There’s no getting away from the fact that MG Motor India’s first offering – the Hector – has had a promising start. It looks attractive, has a feature-rich package and, most importantly, offers a wide range of powertrain options. But no car can appeal to every kind of customer, and the Hector isn’t an exception. One of the few drawbacks it had was the non-availability of the third row of seats. Well, not anymore! After unveiling it during this year’s Auto Expo, MG Motor India is now ready to launch Hector’s bigger sibling – the Hector Plus.

The company has commenced accepting bookings for the upcoming model, with the minimum token amount set at Rs 50,000. During these strange and distressing times, the obvious means for reserving one would be online. However, the conventional way of getting in touch with the nearest dealership and writing a cheque is also available.

Variants

MG is offering the Hector Plus in three trim levels – Super, Smart and Sharp. The Style derivative, which is available with the Hector, isn’t with the larger car. Here’s how the variant-list looks like:

Unlike the Hector, the Hector Plus is presently not available with a non-hybridised petrol engine mated to a manual transmission. That said, it might make an entry at a later stage.

Specifications

There’s nothing new here. The Hector Plus shares all its powertrains with the Hector. That means the 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 141bhp/250Nm, and the 2.0-litre diesel churns out 168bhp/350Nm. The petrol engine comes mated to a 6-speed DCT. However, if you want some mild-hybrid-ness in your life, you’d have to stick with a 6-speed manual transmission. The same gearbox is also the only option for those opting for the diesel engine.

Features

The standout feature is, of course, an additional row of seats. But that doesn’t mean the Hector Plus is a seven-seater. Nope. To begin with, MG is offering it in a six-seater form. Passengers in the second row have captain seats which feature the slide-and-fold function and dedicated armrests. The rest of the package comes as-is from the Hector. So, everything from a 360-degree camera, tyre pressure monitoring system, the i-Smart connected-car tech and heated ORVMs, to LED-powered headlamps, taillamps and DRLs, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable driver’s seat, rain-sensing wipers and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on offer.

Design and colour options

The Hector Plus looks broadly the same as the Hector, albeit for a few tweaked elements. Those include the front and rear bumpers, headlamps, the grille and the taillamps. As for the paint shades, a total of six are available – Starry Sky Blue, Glaze Red, Burgundy Red, Starry Black, Candy White and Aurora Silver.

In all probability, the Hector Plus will get a price list by the end of the month. MG Motor India has designed it as a rival to the Toyota Innova Crysta, and two upcoming models – the new Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Gravitas. Do you think the MG has enough in its arsenal to trouble the other three?