The much-awaited MG Hector, from Morris Garages, is finally here. Speculations were rife, and with the car not shying away from getting spotted, we had known it all. Or so we thought.

Following an in-depth guide to what was on offer, the car finally rolled up the ramp amid a lot of visual and sonic drama. And when it hits the road, you can expect the car to cause an enthusiastic kid to point at it in awe and say, “Papa look, there goes the new MG Hector”.

The car has been built around what MG calls emotional dynamism, taking cues from everything ranging from fighter-plane air intakes to body forms held by a ballerina in concert. And not without good reason. The Hector is seen as a synergy of bold styling with many best in class technology and creature comforts and some nice performance too.

The extensive star rider grille proudly wears the MG badge and is flanked by a split all-LED headlamp unit that lends a menacing air to the car. On the side, the sharp character line ends into a pronounced kink between the C and D pillar.  A visible shoulder line extends from the tips of the DRLs upfront and goes all the way to the back of the car to end into the tail lamps, and is beautifully broken by the door handles.

Around the rear, the fully electric tailgate is adorned by sharp tail lamps with floating blinkers integrated into the unit. These are connected by a red trim piece that wears the MG badge and is set off against a chrome strip. The rear bumper is a chunky unit, comprising of a long reflector line and a substantial faux skidplate painted in contrast. The exhaust tips are integrated into the skid plate. Liberal use of chrome and aluminium-like paint finishes makes the car look upscale. The car sits on 17-inch rubber in slightly oversized squarish arches.

Moving inside the cabin of the MG Hector, you are greeted by a cleanly designed interior. Almost all functions related to the infotainment have been delegated to a massive 10.4” HD touchscreen that has been vertically oriented to handle like a smartphone. This also serves as the control room for the iSmart Internet-of-Cars feature, much like Iron Man’s Jarvis. The car has a built-in SIM card with a 5G ready system that not only comes with preloaded content from the company but also receives over-the-air (OTA) updates on the fly. The iSmart imparts 50+ connected features, and improves with use, thanks to Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms built into the system.

The instrument cluster is also a coloured digital unit that can be controlled by buttons mounted on the steering. This enables the driver to make adjustments without changing his field of view.

The cab is not only tech savvy but aesthetically pleasing too. The leather seats sport contrast stitching and come with electric adjustment for both front and rear. The door cards are leather wrapped and have aluminium like finish on the door handles. The scuff plates and floor mats have Morris Garages emblazoned in full, which is a lovely touch. The rear bench has a flat floor, making it easy for a third person to squeeze in. The roof is a dual-pane panoramic sunroof that can either be opened with the touch of a button or a voice command. The car has ambient lighting with eight colour options to choose from. Sound is taken care of by Infinity through 4 speakers, 4 tweeters, a subwoofer and an amplifier.

On the safety front, the MG Hector offers heated ORVMs, all wheel disc brakes, front parking sensors, 360-degree camera and 3-point seat belts for all five passengers amongst other things.

The Hector will be sold in both petrol and diesel variants, along with a 48V battery assisted mild hybrid, which is an iteration of the petrol engine. The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre turbocharged setup making 143 PS power at 250 Nm of torque. It can be had in both manual and DCT automatic transmissions. The mild hybrid variant will utilise the battery to generate up to 20 Nm of torque over that offered by the pure petrol variant. Functions like Engine Auto start-stop, regenerative braking and E–Boost are expected to help reduce emissions too.  The 2.0-litre diesel engine will generate 170 PS power at 350Nm of torque.

Pricing of the MG Hector is expected to be announced in June when bookings commence.