Reliability is an aspect of a car that is often overlooked or forgotten by new car buyers in their excitement to buy the latest cars in the market, but is critical in having a carefree ownership experience. Add to this low cost of ownership, round-the-clock roadside assistance, prompt service, and amicable resolution of problems, all of this makes a great product and the MG Hector has excelled in this field.
Being a new brand launching a new product in India, MG decided to test the Hector extensively in Indian conditions to make sure its world-class manufacturing and durability standards would stand up to the abuse cars face in India’s unique climatic and road conditions. The MG Hector was tested for over 10 lakh kilometres in India before launch and has been put to the test by its customers since it was launched back in 2019 - providing a lot more information and feedback in the process.
While a majority of MG Hector customers have been happy with their SUVs and have been encouraging others to join the happy family, there have been hiccups along the way. In a majority of those cases, MG’s customer-first policy has resolved the issues at the highest priority, while the company has worked on other problems and voluntarily recalled some cars or installed updates during regular servicing.
Take for example our own long-term camera car, an Aurora Silver MG Hector Sharp 1.5 Petrol DCT, which we have driven for 8,000km since it joined our fleet. We have had no issues with durability, the report of which you read in detail here. Our heavy usage has certainly caused more than usual wear on parts, especially the brakes, but those were replaced for free at a recent scheduled service without breaking the bank. In fact, the regular service cost us under Rs 3,000 - including an oil change! Add the customisable MG Shield maintenance plans and your cost to get the Hector serviced would be even lower.
MG’s proactive customer service is also instrumental in making the Hector ownership experience tension-free. MG has already sent OTA (over-the-air) updates to existing customers to improve the SUV’s massive 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system user interface, making it smoother and adding new features like Apple CarPlay connectivity. A new ‘TCM update’, which improves the electronic parking brake, the brake feel, and the drivetrain was also rolled out to owners of the 1.5 Petrol DCT variants for free and installed by MG technicians at the company’s service centres around the country.
With great features, build quality, customer service, and reliability, the MG Hector has proven to be a great SUV to buy in its segment. Now, with the launch of the 2021 model, the Hector is set to welcome even more customers to the happy MG Family.