MG Hector Tomahawk EV

MG is one of those brands in India with a strong push towards electrification. Not only do they have various products spanning across price segments, but they’ve also recently unveiled a platform that’s capable of hosting different types of hybrid powertrains. Using that platform, MG has now launched a new 7-seater electric SUV called the Hector Tomahawk EV at a starting price of Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom). It is based on the Wuling Starlight 560 (like the Windsor is based on the Wuling Cloud EV) that is sold abroad. Do note that the MG Hector Tomahawk is also available in a plug-in hybrid version. This story will give you a clear detailed read at the differences between the two. 

The MG Hector Tomahawk EV has its sights set on rivals like the Mahindra XEV 9S and Kia Carens Clavis EV, both of which are really good options for different use cases. But I have spent a day driving the Tomahawk EV around Kochi and here's why I think it might just be the more value for money option to pick. 

MG’s designs are usually either very polarising or very loud and blingy. Take the Windsor or Comet as an example for quirky styling, while the Hector and Majestor as the sample for the loud designs. However, this new Hector Tomahawk is rather conventional in that sense. It has the stance, shape and proportions of a regular 7-seater family SUV. The nose is dominating with a boxy bumper design with chamfered edges.

It gets side vents too for some aerodynamics, which will be critical for range as the SUV otherwise has as a boxy design only.

The headlights look chic with dual LED DRL signatures above and below the main projectors. Unlike the modern trend, these aren’t connected by a light bar, but by a piano black element.

The MG badge sits in the middle and is also illuminated, which looks distinctive at night.

In profile, the car doesn’t seem as boxy as the nose. You can see both the front and rear of the car to have curves, which takes away from the ruggedness of the design. There is no over-the-top side cladding, but the wheel arches are slightly on the chunky side. Adding further character in design are the flares in the body, which are only truly visible in the front three quarter view. If you wish to see its design details closely, you must head to our image gallery story, where we have compiled all the images together.

It sits on 18-inch alloy wheels, and they also get red brake calipers, which add a pinch of sportiness to the otherwise simple design. 

The styling at the rear is nothing extraordinary. The stance is slightly lifted (which should be fine once there’s a full load inside) and the dual-tone bumper design is neat.

The sleek LED tail lights sit just below the window line, while the MG badge sits in the middle. It even has a set of LED rear fog lamps.

The name and variant badging can be found on either side of the number plate. The MG Hector Tomahawk EV comes in a variety of colour options: Khaki Green, Aurora Silver, Starry Black, Celadon Blue, Pearl White, and Shadow Gold. Shadow Gold and Khaki Green are also available with a dual-tone black roof.

You can check out our detailed colours image gallery.

MG as a brand needs to be studied for their packaging masterclass as most of their vehicles seem to be an exercise in interior space and practicality design. They also tend to offer a more premium cabin in terms of feel, and that certainly is the case with the Hector Tomahawk. It is offered with both 5-seater and 7-seater configurations.

The dashboard design is simple with a two-layered design, the top half finished in tan while the bottom is finished in black. The leatherette on the top half, the seats and the door pads feels rich.

Of course, like most MG’s, a laptop-like screen takes up centre stage on the dashboard, accompanied by a tiny digital driver’s display behind the two-spoke steering wheel. The silver accents further create a nice visual contrast with the piano black elements and dual-tone treatment. 

There is absolutely no place where I can complain about the quality of materials. All the dual tone beige and tan colours that you see have been finished in desert, while the plastics have a smooth finish. Even the switches for the AC control and electric ORVMs have a nice metallic finish to them which feels satisfying to use.

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the MG Tomahawk EV is relatively easy. You don't have to lift your knees up too high, nor do you have to duck because the roofline is high enough. Once you are inside, the seats are very comfortable. They are supportive and wide enough for even healthy people to feel comfortable, and there is a wide range of adjustments available, which means finding a comfortable driving position is very easy no matter your height and size.

Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment is offered as standard. There are no issues in terms of visibility either.

Second Row

If you’re paying for the Hector Tomahawk, the second row is the place to be in this car. There is no shortage of space, the car is actually wide enough for three regular-sized adults to be seated for something longer than a city runabout.

Both the five and seven seater versions get reclining seats, but sliding seats are only available in the seven seater version. With the seat all the way back in the 7-seater, you can genuinely lounge here with enough space for two six footers to sit behind each other without any issues. We went in the five seater version, knee room is not a problem. 

There's plenty of headroom too, but I did notice that with the driver seat all the way down, footroom is limited. If there's anything that could be better in the 2nd row, it would be the under thigh support because even for an average height adult like me, it was just about adequate. If the seat base was slightly tilted or if I had room to stretch my feet, under thigh support could have been better. There are rear AC vents too. The seven seater version gets them in the roof (with fan speed control), while the five seater version gets them down below in the centre. Other conveniences like the rear central armrest, rear sun shades, and charging options are common.

