[Ironman82]

Originally Posted by AtheK

I got one abnormal activity detection or something like that, when car was happily parked. What is extremely irritating though is the Android auto, need to factory reset the Infotainemnt system so many times for it to work.

Not sure what is taking them so long to fix it, it gets on your nerves. The Jio savaan pro is not working anymore and need to upgrade as currently it goes to basic mode with MG ads, i thought it was free for a year. The headache of also launching jio savaan is another pain point as it won't remember what was playing when the car switched off last time.

Wish they had given an option to atleast install YT music which is miles ahead of Jio. Other then these small things car is doing great, just hope they release a software fix soon for the Android auto bug.

I received the software update around a month back and its working good now post the update. I had heard it was pushed only to a subset of people initially but I had expected that to be pushed to all by now.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Ironman82

I received the software update around a month back and its working good now post the update. I had heard it was pushed only to a subset of people initially but I had expected that to be pushed to all by now.

Can you please post a screenshot of your software version here for me to cross check.

[Ironman82]

Originally Posted by AtheK

Can you please post a screenshot of your software version here for me to cross check.

Attached the screenshot

[AtheK]

Thanks, I see that your HU-MPU-Version is different and rest is same. I will try to visit the Service Center and see if they have a file to update me to your version.

[automowheels]

It’s official- Jindals now have 35% stake in MG Motor India. Read about it here.

[Lord-Lannister]

Originally Posted by Nonstop-driver

Not me personally but I heard it from some fellow owners. What fixed it was removing and reconnecting the battery terminals

+1, this was my initial observation when a few months prior the dashboard stopped showing correct fuel values.

However I sent the vehicle for a check up, due to the constant "Vehicle Start Alarm" notifications that I was getting in day and night, while most likely false alerts, it was still a concern as MG has remote ignition. Plus with GPS and other info not being visible/wrong, I was getting worried.

To update, my MG SA looked into it with similar concerns over the same. Diagnostics doesn't show up with any errors in particular, and they're unable to resolve it at the moment, getting the vehicle back for the weekend and sending it back again on Monday with SA connecting to the backend team to check on the issue possibly with the Jio "Internet Inside" Sim etc.

Here is to hoping for the best.

[abhinavsri01]

Originally Posted by Lord-Lannister

Been facing an extremely weird issue with MG iSmart.

The data has suddenly completely gone out of sync, inspite of showing that it is updated/refreshed to the date. Have no data being recorded on the Smart Drive, ie. no GPS data, driving info etc. Similarly, fuel tank and range is wrong, as is the Total KMs Run, which is shown of an older date before it went haywire.

Tried to connect with the MG Pulse, did their usual suggestions of deleting and reinstalling the iOS App, and factory resetting the MG Console via the Car. Nothing seems to be working, and have no choice but to take the car to the Service Centre for a quick check up as suggested by them. Thankfully the car is running smoothly without anything off with its own system data, so I'm not too worried.

The weirdest and slightly scary part are the sudden "Vehicle Start" alerts being sent via the iSmart app of car with the date and time stamp at random hour of the night and early morning. I live in a multi security condominium, so safety of the vehicle is guaranteed. However I did run down to the parking bay, simply to double check on one of the first random alerts. Ignoring the others for now.

Anyone else faced such an issue?

I faced a similar isuue at random. I observed that the icon for Jio Sim on the display was not showing anymore. I disconnected the positive battery terminal for 5 mins & the reconnected back. Everything worked post that. The app started showing all the updated values & GPS location, only the fuel range went haywire but it's coming back to normal as of now.
But this Android Auto disconnect issue is a pain, especially when I'm in an unfamiliar area & have to use Google maps. No updates for me till now.

[Lord-Lannister]

Got the car back, with the issue seemingly resolved albeit with mixed results. The service centre was not able to get the issue fixed, so all they did was gather the logs and submit to the backend team, and returned the car with the quick fix method of disconnecting and reconnecting of the battery to restart/reset the system.

Which thankfully got the GPS and vehicle data to sync again with correct values though with hilariously bad range data suggesting high double digit fuel efficiency. It should correct itself again with more drives, I hope. As long as the fuel tanks shows the correct values, with no more false vehicle start alerts, I'm good.

