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4 key observations on my 2023 MG Hector after upgrading from Elite i20

3rd March 2023, 16:32 by Rahul Nagaraj

Yet to do a tank-to-tank fuel efficiency check, but MG app shows a figure hovering around 10 km/l.

BHPian manpreetsj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Preliminary observations from our first short drive of ~70 km in our new Hector Savvy Pro CVT

On 12th Feb, while we brought home our new car, we had a surprise tag along, "FLU!". Couldn't drive the whole week because of it. You know the feeling when you have your phone delivered but you are not able to unbox it! Yes, that feeling bothered me. Hence, today morning, when I felt a bit better, we decided to go for a short drive for breakfast at Mannat Dhaba, on Jaipur Highway. It is only 35 km from Gurgaon.

Coming from Elite i20 2017, this car has too many new bits to offer, even the basic ones like auto headlights, ADRVM, etc. are new to me. I am overwhelmed with so much MG has put into it. I'm always hungry for new tech, so I'm more than happy.

Key observations:

Engine & handling: The way I drive, I found the engine to be sufficiently powered with required pull when needed. The only time you feel power lacking is when you press on breaks and quickly try to accelerate. It asks for a second or two to figure out what you wish to do! Both in the city and on the highway we drove comfortably and could reach 80 quickly whenever we had a chance. Mid is good and pull is very good at that point. On handling, up to 90 km/h the steering had similar feedback as that of the i20 (Hyundai-like). At corners, I do slow down and leave it for someone else to comment on body roll at high speed. The potholes, speed breakers and rough patches make limited noise and vibrations are limited inside the cabin, thanks to soft suspension. Indeed very comfortable! The braking was also good and apt for the size of the car. The commanding seating position and comfortable seats add to the comfort.
ADAS: I tried traffic assist and Adaptive Cruise briefly. These are too intrusive. Will take some attempts to get hang of it. While these two were off, PILOT shows on screen which vehicle is ahead and tries to map it on MID. If you keep lane assist on, unless you give an indicator, it will keep alerting you to stay within the same lane. Will take a few more rides to get more out of it and get used to it. ADAS will be the norm down the line.
Tech: Wireless AA is a battery drainer for phones. Also the audio quality via it is not that great. Maybe need to check some settings. The screen is responsive. Accessing AC while using AA is a challenge. iSmart App on phone is useful, though connectivity to the car gets errors whenever a network issue is there. Yet to use it on my Smartwatch. Will use it next time and share some screens. JioSaavn is free for 3 years.
Mileage: I will just quote what iSmart App showed. Yet to do full tank to full tank check. Basis App, I got 9.7 km/l and 10.9 km/l both ways. Since the average speed is 44 km/h, I feel the mileage is good. I was expecting lower. In short trips within the city (<10kms) on the day of delivery I got between 8.8 to 10.5 km/l.

I'm happy with today's experience and look forward to taking it out on much longer rides!

I couldn't click pictures, was too engrossed in experiencing the new ride. Though have clicked pictures of the back side where the rear sill plate is visible.