2026 MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV Variants Explained: Rs 2.1 Lakh Extra Worth Going For The Top Variant?
Vehicle-to-load reverse charging, Level-2 ADAS and red brake callipers are among the major differences.
- Write a comment
MG recently launched the Hector Tomahawk PHEV at a starting price of Rs 25.69 lakh ex-showroom onwards. This puts it against the diesel SUV rivals like the XUV 7XO and the Tata Safari. If you’re a person looking for a petrol-powered car with great fuel efficiency, the Hector Tomahawk PHEV looks like a great proposition. It is available in two variants: Exclusive and Essence. Each is priced Rs 3 lakh apart from each other. Which variant is the best value for money? Let’s find out.
Exterior
| Exterior Features |
Exclusive |
Essence |
| LED Projector Headlamps |
✅ |
✅ |
| LED Tail Lamps |
✅ |
✅ |
| LED Rear Fog Lamp |
✅ |
✅ |
| LED DRLs |
✅ |
✅ |
| Dynamic Turn Indicators |
❌ |
✅ |
| Front Illuminated Logo |
✅ |
✅ |
| 18-Inch Dual-Tone Alloy Wheels |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front Chrome Accents |
✅ |
✅ |
| Red Brake Callipers |
❌ |
✅ |
| Chrome Finish On Window Beltline |
✅ |
✅ |
| Acoustic & UV-cut Glass |
✅ |
✅ |
| Chrome-finish Outside Door Handles |
✅ |
✅ |
| Side Body Cladding |
✅ |
✅ |
| Glass Antenna |
✅ |
✅ |
| Roof Rails |
✅ |
✅ |
| Rear Spoiler |
✅ |
✅ |
-
Visually, the two variants look almost identical to each other. The only difference between the two is the red-painted brake callipers.
-
Dynamic turn indicators is available only on the top variant.
-
Interestingly, the Hector Tomahawk PHEV does not get a shark-fin antenna, but its radio antenna is part of the glass sunroof.
Interior
| Interior Features |
Exclusive |
Essence |
| Ambient Lighting |
Blue Only |
Customisable Upto 256 Colours |
| 8.8-inch Digital Driver’s Display |
✅ |
✅ |
| Leather Seat Upholstery* |
✅ |
✅ |
| Leather Door Armrest & Dashboard Insert* |
✅ |
✅ |
| Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel* |
✅ |
✅ |
| B-pillar Coat Hooks |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front & Rear Reading Lights |
✅ |
✅ |
| Rear Window Sunshade |
❌ |
✅ |
-
One of the main differences between the two variants is the availability of retractable rear-window sunshades.
-
Another notable difference here is the customisable interior ambient lighting. The base Exclusive variant gets only a standard blue colour, while the upper Essence variant gets up to 256 customisable colours.
-
Both variants get a generous amount of leatherette upholstery for most touchpoints.
Colours Available
| Exterior Colour |
Exclusive |
Essence |
| Celadon Blue & White |
✅ |
✅ |
| Aurora Silver |
✅ |
✅ |
| Shadow Gold |
✅ |
✅ |
| Celadon Blue |
✅ |
✅ |
| Pearl White |
✅ |
✅ |
| Turquoise Green & Pearl White |
✅ |
✅ |
| Turquoise Green |
✅ |
✅ |
| Starry Black |
✅ |
✅ |
The Turquoise Green is a unique colour option in the segment and also suits the design character of the Hetcor Tomahawk PHEV.
Features
| Feature |
Exclusive |
Essence |
| Panoramic Sunroof |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front Ventilated Seats |
✅ |
✅ |
| Automatic Powered Tailgate Opening |
✅ |
✅ |
| Drive Modes – Eco, Normal, Sports, Custom |
✅ |
✅ |
| 6-way Power Adjustable Driver Seat With Memory |
✅ |
✅ |
| 4-way Power Adjustable Co-driver Seat |
✅ |
✅ |
| Auto Headlamps |
✅ |
✅ |
| PM 2.5 Filter |
✅ |
✅ |
| Active Keyless Entry With Push Button Start/Stop |
✅ |
✅ |
| Tilt & Telescopic Steering |
✅ |
✅ |
| Cruise Control |
✅ |
✅ (Adaptive) |
| All Row AC Vents |
✅ |
✅ |
| 2nd-row Sliding Seats |
✅ |
✅ |
| Wireless Fast Charger With Cooling |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front USB-A + Fast Charging USB-C Port |
✅ |
✅ |
| 2nd-row Fast Charging USB-C & USB-A Ports |
✅ |
✅ |
| V2L (Vehicle to Load) & V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) Charging |
❌ |
✅ |
| V2H (Vehicle to Home) Charging |
❌ |
✅ |
| 12.8-inch Touchscreen Infotainment |
✅ |
❌ |
| 15.6-inch Touchscreen Infotainment |
❌ |
✅ |
| Sound System |
6-Speaker |
10-Speaker (Infinity branded) |
| Wireless Android Auto + Apple CarPlay |
✅ |
✅ |
| Steering-mounted Audio Controls |
✅ |
✅ |
| Integrated AI With Voice Assistant |
✅ |
✅ |
| Pro Pet Mode |
✅ |
✅ |
| Connected Car Technology |
✅ |
✅ |
| Karaoke App |
✅ |
✅ |
| Voice Commands in 6 Languages |
✅ |
✅ |
-
There is a difference in the size of the infotainment screen between the two variants, but the features available with it don’t differ too much.
