No. The MG Hector hasn’t gone out of production. That would be an insane development for a model that received an introductory price list just three weeks ago. What has happened is that MG Motor India has received over 21,000 bookings for the Hector in 45 days. The company wasn’t expecting such an overwhelming response for the Hector. To ensure that whoever has booked one gets the vehicle without too much delay, MG Motor India has temporarily suspended the bookings for the Hector.

The company says the Hector is sold out for 2019 and the date for recommencement of the bookings process will be announced soon. To shrink the gap between demand and supply, MG Motor India plans to increase production for the Hector to 3,000 units per month by October 2019. The SUV is built in the company’s sole manufacturing facility, located in Halol, Gujarat. As of now, the top two trims – Smart and Sharp – have registered the highest demand, with more than 50 per cent bookings for petrol-fed derivatives.

Bookings for the MG Hector officially opened on June 4, 2019, with the minimum token amount set at Rs 50,000. In about 23 days-time, the company received more than 10,000 bookings for it. Now, those kinds of numbers are predictable for a product from a locally-established carmaker. But for a new brand, it is commendable. The Hector comes in four trim levels – Style, Super, Smart and Sharp. Under the bonnet, it can be had with either a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine (with or without a 48-volt mild-hybrid system) or a 2.0-litre diesel engine. While the former produces 143PS/250Nm, the latter is good for 170PS/350Nm. Both engines come with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard but the petrol mill can also be mated to a 6-speed DCT.

In India, the MG Hector competes with the Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500 and the Jeep Compass. Before we enter the next fiscal year, MG Motor India will upgrade the Hector to meet the stricter BSVI (Bharat Stage VI) emission norms. Needless to say, the upgraded line-up will be noticeably costlier.