The 2021 MG Hector and Hector Plus now gets a CVT

Hardly a month since MG Motors India gave a comprehensive update to the Hector, the brand has revisited both the Hector and Hector Plus (albeit only the six-seater version), this time endowing them with a CVT. As you can see below, the CVT variant has been added for only the Smart and Sharp trim lines. And interestingly, the prices stay identical to the pre-existing ones for the DCT variants.

Yes that’s right: with the inclusion of the CVT, MG is the only manufacturer to offer three separate transmission options for the exact same variant. So why did MG do so? “For convenience” says Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motors India, as he spoke to the Ed during the announcement of the CVT option for the new Hector.

Now, with the inclusion of the CVT (and at no additional cost!) MG has given the prospective customer an even lengthier list of variants, no doubt tailored to almost their every need. We say almost, because of one bugbear: there’s still no option for an automatic ’box on the hybrid variant. Additionally, (and we're nitpicking here) there are no reported changes to the performance figures of the CVT-equipped variants vis-à-vis the manual or DCT siblings either.

All things considered, though, the CVT option gives MG yet another bargaining chip to carve a separate identity for itself. And it's something MG surely needs too, considering it’s vying for space against big names like the Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV 500 and Hyundai Tucson.