Lighter electric vehicles can extract much more from the battery but this one weighs >1600 kg. For context, a Toyota Innova weighs 1730 kg and a Hyundai Creta weighs ~1400 kg.

BHPian doctorjee recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

3 and a half years driving an EV, and at what one might consider the half-life of a typical car in India…

It started as a gamble, yes, actually a gamble where one gives up the peace of mind of staying with the masses for the peace of mind that comes with driving comfort and saving a few pennies while at it...

The biggest question: how will the battery hold up over the years?

This is the 2020 Gen 1 model of the MG ZS EV, having a 44.5 kWh battery. At the time of purchase, the car promised 332 km on a full charge. I never really checked if it was true, but a number of online reviewers confirmed that it was very close to the actual numbers (and much better than the Hyundai Kona, which overpromised by a big margin).

Also, the mode and style of driving heavily impact the "mileage." We typically measure this as km/unit or km/kWh, and I would get anywhere between 5 and 9 depending on how I drive. That equated to a range between 222.5 km and 400.5 km. Some reviewers were even able to extract over 600 km on this model. Lighter EVs can extract much more from the battery, but this vehicle weighs >1600 kgs (for context, an Innova weighs 1730 kgs, a Creta weighs ~1400 kgs).

So today I did a practical range test. Home-to-office drive in Mumbai traffic, a mix of city and highway driving. At full charge, the car now promises 324 km (an 8 km or 2% drop since Nov 2020). I started at 8:26 AM (a bit later than usual). It took me ~45 mins to drive from Andheri East to Airoli (21.5 km). Average speed 28 km/h. I drove at ~70 kmph on the entire EEH stretch (that's the speed limit). Efficiency was 8 km/unit. I reached the office with 305 km of range remaining. So, simple math – I was promised 324 km and I will be getting 326.5 km as projected. At an average of 7 Rs per unit of electricity in Mumbai, I have spent <19 Rs for this commute.

Notes:

• The range is typically given with the AC turned off. The AC can shave off around 10% of the total range, so this isn't a completely realistic estimate. I'll do another test run with the AC on sometime next week. Thankfully, it wasn't too uncomfortable in the morning.
• The TPMS suggests that the tires are underinflated. Tire pressure makes a big difference in EV efficiency. Adding ~3 PSI could have given me about a 4% increase in range.
• I have done quite a few medium-long drives with this and never faced any range anxiety. I typically do a monthly trip to Karjat and at least once in 2 months do a 600km+ roundtrip.
• Shock absorbers do wear off fast in this may be. I have changed them twice in the last 3.5 years, but Mumbai roads have been really crappy recently and I did hit quite a few potholes really bad. The other minor challenges, the infotainment panel is more sluggish than before and the rearview camera is basically a potato.

So after ~36k km and 3.5 years, these are not bad numbers at the half-life of a car, right?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It felt like a premium electric vehicle but I was overwhelmed by the number of buttons. My Tata Tiago EV felt simple in a subtle way.

BHPian thomahawk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

MG ZS EV

The very next day I got the service done, I took my family for a test drive of MG ZS EV since I had to get that thought out of my system. I knew this would be a financial blunder, but I needed my peace of mind. On my way to the MG showroom, I visited the service center again to get a tentative date for the taillamp assembly replacement. The service manager asked me if I could drop the car again to check out the charging issue – told him would do it once the tail lamp replacement is approved.

Next stop was the MG showroom and there wasn’t anyone but us. The ZS EV felt like a premium car and the entire switch gear felt very European and I loved the tactility of the buttons. The rear seat ergonomics was compromised due to the raised floor – but can live with it. The car had a spare wheel and a lot of boot space – something that we missed in our tiny Tiago. But hey, we could get two of those for the price of the ZS model on display.

The sales advisor offered a test drive, and I got in the front seat. I loved the visibility and the seat comfort. Tiago’s seats are one size small for me. The car felt very comfortable – although I needed some time to get used to things.

To be honest, I felt overwhelmed – there were too many buttons. The Tiago felt simple in a subtle way. I slotted the car in reverse and the poor camera quality was a big turn-off (I thought the Jimny had the most pathetic camera). The car had a lot of errors (Radar and some system malfunctions) for a car that has only run 20k. Felt sorry for the car – sure everyone abuses it.