However, this was the first time I did not have the best of experience. As the car got a small yet deep scratch on the drivers side door. Not big enough to dent, yet deep enough that I couldn't get rid of it with the scratch remover compound, most likely someone banged another cars door into mine in their unfortunately small workshop.

Sadly, inspite of asking the SA to look into it. I think it was ignored. Not only that but car was sent back without any courtesy clean up of the accumulated dirt at the site. A stark contrast to Hyundai workshop who always send the Verna back with a clean up inside and out.

Overall 2.5 out of 5 stars.

If anyone faces this iSmart issue, I highly recommend the self battery disconnect and reconnect method and if it does indeed have to be sent to the workshop but not for service, it's best to go there personally as they seem to give lil attention otherwise.

[automowheels]

Hello! Since there has been no chatter on this thread for a while, I thought I'd use this opportunity to announce the delivery of my car. So after almost 2 years of trying out various vehicles in the C & D segments, I finally decided upon and took delivery of my MG Hector Plus Petrol CVT Savvy Pro! The narrowing down to this car took quite a lot of back and forth, ifs and buts, but finally here we are! Many thanks to the opinions of the esteemed members of this forum in helping me make a decision. Quite frankly, I don't think I would have made this choice if it was not for you all!

Before I share more about the vehicle, a quick brief of my selection process without getting into too many details. I drove a Hyundai Xcent Petrol Manual for over 8 years before making a switch. The compact sedan did its job pretty fine, and was reliable as heck! Not only that, space on offer was adequate and we took it to some really challenging terrain, and it didn't disappoint. However, the heavy clutch, and driving a manual in city traffic was not cutting it anymore. So my search began almost 2 years ago because I knew it wasn't going to be easy getting to a decision that easily since the Xcent already had several boxes ticked. I had a few basic criteria that dictated what my next car should look like-

• No diesel, due to low usage and a bleak future
• High riding position- crossover UVs
• Preferably a 7-seater since our beautiful Golden Retriever needs a full seat to herself.
• Good driveability, with bias towards great performance
• Supple suspension, biased more towards comfort than handling

With the above in mind, I started working with various options, the list of which, and the rationale for not going for them, is as below:

• Hyundai Tucson (new-gen)- I'd been tracking this even before it's India launch and my hopes were that the pricing premium would not be more than 2-3 lakhs than the outgoing model. Alas, that was not to be and Hyundai India decided to play spoilsport. I just couldn't convince myself to get the new-gen model with the kit on offer, especially since it share some of its equipment, including the 2.0L petrol engine, with the Alcazar.
• VW Tiguan- GREAT engine and handling, premium interiors, but 5 seats at that price with some missing kit eventually made me turn this down. I loved its understated and timeless design though. Would love to have it in my garage someday in a newer-gen spec.
• Jeep Meridian- Supreme build, fit and finish. Let down by a very sedate engine+gearbox. I'd always read about it, but driving this one sure did feel like driving a tank. The audio on this was immaculate, but the space felt a little compromised.
• Skoda Kodiaq- Gem of an engine, premium interiors, fit and finish. Loved the way it looked, timeless and elegant. Canton sound system was concert-like! However, found the overall package to be pricey for what it offered. Plus, I was on the edge with DCT reliability woes in Indian driving conditions.
• Hyundai Alcazar- Great VFM, capable new petrol turbo engine+gearbox. However, space was cramped and some interior bits were not-so-premium. Anyone wanting a value 7-seater UV should definitely go for this. One other significant reason for not going for this was just the lack of paint quality and availability of colour options. It just reduced the desirability of the car considerably for me.
• Mahindra XUV700- Everyone's favourite! I did 3 test drives of this machine before I finally decided against getting it. It was a tough call especially because the engine was very capable, and it rode and handled well. But, and please don't bash me for this, I just couldn't get past the below-par interiors. For a car north of 30 lakhs, the quality of interiors just didn't feel in place. Too many shiny plastics and the white interiors which I know won't age well were big letdowns. The lack of kit like auto IRVM, ventilated seats and power-tailgate didn't help either. I know people are still thronging to showrooms to get this fun-riding machine, but the value quotient has dropped significantly since the price has gone up by 5-6 lakhs since launch. Ultimately, my one true consideration didn't make it after so much deliberation.

