MG Hector. The name, the brand and the car. This lethal combination took the Indian car market by storm.
Morris Garages, the world-renowned heritage brand finally arrived in India, back in June 2019. The Chinese-owned British car brand had long been planning to enter the Indian market and it finally did. By investing more than ₹2,00 crores, in GM’s defunct Halol factory.
The name ‘Hector’ which is supposedly inspired from not just one but two different sources, both of them having European origins. MG was confident but it never thought of such an astonishing response. In just 8 months, of it’s India entry, the car received more than 50,000 bookings.
Seeing the bullish response, MG decided to come up with a slew of vehicles made and designed especially for the country. So, let’s find out what actually worked for the MG Hector in the country.
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It’s Biiiiig!
The MG Hector is no doubt the largest car in its segment. It stands at 4,655 mm in length which is the longest car in its segment. The 1,835 mm width and 1,760 mm height makes it the largest vehicle in its class. Moreover, the long 2,750 mm wheelbase ensures a spacious cabin. Even after all of this, the almost 600-litre boot just adds to all the spacious interiors.
The MG Hector Strategy
MG entered India with a zero-mistake strategy, which can be seen well. The company doesn’t just plan on riding on Hector’s success by tapping the market gradually. MG ensured that there is at most one dealer in a city, to ensure higher profitability for their dealers. This ensured a rapid and concentrated sales for dealers, which reflected in the final sales numbers.
Tier 1 & Tier 2 Penetration
MG ensured to bring the car nearer to their consumers. Hence, their dealerships were not only limited to exclusive locations, but to Tier 2 cities as well. Sensing the demand in the tier 2 cities, MG decided to expand their number of dealerships, which turned fruitful.
Pricing
Earlier, there have been instances where auto MNCs came to India but failed to tap the market. Reason being the price. Most of the carmakers fail to get their pricing right and suffer miserably. This wasn’t the case with MG. Being Chinese owned, they surely knew where to cut their costs and how much.
This lower price strategy did work well, with the car outselling each and every one of its competitors. Starting at 12.18 lakhs, the car is cheaper than Mahindra XUV 500 and Tata Harrier.
Warranty Factor
Warranty is to Indians, what sugar is to ants. MG sensed that well. It went on to offer an unmatched 5 years/unlimited-kilometre warranty. This bolstered people’s trust even more in the car. MG Hector’s warranty was undoubtedly the best, which made it stand out.
Tech-Loaded MG Hector
Remember the Benedict Cumberbatch TVC of the MG Hector? The ‘Its a Human Thing’ ad featured MG Hector’s internet connectivity feature. The car’s internet connectivity feature allowed the user to connect the car with their phone. This meant turning on the AC, setting up a geo-fence or even controlling the engine. All of that could be done through your smartphone.
This smart internet connectivity along with some other technical jargons was more than enough to woo the Indian consumers. And so they did.
Cheap Maintenance
Adding to the cheap warranty comes the cheaper maintenance. The first 5 services are completely free, including labour charges. This makes servicing the car a steal.
For maintaining the vehicle, MG offers two different maintenance plans for its consumers. The Classic plan on offer covers just routine maintenance. Whereas, the Premium plan covers wear and tear apart from just the routine service and maintenance.
According to a claim by MG, the ownership cost of the MG Hector stands at ₹0.45 per kilometres for petrol, while ₹0.49 for the diesel version.
Conclusion | MG Hector
In an interview, Rajiv Chaba, MD of MG Motor India, made clear about their long term plans. The company plans on investing 5 products in the market with an investment of ₹5,000 crores.
Chaba also spoke of their10-year plan in which he explained the strategy to be followed.
In the first 3 to 4 years company will focus on localisation and penetration of the markets in the country, which includes the launch of the ZS EV. In the second phase, the focus will shift to cost efficiencies and products. The last phase involves raking up the sales volumes.
With the MG Hector, MG has definitely just revealed the tip of the iceberg. However, it is quite sure, that the brand won’t be limited to ‘one car wonder’.
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