Third Row

Ingress egress in the last row of the MG Hector Tomahawk is relatively easy. The 2nd row seats fold and tumble away very quickly and there’s enough space for even a healthy adult to squeeze in. 

However, they won't fit if the 2nd row seats are all the way back. So the seats do have to be in the middle setting for an adult to actually fit in the third row. The thigh support is understandably limited as you sit knees up, but headroom is good and the sense of space is also adequate, so regular-sized adults can actually travel for short city journeys without feeling claustrophobic. Otherwise, the space is good enough for children and pets.

There is no recline act angle in the backrest, but there are AC vents in the roof to keep the passengers cool.

Charging Options

The front row passengers benefit from a 50 W fast wireless phone charger with active cooling as well. A Type-A and Type-C port each are available in the front and second row. There is also a 12V power outlet at the front.

Boot Space

In the seven seater version, even with the 3rd row up, the MG Tomahawk makes use of its size and actually has a respectable boot space which can accommodate a couple of cabin size trolleys along with a few laptop bags. Folding the third row down opens up a big space of 528-litre, which is enough for full size suitcases, one on top of each other, plus cabin sized trolleys for all your airport runs and weekend getaways.

In the five seater version, you naturally get a better space of 610-litre. There are also small storages underneath the boot floor for keeping the charger and tools. There is no frunk in the MG Tomahawk.

MG usually throws everything it can at a car in terms of features and tech, and of course, they’ve done the same with this new car. Top features include a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, powered and ventilated front seats with driver seat memory function, 256-colour ambient lighting, and a powered tailgate.

The main infotainment system measures 15.6 inches in size and has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and even has gesture-controlled features. The screen itself works flawlessly. It switches between menus pretty quickly, and unlike the Hector and Windsor, it doesn't lag or have delayed responses.

Another good point is that you don't have to use the screen to control the car's basics, like controlling the AC or changing the ORVM settings. The infotainment system also comes with camp mode, pet mode and valet mode.

The screen also gets a swipe gesture in which you can use your fingers to change the volume control, the fan speed and the AC setting. I didn't really find this feature very intuitive, but it is amusing and some people did like it around me. 

This infotainment is paired to a 10-speaker Infinity premium sound system. The audio quality of the sound system is good. It maintains crispness at higher volumes and has punchy bass too. But for people who experience the sound system that you get in a Mahindra or a Tata at this price point, they will miss that immersiveness and 3D surround feel that you get in those cars.

In comparison to the main screen, the drivers display looks tiny, but in terms of functionality it is hard to fault. There are no themes or layouts. But toggling between information is easy with only two scrolls relaying what is important in a clear manner.

While we've seen features like vehicle-to-load technology in other cars, the Tomahawk also gets a vehicle-to-house feature in which the car can act as an inverter to power your house in case of an outage. This includes not just basic electric equipment like fans and lights, but also air conditioners. Of course, the car also gets a lot of connected car technology features. There is no such critical feature which is missing from the Tomahawk’s package. But what really stands out is the execution of almost all the features which is hard to fault and MG has actually given dual controls for a few features like changing the volume or opening the sunroof.

There is no crash test safety rating for the MG Tomahawk just yet, but as far as equipment is concerned it packs a lot of features as standard. 

The higher variants add a 360-degree camera and even level-2 ADAS to the package. The ADAS suite is not as sophisticated as some of its rivals, but features like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist will help you reduce fatigue in long inter city drives.

Battery Specifications

There is only one battery option available with the MG Hector Tomahawk. Here are the specs:

Performance

Like is the case with most EVs, the performance of.This heavy electric SUV is effortless. Irrespective of the mode you drive the car in, it doesn't take time to build speeds. From a standstill, it crawls very smoothly. It disengages auto hold very smoothly. It doesn't jolt ahead and cause any sudden acceleration. But when you step on the throttle in the standard mode, there is a split second of wheel spin, the tires screeches, but then you never really get out of control and the car just begins to pick speed in a linear manner.

It does feel effortless and speeds of 100 kilometres per hour come up very quickly and you won't ever feel like you need more performance. In fact, I think for most people, they can just leave the car in eco mode for their entire ownership and never really need to switch into standard or sports mode.

So even with a full load, if you plan to do road trips with this car, performance will not be an issue even if you drive up a hilly region. There are three different regen modes as well, and in fact you can customize the exact percentage of regen that you want in this car. However, there is no single pedal drive mode. 

No matter what mode you are in, the regen kicks in very smoothly and even in its highest setting it does not feel very aggressive.  

