MG Motor, the iconic British automaker that is now owned by SAIC Motor of China, has unveiled what is being described as India’s first internet car, which comes with a host of smart technology features.

The Hector is also India’s first 48-volt mild hybrid SUV and will launch officially in June at the company’s 120 outlets across 50 cities, which MG aims to expand to 250 outlets by the end of September, Livemint reported.

Available in both petrol and diesel engines, the Hector is manufactured at MG’s Halol plant in Gujarat and is said to include more than 300 India-specific changes that have been introduced to suit customer preferences and road conditions in India.

“The MG Hector, as India’s first internet car, has been built with a high degree of localisation and comes power-packed with features, inside-out,” said Rajeev Chaba, president and managing director of MG Motor India.

According to MG, the new car’s smart technology options include maps and navigation services, a voice assistant, pre-loaded infotainment content, built-in apps, an HD touchscreen and emergency and information services.

Expanding further on the Hector’s interactive capabilities, Chaba told Hindu Business Line in an interview that MG has also teamed up with Gaana, the popular Indian music-streaming service. What’s more, updates can be organised direct from its Gujarat plant.

“Over the air, we can do lots of updates. Let’s say you change the music because of the change of flavour in that month, we can change the music from our workshop,” he said.

“So, lots of head unit related changes we can do from our factory – you don’t have to go to the plants. Lots of such things are possible … With the help of our ecosystem partners, we are trying to give a very safe and secure environment in which you can play with a car when you are not driving.”

MG has not yet decided on how much to price the Hector, but Chaba said the company has capacity to build 80,000 units a year with further product launches expected by the end of next year.

Sourced from Livemint, Hindu Business Line; additional content by WARC staff