An all-women crew at Vadodara, Gujarat has manufactured the 50,000th unit of the Hector. Women have led the end to end production for Hector. From panel-pressing of sheet metal, welding to painting jobs and even carrying out post-production test runs, all were done by women. 33 percent of the workforce of MG Motor comes from women. The manufacturing facility is located at Gujarat’s Halol situated in Panchmahal district.
Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “MG has always been a progressive brand with diversity, community, innovation, and experiences as our cornerstones. We believe that it is something that has broadened our perspective as a brand and unlocked efficiencies in every aspect of our business operations. The rollout of our 50,000th Hector by an all-women crew comes as an honour to their contributions and hard work. It also demonstrates that glass ceilings no longer exist even in an erstwhile male-dominated industry such as automobile manufacturing. We believe that it will inspire more women to join the automotive industry in India and abroad.”
MG Motor further wants to work on gender diversity. The manufacturer aims to achieve 50 percent gender diversity in its organization in the future for a balanced workforce. They have worked closely with the local panchayats near the Halol manufacturing plant. Due to this, many young women were encouraged to work in the safe and secure environment that MG’s manufacturing plant provides.
MG Motor currently has 4 vehicles in its line-up. There are the Hector, Hector Plus, ZS EV and the Gloster. The ZS EV is the most recent vehicle from MG to get an update. The ZS now comes with a new battery, 17-inch tyres, higher ground clearance and an eco-tree feature for the i-Smart EV 2.0. The ZS EV is offered in two variants. There are the Excite and Exclusive. The Excite costs Rs. 20.99 lakhs ex-showroom while the Exclusive costs Rs. 24.18 lakhs ex-showroom.
Last month the Hector Plus got a feature update and the Hector got a facelift. The Hector gets a new front grille while the Hector Plus retains its front fascia. The Hector now also gets front and rear faux skid plates finished in Gunmetal colour. At the rear, there used to be a red reflective garnish that used to connect both the tail lamps which has now been replaced with a glossy black one. Both the SUVs now come with 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. Also, Hector is now offered in a Starry Blue paint job which was earlier exclusive to the Hector Plus. Hector’s interior is now also finished in dual-tone, black and beige colour. The feature list now also includes a wireless charger, auto-dimming interior rearview mirror and front ventilated seats.
MG Motor also recently launched the Hector and the Hector Plus with a CVT automatic transmission which comes mated to the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The engine produces 145 PS with the CVT gearbox and 141 PS with the DCT gearbox. The torque output stays the same at 250 Nm. The engine is also offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox and you can also get a 48V mild-hybrid system. There is also a 2.0-litre diesel engine available. The engine produces 170 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 350 Nm. It is only offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Hector starts from Rs. 12.89 lakhs ex-showroom while the Hector Plus starts Rs. 13.34 lakhs ex-showroom.
Also read: MG Hector Facelift to be launched in 2021