someone would share a Hector vs Seltos comparison.

If I had 20~ lacs lying around, out of the two, I'd go for the hector, just because I am only interested in a diesel for this segment and the seltos diesel is not as powerful as the Multijet.

[SahilS]

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

Owner's post in the MG Hector Club India Fb page (Diesel Sharp variant). I've lost count of the number of such similar posts.

Attachment 1904570

Mods: Please remove if inappropriate

Actually it was found out in the same post that the person who posted this is not the owner of this car. He just saw this car on the road side with bonnet open and added the smoke/burning comment himself.
People there found out from registration number that the person who posted this is not the actual owner. When confronted, he acknowledged that he just saw this car on road and clicked pics.

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by SahilS

Actually it was found out in the same post that the person who posted this is not the owner of this car. He just saw this car on the road side with bonnet open and added the smoke/burning comment himself.
People there found out from registration number that the person who posted this is not the actual owner. When confronted, he acknowledged that he just saw this car on road and clicked pics.

Thank you for clarifying this, its very helpful for soon to be owners of the Hector. The smell issue is like another one that was share in a video in Chandigarh, while the car was still running it was showing smoke and the smell. In my experience I have found this issue coming from the engine bay if somehow the untrained staff who is to polish and clean the car after a service or a PDI, ends up polishing something which is not to be and the polish veneer burns off these parts once these parts gets hot. Just suspecting that it might be the cause! However, ppl will click these pictures and spread like wildfire making wild accusations!

Originally Posted by Sebring

With so many issues, MG must tighten their quality control. The sunroof, especially, is the crowning glory. If it leaks then its quite a bad scene. I think I have missed the reports of the leaky sunroof, in previous pages. You're right about voice control though, initially, it was not taking commands - then after the reboot, it was taking every conversation not directed towards it. That needs fine-tuning.

I have been following every post of this thread, and nowhere has a leaky roof been mentioned. Coincidentally the only other post which complaint about the Pano roof was from me , in mentioning that it was making a hell of a racket in one of the TD cars, which the SA told me needs lubrication.
While the voice commands worked well for me, yes it did interrupt quite a number of conversations (about MG incidentally) while we were sat in the car. It does need fine-tuning no doubt, and it is literally V1.0, so either you be the earlybird beta tester, or you don't! I frankly do not mind it to the extent to write it off. I did the same with my XUV5oo and I do not regret it a bit.


Let me also share an update!
My DCT sharp is now further delayed owing to the floods in Gujarat and the timelines have been pushed again by at least 10 days. While that is true, MG has come up with a very nice solution to at least ease the pain of the people who are waiting. According to their customer care, if you have waited for more than 8 weeks since your booking date, you will be entitled to 1000 reward points per week, so if the car is delivered to you in say the 10th week you will get 10,000 reward points, however if your car is delivered on the 7th week you will not get any, so past the 8th week is the cliff.

Each reward point is equivalent to INR1. You have the option to use this points to pay for any genuine MG accessories or merchandise, or for every 2000 points you can chose to sponsor the education for one girl child through their partnered NGO.

It has been more than 10 weeks since I booked the car, so I am already past the cliff and now for every additional week I have been given an incentive to wait.

I found this gesture to be a first of its kind in India. I must say their marketing and understanding of India from the word go has been Spot On! I hope other manufacturers can take some notes from MG on this.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by earthian

I had booked the car online by paying Rs 50,000/-, without seeing the car or going on a TD. I did the TD about 2 weeks back and did not like the car at all. I asked for a refund 13 days back. The mail, and a reminder was not acknowledged at all.

I leaned on them, ( pressure of 4/10, in my opinion) and they acknowledged my mail and said that the refund was being processed. That was 5 days back.

Let's see how many days it takes.

Thanks for sharing, please keep us posted on how long it takes for the refund. I booked on July 1st and recently received an email saying the car will be delivered in Jan 2020.

If the local dealer confirms the same, I unfortunately will have to cancel my booking.

[GearHeadGarage]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

Each reward point is equivalent to INR1.
====
I hope other manufacturers can take some notes from MG on this.[/b]

I got a message from my SA and an email from MG informing of the girl child education for every day we wait. Although frustrating for the customer, something nice out of it. The marketing team continuing their great job. I did not get any message about using the points for accessories however. Not sure if it is particular to the dealer.

[Pulse500]

Few more observations on top end Diesel TD vehicle:

1. When closing the electric tailgate, if any obstruction / hand is put under the tailgate, the tailgate still continues to close without stopping, and with good amount of force. Imagine some article from luggage is partly blocking tailgate, or a child unexpectedly inserting his hand or head to check when the lid is still slowly closing. If Windows can have anti-pinch feature, why the tail gate doesnt?

The dealer's rep claimed there is a sensor to detect obstructions and when obstruction is encountered, the bootlid movement stops immediately. However, on both the TD vehicle and the Showroom vehicle, the bootlid continued its movement till closing irrespective of the number of obstructions and place of palm put as obstruction. There was no way to reverse the direction too when it was closing. Did I miss something?

2. The display complained twice about High Coolant Temperature, after stopping after a short TD on smooth highway, had just three people on board.

3. During TD, even without any voice commands, the vehicle suddenly stopped playing music. Wondering if it acted on any previously old buffered command, given several minutes back. BTW, since this was being driven in the city with good Internet connectivity, I doubt delay in relaying in previous commands. Does the server queue up responses and delivers at random at any time? Imagine if lock the vehicle and go, and a previously buffered command to play music (will exhaust battery), or open sunroof gets executed.

4. I fear the weak sunroof might attract thieves to steal items from parked Hector.