MG Hector's Not-So-Distant Cousin All Set to Rival Hyundai Creta

Latin American and Middle Eastern markets will soon receive a new small SUV in the form of Chevrolet Groove, which is essentially a rebadged version of the Baojun 510 that was snapped being tested in India last yea. The production of the upcoming Hyundai Creta-rival has commenced abroad. The all-new SUV is yet another product of badge-engineering and save for a new grille and bowtie badges, the Groove remains the same as the donor vehicle. Even the radiator grille up front is not new and has been instead borrowed from the second-gen Chevrolet Captiva. Interestingly, even the Captiva is a rebadged Baojun 530, which is basically sold as the MG Hector in India.

Basically, what all this means is that both MG Hector and the Baojun 510 are related to each other. One can expect the launch of the Baojun 510 to happen in India under MG name badge, the same way Baojun 530 was launched as MG Hector last year. The Baojun 510 and the Baojun E100 have even spotted being tested on the Indian roads but it doesn't look like both of them will make it to our market this year.

In India, the Baojun 510 will launch under MG nameplate, that is, if and when it makes it to our country.

For now, the Chinese-owned British carmaker is busy readying the MG Hector Plus and the MG Gloster (rebadge Maxus D90) for our market. IN 2021, the carmaker has plans to launch the MG ZS petrol to compete against the likes of Kia Seltos and Jeep Compass. The MG ZS petrol was also showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo.

Once lauched, it will rival with the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Jeep Compass

The SUV is expected to hit the Indian shores by the first half of next year. Before that, like we said, the Chinese carmaker will launch MG Hector Plus in our market, which is likely to launch as soon as the country-wide lockdown lifts. The SUV will be offered with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol (143 PS/250 Nm) and 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel (170/350) powertrain options. The former will come paired with a 6-speed MT and DCT, while the latter will be coupled to a 6-speed MT. Once launched, the 7-seat Hector will rival with the likes of Tata Gravitas and Mahindra XUV500.