MG starts production of Innova Crysta-rivaling Hector Plus at Gujarat plant

MG Motor on Tuesday announced that it has started production of Hector Plus, the company's next big-ticket offering in India, at its plant in Gujarat's Halol. First showcased at Auto Expo 2020 in February, the company will launch the seven-seater version of Hector in the second week of July.

While Hector was the first offering from MG Motor when the company made its India debut in 2019, it was followed by the ambitious launch of ZS EV earlier in 2020. Both cars have fared reasonably well in the face of challenges facing the entire Indian automotive industry and MG is now banking on the Hector Plus to mount a serious challenge in a field of play that has been dominated by Toyota Innova Crysta for years.

Hector Plus also has to set itself apart from Hector and MG says it will get captain seats in the middle row with a third row at the back, reportedly enough to seat adolescents. The company claims that the emphasis is on comfort while catering to a larger number of passengers inside when compared to the five-seater Hector.

Hector Plus will also get new head lights, front grille, front and rear bumpers, new rear tail light design and revised skid plates. "Hector Plus is aimed at addressing specific family needs with captain seats in the middle row and a third row for teenagers. Further augmenting the Hector brand family, the Hector Plus stands out as the smarter choice with advanced technology, best in-class safety, and unmatched comfort," said Manish Manek, Chief Plant Officer, MG Motor India.

The car will also come equipped with Over the Air (OTA) technology, allowing customers to update software/firmware, feature themes, and infotainment content seamlessly.

Speaking to news agency PTI last week, MG Motor India President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba has said that Hector Plus will be about ₹1 lakh more expensive than Hector. "It is in the MPV category. What we are trying to do is (that) Hector competes in the SUV category and Hector Plus in the MPV category for larger family use," he had said.

Hector currently has a price range of ₹12.74 lakh to ₹17.73 lakh across variants. This means that if Hector Plus is around ₹1 lakh more expensive than Hector in comparable variants, it would manage to declare a mouth-watering price war against the Innova Crysta.