After attaining a fair share of market presence by the virtue of the Hector, MG Motor India has now further stepped up in an attempt to extend its market share. MG Motor India has taken the idea of “extending” in quite literal terms as the next car in their portfolio is an extended version of their premier car in India.
Latest News: MG Hector Plus Bookings Open. What’s NEW with the Big MG?
Yes, it is the MG Hector Plus which was showcased recently at the 2020 Auto Expo. It is the six-seater configuration version of the ongoing Hector which largely remains the same as its five-seater sibling except for some changes to the exterior elements (new LED headlamp and tail lamp cluster, new DRLs, New grille, redesigned rear bumper, etc). Scheduled for a launch in July 2020, MG India has opened bookings for the Hector Plus and you can slot one to your name for Rs. 50,000 (booking amount).
With a six-seater iteration of the Hector, MG is clearly looking to take the fight to the Toyota Innova Crysta, the pinnacle of three-row seating experience in the country. But does the new MG has what it takes to put a dent on the Innova’s sales, let’s find out?
MG Hector Plus vs Toyota Innova Crysta | Dimensions Comparison
The “Plus” factor in the MG Hector Plus is the addition of the third row of seats which are made possible by an increment in length of 40mm from the regular Hector and this also makes the rear of the Hector Plus to seem bulged out. However, the rest of the Dimensions of the Hector Plus are similar to the ongoing Hector.
One of the main reasons behind the Toyota Innova sitting on the throne for so long is its ability to deliver high comforts levels even in the third row. So, in order to compete with the Innova Crysta, Hector plus would definitely need to pack the right formula of space and balance inside the cabin. Comparing both car’s dimensions, since other than length, all the dimensions of Hector Plus remain the same as the Hector, this translates into the Hector Plus having the same wheelbase as the Toyota Innova Crysta. This means that Hector Plus might be able to provide a comparatively handsome amount of cabin space, probably capable of matching the Innova Crysta.
Also Read: MG Hector | What Went RIGHT For MG in India?
| Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Ground Clearance | |
| MG Hector Plus | 4695mm | 1835mm | 1760mm | 2750mm | 192mm |
| Toyota Innova Crysta | 4735mm | 1830mm | 1795mm | 2750mm | 178mm |
Boot space of the Current MG Hector is 587 Litres. With the third row of seats, we aren’t sure about the amount of hit this number has taken but from the looks of what we saw at the Auto Expo, with the third row up, it is sufficient to haul around a small amount of luggage.
MG Hector Plus vs Toyota Innova Crysta | Powertrain
With the BS6 update that the Toyota Innova Recently got, Toyota has bid farewell to the 2.8 Litre diesel mill that was there pre-BS6. Innova Crysta now comes with a 2.4 Litre Turbo diesel mated to 5-speed and 6-speed manual and also a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 2.7 Litre Petrol mill mated to a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
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MG Hector Plus will carry forward the same engines from the Hector, the only change being that there won’t be any petrol manual option that is without the Mild-hybrid system.
Here’s how the Powertrains of both the cars stack-up.
MG Hector Plus vs Toyota Innova (Petrol)
| Engine | Gearbox | Power (In BHP) | Torque (In Nm) | |
| MG Hector Plus | 1.5-Litre Turbo Petrol / 1.5-litre petrol with 48V Mild-Hybrid system | 6-speed DCT auto (turbo-petrol only)/ 6-speed manual (mild-hybrid variant) | 143 | 250 |
| Toyota Innova Crysta | 2.7 Litre, VVT-i petrol engine | 5-speed Manual/ 6-speed automatic | 163 | 245 |
MG Hector Plus vs Toyota Innova (Diesel)
| Engine | Gearbox | Power(in BHP) | Torque(in Nm) | |
| MG Hector Plus | 2.0 Litre Turbodiesel | 6-speed manual | 170 | 350 |
| Toyota Innova Crysta | 2.4 Litre Turbodiesel | 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic | 147 | 343 |
On paper, MG Hector Plus might sound at par with Innova Crysta, but if the engines in the MG are in the same spec as the regular Hector then they are bound to perform in a bit more composed manner and the power delivery would be quite linear. However, this is not the case with the Innova, the Innova packs more punch with the powertrains having stronger power deliveries and reliability of Toyota is something which has made it the best buy forever now.
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MG Hector PLUS vs Toyota Innova | Feature Comparison
The MG Hector is a tech wizard, it was one of the first cars in India to have connected features and smartphone link assists. The Hector Plus will also carry the same intuitiveness from the regular Hector. It has features like the massive 10.4 Inch Touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is the hub of all the “connected car” features. It’s got a 360-degree camera, remote start/stop engine and remote opening for the sunroof and much more new-age features as such.
The Innova, on the other hand, falls short by lengths in this area. Toyota is simply not bothered to update the Innova Crysta’s features list, probably because the car is churning out such significant numbers anyway. It doesn’t even come with an infotainment system which is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. Although the interiors of the Toyota are very plush and premium looking but the lack of so much of tech does not bode well for the Innova Crysta.
MG Hector PLUS vs Toyota Innova Crysta | Pricing
Since its launch in 2016 to the BS6 upgrade that it has got, the prices of the Toyota Innova Crysta have skyrocketed. To put things to perspective, the 2.4 Litre VX 7-seater variant of the Innova cost somewhere around Rs. 18.5 Lakh ex-showroom back in 2017 to now the same variant is priced around 20.89 Lakh ex-showroom. So a hike of more than 2 Lakh rupees. The Innova Crysta post BS6 is priced @Rs.15.66-Rs.24.67 Lakhs ex-showroom Delhi.
The MG Hector Plus is expected to be priced around Rs. 14- Rs. 19 Lakhs ex-showroom, which makes it a much cheaper offering than the Innova Crysta. This is something that could attract more customers for the all-new Hector Plus from the rather dated Innova Crysta.
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It seems like the circle is getting smaller for the Toyota Innova Crysta with not just the Hector plus but Tata Gravitas (a six-seater version of the Tata Harrier) also coming in soon. Both these cars will have all the latest bells and whistles and if Toyota didn’t pull up their socks with the Innova, chances are that these two cars could pose to be a serious threat for the sales of the mighty Innova.
Innova is best car