[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by Karan

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, I received a call from the MG dealer here in Mumbai asking if I am still interested in the car and if i'd like to book it! Like many here I too am one of the believers that believe this whole thing is just a marketing gimmick

How are they going to accept a fresh booking when the company itself claims bookings are closed? Either they're going to add your booking to the old list or MG is readying to reopen bookings again, since they'll be finishing capacity augmentation by sept end, post which they'll be able to manufacture 3000 units per month.

[Durango Dude]

"Strike the iron when it's hot" holds good for the new car launches, also. You don't launch a car and within a couple of weeks suspend bookings: this is the first 'falter' of MG. Hector looks positively old with so many car launches happening of late. The petrol automatic delivers a mileage of 6.5 kmpl urban and 8.3 highway which is way too low.

https://youtu.be/VtdKGee0mLw

[AGwagon]

Hello Bhpians, my following post is two parts: firstly, an update on the mileage of DCT on my daily commute and also an advisory request to guide me towards what car should I look for my needs.

I will give the first part in this post, will post my questions in the next post later in the day.

So I was supposed to drive the MG Hector DCT Sharp today from Moti Nagar to Udyog Vihar in GGN. While I wanted that the car should have been filled in my presence, but the SA had already got it ready and the meter was showing a full tank with 441km of range. I started the car, reset the trip and progressed. GMaps was showing 70min for 27km to my office.

Here is my observation firstly about the car:
Pros:
1. The car is ultra silent and smooth
2. AC is quite effective and at 3 fan speed fairly silent
3. Voice commands hardly missed a beat and worked flawlessly
4. The power after the initial small lag, was available instantaneously and linear (didn't got a stretch to go above 80 even once)
5. It was fairly relaxing and easy to drive even such a big car and was very easy to place its corners even without the 360 camera from the driver seat. I did try to drive it in extremely tight places and lanes as well.
6. Android auto connected flawlessly and the track information, the navigation instruction and the calls information were all available on the MID also.
7. Music system was superb.
8. pano sunroof made the cabin very airy and a pleasure to be in.
9. Auto hold P Brake was again very helpful to have

Cons (this is me being extremely critical):
1. The leather seats were a pain in our hot Delhi climate and even though the AC was a chiller, my back was damp sitting on those comfortable leather seats.
2. Since the AC was very effective (I was the only person in the car), I had to constantly adjust the temperature and it was a pain going through the menu each time. Also I was irritated that the system didn't return to the previous screen automatically after the input and had to be brought back manually each time.
3. The Android auto screen covers only half of the 10.25inch portrait display. The AA remains in portrait mode and in the vertical centre position. Its big enough, but seems like a waste of screen real-estate and odd
4. The system was laggy (as known), did takeaway something from the experience. Although it kept getting faster to respond as the drive progressed.
5. The tomtom maps graphics were IMO horrible, everywhere else though the ICE graphics were excellent.
6. The car did struggle for less than a second every time you brought it to 1st gear with moderate/hard breaking and instantly tried to go on the throttle.
7. There is no shortcut to Android Auto or Google Maps when you are not in the home screen. Also there is no back button. So each time you get in another menu, you have to return to home >AA> google maps.


So from the above I was to be honest quite satisfied and felt that the cons are easy to live with. But, I was awaiting the litmus test of mileage and I chose to go to a station around 3km away, through some very narrow and tight lanes (thanks to Gmaps) which took me almost 25 min to reach.

Mileage:
Now I asked the SA did he fill up the car to a level he could see, he said no and mentioned it was only filled to the auto cut. So I asked the fuel attendant to start filling her slowly. The auto cut came with only 0.6L, so I asked him to keep filling her up slowly. He very patiently complied and the numbers just kept rising, when it reached beyond 11.5L, I asked him to stop. I believe with another 0.5L we would have filled up the neck as well.

Now here are the stats: I drove total 29km to the petrol station which took me close to 2 hours in worse traffic imaginable with auto hold engaged and AC on auto. We also know that SA didn't fill her up beyond auto cut (I should have made sure they did, but I had no choice it was already done).

But even with the error correction of the extra fuel post auto cut (assuming 5L at max. is this a fair assumption?). The car would have returned ~30km for 7L(or more), which is a mileage I just cannot live with at all. Now I know my system didn't work perfectly because of the above error, but the numbers were so bad that it has put me off to the extent that I have decided to wait.

P.S. The number on the MID was 9.7kmpl when I finished my drive, I have asked the SA to update me on this once he reaches back to the showroom.

Just adding the image I have just received from the SA, when the car reached back to the showroom. Please remember, since the tripmeter starts with a default value of 13kmpl, it keeps going down from there as the kms build up.

