I think the 0-100 km/h time of the SUV would be equal to or even better than the diesel MG Hector & Tata Safari.

BHPian TSEA recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

• Method Used: Tank full to Tank full
• Fuel Filled: 46.40 Ltrs
• Kms Travelled: 483
• Fuel Efficiency: 10.40 Km/Ltr

My last month's running has been mostly to a place around 6 km from my house. The efficiency might improve if I run the vehicle for a longer duration.

There are a lot of talks on the performance of the 1.5 Turbocharged Intercooled engine of Hector Plus.

I find the engine to be more than adequate for city driving. Coupled with the E-Boost provided by the Hybrid setup, the pick up of the car from a standstill is reasonably quick.

The engine revs happily and produces a peak power of 143 PS @ 5000 rpm. MG has also tuned the engine to produce maximum torque at lower rpms: 250 Nm @ 1600-3600 rpm. These figures make the Hector Plus very nimble at lower speeds. These figures are also very close to the much-envied 1.5 TSI engine (148 bhp @ 5000 rpm and 250 Nm @ 1500 rpm) of another SUV. However, Hector is a heavier vehicle and that does play into the power to weight ratio.

While I was unable to find a 0 to 100 Acceleration Numbers of Hector Hybrid, my guess is that it will be well under 11 seconds, which will be equal (or better) than a diesel Hector/Safari.

MG should have given a more relaxed 6th gear. Currently, 90 km speed comes at 2,000 rpm. I would have loved (and so would have the fuel efficiency numbers) to have 90 km at 1800 rpm.

Water washed the car today. Attaching a few pics. While I don't recommend this color, it does shine a lot even after a plain water wash.

Side view (notice the dirt on the black plastics, that portion needs a proper shampoo wash and a dressing)

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I like the Jeep Compass Limited, but it commands a steep premium of 5.5L over the Hector CVT.

BHPian manpreetsj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi! I am considering booking Hector Sharp CVT, with the expectation of facelift coming out during the waiting period of 3-4 months (may add ADAS). But before going ahead with booking just thought of exploring Jeep Compass, as I liked the Night Eagle variant recently introduced. On further reading found that Limited makes more sense overall package wise but is 5.5 lakhs more expensive than Hector top model. Hence, please guide on following:

1. How much discount can one negotiate and get from dealers in DNCR for Limited Petrol AT model? Please share your / friend's experience.
2. How is the mileage of petrol AT? Similar to that of Hector? I know petrol dct is a cruiser and i am fine with it.
3. Any report on long term reliability of Compass's DCT? Since it is a dry clutch DCT, historically in India such GB fail over 3-5 years. Clutch replacement cost is close to 80k, is it covered under any insurance or warranty? What should one budget as average maintenance cost over 5 years?
4.  If I am from Gurgaon, does it make sense to register car in Chandigarh to save 1 lakh? Worth the hassle?
5. How is the resale value of Compass? I could notice poor resale value for many 2019 Compass, being sold at less than 50% value after only 3 years. My i20 after 5 years is getting almost 60-65% value
6. If mileage is not a concern and need a cruiser, which one do you recommend - Night eagle/ Limited vs Hector CVT? Features gap is as follows -

• Hector vs Limited - Even after 5 Lakhs gap - Hector offers extra - Front parking sensors, 360 camera, passenger electrically adj seat, ventilated seats, App features for AC on/off, etc, bigger boot and backseat and may offer ADAS in facelift.
• Hector vs Night Eagle/Longitude - In addition to above comparison, will loose out further on electrically adjustable driver seats, only 2 airbags, no Electrically adj ORVM, no rain sensing wipers, no panoramic sunroof, no electric tailgate close, no ambient lighting or GPS or wireless charger!

Under both, Compass gives extra - Swag, Jeep branding, slightly better looking car, dual zone AC.

Both lack in service network, however maintenance is cheaper with MG as 70% of material is locally sourced + no DCT

Thanks!

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Neither of them are driver's cars. In fact, both have slow low-rpm response times and are best driven sedately, rather than aggressively. Keeping that in mind, I would pick the Hector CVT, enjoy the smoothness, space, soft ride quality, features, sound system & cruise comfortably with my family. It will likely be the more reliable gearbox in the long-term too. That 5.5-lakh price difference is huge! The difference could take care of almost all your fuel expenses & maintenance for 5 - 6 years. Plus, there is no doubt that your family will be happier travelling in the Hector vs the smaller cabin of the Compass.

Be sure to check out this excellent Hector CVT ownership report by TheVegabond.

Here's what BHPian AtheK had to say on the matter:

Voted MG hector, for anyone who is looking for a cruiser and a comfortable ride while keeping fuel economy expectation in check, Hector is a no brainer.

Yes few would have reservations around chinese root, but then no matter what you buy these days you are helping China in some way or another. I personally have now moved on from that sentiment, but respect others too who would want to alter there decision on that point. I will personally book Hector in a jiffy if the facelift comes with Auto box in Diesel.

The rattles being widely reported on forums in Jeep is a big big limiting factor too, I just can not live with any sort of rattles in a cabin, and it will be criminal if a new car has rattles within first few months of ownership.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I am in love with the commanding view it provides from the driver seat. In my recent outstation drive, I appreciated the long-range visibility it provided out on the 2-lane divider free highway.

BHPian TheVegabond recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Black is beautiful:

Background:

So, here it goes, I had been driving my Hyundai Grand i10 since 2014. It was my first car . the car served me well without any unpleasant surprises during 8 years of ownership and more than 1 lac Kms on the road (sometimes off the road as well). The car did not give me any reasons to complain and there was certainly no need to look for a new car. Still, the itch to change/upgrade to a new car started almost a year ago.

A job switch late last year and some well-deserved financial stability (touchwood) meant that the itch became irresistible. While I was looking for excuses to change to a new car, I needed someone to tell me that I need a new car. My family and knowledgeable friends wondered what was wrong with the Grand i10 and listening to my vague arguments they concluded i10 was just fine, something was wrong with me instead. Then came the statement (more like a kick in the back) from the better half - " Go get a new car and let us live in peace". There was one condition that the final verdict will be hers.

The hunt and the contenders:

This is the most exciting and at the same time most difficult task. The sole criteria for the new car was that it must feel like an upgrade with the term "upgrade" undefined. Like a true BHPian I compiled following requirements:

Must haves:

• Only petrol engine because of limited running and stupid 10-year diesel rule in Delhi.
• Good cabin and boot space.
• I kept the budget at 15 lakh OTR (certain section of my mind told me that it might not be enough).
• Easy to drive and long-distance comfort.
• Sunroof - condition set by my 6 year old.

Good to have:

• Automatic.
• High GC.

As evident, the requirements list was short, and my buying decision was solely going to be the feel and connect with the new car. With this, the test drives began:

The sub compact SUVs:

I had already driven Brezza, Nexon, Venue, Sonet, XUV300 and Ecosport in my social circle. XUV300 was the only car that I liked but the small boot was a deal breaker. So, the entire SubCSUV was out of contention.

Hyundai Creta:

Somehow, I thought that this was going to be car that would be the final choice. The SX trim was within the budget and had a feature list that Hyundai is known for. I took a test drive taking along my family. The car drove exactly same as my Grand i10, the interior colour scheme was also same and to top it off, the smart key was also the same as my Grand i10's key. It felt as if I was sitting a little higher in my Grand i10. No complains but there was no feeling of a change, and my wife also felt the same. So, the car that I thought was going to be my next possession, got rejected in a short test drive.

Kia Seltos:

I test drove the iMT petrol and liked it for its convenience. The HTX trim felt better because of the feature list and the cabin aesthetics. Having gone through TBHP reviews about its stiff suspension, I took a long test drive and tried covering variety of road sections. The ride quality was found to be acceptable by my wife and I also did not feel it to be a deal breaker. Both the iMT and HTX trims were shortlisted.

Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun:

Test drove the 1L MT of both Kushaq and Taigun. While the cars drove just fine, both felt like from the SubCSUV segment with compact cabin and boot space. I could not strike a connect with the Kushaq, but the Taigun felt much better. While the Skoda sales guy was eager and also showed the "reassuring thud" while closing the door, the salesperson at VW was relatively subdued. Both Kushaq and Taigun felt overpriced for what they offered and got rejected.

Honda City 5th Generation:

Like most Indians, this car holds a lot of aspirational value in my heart. I test drove the ZX petrol CVT, no offence to Skoda/VW lovers but this car drove much better than both Kushaq and Taigun 1L. I loved the linear but fast acceleration, while my wife loved the back seat and roomy cabin. I took the car to some bad patches, and it did not complain. As expected, I had to be really careful on sharp speed breakers. Overall, the City impressed me in every aspect apart from the low GC. Shortlisted as top preference.

