The MG Hector currently being sold in the Indian market offers a supremely rich cabin in terms of features, equipment, and other gizmos which make it one of the most value for money buys in the segment. However, have you ever thought about how this brand manages to offer so many features at this price point? Morris Garage Motors India is a subsidiary of Chinese Auto giant SAIC-GM and the newly launched Hector is based upon the Chinese Baojun 530. However, just like the rebadged MG Hector, the car is being sold by four brands in various markets.
Competing against the Chinese companies has never been very easy for anyone, no matter what product or what industry you are dealing with. The rebadged MG Hector that we see here in India is based on the Baojun 530 which is sold exclusively in China. The same car, in sold in Indonesia under the brand Wuling, which again is owned by SAIC-GM. The Wuling Almaz receives a number of cosmetical changes to distinguish it from the other models.
In the same way, Chevrolet, which also operates under the SAIC-GM, has launched the Captiva. The Chevy Captiva is sold in countries like Thailand, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and other Middle East countries. Just like other cars, the Captiva too is based on the Baojun 530. From the design, the Captiva may not resemble the Hector or the Boujun 530, but shares a similar interior and other mechanical components.
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The Baojun 530 was launched in the Chinese market in February 2018. Indonesia was the first country to see the launch of the Baoujun 530 based Wuling Almaz in 2019. The same car was then launched as the second generation of the Chevrolet Captiva in Colombia. This was followed by the launch of this car in many other countries. The rebadged MG Hector was officially launched in the country in June 2019 and was the first model to be launched by MG Motor India.
This strategy of using the same model and renaming it to launch it in various countries is helping the Chinese SAIC-GM to offer highly competent prices for its rivals. The rebadged versions of the cars help the brand to get low-cost advantage and perform really well in the emerging markets of the world. This is proving to be very effective for the brand and is helping it compete against almost all other car manufacturers around the globe.
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