I could feel the rough road and I thought the ZS was tuned for comfort – I thought the car might be overinflated, but the sales advisor showed me 37 vs. the recommended 35psi. Tata should really have provided a proper TPMS instead of the iTPMS. The MID wasn’t well designed and some info like driving mode was a tiny piece of info in the MID. The drive helped in easing my mind – I won’t be happy with the ZS EV either.

I wished Tata paid a bit more attention to things like how charging is done. With ZS it is as simple as unlocking the car. In the Tiago, the charging port is on the passenger side, and one must open the lid from the driver's side after unlocking the car – a push to open the lid would have made things a lot easier. Also, the charging gun can be released by just unlocking the car – no need to press a button inside the car.

Living with Niggles

I also called up a relative who had a Harrier. He had mentioned that a friend of his has a Nexon EV which was having a lot of issues and found ways to sort the issues. So, we got into a conference call which became more like a support group meeting. We lamented about the issues our cars had and how inept Tata was to sort these out. The owner of Nexon EV was in the same boat as me – the car was lovely but there were far too many issues (he had his AC and battery already replaced within 2 years). We couldn’t find another car that we liked in the respective budget. We both didn’t want another ICE car either. The suggestion I got was to keep ignoring issues till the car breaks down or till service is due – getting every issue fixed as soon as it appears will only waste your time. Looks like that is the only way to remain sane.

Tail Lamp Replacement

The next week the ASM (service manager) confirmed that my tail lamp could be replaced if I drove in. Decided to get it replaced and continue assessing the charging issue. They plugged the car into an AC fast charger, but the radiator fan didn’t have to be ON and the charging started immediately. The technician said the fan would come in after around 30 minutes. I volunteered to wait beside the car and let others go on with their jobs. I spent the time checking out other cars that came in for service.

Wonder why some owners continue to keep the plastic covers:

The dealer also runs Toyota dealerships, and the car belonged to someone in the group:

The fan didn’t turn ON after even an hour and a half and I asked the technician to try taking the car for a spin. We drove around town for some time and came back. It was scorching hot so I thought the fan would turn ON if we plugged in after a drive. The fan didn’t turn ON after even the 30-minute drive. The technician didn’t have any more suggestions and we decided to call it a day and get the tail lamp fixed. I was planning to take the car for a long drive the next day – so we thought would test the car again if I could drive into the service center directly after the drive. There was a mix-up, so the job took more than an hour (somebody picked up the ICE Tiago part once and one of the lamps had a broken clip).

I plugged the car in at night and this time the fan turned on and the car started charging immediately. I was clueless as to what was happening. Took the car for a long drive the next day but couldn’t drive back to the service center as I had to attend a funeral later in the day. Put the car to charge and the issue cropped up again. Left a message to the ASM and shared a video of this – this time with the bonnet open. I had a short vacation and damping planned so didn’t want to keep the car in the service center.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Lately, I've been using the SUV for highway driving only and getting a consistent fuel efficiency of 20 km/l.

BHPian Sedate driver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2022 MG Hector Diesel: 40000 km update

In just about 1 year and 6 months, my Hector has reached the 40000 km mark. So far not faced any issues or niggles with the car and have not observed any DPF issues either. The car is due for the 5th service at 45000 kms. Otherwise, the car is running fine and no vibrations or rattles are observed. The NVH levels are excellent and sometimes when cruising at 80-90 on good roads, there is absolute silence in the cabin but for a faint engine grunt. The diesel remains a diesel only on the outside with a truck-like sound. Inside the sound insulation is excellent.

The car has returned an average FE of 19.4 kmpl which is an excellent figure considering the size and weight of the car. Of late I have been using the Hector for only highway trips and getting consistent mileage of 20+ tank full to tank full.

The 60L tank gives an approximate range of 1000+ for my style of driving. As you can see below, after running 910 kms there is still a range left at 328 kms.

Overall the Hector provides a good value-for-money proposition with respect to features, space, premium feeling etc.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

For many of us, the most important thing is the fuel efficiency. Well, it's one of Hector's biggest flaws, its Achilles heel if you will.

BHPian BrakHorseBarhat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2022 MG Hector Plus: Petrol CVT - 16,000 KM Review

Hello BHPians,

I have been daily driving my MG Hector Plus, Petrol CVT (Glaze Red with Starry Black) for around one and a half years. So I wanted to share my experience with all of you in hopes that it might help someone make up their mind regarding the car.

