MG Hector Vs Rivals: Is The British Bling Shinier Than Indian Diamonds?

We are in an era where mass-market midsize SUVs offer many luxury features, some of which are not present even in premium cars priced two or three times higher. The MG Hector deserves much credit for this revolution, offering class-leading features and a bling factor from day one of its launch in India. These attention-grabbing features gave the it an initial push in the Indian car market, along with value-oriented powertrain options.

Here, we compare the Hector with its two homegrown rivals, the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier, and find out where it beats them and where it falls behind them. But, first make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community.

MG Hector vs Rivals: Price

Compared to its direct rivals, the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier, the Hector has a great advantage in pricing. The petrol variant lineup starts at the same price as that of the Mahindra XUV700, but the top-spec variant of the former is cheaper by almost Rs 1.75 lakh.

While the diesel variant starts significantly higher than both XUV700 and Harrier, the top-spec variant of the Hector is again priced much lower than both the rivals.

MG Hector Vs Rivals: Engine And Mileage

The Hector has 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engine options, both of which are significantly less powerful than the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines of the Mahindra XUV700. It shares its diesel engine with the Tata Harrier, and both automakers source this engine from Fiat.

A 6-speed manual is the standard transmission in all three SUVs, with the optional ones being a CVT for Hector petrol and 6-speed automatic for XUV700 petrol, XUV700 diesel and Harrier. The claimed performance numbers prove that the power and torque outputs of the XUV700 are not as good as those of Hector and Harrier, making it a segment benchmark.

Petrol:

Diesel:

MG Hector vs Rivals: Dimensions and road presence

The Hector is marginally bigger than the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier, with the Harrier being the widest of the lot. These larger dimensions open up much space in Hector's cabin, which has the most space for all five occupants. Even the 587-litre boot space of the MG Hector is the largest in the segment, with the XUV700 expected to match it with its third row folded down.

All three SUVs here get LED headlamps, fog lamps, and tail lamps. While the Hector and Harrier have a rear-connected LED light bar, only the Harrier gets a connected LED light bar at the front. While all the SUVs here have 18-inch machined alloy wheels in their higher-spec variants, the Harrier also gets 19-inch all-black alloy wheels exclusively in its Dark Edition variants.

MG Hector vs Rivals: Features

The Hector initially started the cutthroat competition of offering premium and never-seen-before features inside out, with the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier matching it in its own game. Even today, the Hector, despite being the oldest SUV here, continues to have a best-in-class equipment list, with many of its features added in its most recent facelift.

MG Hector Key Features

Now let's check out some features you get in the Hector:

• All LED headlamps and tail lamps with connected LED light bar at the rear
• 18-inch machined alloy wheels
• 14-inch portrait-styled touchscreen infotainment system
• Level-2 ADAS
• Panoramic sunroof
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Powered and ventilated front seats
• 8-coloured ambient lighting
• Automatic climate control with rear AC vents
• Leather upholstery
• 360-degree parking camera
• Wireless charger
• 8-speaker premium sound system from Infinity
• Powered tailgate
• Six airbags