Team-BHP - 6-seater MG Hector Plus spotted testing. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 13.49 lakh

Well, this pricing puts the ball firmly in Tata's court for the Gravitas. I don't prefer the MG because my cars are self driven and the body roll is significant when compared to the Harrier. Am guessing the Gravitas will share same riding characteristics of the Harrier so would be the enthusiast's choice but the pricing is gonna be key. With Hector plus undercutting even the Harrier top end by a couple of lakhs, it's gonna be an interesting fight. For those who want a genuine 7 seater like me, here's hoping the Gravitas has more space in the 3rd row.

The MG Hector plus is essentially the Hector with an additional 3rd row seat configuration and plus Captain seats in the 2nd row, so they were able to pull off this marginal price hike of around 1lakh. The same does not apply for the Gravitas and the Harrier, hence I think the difference in price may be higher.

Also, just out of curiosity, how is it that the Hector Plus has increased in length, when compared to the Regular Hector, at least thats what I remember reading in one of the articles. Is it something to do with the change in the rear bumper?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M (Post 4843651)

MG doesn't have a dealership in my city. The closest one is 260kms away yet there are a dozen Hectors in my city all registered here. I think this Plus variant will pull some XL6 customers away from MS.

MG has a new dealership in kuloor-kavoor road Mangalore. Out of all the Hector's I've seen till date in Mangalore are all top end variants which includes my friends Hector as well(bought from Mysore and registered in Mangalore). Now with the new dealership Mangaloriens will have more access to the car and test drives and would result in a good number of sales figures as well.
Hector plus seems to be a good option for the chauffeur driven individuals and a family of 5 adults would anyday prefer the regular Hector and use the huge boot during long highway trips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by motorworks (Post 4843643)

Also, just out of curiosity, how is it that the Hector Plus has increased in length, when compared to the Regular Hector, at least thats what I remember reading in one of the articles. Is it something to do with the change in the rear bumper?

Yes, it's got to do with the redesigned bumpers. Everything else remains unchanged

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candy$Cars (Post 4843587)

Competitive pricing I must say, though I was expecting a 50-75k increase over the Hector and it is right in that range, given that the Hector & Hector plus are 99% similar except for the last row by stretching the body a bit.

Body remains same. Wheelbase same. It's just that bumpers that have been redesigned and add to the 40mm extra overall length

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candy$Cars (Post 4843587)

Well, I won't say that the Harrier is dead. It is a much better product overall and I don't see any reason for anyone to be opting for the Hector/Hector plus except for the price, anti-Tata perceptions, the plethora of features which attract people in the showroom though they may end up never using them later or a >90% city usage taking advantage of that soft suspension.
No offence, anyone just looking to get a TV, virtual assistant, mobile/laptop on wheels will get the Hector but those who are able to see beyond that will definitely pickup the 2020 Harrier but alas, those people are a small minority. :Frustrati

Well it is what it is. A company needs to market a product which the people want, and not what they should learn to want. You can't argue that your customers are stupid.

Plus, while a laptop on wheels might sound like a frivolous reason to buy a car, but infotainment system will be used a hell lot more than Harrier's ESP modes or Terrain Response modes. This is for Tata to understand and decide the variants/marketing/price.

Unfortunately it definitely does look like that the Harrier will have a very tough time going ahead. Compared to the cost that must have gone into developing the car, it's sales figures has been shocking over the last one year.

And on top of that, what is Tata going to do with Gravitas? If the Harrier feels like it is a tough sell, the Gravitas is definitely dead.

And also we all know in India, once a model starts struggling to sell customers start avoiding it because of the herd mentality. Tata's hopes probably lie on the Hornbill now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline (Post 4843697)

While the Harrier may be dynamically more sorted out, the Hector does most of what Harrier does in every day scenarios in an equal or more comfortable and a practical manner, courtesy larger boot space. Now if the Harrier had AWD, then we’d be talking differently.

If Harrier had AWD, it would better the hector in every day scenarios?

The Hector is what it is: perfect for the city, perfect to be chauffeured in. Out on highways or undulating roads, it's not great because of the ultra soft suspension. Anyway, don't want this thread to go OT and make it a comparison thread so will stop here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candy$Cars (Post 4843587)

No offence, anyone just looking to get a TV, virtual assistant, mobile/laptop on wheels will get the Hector but those who are able to see beyond that will definitely pickup the 2020 Harrier but alas, those people are a small minority. :Frustrati

Well, everyone tried to make the best use of their $$, so I would not judge. Personally, as a onetime Tata vehicle owner, having suffered through ergonomics issues, parts unavailability issues, niggling reliability issues as well as uncouth experience at the service center, I will staying away from another Tata vehicle unless I get evidence of good ownership experience from a close family member or friend (someone I know well). Sadly, there does not seem to be any- wonder why?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 07CR (Post 4843441)

They should have had an option of 7 seat variant. I really don't see much point going for this other than the hector for one extra seat. I mean atleast the hector can seat 5 adults comfortably.

2 friends who bought Innovas recently chose the captain seats. I think a lot of people don't need room for 7 and nothing beats those captain seats in comfort.

So in a nutshell the way I see it - customers are going to pay a premium to convert a 5 seater Hector into a 4 seater one with lesser luggage space. Interesting tactic.

It will sell maybe, just like the Hector has been selling. But this IMO is another car in the chain of 6-7 seater cars that have helped to slowly mature our market to understand that its safer and better to have 5 seater cars than trying to load all the extended families into a single car as much as possible. As India moves towards more nuclear families in the coming decades, these 6-7 seaters are going to be far and fewer by my reckoning. A larger car with space for 5 and their luggage makes a better case for regular use.