I took delivery of my Hector Plus on 8th December 2022 and have since driven it a total of 16,000 kilometers.

While a facelift was expected not too long after that, after inquiring with multiple dealerships we came to the conclusion that we didn't need to wait since most of the changes coming to the 2023 Hector were coming to the regular Hector and not the plus.

Let me first take you all through our selection process and options:

The other cars we were considering were the Mahindra XUV 700, Hyundai Alcazar & Creta, Skoda Kushaq/Volkswagen Taigun, Tata Harrier, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara/Toyota Hyryder and Kia Carens & Seltos.

How we eliminated the other options:

1st elimination: My father and I found the headroom and leg space in Maruti and Toyota to be inadequate so they were out straight away. (For reference I am 6'2 and my father is 6 feet tall).

Side note: My mother and I didn't like the look of the Vitara or Hyryder either.

2nd elimination

While we liked the features present on the Kias and Hyundais, they were out since we wanted a good safety rating.

3rd Elimination

We had just come from a Tata Safari Dicor (2007) which had served us well which is why we had a favorable opinion of the company, however, the boot space on the Harrier (445L) was inadequate in comparison to our Safari (981L) and all of us didn't like the new Safari at all so the Tatas were out as well.

Similarly, while we loved the performances of Skoda and Volkswagen, however, the dearth of features and small boots caused us to eliminate them. (Although to be fair, no car compared to our old companion in terms of boot space)

Side note: The driving experience of the Kushaq and Taigun left a really deep impression on both my father and me. So much so that I ended up buying the Taigun just a couple of days ago since we required a second car for our house.

4th (final) elimination

We really liked the XUV, it had both looks and features and initially, we were willing to compromise on the boot space but after careful consideration, we felt that the fit and finish of the car were a little lacking in comparison to the hector and that along with the fact that there was a 10 lakh rupee price difference between the top models of the two made us decide on the Hector Plus Petrol CVT.

Cut to a week later and it was already time to take delivery of our car.

(Didn't know my camera was dirty so the photo came out blurry.)

PPF

We got PPF applied on our Hector but unfortunately, the studio that did our car did a sub-par job because of this the Morris Garages Badging and some other accessories on our Hector were damaged and developed cracks. (One of the letters in Morris Garages also came off during a road trip from Delhi to Gujarat which was a little over 3000 KM)

Note: It cost us around 80k.

Our learnings: Firstly, we should be more careful while choosing the detailers to whom we hand our car. Secondly, one should get the PPF done before getting the accessories for the car to avoid any damage to them during the removal process for the application of PPF.

Coming to the main review of the car and our overall experience with it.

The good

• Love the interior of the car, it is very luxurious and the materials used make the car feel very premium. The overall fit and finish of the car is great.

• The car is very spacious and comfortable: My father (6 foot) is able to sit behind my (6 foot 2 inches) driving position with ample legroom and the headroom is great throughout the car. In fact, I can even sit in the third row for a short journey (albeit uncomfortably).

• The car feels very open and airy due to the captain seats and panoramic sunroof which is high(biggest in the class).

• The cabin is very well isolated so very little noise is able to travel inside the car which along with the quiet petrol engine makes for a smooth ride.
• The suspension is very soft which makes it feel like you are driving a cloud simply floating through the city. (It is definitely made for laid-back city driving) Since the acceleration is gradual you don't even realise that you are cruising at over 80 kmph.
• The 5-star GNCAP rating along with disc breaks in all 4 tyres give me peace of mind when driving on highways. (In fact, the brakes have proven their worth and saved us from being involved in a crash around 5 times)
• The music system is great and crisp. (I especially love the bass)
• The boot space is adequate(with the third row down) and we are able to get everything we want comfortably.

Here the car is carrying around 320-350 odd kgs of mangoes along with our luggage of 3 suitcases (2 large and 1 medium) underneath.

[Although 5 boxes(50 kgs) had to be kept in and around the second row]

The 'not bad'

• The car is not built to be agile, there is a considerable lag between the time you push the accelerator and the acceleration itself. And this rubber band effect increases even more if you drive the car in Eco mode. And finally, sports mode isn't that sporty and the difference is very minimal so I don't really find myself ever using it. Note: I don't like the way the car drives in Eco mode at low speeds like 10 - 20 kmph since the car always seems to want to stop and sometimes feels like it needs to downshift(Almost as if it's about to stall).
• When cornering at higher speeds there is significant body roll(not so much that it's alarming but enough to not be completely confident).