Tata Harrier:

Though, I was only looking at petrol cars, still went ahead and checked the Harrier. I had admired its exterior looks and road presence ever since it was launched. The interiors were nice except for a very prominent hump in the second row because of the transmission tunnel. The car drove really well and gave a good view of the road ahead from the driver seat. As much as I loved the Harrier, the variant XT plus (which had everything I wanted) was way above the budget. With the 10-year diesel rule coupled with my limited running, the Harrier was never going to be shortlisted.

Nissan Kicks and Renault Duster:

Lack of a sunroof on both of these cars would have certainly attracted a veto from my daughter, still I took a test drive. Though these cars look different, the difference is minimal once you are inside the cabin. These are classic examples of great cars gone flop because of step motherly treatment by their manufacturers. We still don't get the latest generation Duster while the Kicks feels a half-hearted attempt. If you solely focus on how these cars drive, you will love them. The ride is plush, the 1.3 Turbo is fun to drive, and the car is sorted even on worst of the road patches. But the cabin feels outdated and dull to the extent that you would struggle to spend time inside the car. Again, I took the test drives just to make sure that I did not miss out on any of the options in the market, the test drives formally crossed them off the list.

MG Astor:

The new kid on the block, the Astor had a lot going for it. I actually liked it a lot, especially the great interiors. Sit on the driver seat and you will feel great. My daughter loved the sunroof and the fancy robot on the dash. Once you go to the back seat, it starts to feel different - the cabin suddenly feels cramped, and you feel you are sitting low down like in a sedan. From the outside, although it looks good, it feels more like a big hatch and not a crossover/SUV. The test drive had no surprises, everything felt like a hatchback. While there was nothing to complain about, there was nothing to be excited about as well. Rejected.

MG Hector:

While I was not considering the Hector, the launch of the Shine variant last year grabbed my attention. As luck would have it, there was a Shine model on display when I was checking out the Astor. We sat in the Hector and wow, it felt from at least 2 segments above the ones we had seen till then. The seats were super comfy, and the second row felt like a sofa, Moreover, the floor was absolutely flat. I asked for a test drive and the SA arranged for it swiftly. I drove the new petrol CVT. While the car felt a little slow off the mark, it built speed nicely with a light foot. Out on the road it gave a commanding view from the driver seat. Although a big car, it felt very easy to drive. The thing that impressed us the most was the sheer amount of cabin and boot space. It gave us a big sense of upgrade from our Grand i10, we loved the car and shortlisted it even though it was above our budget - 18L on road for CVT.

Final contenders and the decision:

All things aside, we shortlisted MG Hector Shine CVT, Honda City ZX CVT and Kia Seltos HTX IVT in the order of preference. The City was readily available and within the budget after discounts. There was no discount on the Seltos and a waiting period of 4 months. It was 2 lacs over budget. The Hector was well above the budget with 18Lacs OTR and the waiting period was 10 weeks. While I wanted the Hector, spending 18 big ones kept pulling me back. My family was fine with both the City and the Hector, and the final decision was to be mine. To convince myself, I took my existing humble Grand i10 for a review to Cars24. It is where I came to know about the boom in used car market. I was offered a price 50% more than I had expected. I quickly contacted Spiny and OLX Auto, both of them offered similar prices as that of Cars24 and this tilted the decision in favour of the Hector. Another one liner from my wife sealed the deal - "Agar itna hi mann hai to lelo Hector, 1 saal baad 1 lac zyada nahi lagega". So, it was going to be the Hector Shine CVT.

Booking and buying experience - the good and the bad:

Once decided, I started contacting dealers in Delhi NCR for delivery time and any deals they offered. The ongoing chip shortage and healthy demand meant that the delivery time would not be less than 10 weeks and there would be no deals/discounts. Moreover, the dealers also pushed for buying insurance from them and getting the loan processed through their agents. Only one of the dealers agreed for a cash discount of 10k and promised to process the loan from my preferred bank with lowest rates, they also matched the insurance quote that I got from independent agents and online platforms. Although we preferred black, I booked the car in new Havana Gray colour with the possibility of it being delivered earlier than other colours. The SA promised to keep me updated and we happily left the showroom.

Then started the anxious wait. It was over a month and still there was no sign of the car. The dealership had no idea when they would get the car allocated. Even after the stipulated waiting time of 10 weeks, there was no sign of the car and MG conveniently decided to hike the prices at the turn of the year. I protested with the dealership but, they said the prices would be applicable as per the delivery date which they still did not have an idea about. Frustrated with all this, I escalated with MG Pulsehub which is the customer care portal. While they were responsive, I still did not get any delivery timeline and no price protection as well. Even though it appeared all my protests were falling on deaf ears, I kept pushing the dealership and Pulsehup for response and resolution. This resulted in my case being prioritized for delivery. I got calls from MG Pulsehub that I would get a priority delivery. I had been following all forums, online groups and auto news, and it was evident that all manufactures were struggling to deliver new cars which in turn was resulting into long waiting periods for customers like me.

While I did not relent on escalating the matter, the SA called me stating that the dealership was being pushed by MG Pulsehub to delivery my car. He mentioned that they still did not have any timelines for the car in Havana Grey. He said that they had a Black Hector Shine CVT in transit and requested me to compromise on the colour and accept the car in black colour which they could deliver within a week. Remember, we originally wanted the car in black. Hiding my excitement, I okayed to take the car. I already had my loan sanctioned and the SA requested me to get it disbursed and make the final payment so that he can get the car registered. I had already waited for more than 3 months and did not want to rush in excitement. I politely told the SA that I would not make any payment until I see the car, he agreed reluctantly. The car was going to be brought straight to the dealership within 2 days and the SA asked me to be there for the PDI and make payments. Loaded with Team-BHP PDI list, I went to the dealership with my trusted friend and checked the car. Everything seemed to be in place, and I signed the forms and called the bank for disbursal while I made rest of the payment. The SA told me that I could take the delivery as soon as registration is done.

The first shot - car at dealer stockyard for PDI:

The delivery:

The SA called the next afternoon and requested me to take delivery, I did not want to take the delivery in dark as it was already late afternoon, hence informed the SA that I would take the delivery the next day. We reached the dealership next day and the SA had completed all the formalities. I signed the forms after checking the car once again. All things in place I took the delivery of my MG Hector Shine CVT in Black. The guys at the showroom made a nice video and there was a nice little cake cutting ceremony as well.

So, finally here comes the black beast:

Accessories:

• I got the mud flaps and door protectors from the dealership. Car perfume, idol, leather pouch and keychain were complimentary.
• Side foot board -aftermarket.
• 7D floor mats - aftermarket.
• 3D Boot mat - aftermarket.
• Wind deflectors- aftermarket.

Initial observations - things I love:

• It has an envious road presence. Every time I take it out on the road it makes the heads turn, and I have had many curious conversations on traffic signals with fellow drivers asking for my experience with the car.
• I am in love with the commanding view it provides from the driver seat. In my recent outstation drive, I appreciated the long-range visibility it provided out on the 2-lane divider free highway. It helped immensely.
• The seats are buckets, and you can go long distances without feeling tired.
• The boot space is humongous, fold the second-row seats and you have a big flat bed. My kid uses it as a sleeping bed on long journeys.
• Despite the size, the car is super easy to drive with precise steering and predictable brakes.

Things I don't love much (read dislike):

• The biggest grouse I have is the lack of auto folding ORVMs - I mean even after spending north of 18L, it sucks to fold the ORVMs manually each time I lock/unlock the car.
• There are few ergonomic issues like the Engine Start/Stop button is right behind the steering wheel on the left side. And, if that was no big deal then good luck finding the ORVM adjustment buttons which are on the right side - again right behind the steering wheel.
• The car is super lazy off the mark. When you stop at a traffic signal, try competing with a guy on a bicycle and he will run away to glory while you try picking up the momentum off the traffic signal.
• While the car gives a great view of the road ahead, the side visibility is severely hampered by thick A and B pillars. One has to be really careful when taking sharp turns.
• No physical buttons for AC controls, you have to wait for the infotainment system to turn on which takes its own sweet time.