When I had left the car it was at 9.7kmpl at 29.6kms (one way journey) and DTE was at 445km.

This entire 55km trip was covered in peak B2B traffic in 3h:45m, which would translate into an average speed of 15kmh

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

But even with the error correction of the extra fuel post auto cut (assuming 5L at max. is this a fair assumption?). The car would have returned ~30km for 7L(or more), which is a mileage I just cannot live with at all. Now I know my system didn't work perfectly because of the above error, but the numbers were so bad that it has put me off to the extent that I have decided to wait.

P.S. The number on the MID was 9.7kmpl when I finished my drive, I have asked the SA to update me on this once he reaches back to the showroom.

The numbers aren't very inspiring, especially for those looking to get this variant. The Fiat Diesel is probably the way to go, if one is keen to own the Hector.

Do we have real life figures for the Diesel?

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

P.S. The number on the MID was 9.7kmpl when I finished my drive, I have asked the SA to update me on this once he reaches back to the showroom.

So the Autocar figures were accurate after all, eh? They quoted 6.xx in the city, which is pretty close to what you and your SA got combined, after considering MID inaccuracy

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by d3mon

So the Autocar figures were accurate after all, eh? They quoted 6.xx in the city, which is pretty close to what you and your SA got combined, after considering MID inaccuracy

Yes it does seem like it. This is of course with an extremely bad B2B traffic. I must say I am very thankful to the GM sales for allowing me this opportunity to test a fairly in-demand vehicle like this. But, this again puts me at square one .

I need to find an alternative now to the Hector now, and I had already written-off the Seltos (or should I reconsider the diesel auto?). Oh god I am highly confused now!

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

Mileage:

But even with the error correction of the extra fuel post auto cut (assuming 5L at max. is this a fair assumption?). The car would have returned ~30km for 7L(or more), which is a mileage I just cannot live with at all. Now I know my system didn't work perfectly because of the above error, but the numbers were so bad that it has put me off to the extent that I have decided to wait.

P.S. The number on the MID was 9.7kmpl when I finished my drive, I have asked the SA to update me on this once he reaches back to the showroom.

Wow that is lower than what I had guessed and computes to 30km/7L = 4.28 kpl. Looks like the AutoCar India numbers are also fairly reliable then since City driving keeps varying and there is no clear definition of city driving.

I guess SUV and Petrol engines are NOT made for each other. Diesel still rocks for SUVs

[GearHeadGarage]

Thanks for the update, AGwagon. Disappointing to learn about the 6.x mileage from your city run. Since I have flexible timings, I usually choose non peak traffic times for my office commute. Hoping this will help increase the mileage to 8-ish. Might be wishful thinking!?!

Hopefully the longer highway runs return 10-11 at least. Else my road trips are going to end up costly! I am going ahead with my booking. Already sold the previous car and getting very difficult to manage without one. Processing the loans now. Must get it all done and delivered in another 2-3 weeks.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

Yes it does seem like it. This is of course with an extremely bad B2B traffic.
I need to find an alternative now to the Hector now, and I had already written-off the Seltos (or should I reconsider the diesel auto?). Oh god I am highly confused now!

I am not sure who is at fault here, the car or us for expecting 9-10 kmpl from a Petrol SUV. It was never going to be true and that you tested it in peak Delhi - GGN traffic which is basically 30 kms of bumper to bumper agony. 4.xx is still horribly low and I would want to give the benefit of doubt to the car as the calculation had some variables. But 6-7 kmpl is what I have been expecting all along. The Compass and Innova Petrol cars have always returned that much. My friend's Creta Petrol AT returns nothing more than 8 kmpl. My own Ecosport Petrol returns 9 kmpl. My i10 AT used to return 9 kmpl. Why would Hector be different? Its a BIG car and the traffic on our roads in just horrible.

For comparisons how much does your Dzire AGS return? I see that you own one. It must not be anything great in this traffic scenario. And considering that Hector is a heavy car with a proper DCT gearbox, FE would only be poorer.

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I am not sure who is at fault here, the car or us for expecting 9-10 kmpl from a Petrol SUV. It was never going to be true and that you tested it in peak Delhi - GGN traffic which is basically 30 kms of bumper to bumper agony. 4.xx is still horribly low. For comparisons how much does your Dzire AGS return?

Mohit, I had somewhere back of my mind assumed 8-9kmpl, but the real world figure is just pathetic in comparison even with taking a correction of 5L on the variable, which is fairly generous and that is not something that I expected.

