MG Motor Showcases Smart Features of Hector, Its Internet-Connected Car That’s Coming to India This June
HIGHLIGHTS
• MG Motor will release Hector compact SUV in India this June
• The Internet-connected car will come with a host of smart features
• Hector will receive OTA software updates, just like your smartphone
At a media event in Delhi on Tuesday, British automaker MG Motor showcased its iSMART Next Gen platform that will debut in India soon. The company said that its upcoming compact SUV MG Hector — set to be unveiled in the country in June — will be India's first Internet-enabled car, showcasing the full potential of its smart car platform.
Taking centerstage in the MG Hector will be a 10.4-inch touch-enabled head unit and a voice-based assistant. Developed by Nuance, the company says Voice Assist is specifically designed for India, and is trained to understand the Indian accent.
Activated with ‘Hello MG', Voice Assist will understand over 100 commands that will let you do things like open and close windows and the sunroof, control air conditioning, navigation, and more. As you would expect, the assistant — which is optimised to work even under poor network conditions — will use AI and machine learning to get better over time.
The head unit — which will come with some amount of preloaded entertainment content — features a user interface that's optimised for portrait (vertical) orientation. The unit is designed to survive extreme temperatures, the company added.
Powering connectivity for the MG Hector will be an embedded SIM, using a solution that's been developed by Unlimit in partnership with Cisco and Airtel. The Internet-enabled SIM will also ensure that the Hector will receive over-the-air (OTA) software upgrades just like a modern smartphone.
Navigation will be powered by TomTom, and unlike most built-in navigation systems, your maps will actually get updated without the need to visit a service centre, thanks to the aforementioned Internet connectivity.