Ride Quality

Despite being a heavy electric family SUV, the MG Hector Tomahawk EV is able to manage its weight fairly well. As a result, the suspension feels comfortable on city roads where there are small imperfections, potholes, and speed breakers. Surprisingly, even over rough Roach with deep and uneven potholes, the side to side movement inside the cabin was really controlled. 

Once you do start gathering some speed on the highway, the car feels settled. You go over an expansion joint and the car rides really flat. Kochi has some really immaculate roads, but we did manage to find some really sharp expansion joints over which, while the front passengers did not feel any jerk or any sudden movement, it was certainly felt by the passengers in the rear seats. So in case you encounter some sudden undulations, it might be best to slow down in this car if you have passengers in the rear.

You will also have to take it slow around corners because there is noticeable body roll around corners at even average speeds. So if you plan to take the car around ghats, make sure your rear passengers aren't feeling motion sick. 

The MG Hector Tomahawk EV is available in three variants only: Excite, Exclusive, and Essence. The 5-seater configuration is only available in the top-spec Essence variant, while the 7-seater layout is available in all the three variants.

Here’s a detailed look at what each of the variant offers:

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Excite

• The exterior only misses out on a few styling cues compared to top variant. Gets LED projector headlights with LED DRLs, LED tail lights, LED rear fog light and 18-inch alloy wheels.

• Dual-tone interior gets leatherette on the seats, armrest, dashboard and steering wheel. No ambient lighting.

• The second row gets sliding and reclining seats with rear centre armrest and front seat back pockets. 

• Basic features include auto AC with rear AC vents, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, cruise control, push button start/stop, proximity lock/unlock, USB A and C-type charging ports, powered outside rear-view mirror and 12V power outlet. 

• Also gets creature comforts like 6-way power-adjustable driver seat and 4-way power adjustable co-driver seat.

• Advanced tech package includes a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 8.8-inch digital driver’s display, 6-speaker sound system and AI voice assistant with connected car features.

• The strong safety package only misses out on Level-2 autonomous driving assistance systems (ADAS) and front parking sensors. Highlights include 6 airbags, rear wiper, washer and defogger, all-wheel disc brakes and hill-hold control.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Exclusive

• Chrome finished windowline is the only visual change. But it also adds acoustic and UV cut front glass (front windshield and food windows).

• Monotone blue colour ambient lighting for a richer experience at night. Also gets panoramic sunroof for an airy feel.

• Top feature additions include front ventilated seats, powered tailgate, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, and wireless phone charging (50W) with cooling.

• No changes in the tech package.

• Adds a 360-degree camera with transparent mode and front parking sensors. 

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Essence

• Available in both 5- and 7-seater options.

• Sporty touch to the exterior styling with red brake callipers.

• Multi-colour ambient (256) lighting lets you choose from various colours.

• Improved convenience with driver seat memory and auto retract function, auto-dimming IRVM, V2L (Vehicle-to-load) and V2V (Vehicle-to-vehicle) and V2H (Vehicle-to-home) features.

• Better tech package with bigger 15.6-inch infotainment system and 10-speaker Infinity audio system. 

• Safety kit adds Level-2 ADAS with features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and frontal automatic emergency braking.

• More details about the top-spec Hector Tomahawk EV Essence can be found here. 

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• MG has not just priced the base variant super aggressively, but also packaged it really well to make it not feel like an entry-level variant by any means. As a result, if you were in the market for a 7-seater electric family SUV, this might just be the most value-for-money option currently available on the entire market. 

• The premium for the mid-spec variant is steep, but it does add convenience features that will give you a better ownership experience. If you don’t want to compromise on any modern features, then pick this variant.

• The top-spec variant is a discretionary purchase. It doesn’t offer a feature that’s a must-have, but if you want the safety net of ADAS features or want a 5-seater option, then this is the only variant to offer those things.

While this car might not have anything to do with the literal meaning of the word Tomahawk, it might as well be a weapon of worry for its rivals. Because, not only is it the biggest car at its price, but the materials which MG has used, the features that the car carries, the soft suspension setup and the battery that powers it; are all second to none.

Yes, the second row experience could’ve been even better without much effort, but that one shortcoming, which to be honest is a bit of a nitpick, is not a dealbreaker and I don’t see any other reason for you to not consider this car if you were looking for an electric family SUV that’s modern, spacious, comfortable and practical.

Other cars to consider

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Reasons to consider

• Has a six seater version with captain seats

• Ride quality feels more planted at higher speeds. 

• Better ADAS suite

• Tech package feels more sophisticated

Reasons to ignore

• Cabin doesn't feel as premium

• Smaller battery means less real-world range

Mahindra XEV 9S

Reasons to consider

• Far superior features and tech package

• Bigger batteries with more range and better performance

• Ride quality and handling balance

• Faster DC charging speeds

Reasons to ignore

• Top spec variants are far more expensive

• Interior doesn't feel as premium