The bad

The most important thing to many of us is the mileage... it's one of Hector's biggest flaws, its Achilles heel if you will:

In a city like Delhi, the car can give anywhere between 6.5 - 7 kmpl (in normal mode), and around 7 - 8 (in eco mode) and I haven't really tried sports mode while being stuck in traffic.

On highways, the car gives around 7 in sports mode, 8 - 9 kmpl in normal mode, and 9 - 9.5 kmpl in eco-mode.

Note: I drive semi-aggressively. (Not so aggressive that I cut everyone off to reach one second faster but if I see an opportunity to overtake and the other driver doesn't seem to be going for it then I do overtake without fail)

There are some other things that annoy me but aren't really deal-breakers like:

• The fact that Android Auto and Apple Carplay are wired and the integration of navigation apps isn't good with the display on the speedometer. (It shows no direction information with Android Auto and shows some information with Apple Carplay but that is also inconsistent)
• The car's software glitched continuously for a month and it kept on detecting low tire pressure in the rear left wheel despite there not being any real issue. There was another continuous glitch simultaneously which caused the car to say things repeatedly three times. (like it repeated welcome and the rear left tire has abnormally low pressure three times in a row as soon as you start the car and the infotainment system boots up) Note: These glitches suddenly vanished after annoying me for a little over a month.
• The engine light has come on randomly on three separate occasions and stays for anywhere between 1 to 3 days before vanishing.

Overall experience: It is an amazing car overall, with a great price-to-feature ratio along with great safety, and has served us very well so far. It's perfect for my parents who want an easy-going and very comfortable car. (I love it too but I like a bit more thrill in the driving department)

Definitely recommend it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

JSW Ventures plans to buy a 35% stake in MG Motor India for Rs 3,580 crore.

China-based SAIC Motor Corp Ltd. has announced that it will bring in local investors in India. As part of this strategy, JSW Ventures plans to buy a 35% stake in MG Motor India for Rs 3,580 crore.

According to SAIC, InfoEdge India Fund will buy an 8% stake in the company as well. A dealer trust will take a 3% stake, while an employee stock ownership plan will control a 5% stake.

"As MG Motor India aims to continue to increase MG brand's market share in India and effectively prevent operating risks, the unit plans to introduce local Indian investors to create more favourable conditions for sustainable and healthy development," SAIC said in a statement.

The move comes as the government of India has sought to restrict investments from Chinese companies amid geopolitical and trade tensions. 

Source: Reuters

JSW MG Motor India plans to launch a new vehicle every 3-6 months, starting this festive season.

China’s SAIC Motor and the JSW Group have finalized their joint venture under the newly formed JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. (JSW MG Motor India). During an event held earlier today, the company laid out its future plan for India.

JSW MG Motor India will focus on creating a robust EV ecosystem with forward and backward integration of the supply chain. The company plans to launch a new vehicle every 3-6 months, starting this festive season. 

JSW MG Motor India will focus on EVs and plans to foray into the premium passenger vehicle segment as well. The star attraction of the event was the MG Cyberster electric sports car.

The Cyberster EV made its global debut in 2023. It is powered by either a 64 kWh battery offering a range of 520 km or a 77 kWh unit with a claimed range of 580 km. The entry-level version has a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 304 BHP, while the top-spec dual-motor version packs 528 BHP and 725 Nm. It is capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds.

JSW MG Motor India will be ramping up its production capacity from over 1,00,000 units to up to 3,00,000 units per annum. The company will focus on extensive localization and establishing a strong supply chain. It will also set up an R&D centre to develop connected, new-age and local mobility solutions. 

The MG feels like a car that won't last and I wish to replace it with a better, more reliable vehicle from the same segment.

BHPian kmrjt1 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear BHPians,

I am planning to replace my 1.2-year-old MG Astor (1.3L Turbo AT) with a car in the similar segment that has a peppier engine and have zeroed down to 2 choices:

• VW Taigun GT Plus Edge Matte Edition 1.5L TSI DSG
• Kia Seltos X-Line 1.5L T-GDI DCT

I already own a VW Tiguan (Dec 2022) 4-motion and it has never ever given me any problem till date The shifts with DQ 250 DSG gearbox in Tiguan are the smoothest and most seamless I have ever experienced and the ride/drive stability is out of this world. I love VW and hence, I am guessing the Taigun would be similar. I use my Tiguan mostly for weekend drives and when there are management visits at my workplace.