The Dzire AGS comfortably returns 14-15kmpl with AC. I am fine to upgrade to a 9kmpl auto vehicle and it seems like it will have to be a diesel which I wanted to avoid this time. Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by GearHeadGarage

Thanks for the update, AGwagon. Disappointing to learn about the 6.x mileage from your city run. Since I have flexible timings, I usually choose non peak traffic times for my office commute. Hoping this will help increase the mileage to 8-ish. Might be wishful thinking!?!

Hopefully the longer highway runs return 10-11 at least. Else my road trips are going to end up costly! I am going ahead with my booking. Already sold the previous car and getting very difficult to manage without one. Processing the loans now. Must get it all done and delivered in another 2-3 weeks.

I usually do the same leave home around 715-730AM to reach before 830, however whatever I do the return leg does take usually 1.5hrs or more. I was also thinking that may be with these timings I could manage an average of 9kmpl but what I got was sub 5kmpl in one of the worse runs (which does happen from time to time), cant really take that chance.

Which version are you going for in btw?

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

The Dzire AGS comfortably returns 14-15kmpl with AC. I am fine to upgrade to a 9kmpl auto vehicle and it seems like it will have to be a diesel which I wanted to avoid this time. Any suggestions?

I think that query would be better served in the "What Car" section. For a everyday Delhi to Gurgaon commute ( I did the same for 2 years and still do sometimes), I would be only looking at Diesel AT vehicles regardless of what NGT says. You would then need to list out your preferences etc. for us to be able to suggest you anything. Sedan vs SUV, C+ segment vs D segment and what not.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

The Dzire AGS comfortably returns 14-15kmpl with AC. I am fine to upgrade to a 9kmpl auto vehicle and it seems like it will have to be a diesel which I wanted to avoid this time. Any suggestions?

If you really want a "big" car Petrol Auto with good economy, consider the XL6. It's fairly lightweight and I think it should meet your 9kmpl criterion.

Of course the recommendation would change if you are okay with going with Diesel, which has a lot more options for automatics with decent fuel economy.

[mtnrajdeep]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

When I had left the car it was at 9.7kmpl at 29.6kms (one way journey) and DTE was at 445km.

This entire 55km trip was covered in peak B2B traffic in 3h:45m, which would translate into an average speed of 15kmh

Isn't 7 kmpl very reasonable for this commute? My XUV 500 Automatic returns about 9.5 kmpl in Bangalore B2B traffic where I take almost 1 hour 15 minutes to cover 19 km.

Being a petrol and and a heavy SUV, mileage was always going to be lesser than the diesel counterparts.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by AGwagon

The Dzire AGS comfortably returns 14-15kmpl with AC. I am fine to upgrade to a 9kmpl auto vehicle and it seems like it will have to be a diesel which I wanted to avoid this time.
?

This is true, Maruti AGS cars deliver better mileage at the same time providing an average automatic experience (read jerks). I have an Ignis AGS which returns 13.5kpl to 14 kpl in Bumper to Bumper Bangalore Traffic.

Not an Apples to Apples comparison but on the very same route my Honda City Diesel Manual returns me a mileage of 18.5 kpl to 19 kpl. So yes, a Diesel is definitely more fuel efficient.

I guess unless they mate some kind of hybrid technology to these fuel guzzling DCTs to increase the overall efficiency they don't seem to be practical for everyday use...(at least for me)...

On another front do not cancel the booking outright, see on Facebook in the MG Hector Club and see if you can make some additional money on your booking by giving it to someone else at a premium/higher price

[AGwagon]

Originally Posted by d3mon

If you really want a "big" car Petrol Auto with good economy, consider the XL6. It's fairly lightweight and I think it should meet your 9kmpl criterion.

I do not like the MPV segment at all, just can't picture myself self driving one. Thus, diesel seems the only viable option.

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

This is true, Maruti AGS cars deliver better mileage at the same time providing an average automatic experience.. a Diesel is definitely more fuel efficient.

On another front do not cancel the booking outright, see on Facebook in the MG Hector Club and see if you can make some additional money on your booking by giving it to someone else at a premium/higher price

Absolutely True that FE in the Japs definitely comes at a price (safety, tinny vehicles) so not keen to take one for the segment that I am looking at. Diesel Autos in this segment are also very very limited.

I do not know if it is that easy making a quick buck on the MG booking

Originally Posted by mtnrajdeep

Isn't 7 kmpl very reasonable for this commute? My XUV 500 Automatic returns about 9.5 kmpl in Bangalore B2B traffic where I take almost 1 hour 15 minutes to cover 19 km.
Being a petrol and and a heavy SUV, mileage was always going to be lesser than the diesel counterparts.

Sir, the actual average was not even close to 7kmpl. So that to me was quite worrisome. Also the difference between a 6kmpl on petrol and a 9.5kmpl on diesel is INR5 per km. To me that is significant at nearly 2000km per month.