India-spec MG Hector SUV official images revealed

MG Motor today revealed the Hector, its first product for the Indian market. The MG Hector is one of three different overseas versions of the Baojun 530 from China, and as you can tell from these pictures, it’s almost identical to its Chinese twin on the outside.

The Hector gets LED headlights mounted low on the front bumper, with slim LED daytime running lights on top, with a big 'MG' badge. Completing the look are front and rear faux skid plates, diamond-cut alloy wheels, a split roof spoiler and a light bar that connects the tail-lamps.

Expected to be part of the MG Hector’s features list are a 360-degree camera, a Harman Infinity audio system, a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, push-button start, keyless entry, cruise control and a tyre pressure monitoring system, among others. And as revealed earlier today, the Hector’s connectivity feature suite will include AI-powered Voice Assist, pre-loaded apps and the ability to receive over-the-air updates.

One of the MG Hector’s key USPs is its tons of connectivity features, and those are centred around the iSMART Next Gen infotainment system. It has an embedded Machine to Machine (M2M) eSIM that is 5G ready. Leading telecom operator Airtel is the service provider for connectivity. The brain of the system is housed in a large 10.4-inch full HD head unit.

Thanks to the eSIM, the MG Hector is the first locally manufactured model to offer OTA (Over The Air) updates like on smartphones and tablets. It will periodically download new look and themes for the screen, latest maps and other new infotainment content. The data related to the driver and vehicle analytics will be uploaded to a Microsoft Azure cloud data centre.

An ‘E-Call’ emergency calling feature will make accident situations much less fatal. In case of a condition where airbags are deployed, an E-Call is automatically triggered and a message via the connected system is transmitted with the exact location, to a response team at MG’s 24x7 customer centre called ‘Pulse Hub’. Pulse Hub is useful not only for emergency service but also for concierge services, via ‘I-Call’.

The MG Hector features a cloud-enabled, AI-based voice assistant that responds to “Hello MG” and can take over 100 different voice commands, including functions of the sunroof, climate control, windows, radio, music, navigation and more. Built by Nuance, the voice assistant has been trained for understanding Indian English and will enhance over time with AI enabled Machine Learning.

The MG Hector’s infotainment system features embedded maps and navigation solution from TomTom. In fact, it is the first receiver of TomTom’s ‘IQ Maps’ worldwide. IQ Maps use AI to automatically update the parts of the map that are most relevant to the driver. The maps of the areas where the driver frequently drives are given priority while updating.

IQ Maps automatically detects when relevant updates are available. The downloading and installation is done using the cellular connection of the vehicle in the background. There’s also an option to download maps via Wi-Fi or download them on phone via Wi-Fi and transfer to the vehicle later.

MG Motor will offer an iSmart mobile app to remotely control various functions of the Hector, such as pre-cooling, find my car, geo-fencing, etc. The company has embedded AccuWeather weather and Gaana music apps into the infotainment system, and it will offer Gaana premium subscription for free.

It has now been officially confirmed that MG will launch the Hector by June 2019, and when it does go on sale, the Hector’s price is expected to be in the Rs 15-20 lakh range (ex-showroom), which will see it go up against the likes of the Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass.