MG Hector Plus

The MG Hector Plus is the extended three-row version of the 5-seater Hector compact SUV that was launched in India in 2019. The new Hector Plus, on the other hand, is a six-seater SUV that comes with captain seats in the middle row. MG Motor India offers the Hector Plus in four variants – Style, Super, Smart and Sharp, and the SUV has been launched at special introductory priced of Rs. 13.73 lakh to Rs. 18.68 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The prices will see an upward revision of Rs. 50,000 post August 13, 2020. In India, the MG Hector Plus competes with the likes of the Mahindra XUV500, and the upcoming Tata Gravitas.

The Hector Plus comes in six colour options - Candy White, Aurora Silver, Burgundy Red, Starry Black, Glaze Red, and an all-new Starry Sky Blue shade, exclusive to the Hector Plus SUV. The MG Hector Plus comes with an updated face, with no over the top chrome elements. Upfront, you have the all-black grille, flanked by new LED daytime running lamps, and a set of revised headlights with LED projector units and integrated turn indicators. The front bumper is a new body-coloured one and it also comes with a new faux skid plate.

The profile remains identical to the regular Hector, in fact, it even gets the same 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, which still look a tad too small on the SUV. The Hector Plus also gets silver roof rails, a shark-fin antenna, revised LED taillamps, and a new rear bumper with underbody cladding and a faux diffuser with chrome elements. In terms of dimensions, the new MG Hector Plus is longer by 65 mm at 4720 mm, allowing the carmaker to accommodate the third row. However, the company hasn't made any changes to the width and height of the SUV as they stand at 1,835 mm and 1,760 mm respectively. Also, the wheelbase remains untouched at 2,750 mm.

The basic design of the cabin is similar to the five-seater Hector, however, the Hector Plus comes with a few new additions as well. The dashboard and the centre console come with silver accents, along with new soft-touch leather panels that match the upholstery’s smoked sepia brown shade. The middle row gets captain seats with individual armrests, and the third row gets 50:50 folding seats. In terms of features, the Hector Plus comes with ambient lighting, leather-wrapped steering wheel, an Infinity sound system, a panoramic sunroof, power driver seats, and rear AC vents for both second and third row. The new Hector Plus also comes with MG’s new smart swipe boot opening mechanism that allows you to open the tailgate by simple swiping your foot from under the rear bumper.

As for the safety features, the SUV comes with up to 6-airbags, ABS with EBD & Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control System (TCS), hill hold control, tyre pressure monitoring system, electric parking brake, rear disc brakes and more. The six-seater Hector Plus also gets 360-degree camera view and front parking sensors as segment-first features. There's also cornering front fog lamps, 3-point seatbelts for all passengers, ISOFIX child seat anchors, in addition to speed warning alert.

Under the hood, the MG Hector Plus get the same three powertrain choices as the regular Hector - the 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre petrol hybrid, and the 2.0-litre diesel engine. The petrol and petrol-hybrid versions make 141 bhp and 250 Nm torque and come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional DCT automatic (petrol only). The diesel version, on the other hand, makes 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and gets the 6-speed manual gearbox as standard.