MG Motors intends to pit the Hector Plus as a much cheaper alternative to the Innova Crysta but offer the same premium experience and comfort as you have come to expect from the 7-seater MPV.
MG Motors will soon be launching the Hector Plus in India later in this month, but ahead of its official launch, the SUV has been spied on test alongside a Toyota Innova Crysta in close proximity. This however is no coincidence as the Hector Plus was clicked during a benchmarking test against the Innova Crysta. Latest reports suggest that MG Motors is actually planning to pitch the Hector Plus against the popular Innova Crysta, only to be a much cheaper alternative to the latter.
In essence, the Hector Plus is a lot similar to the Innova Crysta as it too is a three-row SUV with captain seats for the middle row and promises to be an equally premium experience if not more. It is based on the same platform as the standard Hector with identical wheelbase and body shell. It’s only marginally longer than the standard Hector owing to a differently styled rear bumper. Internationally, derivatives of the Hector Plus are available in two seating configurations – 7-seats with bench row in the middle and 6-seats with captain seats in the middle row. It is the latter that will be offered here in India.
Logically, the Hector Plus should go against the likes of the Mahindra XUV500 and the upcoming Tata Gravitas. Just like the Hector Plus, the Gravitas too is based on the Harrier and the XUV500 is a three-row monocoque SUV, perfectly fiiting to be a rival for the Hector Plus. There are certain key differences between the Hector Plus and Innova Crysta as the former is based on a monocoque chassis while the latter is based on a ladder-frame chassis. So its not really an apple-to-apple comparison. What MG Motors is intending to do is bring pricing as a key factor in this comparison.
The idea is to offer the 6-seater Hector as a much cheaper alternative to the Innova Crysta. The top-spec VX and ZX 7 seater (2+2+3) variants of the Innova Crysta with their diesel-manual powertrains are priced at Rs 20.89 lakh and Rs 22.43 lakh respectively, all prices, ex-showroom. MG Motors intends to offer equivalent variants of the 6-seater Hector at least Rs 3 lakh cheaper than that of the Innova Crysta. Of course the Hector Plus will not be a seven-seater as the Innova, but the third row on the Crysta is not the most ideal for three people either.
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On paper comparison, the 6-seater Hector actually has an upper hand over the Crysta. The Hector Plus will be powered by the same 2.0L diesel engine which puts out 170 hp and 350Nm of peak torque. Meanwhile, the 2.4L diesel engine on the Innova Crysta makes 150hp and 343Nm. The 6-seater Hector is also a little more feature rich than the Innova Crysta with equipment like connected tech, a 360-degree camera and a panoramic sunroof, among others. What also remains a ground of competition is how refined and comfortable the Hector Plus will be in comparison to the Innova as the latter is a considered a benchmark in its segment in terms of ride quality.
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MG Motors will also have to put up with Toyota’s bulletproof reliability for the Innova Crysta and one of the prime reasons why buyers in this segment opt for the latter. For this purpose, MG Motors promises its customers a hassle-free ownership experience by offering 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as standard with the Hector Plus. MG Motors will also offer MG Shield which includes roadside assistance packages and a buyback program. In comparison, the Toyota offers a standard 3-year/1,00,000km warranty on the Innova Crysta. It might be quite an ambitious task to go against the Innova Crysta but this MPV has long enjoyed a monopoly in its segment and it would be interesting to see some competition.
