The mid-size SUV segment will become more competitive in the coming few months. Following MG’s Hector launch recently, Kia will launch its first products in the Indian market on 22nd August. MG Hector is getting a good response in India as over 10,000 bookings have already been received across the country with more affinity towards petrol variants.
It should be noted that the upcoming Kia Seltos is an all-new SUV and is not on sale in any other part of the world. How do they compare against each other on paper? Let’s find out:
There’s no doubt that the MG Hector looks imposing on the roads because of its aggressively designed front-end. The MG Hector is also the longest car in the segment. It measures 4,655mm in length, 1,835mm in width and 1,760mm in height. Comparing the Seltos, the MG Hector is massive in size.
| Dimensions | MG Hector | Kia Seltos |
| Length | 4,655 mm | 4,315 mm |
| Width | 1,835 mm | 1,800 mm |
| Height | 1,760 mm | 1,620 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,750 mm | 2,610 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 192 mm | 190 mm |
The Kia Seltos offers 4,315mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,620mm. Because of the length of the Hector, it also gets a very long wheelbase 2,750mm compared to the 2,610mm of the Kia Seltos. The Kia Seltos also offers a maximum boot capacity of 433 litres, compared to the 587-litres of the MG Hector. Both the SUVs offer a maximum wheel size of 17-inches. However, the size of the MG Hector makes the alloy wheels look much smaller. It is also wider, taller and has more wheelbase than the Kia Seltos.
Both MG Hector and Kia Seltos offer quite a long list of features, and many of them have never been offered before in the segment. To start with, the MG Hector gets the largest panoramic sunroof in its segment, a vertically-mounted 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Internet Connected services that offer an array of features including the live location of the car and security.
Along with the above features, MG Hector also offers 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre-pressure monitoring system, ambient lighting and driver and co-driver electrically adjustable seats. MG Hector also offers AI-powered voice commands that can control various features of the car like the opening of the sunroof, windows, controlling the AC temperature and other distinct features.
Kia Seltos also offers a wide range of features including a sunroof, 10.25-inch touchscreen, Kia’s UVO connectivity, electrically-controlled driver seat, ventilated front seats, heads-up display, 8-speaker system from Bose, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, ambient light connected to the music system, tyre pressure monitoring system, cruise control, steering modes, engine modes and terrain modes. The Seltos will come loaded with high-end features in the Indian market and its launch is expected on 22nd August.
Kia has officially announced that they will launch three all-new engine options in the Seltos. The three engines will be available with a combination of a manual and three automatic transmissions. It will be the first time that a car will be launched with three different automatic transmission options in the Indian market.
There will be a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 115 bhp and peak torque of 144 Nm. It will get a 6-speed manual transmission and CVT automatic transmission. The diesel engine powering the Kia Seltos variants will be a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit that develops a maximum power of 115 bhp and peak torque of 250 Nm. It gets a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
| Specs | MG Hector | Kia Seltos |
| Engine | 1.5 L Turbocharged Petrol Engine | 1.5 L Petrol Engine |
| Power | 143 PS | 116 PS |
| Torque | 250 Nm | 144 Nm |
| Transmission | 6 Speed MT |6 Speed DCT | 6 Speed Manual | 7 Speed DCT |
There will be a high-performance GT Line variant of the Kia Seltos that will get the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It will generate a maximum power of 140 bhp and a peak torque of 242 Nm. This engine option will be available with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 6-speed manual transmission.
The MG Hector gets a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine as standard that produces a maximum power of 143 bhp and peak torque of 250 Nm. It gets a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
| Specs | MG Hector | Kia Seltos |
| Engine | 2.0 L Turbocharged diesel engine | 1.5 L Turbocharged Diesel Engine |
| Power | 170 PS | 116 PS |
| Torque | 350 NM | 250 NM |
| Transmission | 6 Speed MT | 6 Speed Manual |6 Speed Automatic |
The petrol engine option also gets a 48V mild hybrid system in certain variants. However, the hybrid version only comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. The diesel variants of the MG Hector gets the 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine from Fiat. It generates a maximum power of 170 PS and a peak torque of 350 Nm.
The MG Hector is more powerful than the Kia Seltos comprehensively in both petrol and diesel specifications but the latter offers more transmission choices in particular. The exterior preference of the customers is subjective but the Seltos can be said as more modern in its appearance.
As for the features, both the models are pretty packed in their own right. However, the success of the Kia Seltos depends on how well it be priced. MG has hit the ball out of the park with a bang-on-head price range of Rs. 12.18-16.88 lakh (ex-showroom), and Kia is expected to boldly price the Seltos as well. This will likely give headache to not just Hector but other mid-size SUVs as well. Kia is also beginning its sales with 160 touchpoints across the country – largest ever for a debuting manufacturer.
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