MG Hector

The Compass, Harrier, XUV500, even the Creta have a high-decibel new rival from a new brand

- Rohit G Mane

THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE important tests of recent times — the MG Hector is a brand new car from a brand new manufacturer; one that is a complete unknown! We always go into a test with some perspective. The Wrangler had properly sensitised us to the Jeep brand and laid down expectations for the Compass. With the Tata Harrier and its Land Rover platform we knew things would take a big jump forward over the Hexa. But in the Hector’s case we have no prior experience of the brand. MG was all about small and affordable sporty cars but what does the MG of today stand for? What platform is it built on? Who are the people behind its engineering? Where was it engineered? Does MG have an SUV backstory? We’re still not absolutely sure who the Hector’s rivals even are because that depends on its pricing and we will only know that in the last week of June. This, then, is a clean sheet of paper if ever there was one. And MG parent SAIC’s huge bet on India, following on from their short-lived partnership when they bought half of GM’s Indian ops in 2010 following the global meltdown, depends on the Hector making it big, on the Hector drawing footfalls to MG’s 120 new dealerships. So should you write that cheque?

The Dragon in the room

As you are well aware, MG is owned by SAIC, China’s largest and the world’s 12th largest car manufacturer, and in China the Hector is sold as the Baojun 530, a joint venture brand between GM and SAIC. In some markets the Hector carries Wuling badging and in South America it is even sold as the second generation Chevrolet Captiva. Of course in India great lengths have been gone through to blow bagpipes and emphasise the Britishness of the MG brand, with a miniature Big Ben alongside a London phone booth in MG dealerships, both under a big Union Jack emblazoned with a Keep Calm pun.