MG HECTOR PLUS
A third row of seats, reworked interiors and styling changes — how different is the Plus from the 5-seater?
IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN. The MG Hector is not one, but two sizes bigger than other SUVs in its price bracket — plenty to squeeze in an extra row of seats. And Indians love seven-seaters, especially if they are SUV-shaped. Lo and behold, the Hector Plus came into existence. It is priced aggressively, as you would expect of MG, and slots between the likes of the Maruti Suzuki XL6 and the Toyota Innova Crysta. But the extra row isn’t the only change.
MG has tweaked the styling ever so slightly, but it goes a long way in making the Hector look better. The front end is less busy with the grille, bumper, headlamps and DRLs reworked. In profile, the Hector Plus looks unchanged, running on identical wheels and the same wheelbase though it has grown by 65mm due to the new bumpers. Meanwhile, the rear end has been given a nip-and-tuck too with new taillamps, a new design for the Audi-style floating indicators, the red plastic bit between the taillamps deleted and the exhaust pointing downwards with the two bumper outlets blanked out to give it symmetry.
On the inside, the layout of the dash remains the same, while the all-black interiors of the Hector have given way to a tan and black dual-tone leather interior in the Hector Plus. Quality of materials is good — just like we noted when we first drove the Hector last year. There are soft touch materials and the large touchscreen is a real highlight. The real changes are in the second row, where the bench has been replaced with captain seats. Space is ample and the seats are wide and comfortable. The seats are manually adjustable and you have more than enough room to pull it a few clicks in front to free up some room for the third row.
Now coming to the third row. Ingress and egress are fairly easy if you’re slim enough to squeeze between the captain seats — the lack of a driveshaft tunnel and consequent flat floor aiding in that respect. In terms of space, it is cramped for full-size adults but MG insists this is for four adults and two children. If the middle seat is set to a middle setting on its rails, I could squeeze into the third row with my knees riding up against the backrest in front of me. The second row could be moved further
It has the added convenience of the third row, but I see the captain seats being the key selling point
forward to free up more room for the third row — even when the captain seat is pulled in front fully, it has just about enough knee room for someone to sit comfortably. The main issue I found with the third row is that the seat is very close to the floor, leaving your legs in a rather uncomfortable knees-pointing-tothe-roof position. That aside, the headrests are supportive and there are blowers with adjustability specific to the third row. There is also an abundance of cup-holders (a total of three, for the two people that can sit there) and a USB-charging socket.
Obviously, the addition of a third row has eaten into the boot, but folding the last row down is a simple affair. One new feature that the Plus gets is the electric tailgate that can be opened with a swipe of the foot under the rear bumper.
In terms of the driving experience, the Hector Plus doesn’t stray too far away from the Hector. The diesel engine puts out 168bhp and 350Nm, making it fairly punchy and the BS6 update seems to have improved NVH too. The diesel comes mated to a manual transmission while the automatic (a DCT) is offered only with the 1.5 turbo-petrol. Ride quality, as it was before, is soft. At low to medium speeds it is really cushy, soaking up bad patches and occasional bumps without breaking into a sweat. However, demand a lot from the suspension and it will start to show its weaknesses. Handling is nothing to write home about — there is a fair bit of body roll and the steering is lifeless. The Hector’s chassis isn’t one that you want to be demanding a lot from and when you’re easy on it, the second row is actually a very comfortable place to be. The seats hold you well, armrests are positioned nicely and you have a good view out of the front. View out of the third row isn’t great since you’re seated so low down, but the panoramic sunroof and the small glass panels don’t allow you to feel claustrophobic.
The Hector Plus is a comfortable SUV if you’re looking to be chauffeured around in and MG prioritises the features list and space. Yes, it has the added convenience of the third row, but I see the captain seats in the middle being the key selling point. If you’re chauffeured around, these captain seats are a much nicer place to be than the bench of the regular Hector. What really makes the Hector Plus an attractive proposition is the pricing. It starts at `13.49 lakh for the petrol manual, while this top-of-the-line diesel variant I am driving is `18.53 lakh (ex-showroom) — which is `65,000 more than the 5-seater. That’s excellent value, undercutting the Innova Crysta by a fair margin and offering a great upgrade to those in the market for an XL6 or Marazzo. MG have found another sweet spot! ⌧