General observations:

• The car has a serious road presence and I think the black colour adds to it. It makes lots of heads turn on the road and I have been queried by many about the car. Moreover, MG has done a good job by launching the Shine variant -the guys at the dealership and at service station mentioned that it was the top end Sharp variant which accounted for almost 80% of the sales but the Shine variant has helped MG to lure customers who don't want to breach the 20L barrier, I being one of them.
• The car is nice and easy to drive. The ride is on softer side, still it is very comfortable. The acceleration is linear and the RPMs are kept around 1500 in D mode which gives an effortless driving experience. Add that to well controlled NVH levels and you won't notice that you are doing 100Km/hr unless you check the MID. And, then there is the cruise control which I have used extensively on expressways. All of this makes the car a great highway cruiser.
• The biggest USP of the car is the amount of real estate inside the cabin. There is more than adequate space for everything and everyone. I think this sole point differentiates it from the Creta and the Seltos both of which are in same price range for the automatic transmission (of course with couple of added features).
• The central console looks premium with signature MG infotainment system which is complemented by the electric parking brake and autohold button. Apart from being visually pleasant, these are really easy and effective to use. The autohold button is a great feature in city traffic. I had read about the lag on the infotainment system but, MG seems to have rectified it, I have had no issues navigating the infotainment system, just that it takes more time to start than I would have liked.
• As I mentioned, the car is really slow off the mark. The initial lag from stand still or from a very low speed makes it irritating at traffic signals and speed breakers. This also makes the car suited for relaxed driving. If you have a heavy right foot, this is not the car for you. It builds momentum slowly and things get better once the car crosses 20Km/Hr, there appears to be enough grunt above 1500RPMs with speed in excess of 20Km/Hr as the turbo kicks in. There is a Sports and a Manual mode to help matters but, that makes the car gulp fuel like crazy which I think is an inherent trait of all turbo petrol engines.
• The size of the car is only felt when parking in a really tight spot or making a sharp U-turn. On both of these instances you would need to make an additional iteration.
• The overall build quality feels solid and sturdy along with a tidy fit and finish. The doors are heavy and there is also a "reassuring thud" while closing them, exception being the tailgate which is made of fibre and not metal and feels clumsy while closing.

• I went on an outstation trip to Lansdowne a couple of weeks ago and must say the car performed really well. There were few sections with steep climb which the car took easily in D mode. The hill assist and autohold did their job while waiting at narrow curves for oncoming trucks. I loved the 6 hour long to and fro drive from Delhi to Lansdowne. My daughter with mandatory sunroof click somewhere in Lansdowne hills:

• At the end of 1st month I took the car for 1st service which was a nice and smooth affair. The SA did make a pitch for a couple of value-added services which I politely declined. Post the service, a creaking sound started to come up each time I turned the steering to the left. I tried to figure out what was going on and it appeared that the newly installed 7D floor mat was rubbing against the steering rod which made the sound. I readjusted the mat and the sound disappeared. I also noticed that just behind the front grille there was a plastic part which appeared dislocated. The MG service centre is right next to my office and I took the car to the service station to consult the SA on both the issues. While waiting for the SA, I noticed all the Hectors in service area had the same dislocated part behind the front grille. The SA arrived and informed me that the creaking sound I noticed was indeed because of the 7D mats and he had received this query from many customers. For the dislocated part, he mentioned that the plastic part was for the protection of engine parts in case of minor accidents. He again showed it on other Hectors including the pre 2021 facelift models. With no reasons to complain, I thanked the SA and came back home.
• The elephant in the room - "Kitna deti hai!". I have driven the car in D mode except for when checking the Sports and Manual mode. I have used cruise control a few times on expressways and you would have known by now that I drive with a light foot. I have driven the car for more than 2000 KMs in a little less than 2 months and have been getting an average of 10-12 kmpl consistently using the tank full method. This is a little more than what I had expected before making the purchase decision and I am glad that there was no unpleasant surprise of 6 kmpl as mentioned at various forums.

Here are are a couple of more shots:

5 spoke alloy wheels look decent:

The front with lights on right after the welcome puja:

In my view the new rear profile looks better than the old one with red insert between tail-lamps:

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

MG has started shipping the Hector and Hector Plus SUVs without an amplifier, subwoofer and auto tailgate swipe sensor.

According to a media report, MG has started shipping the Hector and Hector Plus SUVs without certain features due to a parts shortage.

The report states that depending on the variant, customers who have booked the Hector and Hector Plus will receive their vehicles without features like a subwoofer, amplifier and auto tailgate swipe sensor.

It is also said that MG dealerships will install these features once parts are available. Having said that, the carmaker hasn't provided a specific timeline for the availability of parts.

MG is not the only carmaker that's affected by the global chip shortage. Mahindra was forced to ship the XUV700 without sequential turn indicators for the same reason.

Source: Rushlane

Rejected the Mahindra XUV700, since its 5-seater variants don't offer many features.

BHPian Puneet0612 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear BHPians,

I bought my first car, an i20, back in 2015 thanks to everything I learned about the car from this reliable community.

It's been 6+ years since then, am a family man now and in the process of graduating to a bigger car. I say in the process because I booked the Sharp Diesel Variant of the MG Hector on Oct 22, 2021, and cancelled the booking last Saturday, on Jan 8, after almost 3 months of booking. What started as a promising booking experience with MG's flagship dealer in Ggn, turned out to be an awful ending with the sales lead repeatedly lying to prevent me from cancelling my booking. More on that maybe in another thread if someone's interested.

On to my dilemma.

After the sour experience with the MG dealer (even the second one in Ggn is owned by the same party sadly), I am somehow only seeing faults with the Hector, just to convince myself to not go back to MG.

The thing is, alongside my better half, I test drove the Hector, both the XUV automatic fuel variants and the Harrier. I have read on enough threads about how people's pre-sale experience with Tata hasn't been the best. Fortunately for me, I have managed two test drives from home and one stockyard visit in one week to check the interiors of the variant I am interested in thanks to a very cooperative advisor. So with that background, here are my personal views on the driving experience of each car along with the interiors.

MG Hector

*Planning on the Sharp diesel variant

• Decent performance from the Jeep engine but something felt missing in the power delivery. My brother has a Jeep and the performance is far better on that beautiful car The engine is clearly not well mated to the extra-long body on Hector.
• Plush interiors, great music system
• Feature loaded

Haven't as yet rejected the car but am sincerely doubtful and need your help here. But do read on.

Mahindra XUV700

*Drove both petrol and diesel automatic

• Petrol engine is far smoother and delivers power like you don't expect. The drive was exciting and almost convinced me to make a booking there and then but other things mentioned below prevented the booking.
• When I drove the diesel automatic, I was in for a shock. You can actually feel eons of lag, as the diesel automatic shifts from the first to the second gear. In fact, you feel the need to press the gas harder without seeing any power. The advisor himself accepted that there is an annoying lag with the diesel automatic and recommended that I go for petrol because of better performance.

Interiors are not great even in the top model. I think Hector spoilt this experience for me.

Rejected the XUV because

I am looking for a 5-seater and all the nice features come only in the AX7 variant which only has 7 seaters in it.

Really got wondering why wouldn't Mahindra provide a luxury variant in the AX5, 5 seaters, with all the nice creature comforts. Why should someone have to buy a 7 seater for features when the last 2 seats are never ever going to be used? So XUV is out.

Tata Harrier

*Looking at XTA+ variant.

Hits:

• Amazing drive with the three power modes actually working and not just buttons added on a car.
• Driving this beast gave me a sense of joy and security both, and I know it would be a reliable companion on the highway when I push beyond 140. Hector or XUV didn't give me the same confidence.

Misses:

• While it has a lot of features, the interiors don't look like an upgrade from my i20, honestly. If I am spending around 22-23 lakhs on a car, the interiors should have felt better. My wife, especially, isn't convinced about the interiors on this variant as well and stretching to 25 for the XZA+ isn't possible for me.
• JBL speakers don't sound the best, especially without the amplifier and sub-woofer that the top variant has.

So now I am in a complete dilemma over which car to buy.

I am inclined towards Harrier for the ride quality and I know this car is going to be a tank on the highway. But then, Hector and XUV are both feature-loaded as well as decent performers. Even the cars in the segment below have tidier features. Since I'll have this car for 5-6 years in the least, I fear I'll keep feeling like I bought an iphone11 because it was cheap when iphone13 is already 5g enabled.

I don't have issues buying a diesel car in NCR because I personally feel, as long as trucks continue to be the backbone of our economy and as long as Indian farming depends on tractors, diesel cars will exist. I am in any case staking the next 6 years, after which I'll most likely switch to an EV.

Need a car yesterday because I sold off my i20 three months ago and need a car of my own for various things that I and the missus still need to step out for regularly.

So dear fellas, help me make this decision between a manual diesel Hector top model and the XTA+ Harrier.