The one vehicle I never considered in all this was the MG Hector. To be honest, and this holds true still, I never really liked the way it looked. The oversized grill and the poorly-done rear are not to my taste, and the relatively narrow width makes the vehicle look weird from the rear. One day, after a coffee date with my wife, she insisted that we please check the Hector out because a colleague had it and she loved the interiors. I said, "sure, but only for your sake." I had no interest whatsoever and was not even going to TD it. We reach the showroom, and then I step inside, and whoa, the brown interiors on the facelift Hector Plus do look great! In fact, I could compare the quality to that of the luxury Germans! And then I suddenly realised how much more spacious and tall this car is compared to the XUV700. I then thought no harm taking a test drive now that I've come so far. Took it for a quick spin, and here's what stood out for me.

• Great space and tall riding position meant great visibility outside and confidence inspiring drive.
• Very effective engine+gearbox combo, resulting in amazing driveability. Very little to none turbo lag felt at lower RPMs, and the CVT gearbox had very little to no hint of excessive revving (lovingly referred to as the 'rubber-band effect' by all of us).
• NVH means what? Take a spin on this one. Amazing sound cancellation, and what refinement!
• Supple ride, very likeable at city speeds. But I knew what it meant at highway speeds.
• The amazing sounding Infinity system. The balance on this is just perfect. Sure, it misses on a central speaker, but the system is tuned remarkably well. Love at first listen!

So as you can see, I was converted. But was I convinced? Not yet. I lived with the idea of owning the vehicle for a few more months, saw it on the road, imagined it sitting in my garage, enquired in this thread about all the little details, and then took yet another test ride. This time to test the ride, handling and performance at higher speeds. As suspected, the ride does get floaty at speed, but the handling at corners/body-roll wasn't a deal breaker. The CVT, which is very drivable at city speeds becomes less exciting at highway speeds. That said acceleration isn't dull either and it continues to gain momentum continously. Exciting? Thrilling? No. Capable in pulling a full 7 pax on the ghats and hilly terrain? Doesn't break a sweat. Tried out the touchscreen panel, and observed that it had improved considerably since my last TD, where I found it sluggish. Besides all this, the kit on offer was phenomenal, and there was not one thing I missed! I observed over time with other cars in my neighbourhood that MG's paint quality held up quite well and many of the shades on offer were to my liking. If I had to go past all the chrome, I had to choose Aurora Silver.

A decision was finally made! The MG Hector Plus was going to replace our beloved Xcent, and a booking for the Sharp Pro variant was made! Was it the most competent car in all aspects? No. Was it competent in many that mattered, and was value for money? A big fat YES! At its price, there is little to fault this car and it checks so many of the boxes I had. Performance and fuel efficiency are lacking, and the looks are still something I need to get used to. But, boy does it deliver on so many other fronts. Bonus points for that brown upholstery, I just LOVE it!

Within a few weeks, the dealer called up offering me the Savvy Pro variant with the same colour (silver) and spec I needed since it was lying for a few months in their yard. Did a very detailed PDI, investigated everything and okayed the car although it was sitting there for 3 months. Thereafter, bargained and got a sweet 70k off besides insurance discount. In addition, struck off all unnecessary items and got the car price down to a good number. Within another week, took delivery of the vehicle and drove it for quite some time. Happy to report, that the decision made holds good, and all my young relatives who pushed me to no end to buy the XUV700 drove it and asked me how I found this gem of a package? Also, one of them is now considering a Gloster over the Fortuner after a visit to the showroom.

Here's a picture from delivery day to sign this one off. I am still figuring out stuff and am yet to drive on longer distances, but I'm hoping my journey with SilverFury is memorable and long, with newer destinations to undertake!
P.S.- The auto-indicators suck big time.

[AtheK]

Congratualations mate, I am also pretty much in line with your thoughts. Except when you really need to do a sudden overtake manouver, the car is not found wanting at all in other driving scenarios. Wish you many happy miles of safe driving.

I just wish they fix the Android Auto bug soon, it is getting on my nerves, it was working flawlessly before they decided to send an update.

Auto indicators will become a bigger nuisance when you drive on the mountains, wish they give an option to disable it.

[automowheels]

Originally Posted by AtheK

I just wish they fix the Android Auto bug soon, it is getting on my nerves, it was working flawlessly before they decided to send an update.

Auto indicators will become a bigger nuisance when you drive on the mountains, wish they give an option to disable it.

