MG Hector Diesel Review: Key Observations After a 1000km Family Road Trip

Diesel engines may not be a crowd favourite now, but for SUV buyers who spend more of their time munching miles than sitting in traffic, a diesel engine is still makes more sense. Now, there aren’t many diesel-powered SUVs on the market at the moment, so you have limited options. And one of these is the 2023 MG Hector Diesel. I recently got the opportunity to take it on a long road trip to Rajasthan with my family. So, here are three things that I love about the Hector Diesel and two things that I’m not a fan of.

MG Hector Diesel: What's Good?

+ Diesel engine

The diesel engine in the Hector is a familiar unit – it’s the same Fiat/Jeep-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that’s good for 168bhp and develops 350Nm of torque, which you can read about here. Performance, as expected, is silky smooth. There’s a bit of lag below 1,800rpm but once the turbo spools, there’s a strong surge and there’s oodles of torque to play with until 3,500rpm. After that it does sound a bit coarse and the performance plateaus. That said, you don’t have to rev it that high.

The gear ratios of the six-speed manual are well-judged, and I could comfortably cruise in sixth gear at 120km/h on the new Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, doing just over 2,000rpm. The clutch action – something you notice during city driving – could be lighter though. The gear-lever, too, has long throws. But, overall, this powertrain gets the job done quite effortlessly. And the icing on the cake is its fuel efficiency – it returned close to 16km/l during the road trip, which is outstanding for an SUV of this size.

+ Ride Quality

We have always loved the Hector for its unimpeachable ride quality, and the more time you spend with, the more you appreciate it, especially when you’re with your family. On this occasion, I was travelling with my wife and children, and everyone was quite comfortable and relaxed during the journey. Sure, its soft suspension does wallow a bit at triple digit speeds over undulations, but it’s not unsettling. The high-speed stability is quite good. It may not be the most inspiring SUV to drive, but it’s not a sloppy handler either.

+ Space

The Hector’s party piece is the space it offers on the inside. Now, with a wheelbase of 2,750mm, it’s a very long SUV and that translates into a lot of room for the occupants inside. There’s ample headroom and legroom for both front and rear occupants. Plus, small bits like electrically adjustable seats for front passengers are a feel-good factor. The second-row seats can also be reclined and that makes the lives of rear-seat occupants more comfortable. Lastly, with its cavernous boot space of 587 litres, you don’t have to worry about the size of your suitcases/bags. It can gobble up everything you will need for a weekend holiday.

MG Hector Diesel: What's Not-So-Good?

- No Automatic

The fact the MG doesn’t offer the Hector Diesel with an automatic transmission is the biggest deal-breaker for me. If you ask me, I feel a lot of customers in this segment want the convenience of an automatic coupled with the efficiency of a diesel engine. I believe MG is losing out here by not having an AT in the Hector Diesel portfolio. I also noticed that the Hector Diesel doesn’t get ADAS functions, which are offered with the Hector Petrol CVT version. While not a deal-breaker for me, it can be a deterrent for some prospective buyers.

- Too much tech

The Hector has always been known for its tech and features. With this face-lifted version, MG has only gone ahead and added more features. While I understand the appeal of having so many gadgets in a car, I felt the Hector’s interior can be a bit overwhelming. The XL-sized touchscreen is no doubt great to use but it can be distracting, especially while driving at night. Similarly, there are just too many controls and functionalities that it packs, and it’s not very intuitive to use. Or, maybe, I need to spend some more time with the vehicle to understand everything fully.

My biggest pet peeve in the Hector is its ‘Intelligent Turn Indicators’, which automatically come on as soon as you turn the wheel. And then come on every single time without fail – so whether you’re taking a turn on a busy street or driving in hills, the indicators light up automatically. I don’t understand the logic behind this. You don’t indicate halfway during a turn! Not just that, it isn’t very pleasant to use daily, and I couldn’t find a way to turn this function off.

On the whole, after living with the Hector Diesel for a couple of days, I have to say that it is a great SUV for a family man who has a daily commute of 50km, goes out of the town frequently, and also wants a spacious and comfy ride. At Rs 21.70 lakh (ex-showroom), it might sound a bit steep, but then you also get a lot more in return. I just wish it came with an automatic gearbox though.