Waiting on your most valuable inputs. Thanks for reading

Here's what BHPian Poitive had to say on the matter:

Hi Puneet, I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum and the thread. Only sharing quick thoughts for now:

• You seem to like most things about the Hector except the engine comparison to Jeep. I actually didn't find it much worse. The rest seems to work well for your needs. Please take a test drive to a different piece of Hector. It just might have been an issue with the vehicle.
• XUV: I agree with the 5-seater point (mentioned in my TD report), however, one could consider a 7-seater and fold the seats down. A waste, I know, but the vehicle offers much else (those engines, especially). Again, maybe TD another piece; also the petrol AT. If you are okay with a Hector MT, maybe an XUV MT? The issue would be delivery times though.
• Harrier: Yes, the interiors don't feel Hector quality, but if the ergonomics work for you, likely to be a joy on the highway and more.
• I see that your thread has been merged here. You might find the test drives in the beginning of this thread (post # 3 onward) helpful.
• At the face of it, and with the limited info available, a good test drive of the Hector Diesel (with tyre pressures checked, and preferably NOT the plus model) might convince you to it.
• For your other/repeat test drives, you might find this pretty detailed guide I recently made helpfully.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We started our search for a new car because our Skoda Laura was going to turn 10 soon & more than 10-year-old diesel vehicles are not allowed in Delhi/NCR.

BHPian Behemoth recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

These are interesting times and Covid has changed the whole world as we know it and also changed perspectives drastically.

It is no longer a buyer's market when it comes to buying cars and it is now the companies (sellers) that command their premium as well as extremely long delivery periods. On average, the waiting period for good / in-demand cars stretches from anywhere from 4 to 18 months!

Also, good diesel cars are now a dying breed and there are very limited options left for the mile munchers or the people who cover great distances daily.

So with that background, let me introduce you to the new addition to our family - the Grey Goose - our MG Hector Plus Sharp - Diesel 6 seater!

If you had asked us a year back whether we would buy a Chinese (SAIC) car, I would have categorically said, no, I would not - I was still a fan of European cars and had always loved the driving dynamics and the build quality of the Europeans. Till that time I had not even seen the Hector up close - I had though seen a lot of Korean cars - the Hyundais and the Kias and driven them too. I had always expected that the Hector would also be similar in quality to the Koreans. Over the past 1 year, I did get to experience the Hector up close with 2 in the close family and that really changed my perspective.

I would not like to debate on the Chinese / Indian / European origin topic, but our choice of car was driven mostly by what the car offers and the value that we get. At a 20 lac ex-showroom price (19,99,800 to be precise) and an on-road price in Gurgaon of 22.77 lacs (including around 16k of accessories).

As per the latest announced prices for the Hector (effective Jan 2022), the Hector Plus is now close to 20.67 ex-showroom and 24.2 Lacs On-road (in Gurgaon) - Prices have been shooting up drastically and since Sep 2021 we have seen three price increases (2 of which we had to bear) and now the third one which has come in now. When we had booked the car in Sep, the original Ex-showroom at that time was 19.6 lacs. Due to current inflationary trends over the past few months, prices of Metal/ Plastics and electronics have increased drastically and manufacturers are having a tough time and need to keep increasing the prices or downgrade their products. Costs of vehicles are continuously rising and the value that one gets out of the money paid is gradually diminishing.

So given today's economic scenario, it is better to buy a car now than to wait for 6 months as the same cars will become more expensive!

So let me begin the story with our search process.

We started our car search in the month of Apr 2021 as we knew that our Skoda Laura was going to be turning 10 very soon (in Dec 2021) and we needed to find a car to replace that soon as in Delhi NCR, diesel cars over 10 years are not allowed. The Laura had been a brilliant workhorse for us and I would say that it had been one of the best cars we have ever owned. Even after 9 years and 9 months with us, it still looked fresh like a 3-year-old car and drove like new, without any squeaks or complaints and the thrill of the engine still felt great and best of all it would always give a mileage of 17+ in the city and almost 24 on the highways. The immense boot space was a huge plus point of the car and we have often used it to full capacity with relatives who came from out of town or when we used to go to our farm. We even used to take our labrador in the boot of the Laura (along with luggage) and he was perfectly happy there. The Laura had a very unique notchback design with a parcel shelf and we would just remove the parcel shelf.

Replacing the Laura with a worthy car was a very difficult proposition as we were spoilt by its driving dynamics, brilliant fuel efficiency and responsive engine, huge boot space and the feeling of European solidity. That generation of Skoda's car was built really well. So this is where the search started from.

The budget we had in mind when buying the car was 15-25 lacs on road. In terms of body style type, we were ok with SUV or Sedan - either would be fine, but high ground clearance was a need as Gurgaon roads are filled with potholes and also get flooded badly in rains - so a high GC vehicle was needed.

Also, all our cars have been and will continue to be self-driven vehicles - we never keep a driver and prefer only to drive our vehicles ourselves - both I and my wife are avid drivers and enjoy driving. We are a small family of 2 + 1 kid (14 years) and 1 dog and only once in a while do we have a need for a 5/6 seater vehicle when other family members visit. We do however need a vehicle with a large spacious boot for luggage / and our dog when we go on trips.

Skoda Kushaq

Since we already had a good experience with two good Skoda cars (touchwood), we were extremely excited about the Skoda Kushaq and thought that would be a good choice for us. We were eagerly waiting to see the car but the multi-step reveal process of Skoda was really a test of patience and frankly very unnecessary and irritating to us as a customer-first they had a Concealed Media Drive, then Static Reveal, then Dynamic Media Drive event and then finally a launch and price announcement, with over a month between each of these events. Even though they want to build the excitement, this approach in my view is not effective and actually kills the excitement for a buyer as it tests their patience. Instead of this approach, they should just have a two-step approach - Media Dynamic Drive and then followed up quickly by a launch and price reveal event.

Anyway, we had pre-booked the Kushaq and given the cheque to the dealer and were waiting with bated breath to see the car in person when it was to come, to showrooms. When finally the car was available to see in showrooms (End of June if I remember correctly) I went on the 2nd day and spent a good 30 min checking out the car inside out and frankly I was not impressed. It was as if Skoda had completely toned down the European car-building philosophy and made a Korean equivalent car - The Sheet Metal panels were light, the plastics were hard, interiors were very basic, seats were atrocious and it just did not feel like a Skoda car at all. It was even lower in build quality than what the Skoda Fabia used to be earlier (which was the hatchback they had and discontinued many years earlier). The Kushaq did not even hold a candle to the Skoda Yeti and the Skoda Laura that we had owned. Still, I went ahead and did a test drive of the Kushaq 1.0 TSI AT and felt the engine underpowered (I was used to the instant torque of the Laura's diesel engine and compared to that the engine felt sluggish. While on paper the Laura had a 110ps 250Nm (diesel engine) and the Kushaq petrol 1.0 TSI also has similar power output figures, the difference when you drive both the cars is like chalk and cheese. Also in spite of the Laura engine being so responsive, it was also extremely frugal and would give us a mileage of 18-20 kmpl in mixed driving. After taking the test drive I was convinced that the 1.0 TSI AT was definitely not the choice for me. I thought maybe the 1.5 TSI DSG would still be suitable. However, the final straw on the camel's back was that Skoda decided to remove the 6 airbags as offered in the Style 1.5 TSI manual version and offered only 2 airbags in the Style 1.5 DSG variant! What sort of flawed logic was this on part of the manufacturer. I was not at all happy with this logic of Skoda and buying a top-end car worth almost 20 Lacs on road and still not getting 6 airbags in the Auto variant did not make any sense to me. So I decided to cancel our Kushaq booking and it was cancelled.

Kia Sonet

Now, this may seem like an unlikely horse for us to consider, but given its great 1.5 diesel engine and the Auto gearbox, the Sonet Diesel GTX+ with six airbags was also on our consideration and booking list. After I cancelled our Kushaq booking, as we had no other good choices, I went ahead and booked a Kia Sonet GTX+ Diesel AT. This was to be our fallback option in case no other better car was available - the delivery period quoted was close to 6 months and after our booking at the end of June (as I recall), we were expected to get the car somewhere in Nov - Dec. So we kept the booking and continued our search for other cars too. The Kia Sonet is a small practical car, with a good engine and auto gearbox and the good things I liked about the Sonet were - good ground clearance, good frugal and responsive diesel engine, good interiors. The Driving dynamics of the Sonet are also well-tuned and it is a good balance between comfort and handling - it is tuned more like European cars with a hard suspension and less like Koreans. In my judgement, the Sonet is also better built and stronger than the Seltos (could be a platform difference). It also has a bigger usable boot space than the Seltos so to me Sonet GTX+ was a better choice than say a Seltos HTX+, even though they were quite similar in price. We ended up cancelling our Sonet booking only because the wife said that it does not feel like an upgrade from our Laura (in terms of size and status, and actually feels like a downgrade externally), so with orders from the Home Ministry, the Sonet booking was cancelled.

