New SUV Chartbusters: MG Hector VS Kia Seltos Sales Comparo

• Both cars saw their sales and booking numbers jump in the festive season.
• MG Hector has been on sale since June 2019, while the Kia Seltos was launched on August 22.
• MG restarted bookings for the Hector from October 1--three months after the company closed bookings due to overwhelming demand.
• The Seltos retails from Rs 9.6 lakh to Rs 16.99 lakh, Hector from Rs 12.48 lakh to Rs 17.28 lakh.

Until just a few years ago, the Indian automotive market was a ruthless business where even established carmakers treaded softly with new products. Kia and Morris Garages (MG), however, made their respective India debuts with products not in the major-share budget segment, but instead in the steadily growing sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. Now, October sales numbers are out from both manufacturers -- the MG Hector sold 3,536 units, while the Seltos sold 12,580. The Hector costs Rs 12.48 lakh to Rs 17.28 lakh, while the latter is priced between Rs 9.6 lakh and Rs 16.99 lakh. Here’s a comparison of how well the two models have been received: 

Both brands launched their respective mid-size SUVs around the same time in 2019, incidentally amid a demand slowdown. Even then, they currently lead the pack with competitive sales, often surpassing India’s most loved model lines such as the Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier, and Mahindra XUV500. The Hector has gathered a total of over 38,000 bookings, and that’s despite the three-month period, which started soon after its June debut when bookings were closed by the company. MG started taking new orders on October 1 and has sold over 10,000 Hectors since launch.

Kia introduced the Seltos on August 22, 2019. Although Kia is the 8th largest carmaker in the world, the Seltos was a new and unknown model line here. It was based on the next-generation Creta --  another volume seller in India. But Kia offered connected car technology, newer engines (including a stonking 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine), and a bit more space than the Creta. And it shows in the numbers -- 26,840 Seltos sold within 80 days of launch and more than 60,000 bookings. Just in the festive month of October, Kia sold 12,850 of these cars, boosting the brand to number five on the list of top carmakers in India. 

Success stories like the Seltos and Hector are a testament to the dynamism of the Indian market. Sure, the hatchback segment still has the biggest market share, but a quarter of all cars sold in India are SUVs. Both Kia and MG will soon add new cars to their fleets. Kia will bring in the Carnival and later the QYI compact SUV, and MG will launch the ZS electric vehicle (EV) in December. With the positive customer response, we are sure the two carmakers will stay on in India for quite a few years to come.