British carmaker Morris Garage is making an entry into the Indian auto market with its compact SUV MG Hector. The Morris Garage Hector will be India's first internet car. The car has instantly grabbed the attention of the Indian car enthusiasts and the company has received heavy bookings in the initial days of the launch. So much so that MG has closed the bookings for Hector due to the number of bookings coming in.
The compact SUV market in India has grown leaps and bounce in the last decade. Indian car enthusiasts have realised the importance of cars with higher ground clearance on Indian roads. The compact SUV segment provides all that and in a price that is significantly lower than that asked by companies for full-fledged SUVs like Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.
The MG Hector faces competition from the likes of Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Creta. All of Hector's competition is well established in the Indian auto market and has its own userbase. Will the MG Hector be able to break the box with its many customisations. Let's find out.
MG Hector vs Mahindra XUV500 vs Tata Harrier vs Hyundai Creta
PRICE
MG Hector is available in 11 models with 4 diesel and 7 petrol. The diesel base variant 'style' is priced at Rs 13.18 lakh while the top diesel variant 'sharp' is priced at Rs 16.88 lakh. Talking of petrol the base model sharp is priced at Rs 12.18 lakh and the top model at Rs 16.78 lakh.
| Model |
MG Hector |
Mahindra XUV500 |
Tata Harrier |
Hyundai Creta |
| Base diesel |
Rs 13.18 lakh |
Rs 12.32 lakh |
Rs 13 lakh |
Rs 10 lakh |
| Top diesel |
Rs 16.88 lakh |
Rs 19.65 lakh |
Rs 16.76 lakh |
Rs 15.65 lakh |
| Base petrol |
Rs 12.18 lakh |
Rs 16.11 lakh |
- |
Rs 9.6 lakh |
| Top petrol |
Rs 16.78 lakh |
Rs 16.11 lakh |
- |
Rs 14.16 lakh |
(all the prices are ex-showroom Delhi)
The MG Hector is decently priced compared to the Mahindra XUV500, Tata Harrier and Hyundai Creta. The Creta has base models in both petrol and diesel the cheapest in the segment so the Korean carmaker has an edge in this department out of the four cars. Can MG Hector's latest tech and specs be able to counter the price of Creta? Only time will tell.
PERFORMANCE
Performance is a key aspect to look in a car before buying it. There is certainly a lot of competition in the compact SUV segment as far as performance is concerned. How does MG Hector stack up against its competition? Here are some facts and figures
| Performance |
MG Hector |
Mahindra XUV500 |
Tata Harrier |
Hyundai Creta |
| Average |
17.41 kmpl |
15.1 kmpl |
17 kmpl |
22.1 kmpl |
| BHP |
168 |
155 |
138 |
126.2 |
| Torque |
350 Nm |
360 Nm |
350 Nm |
259 Nm |
| Weight |
1600 kg |
1950 kg |
1675 kg |
1300 kg |
| Engine displacement |
1956 cc |
2179 cc |
1956 cc |
1591 cc |
The MG Hector is clearly performance leading in the compact SUV sector. The Hyundai Creta gives a better average but it's a smaller engine and less fun to drive. The MG Hector has the best BHP and the right weight. And still, it provides an average of 17.41. Will better average in Creta be able to hold back MG Hector's charge to the top? Only time will tell.
PRACTICALITY
A family car must be practical. It should be spacious and should be easy to take around for a drive. The car should have basic features and passenger-friendly ambience. Let's see some figures to compare the 4 cars.
| Practicality |
MG Hector |
Mahindra XUV500 |
Tata Harrier |
Hyundai Creta |
| Seating Capacity |
5 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
| Boot Capacity |
587 |
90 ( Third Row) |
425 |
400 |
| Fuel tank Capacity |
60L |
70L |
50L |
55L |
| Transmission |
AT only in petrol |
Both |
Both (No petrol) |
Both |
The MG Hector has the best boot space and is a 5 seater like the Tata Harrier and Hyundai Creta. The Mahindra XUV500 has less boot space because it is a 7 seater car. The Tata Harrier does not have a petrol model. And the MG Hector only has an automatic transmission in the petrol variant.
So there are many options to choose from. Every car has its own pros and cons. What counts is what suits you best.
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