Tata Safari ( / Harrier)

This was also a worthy contender in our list and we considered it when it was launched. The Safari (and Harrier) is a very nice looking car, but the interiors have started to look a bit dated now compared to other competitors and the other big challenge with Tata is the consistency of fit finish and longevity. So with a heavy heart, we decided not to consider the Safari. The Safari is no doubt a well-designed car and it is a nice timeless design, but where Tata has faced a challenge is the translation of the design to a final product. It is a huge improvement over the original Safari, but given the quality and consistency that all the other players in the market are delivering, it still is not able to reach that level. And when it comes to spending 20+ lacs on a Tata car, we still had doubts, so we did not consider the Safari/ Harriers any further. Also, another point I would like to add is that the sales and showroom experience we got at the Tata showroom was extremely underwhelming and nowhere did we feel that we were buying a 20 lac premium car - the way that we were treated by the showroom staff, we felt as if we were buying a 5 lac hatchback car. Now if this is the pre-sales experience, you can imagine how the post-sales and service experience would be!

Toyota Innova

Another car that was considered was the Toyota Innova Diesel AT. It is a great car in the higher price bracket, but as a self-drive vehicle (especially for the wife to drive herself to the office), it is not an ideal choice. It also has a very MUV stance and the taxi reputation, hence, we decided not to go for this. Other than that, the Toyota Innova is probably the most reliable choice for any family who needs a 6 seater / 7 seater car and intends to use it for a full 10 years (as mandated now by Delhi NCR laws for diesel vehicles)

Mahindra Marazzo

The Marrazzo is also an interesting car and the diesel engine is a good one. In this segment, it is also one of the most spacious and it practically can seat 6/7 passengers in full comfort in all rows. However again the Marazzo is more of a taxi segment vehicle and not ideal for self-driven cars.

MG Hector / MG Hector Plus

This was really the dark horse in the game and entered at a very last moment in our consideration list. MG had been building prime attention for their upcoming Astor launch and we thought we might as well go and check out the MG cars. (though at that time the Astor had not been launched ) - so we went and checked out the MG Hector / Hector Plus and the Gloster. The MG Flagship showroom in Gurgaon is quite impressive (the MG head office is also in the same building) and the overall customer sales experience is quite good. The staff are all very polite and well trained and treat each customer equally well. That was one part of the positive experience when it came to choosing MG as a brand.

The second part which played a significant role in choosing the car was the MG Hector itself. For the right footprint size (4.6m), it offers a lot of space inside for passengers as well as luggage and is filled with creature comforts like electronically adjustable seats, a great panoramic sunroof, a decent infotainment system with good sound. Apart from that, the diesel variant has the engine and gearbox combo sourced from Jeep - We have experienced the same engine in BS4 guise on our Jeep Compass and it is a great performing engine and probably the most suitable one for a very heavy car like the MG Hector too. The MG hector plus actually weighs in at around 1700+ Kgs (Unladen weight) and is as heavy as the Jeep Compass. The Hector Plus is also possibly 300 Kg more than the Alcazar 7 seater! So even if we say 50kg is the additional weight of the diesel engine, 250Kg is the weight of body panels / interiors which is additional in the Hector over the Alcazar. End of the day I hope that this additional weight is part of the Monocoque body and would add better safety and strength to the car. The way that most manufacturers are reducing the thickness of car panels and the underbody members these days, it is a bad compromise.

Even though the Hector is not crash tested by NCAP, I am convinced it is a safer car out of all the other relevant options that we evaluated, based on my own automotive engineering experience. I do hope that MG tests the Hector Platform soon in GNCAP and we can have more faith in the safety of the car.

For peace of mind though, we decided to go only with 6 airbags Sharp version, which is available only in the 6 seater Hector Plus or the 5 seater Hector version. In the 7 seater Hector Plus, there is no 6 airbag version available.

We also did evaluate the MG ZS EV for a brief period of time - it is a very nice proposition for an electric car in India. But the challenges with the EV that we realised were:

• Too small for our requirements.
• Realistic range would around 250km on a full charge and with my daily driving of 98km to and fro from office, I would practically have to charge it every other day and the I am sure on every second day I would be having range anxiety on whether I would reach home or not in case I got stuck in a traffic jam.
• We currently have an 11KW electricity connection in our home (it is an independent house) and for charging the car we would need to add another 7.5KW of load to our existing connection, which would mean upgrading the incoming cables and also paying security charges etc to the electricity supply company and the overall cost would be more than 2L for the same. Also, the electricity supply situation in Gurgaon is still bad and in summers we still have power cuts of up to 4 hours every day.
• Though the usage cost per km may be low initially, after 4-5 years, the battery would naturally degrade and the expected range would drop to maybe 60% , which would make the car unusable from my perspective due to very limited range. After 7-8 years the battery replacement would also be required and that would be quite a costly affair.

Given these constraints, we decided not to go for an electric car at this stage - but this diesel car is probably the last diesel car that we are buying and our next car would surely be either an EV or a PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric) if they become available in India. I still feel that for India, a car like the new Skoda Octavia IV - which is a PHEV would be an ideal choice and would give people the best of both worlds.

Another EV we would look forward to is the Skoda Enyaq - which is also planned to come to India in 2022 and we may consider that as a replacement for our Jeep Compass after 3-4 years.

Buying Experience

We had booked the MG Hector Plus on Sep 1st through the MG Flagship showroom in Gurgaon. The service advisor who was engaged with us was quite knowledgeable and polite. We were initially committed a delivery period of 4-6 weeks and were actually expecting to get our car before Diwali at least (which was around 8 weeks later). But as luck would have it, the deliveries kept on getting delayed due to the semiconductor shortage. I believe that even the MG Astor's launch had a hand to play in the delay of the delivery of our car. MG Has a production capacity of around 3k cars per month and in the run-up to the launch, they have split the production almost 50:50 between Hector and Astor. So in the months of Oct/Nov/Dec, they produced around 1500 Hectors and 1500 Astors per month. This coupled with the semiconductor shortage led to the delivery period being stretched from initially 6 weeks to 10 weeks to 12 weeks and then finally to 14 weeks till we got delivery. Our car had reached the Dealership around 10th Dec, but given that it was to be a company leased car, we did a PDI first on the 11th and then had to wait till 19th Dec to take the car delivery. The 19th was chosen as it was an auspicious date also and a weekend.

In the time that we were waiting for the car to be delivered, we also saw the MG Astor. Though the Astor is a very nice car (better than the Kushaq for the same price), it did not fit our space requirements and also did not have a diesel engine. With Astor's success, MG is making the jump from a 3k/ month company to a 6k/month company given that it is able to sort out its semiconductor supply issues. Current waiting periods for the Astor are now stretching to over 9-10 months. The launch of the Astor gave us some more confidence in the company as it is vital for a company to sell good numbers in India for a better future. Companies like GM and Ford had been let down by their lack of new launches and also the low sales that they were able to generate.

The overall sales experience with MG sales teams was pretty good and I would rate them 9/10 on sales experience. The 1 point deduction is for shifting delivery dates which I know was not too much in their control in this period.

For the insurance, we finally went with MG Insurance which is through Reliance General and is Zero Dep and RTI and covers Engine damage too. The cost was around 76k. I had compared it with the offer from Acko, which was coming to around 62k for similar coverage - but still, we went with the MG offered Insurance for peace of mind.