I'm surprised they've taken this long to fix the AA bug. Thankfully, I use CarPlay, and the experience has been seamless. I did go for a short drive in the mountains and it was harrowing! I'm going to report this to MG just like many of you so that they add a setting.

[Evyas]

Originally Posted by automowheels

Hello! Since there has been no chatter on this thread for a while, I thought I'd use this opportunity to announce the delivery of my car. So after almost 2 years of trying out various vehicles in the C & D segments, I finally decided upon and took delivery of my MG Hector Plus Petrol CVT Savvy Pro! The narrowing down to this car took quite a lot of back and forth, ifs and buts, but finally here we are! Many thanks to the opinions of the esteemed members of this forum in helping me make a decision. Quite frankly, I don't think I would have made this choice if it was not for you all!

I had a few basic criteria that dictated what my next car should look like-

• No diesel, due to low usage and a bleak future
• High riding position- crossover UVs
• Preferably a 7-seater since our beautiful Golden Retriever needs a full seat to herself.
• Good driveability, with bias towards great performance
• Supple suspension, biased more towards comfort than handling

Attachment 2545467

Congratulations on your new car. Wishing you millions of happy miles and millions of smiles per mile in it!

It is so bizarre that I had almost the same criterion when I set out looking for a new car. And have been at it for almost 2 years! And not only that, other than the Tiguan and Kodiak, drove all the ones you mentioned and had almost the same reactions Including Alcazar being not considered due to lack of colour options and the XUV700 being not to my liking re: interior fit and finish despite being an awesome car. We had initially booked the Hector but due to some unforeseen issues (which I detailed in my cancellation post https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ip-mumbai.html (Adieu Hector - Bad experience at MG Dealership, Mumbai)) we didn’t buy it though both me and my wife were sold on the Hector.
It’s been almost 9 months since and I still can’t find a suitable car which gives me a premium feel as well as a high seating position and comfort over the deteriorating roads in my city. As I read your post it suddenly reminded me of why we had liked the Hector in the first place. God willing next year we might be able to reconsider it if nothing else strikes our fancy - and the stars so align.

Please do keep updating the thread with your ownership experience since I had not liked the CVT and would love to hear about its behaviour in city as well as highways and hills.

Cheers and keep on keeping on..

[GST]

Originally Posted by automowheels

Hello! Since there has been no chatter on this thread for a while, I thought I'd use this opportunity to announce the delivery of my car. So after almost 2 years of trying out various vehicles in...

but I'm hoping my journey with SilverFury is memorable and long, with newer destinations to undertake!
P.S.- The auto-indicators suck big time.

Attachment 2545467

I had my MG Hector sharp pro petrol manual delivered in December beginning. So far I am very happy with the car and have seen the mileage on ismart app of about 10-14 in less traffic city rides. A very quiet cabin, reassuring rides over all kinds of speed bumps and broken patches of road.

Here is one issue we recently noticed: while reversing from the parking lot we hear a whirring sound around tyres in the car which we don't remember from day one. No such sound in driving in forward gears though.

At the moment I can not find out any reasons for this. Only thing that has been done to the car is changing the air to nitrogen at an MRF facility. While doing this they lifted the two tyres on the left and then on the right using their jacks. I think that the sound might have started after this exercise, though I can not see why it should, and it is possible that sound was there even before and I am just noticing now. It is audible with windows down and while giving some gas for quick reverse, not extreme speeds though.

I will appreciate helpful suggestions and comments.

[automowheels]

Looking for advice. I am planning to install a dash cam on my Hector Plus, however since the 12v socket is under the armrest, I am not inclined towards using it as it will look untidy coming in there. Have any of you installed a dashcam and hardwired it? Any impact on warranty, etc for doing so?

[automowheels]

Originally Posted by automowheels

Have any of you installed a dashcam and hardwired it? Any impact on warranty, etc for doing so?

Eventually went with an OBD2 hardwiring kit for a 70mai A500s.

Off-topic- Have any of you been experiencing this bug on the infotainment screen where the brightness resets to something other than what you set it at once you start the car after several hours? For me, I set the brightness to 4, but the moment the system starts up it goes bright again and I have to manually bring down the brightness. Any fix for this? I already reported this to MG Pulse Hub but all they asked me to do is visit the ASC.