MG Motor India has launched the Hector, an upmarket SUV. The company is British but presently its ownership has passed into the hands of China. The vehicle had been launched with a lot of fanfare and is a direct threat to existing similar models like the Mahindra XUV500, Hyundai Creta, Tata Safari, and Jeep models. The Deccan Herald has reported that a video on YouTube has raised the heckles of the company. The video showed an MG Hector being pulled by a donkey with slogans pasted on the car like "Donkey Vehicle" and " its an animal thing."

Videos on YouTube

The videos were uploaded on YouTube on 3rd December and went viral on the site.

They have irked the car manufacturer as they have gathered over a million hits. The car is owned by a man named Vishal Pancholi and he says he was forced to put up the video, as the car manufacturer had failed to address his problem of a defective clutch. English.news has reported that the company has offered to repair the car and if required either replace the SUV or pay him back the entire cost.

MG Motor India President and managing director Rajeev Chaba is not impressed with this video. The company has also said that it will take "appropriate action" against the customer. What action will be taken has not been specified by the company. All in all its bad publicity for the company, whose SUV has sold more units than any other SUV maker in its category in India.

The company cannot afford the negative publicity of its model. It has offered a 100 percent return or refunds but it appears the owner has refused. The company is at its wit's end and has asked what else it can do? The company has now claimed, that the customer has a"vested interest" but has not specified what it means.

MG Hector

MG Hector is the first SUV in India where the first Rafale planes landed some time back. It is internet enabled and windows and sunroof can be operated through an app and voice control. The car is reasonably priced and has overtaken earlier best selling models like the Mahindra XUV 500 and Hyundai Creta in overall sales.

However, the video of a donkey pulling the car on the road in the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan state has added to the negative publicity about the Hector. MG Motors, who have launched their first product in the Indian market can ill afford the negative publicity generated.

Negative publicity

The MG Hector has sold over 12000 units inside three months of its launch. Bookings are aplenty and there is a waiting period of over 4 months. The British company had gone into liquidation until the Chinese company stepped in and bought it. This is China's first foray into the auto industry in India. The MG Hector is launched in several variants and has caught the imagination of the Indian buyers. It can ill afford the negative publicity generated by the YouTube video.