While in the UK MG recently unveiled the ZS EV, the
automaker will enter the Indian market next month with a new SUV called Hector. The Hector is
not exactly an MG. It is actually a Baojun 530, a model that recently launched
as Chevrolet Captiva in Thailand and Colombia and as Wuling Almaz in Indonesia.
Well, it’s a classic case of it leveraging the
resources of parent company SAIC. The Chinese carmaker has a joint venture with
GM in China that builds the Baojun 530. Apparently, GM has nothing against MG
selling the SUV under its own badge in India.
The Hector will launch in June in the south Asian
country as the market’s first 48-volt mild hybrid SUV and “India’s first
internet car.” That’s a reference to its i-Smart internet-based technology that
offers more than 50 connected features and the biggest HD touchscreen in its
segment at 10.4 inches. The SUV will be sold in India with both gasoline and diesel engines.
The range will include a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline unit rated at 143 PS and 250 Nm of torque and a 2.0-liter diesel producing 170
PS and 350 Nm of torque.
Both units will be available with manual and
automatic (6-speed DCT) transmissions. Select petrol manual trims will come
with a 48-volt mild hybrid technology, which promises best-in-class fuel
efficiency thanks to a 48-volt lithium-ion battery. The latter helps store
energy and provide extra torque assistance of up to 20 Nm when
required. These models will be badged Hybrid and will offer three key
functions: Engine Auto Start-Stop, Regenerative Braking, and E-Boost.
The Hector has entered production earlier this month
at a plant in Halol, Gujarat that has an annual production capacity of 80,000
units. Pre-orders of the new SUV will begin in June.
