JSW MG Motor India is set to unveil the hybrid technology for its upcoming SUV, the Hector Hawk, on July 16. With its hybrid tech, the Hector Hawk promises significant improvements in fuel mileage. So can it live up to the hype? Let us find out.Attention Readers! Join us on the WhatsApp Community for daily auto news updates.
MG Hector Hawk Mileage: What To Expect?
The Hector Hawk will be based on the Wuling Starlight 560 (on sale in China). The China-spec model comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a 20.5 kWh battery pack, and the same technology is set to debut on July 16. It will be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), making it the cheapest PHEV in the country.
PHEV technology promises the best of both worlds – EV and ICE. You can benefit from a relatively substantial all-electric driving range, compared to mild-hybrids. Other HEVs like the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder have much smaller battery packs that deliver a tiny EV-only range. The main advantage of a PHEV is that the Hector Hawk doesn’t need petrol for short-distance commutes, completely eliminating fuel costs.
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Cheapest PHEV In India
The PHEV has a claimed fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100 km, which translates to about 19 km/l. It also has a combined driving range of 1,000 km. The numbers may not seem that impressive as its rival, the Mahindra XUV 7XO, offers around 13-15 km/l of real-world mileage. But the most important figure is the EV-only range, which is 125 km. This means it can effectively run for 125 km without using a single drop of fuel.
If your daily usage is around 125 km, you can essentially use it as an EV all the time, given you charge it up overnight. And if you want to take longer trips, you can use it as a conventional ICE car without worrying about range or charging times. All in all, it seems like the perfect deal.
MG Hector Hawk: What Else?
MG loves to load its models with features, and the same would be true of the Hector Hawk. Some of the expected features include Level-2 ADAS, wireless charging, ventilated and powered front seats, a 360-degree camera, a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, and much more.
The Hector Hawk is expected to be priced between Rs. 25-30 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), and such pricing could make it a game-changer. MG is also planning to bring an all-electric version soon, priced slightly higher in the Rs. 30-35 lakh bracket.
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