With an aim to establish a premium image in the market right from the get-go, MG Motor India will launch the Hector, a C-SUV, as its first product. The company has set an annual sales target of 18,000 units for this model, reports The Economic Times. This figure converts to a monthly sales target of 1,500 units.
The MG Hector is expected to be priced between INR 15-20 lakh (ex-showroom). It will compete with the likes of Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier, both of which are also locally manufactured. The Jeep Compass registered 18,287 units in annual sales/1,524 units in average monthly sales last year. The recently launched Tata Harrier recorded a monthly sales of 2,492 units in March 2019 and 2,075 units in April 2019. While the American offering enjoys a rich brand heritage, the homegrown automaker's model is popular because of its JLR roots and very attractive pricing. MG Motor India will likely bank on excellent VFM factor.
To differentiate itself from rivals in India, MG Motor India will focus on introducing hybrid and all-electric powertrains. The Hector happens to be India's first 48-volt mild-hybrid SUV. The company says that it is not in a hurry to grab volume or huge market shares, and is rather looking at the market from a long-term view, as per the report. The second product is going to be even more expensive, priced north of INR 20 lakh (ex-showroom). It'll be the eZS imported via the CBU route. This model will arrive by the end of this year, while early next year, a pricier Hector with an additional row of seats will follow.
MG Motor India has finalised 50 dealer principles and will start operating with 120 customer touch-points which will include retail outlets, experience centres and service stations. The company plans to ramp up this number to 250 touch-points by September.
The MG Hector will be available in four grades: Style, Super, Smart, and Sharp. In addition to a plethora of connectivity technologies, it will come with features like 10.4-inch HD central display, 7-inch full-colour MID, six airbags, panoramic sunroof, heated ORVMs, power driver (8-way) and front passenger (4-way) seats, mood lighting in eight colours and 360-degree around view camera.
Also See: MG eZS all-electric SUV spied in India for the first time
The MG Hector will be available with a (143 PS/250 Nm) a 1.5L turbocharged petrol engine and a (170 PS/350 Nm) 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine. The petrol engine will come paired with a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed DCT delivering a fuel economy of 14.16 km/l or 13.96 km/l respectively. The diesel engine will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission and return 17.41 km/l. The 48-volt mild-hybrid system will be available as an option in the petrol-MT configurations and offer 12% savings in fuel economy. The fuel economy rating of the mild-hybrid variant hasn't been revealed, though.
MG Motor India will launch the Hector in June.
[Source - ETAuto]
