MG Motors Unveils Its ‘MG i-Smart’ Technology On Upcoming Hector SUV — India-Launch In May-2019

The future of mobility is a rather interesting topic to brood upon. There is no doubt that the vehicles will be powered by electricity or hydrogen. What actually makes it exciting is the fact that vehicles will be connected and that would make the cars smart.

However, it seems like MG Motor India cannot wait for the future we all picture when we think of intelligent, smart and green mobility. MG Motor is expected to make its debut in the Indian market in May 2019 with the MG Hector SUV that it has constantly been teasing.

Ahead of its debut in India, MG has showcased the technological prowess and capabilities of the Hector as a connected car. MG Motor India held an event earlier today, 02 April 2019 that introduced the Indian market to the MG i-Smart infotainment system.

The event focused only on the technology that the MG Hector comes loaded with, and it had absolutely no reference being made to the mechanicals driving the Hector. The MG i-Smart feature technologies that have been developed together by well-known multi-national companies and service providers.

At the MG Drive.in event, eminent personalities from companies like Microsoft, Gaana, TomTom, Nuance Communications, Cisco, Adobe, SAP, etc, announced their companies' contribution to the MG i-Smart system. These companies have actually partnered with MG to provide technologies for use in the Hector.

The MG i-Smart system is controlled via a 10.4-inch touchscreen which is the biggest in its segment and even a few segments above it. It comes pre-loaded with entertainment content and that gets updated through over the air updates. In order to enable fast internet connectivity and such features, the MG i-Smart system comes with a 5G-ready machine to machine sim card from Airtel.

The continuous updates come from Cisco's development around the world and Unlimit's continuous development for MG India. Cyber security for the user data collected by the system is taken care of by Microsoft - quite simply the best in the business. Renowned voice recognition software developer Nuance has helped develop the voice recognition software in the MG i-Smart system.

The system also features a safety e-call system that makes calls to registered emergency numbers and emergency services upon detecting airbag deployment. This also means, the MG Hector will come with both active and passive safety systems.

The system also comes with a concierge system that is enabled by MG's Pulse Hub call centre which functions 24x7. Navigation is taken care of by TomTom and entertainment is taken care of by Gaana which is loaded into the system as a premium account by default. Weather updates are given by Accuweather. The system also comes with a mobile phone application that enables many features.

The mobile app displays vehicle statistics and it can even lock/unlock the vehicle. Adobe and Cognizant have come together to develop a seamless cloud experience for users of the MG i-Smart system.

MG had on display a few units of the i-Smart system, and we did try it out, but it would be more effective only once it is inside the MG Hector.

The MG Hector is one of the most important cars in the Indian market as it marks the much-awaited debut of the MG brand in India. The SUV will be offered with a choice between a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. Power output figures are unknown at the moment. MG also revealed that there would be a mild hybrid variant of the MG Hector in India right from the start.

The diesel engine has been sourced from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). This particular engine from FCA is turning out to be very popular in the Indian market with many manufacturers opting to have it in their vehicles. Tata Motors uses this engine in the Harrier, Jeep uses it in the Compass and now we have MG using it in the Hector.

Ironically, it is the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass that the MG Hector will compete against when it is launched in the Indian market.

Thoughts On Futuristic Technologies Used In The MG Hector Showcased At MG Drive.in

The MG Hector is expected to be bigger in size when compared to its competitors. But its competitors already have the edge in the Indian market as they have a well-established dealer and service centre network.

However, the competition stands no chance of winning against the MG Hector when it comes to technology and connectivity. The MG Hector is all set become the first 'connected' car in India and we can't wait to experience these connectivity features in the car.