The Astor is used primarily for the city and around.

My reasons for replacement

1. Engine is a Turbo, but the initial lag is too prominent when you hit the pedal. Takes time compared to other turbos to pick up speed. This causes issues in overtaking and doesn't give me confidence.
2. The mileage I am getting is 5-6 kmpl, worse than my Tiguan which gives me 9-10 kmpl in the city. I use Shell V power petrol in all cars I use, hence, expect them to be in perfect condition internally.
3. Too many gimmicky features that don't work at times - the most notorious being the robot on the dash, very irritating. Sometimes, doesn't follow voice commands properly (Such as 'Hello Astor, increase fan speed' and sometimes it follows, other times it keeps saying 'Sorry'... very flawed implementation by MG). The Infotainment screen is slow 99% of the time and last week when I started booting my car from stop, it wouldn't start even when electronic components started and I could hear the initial cranking of the engine.

All in all, it feels like a car that won't last and I wish to get rid of it for a better, more reliable one in the same segment.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated!

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

What you need is an EV. Take a test drive of the Nexon EV LR. It is punchier than even your Tiguan in urban conditions and costs next to nothing to run. Its cabin is plusher than the Taigun, feature set is more extensive and ride and handling are also as good in city driving. Also, Tata’s new infotainment screen and cameras are by far the best in the 20L rupee price range.

Here's what BHPian mgastor2022grey had to say about the matter:

Hey man, I was in the same boat for a couple of days. Check my thread.

BHPians suggested me not to replace my car as I would face a heavy depreciation hit. Also, I am having fun in a 1.5L NA CVT, so why not you in your 1.3L Turbo AT? I'd recommend you some changes:

• Start flooring the car. It will give you immense fun and will increase your confidence.
• Clean your car more often. When you have an intimate connection with your car, you will never feel like selling it. Worked for me!
• Test drive a Seltos. Understand the car. Then drive the Astor aggressively. You will find both the cars almost the same, with Astor lagging just a few secs away.

Don't sell the Astor man, it's such a great car! You should try changing your driving style to be a bit more aggressive, and get much more out of your steed!

Good Luck.

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

The car is just 1.2 years old and should be under warranty. Have you tried to get it checked and repaired at MG?

You mentioned turbo lag.

• Compare with another Astor
• Ask for a replacement of the turbocharger.

Give it a shot.

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

For point 1, you can check if this engine has a remap from one of the tuners. You can get it tuned as per your requirements if the tuner has that option.

Point 2, the fuel efficiency may increase a bit with a remap, but it also depends on your driving habit.

The reason to go for a remap is because you feel the engine is not powerful enough more so because you are comparing it with a more powerful car and with a remap you can get the Astor somewhere close to it, with no hardware changes.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The JSW Group and China’s SAIC Motor entered into a joint venture back on December 1, 2023.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of up to 38% stake in MG Motor India by the JSW Group.

In its official statement, the CCI said, “The Acquirer is a newly incorporated entity and is not engaged in any activities as on date. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW International Tradecorp Pte. Limited and belongs to JSW Group.”

“The Target is a company incorporated in India, engaged in the automobile original equipment manufacturing business and after sale services. The Target is primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of passenger cars (including electronic vehicles) under the Target’s brand ‘MG’, the statement added.

The JSW Group and China’s SAIC Motor entered into a joint venture back on December 1, 2023. The former will hold 35% of the Indian JV operations. SAIC will continue supporting the joint venture with technology and products.

MG plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore in India to set up a second manufacturing facility in Gujarat. The new factory will help the brand double its production capacity from 1,20,000 units to 3,00,000 units per annum.

Source: ET Auto

I have driven the electric vehicle across all kinds of terrains and at all times of day and night just like my previous cars and it has not let me down.

BHPian speedmiester recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

LightFury completes one year: an update

It's been a year today since I retook the EV plunge with MG ZS EV and it’s been a wonderful year of EV ownership. The current ODO stands at 27415 km. This includes multiple long drives including drive to Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Coastal Karnataka and the usual weekly Bangalore-Mysore drives.

