Rajeev Mathew

MG (Morris Garages) has finally made its much-awaited Indian debut with its premium SUV, the MG Hector. The car looks to cement MG’s place in the Indian automotive market by introducing a bunch of first-in-segment features and state-of-the-art technology.&nbsp;Diving straight into the heart of the beast, this beautiful-looking SUV comes with India’s first 48V hybrid engine. The hybrid engine not only helps reduce CO2 emissions, but also considerably saves up fuel. The 48-volt lithium ion battery stores the kinetic energy produced by the car and then uses it to provide extra torque of up to 20 Nm whenever needed. You can choose between the 1.5 L turbocharged petrol engine or the 2 L turbocharged diesel engine.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d12d6l12s3d372.cloudfront.net/IMG_20190515_132336_910_800x396_2ec8394a73.jpg">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The MG Hector, as India’s first internet car, has been built with a high level of localization and comes power-packed with features, inside-out. As MG’s first offering in India, the Hector demonstrates our commitment to provide the best cars to Indian customers, that they love and appreciate,” said Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India.&nbsp;The tech goodies being offered with the car are brilliant. It comes equipped with MG’s iSmart technology and a big 10.4-inch touchscreen, which almost feels like you’re driving a Tesla. The 5G ready system offers a personal voice assistant, over-the-air updates, live mapping, in-car internet and a whole lot more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d12d6l12s3d372.cloudfront.net/20190515_133348_800x389_5f0dc72d50.jpg">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;MG is also placing a lot of emphasis on safety. Every variant of the Hector will come with traction control, hill hold control, 3-point seatbelt, heated ORVMs and ISOFIX child seat anchors.&nbsp;From the outside, the Hector is intimidating and aggressive, yet subtle and classy. It doesn’t aim to be this rugged tough machine, but more like a sophisticated beast, who wears a suit. The sleek DRL’s, the floating taillights and overall beefy design make it a head-turner. With a boot capacity of 587 litres, it boasts of being the biggest in its segment.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://d12d6l12s3d372.cloudfront.net/IMG_20190515_151320_450x600_1def11dd3e.jpg">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;MG will establish a wide network of 120 outlets throughout the country in the coming few weeks and pre-orders will begin next month. With most of its production being conducted at the Halol manufacturing plant in Gujarat, the price range should lie between Rs 16 to 20 lakh.

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We finally got a good look at one of the most highly-anticipated cars of 2019