Some additional accessories we opted for from the MG Accessories catalog:

• Laptop Tray: 6733 (Very expensive and low quality, but we still went with it for occasional usage)
• Mud Flaps: 506 (essential)
• Infotainment Screen Guard: 549 (essential)
• Air Purifier: 2816 (This is Good quality)
• 3D Mats: 6049 (these are good quality)

Likes (in random order)

• Very big and spacious inside (with captain seats also adding to the comfort). There is a huge amount of headroom & Legroom in the first two rows. (Third row will anyway be kept folded down in our case). The floor in the second row is also fully flat and there is no transmission tunnel at all. This makes it easy to go into the third row. The third-row seats also fold fully flat down and are not inclined.
• Nice big panoramic sunroof - in fact, this is the first car we have bought with a sunroof. The big panoramic sunroof allows in a lot of daylight and makes the space appear even more spacious.
• Nice supple ride quality at slower speeds. At city speeds, the ride is quite cushy and absorbs bumps well. It is much more comfortable at city speeds compared to our Compass. However, at fast highway speeds, the Compass has more controlled movement and is more stable. We are both safe drivers and generally prefer to keep the speed below 90Kmph even on highways.
• Huge boot (with the third row folded down). As per my calculations (as also shared on the boot space calculation thread, the usable boot space of the Hector Plus (without blocking any rear view) is 458L. There is also plenty more space till the headliner and height from the floor of the third row folded seats to the roof is 84cm.
• The ingress and egress into the car are very comfortable and just the correct height off the ground. So no sidestep is required and seniors are also able to get into the car easily.
• The driver's view and vantage are quite good and the forward visibility is quite good (Better than the Compass) and one gets a nice commanding feel while driving it. The wife immediately pointed out that the view of the driver is quite good. In the case of the Compass, the long hood tends to block the downward view a bit. Also, the overall vehicle height of the Hector is 12cm more than the Compass, and the driver seat is positioned higher than in the Compass.
• Good quality seats all around with nice premium leatherette - the seats are quite nice and firm and hold you well.
• Good plethora of Safety features - 6 airbags, ESP, Hill Hold Control, TCS, All round Disc Brakes, ABS, EBD etc.
• Great Diesel engine - right capacity for this heavy car. The proven engine already doing duty on the Jeep Compass. Now it is even better (less polluting) in BS6 guise. The Torque though is more linear. The fuel efficiency we have seen so far in 250km of driving is between 14-15kmpl in mixed-use, which is quite good. In our Jeep Compass, we get around 15-17 in mixed-used.
• The new features of the 2021 Hector plus over the 2020 Hector plus are: 18 Inch alloy wheels - these fill up the wheel wells better. The Ventilated seats - haven't used them yet, but they should be useful in the summers. The Auto-Dimming IRVM - the new Hector Plus has an auto-dimming IRVM compared to the earlier Standard IRVM in the 2020 version. The 2021 Hector Plus also has a wireless phone charger (pity though the phones we use don't have it yet)

Dislikes (again, in random order)

• Puny horn for such a big car.
• Big A-pillar which obstructs the view & can hide a cyclist or even an Auto.
• Only touchscreen-based controls for the AC unit - would have preferred Manual controls too.
• Slightly laggy touchscreen (sometimes).
• Driver Information system while overall designed very well with great integration of Digital + Analog dials has a Tachometer which sweeps counterclockwise and feels a bit counterintuitive. Also, it is placed on the right side instead of the typical left side. It would have been better if the Speedo and the Tacho were swapped in position and the Tacho also had a clockwise movement like the Speedo.
• At higher speeds (80kmph +) on cemented roads/ bumpy roads, the noise in the cabin is a little boomy as the cabin size tends to amplify the sound.
• I personally don't like the cool white LED headlights. I prefer the 4200K HID lights which I have now on my Compass and prefer the colour and output more as compared to the Bifocal Projector LED headlamps on the Hector Plus.

Now let me get into the specifics of the car in various aspects.

Exterior Appearance and Build Quality

The Hector Plus is the second generation evolution of the Hector in India and in terms of design they have made it more elegant and classier looking than the Hector. Gone are a lot of chrome bits on the front of the car and the rear is also much simplified compared to the Hector. This is a good thing as I prefer a cleaner design. The front of the car now looks quite butch and appealing - It almost gives off a nice Land rover kind of design vibe. I also did not opt for any flashy extra chrome anywhere - the Morris Garages lettering that many people put on their cars is optional and I didn't want that at all and prefer the clean look. The car looks best from the front 3/4 view and looks well balanced and appealing.

Coming to the side, here one can make out some awkwardness in the proportion - the size is still the same as the Hector (barring a few mm of modifications to the bumpers). The new 18 inch wheels, though low, add more character to the car and fill up the wheel wells better. The overall outer tyre size remains similar but as the rims are now 18 inches, instead of the 17 inches offered earlier, it appears visually better. In the Havana Grey colour, the car tends to look understated and elegant, just the way we prefer it.

When we come to the rear of the car, that is the view I find most unappealing and awkward.

To me, it seems like a frowny face (somehow, I tend to search for human elements even in the car designs). It also has a kind of Darth Vader type of look at the rear end which feels odd! But design oddities are quite normal these days and given the way that Hyundai Creta and Kia Carens looks, cars are becoming more and more odd-looking by the day. I am not a fan of this design direction though.

Interiors and Finishing

The interior of the Hector Plus is a mix of Black and Smoked Sepia Brown in the Hector Plus Sharp variant. MG is one of the few companies that give three different trim colour options in the Hector range - they have a full black interior in lower variants like the Shine variant of the Hector. Then in higher variants of the Hector, they have a Black and Beige combo and in the Hector Plus, they have a Black and Sepia brown combo.

We like the Sepia brown colour and it should be easier to maintain than other lighter shades (the Compass that we have has ivory white seats).

The interior space of the Hector Plus is its biggest strength - the sheer amount of Legroom and headroom on offer is quite good. The reclinable and slideable Captain seats in the second row also take the experience to the next level and passengers in the second row get full flexibility and comfort. The long panoramic sunroof also adds an airy feel to the cabin. The Hector is a decently tall car and to compare the Dimensions of the Hector Plus with a few other cars:

• Hector Plus: 4720 mm Length x 1835 mm width x 1760 mm Height.
• Hyundai Alcazar: 4500 mm Length x 1790 mm Width x 1675 mm Height
• Jeep Compass: 4405 mm Length x 1818 mm Width x 1640 mm Height.

So the Hector Plus is over 315mm longer, 17mm wider and 120mm taller than the Compass. Also, another key difference is that the Hector Plus' ground clearance in the centre area (between wheels) is around 180mm while that of the Jeep Compass is 300mm - which means there is more cabin body height inside the cabin. As a result, if you see the MG Hector on the road from the rear, it appears like a tall and lanky design - this is just because the proportion of the height to width ratio is very different from other cars on the road.

The lesser height of the Hector cabin off the ground makes it a bit easier to get into the car. But the flip side is that it has lesser ground clearance in the middle for a break over. But in the Jeep Compass, even though the GC at the middle is very good, in the front the lowest part of the air dam is at 150mm which is very low and this limits the approach angle of the Compass. In the case of the Hector, the lowest part of the Air dam is 175mm off the ground which is slightly better.

For my Compass, I need to get the air dam changed to the smaller profile one they offer with the new model as that will help reduce the front rubbing on the ground. I have noticed this in a market near our house, where there is a down ramp which joins with the flat road - here the Compass air dam rubs the road when entering the road while the Hector's does not - even the few mm of difference (25mm) is making a difference here.

On the seating comfort, the driver seat is very comfortable and contoured. It is also very easy to find a good driving position and the view out from the driver side towards the front is good and commanding. You also get a feeling of sitting at a good height off the ground (the seating position is higher than the Compass too). The front bonnet edges are visible and you get a good idea of the bonnet length when driving - I find bonnet visibility to be a good thing as it allows you to estimate the frontal position of the car in a better way. The front two seats are also ventilated seats - this was one of the additions made in the 2021 model (The other additions with Auto-Dimming IRVM, and wireless charger for phones).

The Hector Plus Sharp also comes with 360-degree cameras and front sensors too (though only 2 front sensors are there) for ease of parking. I, however, don't rely too much on front and side cameras because the views tend to be quite distorted and deceptive at times. The rear camera and parking sensors (4 at back) are quite useful though.

Coming to the Driver Information System. The Sharp version features a Hybrid Digital + analog combo with two analog dials (speedo on left and Tacho on the right).

The tacho does a counterclockwise sweep and feels weird though. The central digital display is a high-res 7-inch display that shows things like Trip details, TPMS, Radio station and supposedly Navigation directions (haven't tried this yet). I really like the colour scheme and the good integration of digital with analog (apart from the Tacho).

The Central Infotainment system which is a 10-inch tablet kind of display in vertical format has been talked about quite a lot in other reviews and also in the TBHP review in terms of its features. But I still miss the good old analog controls for things like AC controls. Another point to note is that the infotainment system has pretty big bezels - almost over an inch on all sides, so MG has the potential to further increase the size of the display in future Hectors - but somehow I feel that the way larger and larger displays are coming in today's cars, they are distracting for drivers and not really adding any benefits.