Post May I got caught up with work and many travel plans got postponed or cancelled, else would have added another 3-4000kms to the odo.

The positives outweigh the negatives and clearly, the ZS has exceeded my expectations that I had from an EV.

Positives:

• Smooth, Silent, powerful and comfortable driving experience
• Reduced stress levels during urban commutes due to ease of driving
• Top-notch build quality, no rattles or creaks anywhere even after one year of use across different terrains
• Safety features and creature comforts offered
• A range of 320-350Kms with AC even at speeds of 90-100kmph
• Negligible battery degradation noticed. MID still shows 400Kms without AC on a full charge in Normal mode.
• MG’s customer service and service quality
• Very low running and maintenance costs

Negatives:

• Soft suspension setup unsettles the ride at higher speeds.
• Some missing features including auto dimming IRVM, lumbar support, steering reach adjustment.
• Auto wiper has a mind of its own, stopped using it altogether.
• Wipers are not of good quality, already replaced them once.
• Infotainment system can get unresponsive at times.

Ownership Experience:

“Excellent” is a one-word description of my experience with LightFury. I have driven the ZS across all kinds of terrains and at all times of day and night just like my previous cars and it has not let me down. In fact, whatever little apprehensions I had of using an EV as my primary car has vanished. Though I have a backup car at home, there have been no instances in the past year where I had to resort to using the backup car instead of the ZS EV.

Only issue I have faced is an abrupt warning on the MID which mentioned faults in Stability Control, ESP, Hill hold and auto hold functions. This fault occurred during my city commute. The customer care was quick to offer a flatbed tow and a cab for my return home. Since the car was drivable, I insisted on reaching home and getting it picked up from my residence. Luckily the faults went away before I reached home and have not recurred yet. Happy with the response from MG’s customer care and the service advisor.

Charging info:

I primarily charge using the portable charger which comes with the car using a 15A power supply. I have not installed the 7.2KW wall charger that MG offers with the car. This setup is more than sufficient for my needs. Given that there is no option to control the charge rate in the ZS, I typically charge it to full 100%, the slow charging from the portable charger helps in cell balancing and in maintaining good battery health.

Note on Fast charging infrastructure:

Since I bought the car, the charging infra has grown leaps and bounds. There are fast chargers on all major highways conveniently located at food outlets. Also, many hotels and resorts in key tourist destinations offer charging facilities for EVs for their guests. A bit of planning and the developing fast-charging infrastructure has made range anxiety a thing of the past.

There are many infra players in this place, both private and public companies. So far, I have had the best experience with Jio BP, Zeon, Relux, Chargezone and Bescom. Tata chargers are a bit unreliable, but others make up for it. Charging costs vary between Rs. 18-28 per KW. Since the ZS can charge at a peak 75KW, I tend to favour Jio BP chargers as most of them offer charging at 60KW.

Summary of key stats after a year of ownership.

Parting Shot

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I really wanted to buy another Kia Seltos GT Diesel (it's a wonderful car) but due to the long waiting period, we took the delivery of the Hector Plus 6 seater.

BHPian Dcsastudent recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Here is my ownership review of the 2023 MG Hector Plus Facelift 6 seater Petrol AT. The variant is Sharp Pro.

I'm not attaching any photos/videos of the car since they are available aplenty on the net. If anyone wants any specific photos or videos to substantiate what I have written below, I'd be happy to click them for you.

We were looking for a car in this segment, and although I really REALLY wanted to buy another Seltos GT Diesel (It's a wonderful car), due to waiting times, we took delivery of the Hector Plus on the next day after booking the car (booked on 24th Jan, got delivery on 25th Jan). The reason we didn't go in for the top variant was that we didn't want to waste 2L on ADAS - which to me is a gimmick since we already have the XUV700AXL. I have driven the car for 1152 Km till now, and here's the no holds barred version.

The Positives

1. The car is good-looking from all sides. The rear lights look awesome!
2. Interiors are very good-looking (but painful to operate, more on that later).
3. The ride quality is good and the cabin is very quiet under 60-70kmph. Above 70ish, there is a good amount of road noise.
4. Turbo Flutter - from day 1, if I lightly press the accelerator and then stop pressing it, I hear the gorgeous stututu sound from the turbo. Now I don't know whether this can damage the turbo or not (internet searches are confusing), but yeah this happens. I love listening to it, but I don't know if I'm going to be in trouble later.

