MG Hector Could Get The Astor’s ADAS And AI Assistant

• MG Astor will get ADAS and AI Assistant.
• Driver assistance features include lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and high beam assist.
• The AI Assistant is essentially a small robot - sitting atop the dash -- that will react to your commands.
• All this could be offered in the Hector too.

Morris Garages could provide the Hector with the same Level 2 autonomous driving tech and AI as the Astor. If that does happen, the Hector will be the third MG car in India to offer driver assistance systems; the other two being the Astor (Level 2) and Gloster (Level 1). 

For reference, the Indonesia-spec Hector, sold as the Wuling Almaz, already comes with autonomous driving features like lane departure warning, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera. MG could introduce all of that in the Hector here, along with blind spot detection and high beam assist from the Astor. 

ADAS aside, the SUV may also feature the Astor’s AI assistant. It’s essentially a small robot-like device on top of the dash that can turn to face you, mimic your emotions, and respond to your voice commands. In the Astor, you can access this feature by saying, “Hey Astor.”

Except for these updates, we don’t expect any other change to the Hector’s mechanicals. It will continue with the same 170PS 2-litre diesel and 143PS 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine options. A 6-speed manual is offered as standard, while the petrol motor can also be paired with an optional DCT or CVT. The petrol-manual SUV also comes with an optional mild-hybrid system. 

The Hector is currently priced between Rs 13.49 lakh and Rs 19.20 lakh. The new additions will surely up the asking price. The midsize SUV locks horns with the Mahindra XUV700 (5-seater), Tata Harrier, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, and the upcoming VW Taigun.