I would have been ok if there was a good 7-inch infotainment system with physical buttons for things like AC controls - this is less distracting. This is how our Jeep compass Infotainment system (in 2017 model) but even in the new Jeep Compass they have changed over to a very large display which is also positioned higher. Anyway, seems like tech and large screens are here to stay in all future cars and cars are becoming platforms as service vehicles where consumption of data and content in cars will also become a big thing and which is what MG is further attempting with the MG Astor.

A lot of the hype about MG cars was about the voice-based controls in the Hector - I personally did not find it too accurate and it would not interpret my commands 50% of the time, while when my wife gave the commands it would interpret it 90% of the time - Shows clearly to whom the car's loyalties lie!

The speakers of the Hector are from Infinity and consists of 4 speakers + 4 tweeters + 1 subwoofer (in boot). The sound quality of the system is quite decent for an OE system. I still feel though that the sound quality of our Skoda Laura was better (even without the subwoofer).

One of the big elements which help make the interiors feel more roomy and airy is the panoramic sunroof. The sunroof also has a motorized shade that covers the whole length of the sunroof. In early generation Hectors, the material of the sunshade was quite thin and flimsy. In the new Hector plus it is decently thick and completely opaque.

The second-row captain seats are also quite spacious and given the flexibility of adjustment of back recline too, can be more comfortable than traditional bench seats. They also have armrests for the passengers to keep their arms comfortably. The design of the captain seats is quite similar to the front driver and passenger seats. But unlike the front seats which are electrically adjustable, these seats only have manual adjustments.

I have already talked about the boot space (with third row folded down) - it can be quite useful. Coming to the third row of seats, the less I talk the better!

They are only useable for short journeys for adults or for small kids. The sitting position is quite knees up and the legroom is very limited. Only way for an adult to sit decently is to sit in the middle and stretch out their legs between the captain seats.

The tailgate is also electrically operated and can be opened by the button on the tailgate lid or by the smart swipe feature (I have not enabled that though as I do not want to use it). One of the peculiar things about Hector's tailgate is the way the whole taillight assembly also is part of the tailgate and when the boot is open it looks kind of weird. This is quite different from the Jeep Compass' tailgate where half the tail lights are on the tailgate and half on the body.

The benefit though of Hector's design is that the tailgate opens very wide and the usable boot width is also almost 125cm at some heights, which is more than the width in most cars which is around 100cm.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine, like I mentioned earlier, is the same 2.0 MJD engine from Fiat as the Jeep Compass, in the BS6 guise. It is tuned slightly differently compared to the BS4 engine in the Jeep Compass that we have. The BS6 version feels a bit less noisy and also has a more linear torque curve. Power numbers are very similar in both cars. The Hector has a bit better NVH damping for engine noise compared to the Jeep Compass and at idling the engine noise is heard less. (or it could be that the Jeep Compass' engine (which is now 4.5 years old) is noisier because of age too.

The gearshift lever in the MG Hector is placed a little bit more in a forward position compared to the Jeep Compass, but one gets used to it pretty quickly and I did not find it awkward. The gearbox is also sourced from Fiat along with the engine and is probably the same one doing duty in the Jeep Compass. It is a decent gearbox with slightly long throws (compared to the Skoda Laura's gearbox). The reverse is also engaged in the same manner by lifting the ring like it is in the Jeep Compass.

Safety Features

The Hector Plus 6 seater is one of the variants which comes with 6 airbags (The 7 seater Hector Plus does not have 6 airbags as it comes only in the lower variant). Only the Sharp variants come with 6 airbags in the Hector Plus. I feel that in today's age we should go for as many airbags in the car as possible. Apart from that it also has electronic safety aids like ESP, Hill Hold control, TCS, ABS and EBD. The body of the Hector Plus is also quite heavy and panels do not feel flimsy or light. The doors also are heavy and have side impact protection beams.

In my assessment, if the Hector was tested for crash ratings by NCAP, it should get around 4 stars, but we will know only when the test happens. Many other smaller cars like the Triber/Magnite and many others are getting 4 stars these days so I don't see any reason why the Hector should not be able to achieve it.

Anyway, hope that GNCAP does test the Hector soon.

Driving Experience and Ride Quality

The ride quality of the MG Hector Plus is tuned more towards the comfort side and the suspension is soft. At speeds up to 60kmph, it is quite absorbent and pliant. At high speeds over 80, if the road surface is undulating, it takes a longer time to absorb and nullify the movement. The Jeep Compass, on the other hand, has a hard suspension in which at slow speeds, one can feel potholes and imperfections in the road, but after 60, the suspension comes into its forms and become more comfortable. The Jeep Compass is better for highway dynamic riding while the Hector is better for slower speed medium speed riding.

The steering of the Hector is also quite light and it does lack feedback, but it is quite easy for city manoeuvring. While in the Jeep Compass it has a lot of feedback and is responsive. To give an analogy, the Jeep Compass feels like a young spirited horse (2-year-old) who wants to run wild and free and resists your directions but is more fun to ride. While on the other hand, the Hector is like a mature 7-year-old horse who also has the same power and follows directions willingly, but is less fun to ride.

Others

Some other key aspects of the MG Hector which I want to mention:

• All lights (interior as well as exterior) are LEDs in the Sharp variant. The LED headlights in the Hector Plus are projector type bi-beam LED units with a CCT of around 6000K (this is too white for my liking, and I prefer the 4200K headlighting I have with the retrofit HIDs on the Jeep Compass).
• The cigarette lighter socket is placed inside the driver armrest compartment and this needs to be used for connecting any air compressors. This is an unusual placement for the socket - I was searching for it all over the car and could not find it and then one day I opened the compartment to see that it is inside the armrest compartment!
• There are plenty of USB ports all around the car - one in the front for the driver, 2 in the centre row and 2 in the last row.
• The driver and passenger side sun shields both come with mirrors and also have lights.
• The warranty of the MG Hector plus is 5 years/unlimited kms as standard and one can also avail the MG Shield package to cover consumables at a fixed price (for next 5 years if desired) and service interval is 15k kms/ 1 year for regular services.

Conclusion

At the price at which we were able to get the Hector Plus, it is good value as the MG Hector Plus offers us:

• Spacious car with captain seats and huge boot space (good for our dog).
• A brilliant, time tested diesel engine (same as our Jeep Compass, but in BS6 Guise) and a Jeep sourced gearbox, for a perfect Engine- Gearbox combo.
• The safety of 6 airbags (for peace of mind, even though the MG Hector is not crash tested yet).
• Nice to have features like the Panoramic sunroof, electric Tailgate, Electric Driver and Passenger seat adjusts.
• All essential features like ESC, Hill Hold, etc.
• A great sales and service experience - in today's age a lot of companies are just failing miserably in this department - they may have good cars but they have miserable sales teams who hardly make an effort to sell.
• The MG Hector Plus is just the right size (around 4.7m) to take to any city / mall parking and not have to worry about the car being too big or long. It is also not very high, so it is very easy for parents / seniors to get in and out of the car and no side step is required.
• At this price bracket we can easily take the car to any city / village in UP and not be worried about anyone vandalising the car or any damage - it is a sad reality in many cities.

These points are just a quick summary of the positives which finally convinced us to buy the car - it is more of a head decision as it was the most practical choice for us. We hope to continue riding our Grey Goose for 8-9 years.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

An 8-step continuously variable transmission (CVT) is now the only Petrol AT option.

MG Motor India no longer offers the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission option on the Hector and Hector Plus.

With the DCT option now discontinued, customers looking for an automatic Hector or Hector Plus will have to settle for the 8-step continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The 6-speed dual-clutch was offered with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. This engine produces 141 BHP and 250 Nm. In February last year, MG added a CVT to the options list, so that customers could now choose between a DCT or CVT paired with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine.

Other powertrain options offered by MG include a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid and a 2.0-litre diesel engine both of which, are paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Vehicle should justify it’s price (Price value aspect).

BHPian i_s_bajwa recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello Fellow T-BHP members,

I’m seeking an advice for my friend who's looking to buy a personal conveyance. He’s currently not on this forum but found this platform an apt one in relation to buying guide.

Writing on his behalf the required criteria to satisfy his need:

• Fuel efficient (Diesel / Petrol) (At least 16-17 kmpl on highways).
• C segment sedan / SUV.
• No compact sedan or compact SUV.
• Ease of maintenance / durable spares / long term reliability.
• Usage: Mix of city and highway (No fixed ratio).
• Budget upto 18L. Can be extended till 20L.
• No pre-owned alternatives.
• Vehicle should justify it’s price (Price value aspect).

