The three-row version of the Hector could be christened the ‘Hector Plus’ and is expected to be unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo
Just as Kia Motors, the SAIC-owned MG has been relishing on the rise in popularity for mid-size SUVs in the domestic market and the volume sales numbers of the Hector stand in accordance to that. MG garnered a total of 1,508 units for the Hector in July, 2,018 in August, 2,608 in September, 3,536 units in October and 3,239 units last month.
Sold in Style, Super, Smart and Sharp variants, the five-seater Hector’s bookings had to be stopped a few weeks after its debut in late June 2019 due to the overwhelming response and when the reservations re-opened, the numbers started pouring in again leading to MG doubling the work shift at its factory in Halol, Gujarat. The bookings in our estimates could have crossed 50,000 mark by now easily.
The Hector comes with LED headlamps, DRLs, fog lamps and tail lamps as well as two-tone machined alloy wheels, a massive 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatibility, a seven-inch coloured MID, internet connectivity and cloud-based features, etc. Capitalising on its popularity, a three-row Hector appears to be in the horizon for next year.
The spy shots of the three-row variant allegedly taken at the factory premises did reveal some interesting details. The British manufacturer could host the global premiere of the longer Hector at the 2020 Auto Expo in February and it may feature alongside the rebadged Maxus D90 full-size SUV that has all the bells and whistles to compete against Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 and Isuzu MU-X.
The spy pictures showed the presence of black coloured front grille, reworked headlamps and tail lamps, newly designed front and rear bumpers, etc. The middle row has a captain seating setup with a bench at the rear while the overall length could be stretched by 40 mm. It could be had in six- and seven-seat configurations. MG may spice up the proceedings by launching new paint schemes with the roomier Hector.
To further differentiate itself from the regular model, the six-seat SUV appears to have gotten a new name as ‘Hector Plus’ as per our sources. Both 1.5-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines are believed to be offer as well. It will lock horns against upcoming Tata Gravitas, new-gen Mahindra XUV500, facelifted Jeep Compass and others.