-
The upper variant gets a premium Infinity 10-speaker sound system while the lower variant gets an unbranded 6-speaker sound system.
-
Vehicle-to-Load and Vehicle-to-Home reverse charging functions are reserved only to the top variant.
-
Cruise control is also a differentiation among the two variants. The top Essence variant gets adaptive cruise control while the Exclusive gets standard cruise control.
Safety
| Safety Feature |
Exclusive |
Essence |
| 6 Airbags (Dual Front, Side & Curtain) |
✅ |
✅ |
| Electronic Stability Program (ESP) |
✅ |
✅ |
| Traction Control (TC) |
✅ |
✅ |
| Hill Hold Control (HHC) |
✅ |
✅ |
| ABS With EBD |
✅ |
✅ |
| Brake Assist |
✅ |
✅ |
| All 4 Disc Brakes |
✅ |
✅ |
| Electric Parking Brake With Auto Hold |
✅ |
✅ |
| Active Tyre Pressure Monitoring System |
✅ |
✅ |
| Rear Fog Lamp |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front & Rear Defogger |
✅ |
✅ |
| Impact-sensing Auto Door Unlock |
✅ |
✅ |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors |
✅ |
✅ |
| Rear Parking Sensors |
✅ |
✅ |
| Reverse Parking Camera |
✅ |
✅ |
| Front Parking Sensors |
❌ |
✅ |
| 360-degree HD Camera With Transparent Chassis & Wheel View |
✅ |
✅ |
| Rain-sensing Wipers |
✅ |
✅ |
| Auto-dimming IRVM |
❌ |
✅ |
| Level-2 ADAS |
❌ |
✅ |
-
Thankfully, MG has decided to provide most safety features as standard in the Hector Tomahawk PHEV.
-
However, some features like auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror (IRVM) and front parking sensors are missing in the lower variant.
-
Only the upper variant gets Level-2 ADAS features like lane keep assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Intelligent Headlamp Control (IHC).
Powertrain
The MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV gets one powertrain option. A 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine running an Atkinson cycle for maximum efficiency. The hybrid SUV also includes a 20.5 kWh battery, allowing the car to have up to 115 km on EV-only mode. Powertrain specifications are mentioned below:
| Engine |
1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol |
| Battery Pack |
20.5 kWh |
| No. of electric motor(s) |
1 |
| Power (Engine + Motor) |
102 PS + 201 PS |
| Torque (Engine + Motor) |
125 Nm + 237 Nm |
| Transmission |
DHT |
| Claimed Range (EV only)* |
115 km |
| Claimed Range (Combined)* |
1100 km |
DHT- Dedicated Hybrid Transmission, *As per MIDC Part 1 + Part 2
Price And Rivals
The MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV is priced at Rs 25.70 lakh ex-showroom for the base Exclusive variant, and the Essence variant is priced at Rs 27.80 lakh onwards.
Rivals of the Hector Tomahawk PHEV include EV rivals like the Mahindra XEV 9S and its sibling, the MG Hector Tomahawk EV.
While on the ICE side, it goes against the Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, Mahindra XUV 7XO and Jeep Meridian.
CarDekho Says…
The Hector Tomahawk PHEV brings a new proposition to the mass-market segment. The concept of a plug-in-hybrid is something which brings great flexibility for people who want to use the car in the city and for long-distance highways. The SUV can be charged at home and can be driven as an EV for up to 115 km, as claimed by MG. So buying one could make sense for many people. But buying the right variant based on your budget is what you can decide. The additional Rs 2.1 lakh mostly gives you nice-to-have features, but the base variant includes most of the features that one would need.