Options considered:

• 5th gen. Honda City ZX: Interior looks premium, loved it. But what did Honda do to the exterior ? It’s a downgrade from the 4th gen; resembles a segment lower Amaze. Also, being longest and widest in it’s segment, doesn't seem so. Looks flimsy instead.
• 4th gen. Honda City V: Evergreen styling. Still looks a class apart and price aspect is justified. Only concern is cost cutting by Honda in relation to parts or build quality otherwise, a sensible option.
• Maruti Ciaz Alpha: Long old school fun fledged sedan like dimensions and easy maintenance is a plus point. It’s shorter in length than the 5th gen Honda City but still looks much bigger comparatively. Comfortable and no nonsense car it seems but build quality remains questionable.
• Tata Harrier XT: Bold looks, sturdy build, impressive ground clearance and features offered seems really catchy. However, Tata’s manufacturing defects / design flaws and after sales support is what puts one in a fix keeping in view the 20L price bracket and long term reliability. Is 2020 launched BS6 Harrier really improved from initially launched BS4 ? Any updates on 2022 facelift ?
• Mahindra XUV700: Impressive in it’s segment ! Ruled out because of long waiting period.
• Kia Seltos: Kinda impressive, kinda Not ! Looks better than other CSUVs.
• MG Hector / Hector Plus: Not an option considering long term reliability.
• Hyundai Alcazar Prestige: Value for money in relation to features offered, but exterior doesn’t look appealing at all. Ruled out.
• Verna SX diesel: Front grille on facelift model is big No ! And rear space is lacking. Ruled out.
• Skoda Slavia: Skoda niggles and breakdowns, after sales support and long term reliability issues.
• Toyota Innova Diesel GX: Highly reliable but out of budget.

Any other better alternative or soon to be launched model that satisfies the above mentioned criteria, please do share.

My friend and I would be grateful for all your valuable insights and recommendations.

Looking forward to it.

Thanks.

Here's what BHPian voldemort had to say on the matter:

Honda City is a no-nonsense fuss-free car. We're happy customers of two 4th gen Honda City diesels. The interior material quality is not the best, but it's not so bad and I wouldn't consider it a deal breaker.

However, if you are going for the City I strongly recommend you go for the 5th gen. Why buy an older car?

Regarding Slavia's niggles: Yeah there's a high likelihood, but we don't know for sure yet. Who knows, it might turn out to be surprisingly reliable. Or probably not. Still, check it out.

I know you said no CSUVs, but do check out the Tata Nexon. You might be pleasantly surprised.

What's your friend's existing ride?

[slightly off topic]

Looks like there's a sudden spike demand for ₹18L cars, albeit with differing requirements.

There are at least 3 different threads discussing this:

• High Usage 2nd Car under 18L.
• Which 7 seater for 18L OTR?
• This one - Reliable, Fuel Efficient, under 18L.

And why 18 as opposed to a nice round number like 20? Seems like a funny coincidence.

Here's what BHPian Poitive had to say on the matter:

These are the three I'd seriously reconsider:

• City 4th gen: Best VFM. The cost saving outweighs the slight negative. If budget is the focus, one could pick this.
• Innova base model: It is almost in budget (depending on where it is registered). The slight stretch over 20L is offset by a cheap maintenance (for it's size) and reliability, and also better resale. If reliability is the focus, one could pick this.
• MG Hector: One takes a somewhat higher risk with this one, but a lot of car for the money (dependent on trim). Diesel is pretty enjoyable to drive too. If space and comfort at a price is the focus, one could pick this. (Hector owners on T-BHP generally seem happy with it).

New launches have a much higher chances of niggles and maintenance issues from their first few batches. If that is a priority, sticking ones at least 1-2 years old models is a good idea. Also to take a trim with lesser features/electronics.

PS: Some details on the last 2 on the 'Choosing an SUV up to 22L' thread.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

Suggestions :

• Honda City : Whatever gen/model you prefer.
• Maruti Suzuki S-Cross : A 4.3m crossover, since you had mentioned Ciaz this is worth a TD.

Suggest to narrow down the requirements to be more specific, since currently the options are covering a lot of segments which can't really be compared. Things like MT/AT, petrol/diesel after factoring in the driving feel, usage conditions, NCR registration etc.O

If its based on looks, remove the ones you cannot stand.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The pre-owned Hector is a little big for my city roads. And I'm unsure about the Creta because, I think, it's built on the same platform that underpins the Kia Seltos.

BHPian akashgurnani recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Guys, I have been reading lots of ownership reviews and posts by senior members here. It has brought a lot of insights to me in the car buying process.

I am looking for a safe, automatic car with a decent amount of features and interior quality. My budget is 18 Lakhs and can stretch up to 20 Lakhs on road. My monthly running will be about 600 km.

90% of my driving will be in the city. I have test driven Seltos, Creta, Taigun, Kushaq and Hector.

Here are my views on the cars mentioned above.

• I am not keen on Seltos due to safety.
• Taigun and Kushaq are good cars but interiors do not give a feeling of sitting in an 18 lakhs rupees car.
• Creta looks like a well-balanced car, maybe this is why it is the top-selling in the segment. But unsure as I think it is made on a platform that is being used in the Seltos.

I have also found a used Hector Sharp DCT 2019 model up for sale for 15.50 Lakhs. 16000 Kilometers on the ODO. The owner says it gives 8 KMPL in the city and 10 KMPL on highways. The car is in mint condition and has everything I am looking for. It's just a little big for narrow Indore roads. And fuel efficiency can pose a problem if monthly running increases.

I am very much confused between these cars. I am leaning towards Pre-owned Hector and Creta SX CVT.

Would like to have advice from the community. Which car should I go for?

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say about the matter:

That would depend on your definition of safety.

If it's GNCAP, then none of the cars you mentioned has been tested. If it's the feel of things then it's a personal choice.

For example, the untested S-Cross feels better built than the 4 stars GNCAP rated Brezza. Taigun/Kushaq are supposed to be good on safety but not tested yet.

Would recommend sticking to petrol cars only to avoid DPF issues in diesels with your 90% city usage.

To your options, I would advise against the pre-owned Hector because it's a DCT, not very efficient and has done 16k kms so chances of expensive DCT maintenance are high.

Creta CVT would be better than this IMO.

If you're looking at MG then the Astor has good reviews.

Here's what BHPian ron178 had to say about the matter:

Along with a crash test rating, please also try to consider a car that is equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and at least four airbags (double frontal, side torso), if not six (+head-protecting curtains), which are available aplenty in this segment, at least as optional equipment.

Here's what BHPian FiatDiesel had to say about the matter:

The mileage figures mentioned by the owner of Hector are realistic. If the owner has taken the 5-year MG Shield then it gives your further protection. The 5-year warranty is anyway standard. So overall you do get another 2-3 years of coverage.

If you are comparing it with Creta then you should also check out Astor. Hector is a segment above in terms of space, features and quality.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The engine, although the same 2-litre TDCi from Fiat, sounds milder and more refined.

BHPian Behemoth recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took delivery of our Hector Plus 6-seater Sharp diesel in Havana Grey colour (this is a new colour launched by the company). The car looks quite nice and elegant in this colour. From booking to delivery it took almost 3.5 months and prices hiked by almost 90k since the booking time. Here are some initial pics from the MG Gurgaon flagship showroom while the car was being made ready for delivery.

Very initial observations

• The suspension is quite decently tuned for comfort and better on bad roads compared to our compass.
• Engine, while being the same 2L TDCi from Fiat, sounds milder and more refined (being new as well as BS6-compliant).
• Too much tech to do simple things! Just to reduce AC temperature it took us 5 min to figure out. I still prefer the old-style buttons.
• Still need to figure out how to stop the annoying announcements the GPS lady keep giving - left curve, etc.

Will start my ownership thread after we drive it for a few weeks.

Here's what BHPian abhi_tjet had to say about the matter:

Congratulations! Do you still have the Compass?

It will be interesting to read your observations/comparison between Hector Plus and Compass. One is a benchmark for handling and is a driver’s delight while the other is an out and out comfort-oriented car meant to cruise smoothly.

Here's what BHPian Cyborg had to say about the matter:

Congratulations Behemoth, your Hector looks lovely in this colour. All the best and wish you a happy ownership experience.

In the second picture above, it looks as if the front bumper lip is touching the raised platform ahead. Is it really that low and scraping the bumper or just looks that way due to the angle of the shot?

Here's what BHPian TSEA had to say about the matter:

Congratulations. The Havana Grey is a good balance between bling and ease of maintenance.

The announcements are annoying and if you do find a solution, please let us know.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.