The Negatives

1. The main screen is painfully slow - so much so to the point that I once timed the screen from a cold start to full functionality - it took 36 seconds! 36 full seconds before I could push any button on the screen.
2. AC Recirculation - the ventilation system switches from internal ventilation to external ventilation every time you start the car. Every time! And then you have to painfully wait for the screen to start working, then click on the AC controls, and then click on the ventilation mode - which is a pain again since even if you click on the button properly, you have to push on it 2 or 3 times to get the desired response.
3. AC vents position - The position of the central vent for the driver is behind the steering - so you will never get a straight draft of air on your face. It will hit the steering only - all this just to have a big screen.
4. Fuel Lid - there is a very very small (maybe 5-6mm long) notch to hang the fuel lid - without it touching the body. This is not such a big issue but can lead to scratches on the body in the long run with the fuel lid hanging on the body.
5. Gear Shift delay - When you shift from P to either D or R, or from R to D and vice versa also, you have to wait for about 4-5 seconds and then it shifts into the proper gear. Very irritating!
6. Steering Wheel is very thin - doesn't have any meat to it. Feels very weird and uncomfortable.
7. Since the central screen is so big, it is a distraction all the time. Best option is to switch it off by long pressing the home button, but if you do that, you can not operate the steering wheel volume buttons or skip songs/change FM stations if the screen is off. You have to again switch on the screen to do anything.
8. Seat Lumbar Support is horrible. For the first 10-12 days, my back ached terribly after having driven the car. It has become better by now, but I'm guessing that is due to me getting used to it, or maybe the seat lumbar support getting a bit pushed down.
9. Second row seats don't tumble - which means in order to get to the third row, you have to climb the cabin, bend down and walk between the 2 captain seats and into the third row.
10. Fuel Efficiency is shown only on the app, and not in the car - which I feel is weird!
11. Rear camera shows a delayed picture - it's not a delay in showing the real situation behind your car. When you shift to R, it shows you a "static" view for about 2 to 3 seconds - which was the view 1-2 seconds before you shifted to R - and not what it currently is. I'll explain: If I shift to R, and there was nothing behind the car before I shifted to R, it will show me empty space on the camera. If I immediately proceed to press the accelerator, there are chances that I will run into something which could have come behind my car in the last 3-4 seconds.
12. High-speed warning - The high-speed warning on 80 and 120 is shown on the driver's screen (behind the steering). It shows the warning constantly non-stop till you come below 80. During that time, you can not see your tyre pressure, cruise control settings, and all other things on that screen. Extension to this point - suppose you are coasting in D, the speed will gradually reduce. The 80 speed warning does not go away till about 67 - 68.
13. Fonts - To a person with good eyesight, it looks good but there is a mix-up between 5, 6 and 8 for people with reading glasses. Mom pressed on the brake pretty hard one time - thinking that she had reached 80 - where in fact she was on 50-something.
14. Body roll is a big concern above speeds of 60-70kmph.
15. The "Turn Traction Control OFF" button is conveniently placed between the hazard lights button and the co-passenger seat ventilation button. Since we use seat ventilation extensively, it has happened once that I accidentally pushed the traction control off button. Placement of this very dangerous button should have been at a hard-to-reach place.

All in all, if I could go back a month, I would not buy this car, and I would strongly suggest everyone experience these issues in person before deciding to book/buy the car.

Here's what BHPian Tanmay_868 had to say about the matter:

I own a 2021 Hector. In my case, if I press the ‘OK’ button the warning disappears both for 80 and 120.

And regarding AC Recirculation I think you have kept your AC on ‘Auto’ mode. Maybe that is the reason.

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

Some of the points from this list are simply terrifying.

Points 2,5,7,11,12,13,15.

Especially points 7,11,15. Those are enough to make the car quite unsafe.

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

These are major issues, and I think the gear shift delay would be quite difficult to live with and something not easily fixable.

The high-speed warnings, and rear camera delays might be things that might be fixed later with software updates, but the gear shift delay is a really painful one.

In some AMTs I have noticed a 1-2s delay and even that I feel is too much. It becomes a real pain in 3-point turns and in situations where you are pulling onto the main road from parking.

I cannot understand the reason for this delay here in a CVT. I usually drive a Toyota Corolla Altis CVT and have driven the CVTs by Honda. In both of these, the gear change is immediate from R-D or P.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.