MG Hector Tomahawk EV Short Review: So Comfortable!

People buy SUVs for a lot of reasons. Some want to go to big mountains, and some simply want to look big. But there are a lot of people who don't buy an SUV because of its capability. They buy it for comfort. They want a big, spacious SUV that doesn't throw a lot of jolts into the cabin. If you are one of them, you would love the MG Hector Tomahawk EV. EVs make a lot of sense in the city, and the Hector Tomahawk EV seems to have been designed around that idea. Unlike the Hector Tomahawk PHEV, which gets both an electric motor and a petrol engine, this is a pure EV. 

MG offers it with a 69.2kWh battery and a 150 kW electric motor producing 204PS and 310Nm. The claimed range is 517km, and it is available in both 5-seater and 7-seater configurations. If you are looking for a big, comfortable electric SUV, can this MG meet all the needs of your family? Let's find out.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Looks

Nowadays, people design EVs more like spaceships than cars. I don't like this at all. That's why I really like the Hector Tomahawk EV. It has a proper, sober look, with no unnecessary connected DRLs or weird-shaped exterior lighting. Its road presence comes from its sheer size. Up front, the headlamps are not placed down in the bumper; they are where they should be. You don't get fancy fog lamps either. The front looks very sober, with small DRLs, big headlamps and some nice detailing.

The size is particularly clear from the side. It sits on 18-inch alloy wheels, and that's when the wheels start looking a little small. That tells you just how big this car actually is. The door handles are simple, sober physical units. Flush-fitting handles and other unnecessary things are not found here.

At the rear, the tail-lamp detailing is very good, and you also get a big spoiler on top. Other than that, it is plain, simple and sober, and the width of the car is clearly visible. That's why I really like the design of this car. It is simple, sober, looks premium and should age very well.

MG is offering the Hector Tomahawk EV in six monotone colour options: Shadow Gold, Starry Black, Pearl White, Aurora Silver, Celadon Blue and Khakhi Green. The Green and Gold shades are also available with an optional dual-tone colour scheme that adds a Starry Black roof.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Space & Quality

The layout of the cabin is practical, with a simple dashboard, a big touchscreen and a smaller driver's display. The cabin feels premium too. Wherever you can touch, you get soft-touch, leather-like material. The dashboard, door pads and armrests all have a soft-touch finish, while the centre console has a slightly soft feel. The storage areas get a rubbery texture. You don't get to see cheap plastics anywhere. Even the black plastics on the doors and dashboard have a smooth texture. That's why sitting in this cabin feels like sitting in an expensive car.

The front seats are big and comfortable. Even if you are taller or wider than me, you should feel comfortable here, and getting into a driving position for a long drive is easy. The second-row experience is exactly what you want from a big SUV, with good legroom, a lot of knee room and good headroom even with the panoramic sunroof. The seats can recline, and in the 7-seater they can slide as well. 

The only issue is under-thigh support. Because this is an EV, the floor is relatively high. If the seats aren't tilted upwards enough, you don't get as much support for your thighs. Taller people may find this a little uncomfortable.

Moving on to the third row, space is mostly made for kids or occasional adult use. At my height of 5'7", adults can sit here, but the knee room becomes a problem. The seats are close to the floor, so you end up sitting with your knees raised. The recline angle and headrest are good, and the cabin feels open because there is a lot of light.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Tech

I really like the feature list of this car. It doesn't have a lot of flamboyant features. Whatever is given is very sensible and very usable. The 15.6-inch touchscreen is one of the highlights. This is the first time I am seeing an MG touchscreen executed this well. You can see which door or window is open, and the animations let you open the sunroof, boot and windows from the screen. There is no active lag either. Whatever button you press, the screen responds quickly. It operates more like an expensive tablet than an old-fashioned touchscreen. There is wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay too.

MG also gives you gesture controls. Two-finger gestures can change the temperature and fan speed, while three-finger gestures can change the volume, tracks and FM stations. The 10-speaker Infinity audio system is one of the best parts of this experience. At higher volumes, the sound feels punchy and enjoyable, while the clarity is also good.

Other Features

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Boot Space

A big advantage of a big SUV is big boot space, and you definitely get that here. The power tailgate adds convenience. The 5-seater gets a claimed 610-litre boot, while the 7-seater offers 192 litres with all three rows in use and up to 528 litres with the third row folded.

Multiple big suitcases, along with smaller suitcases and duffel bags, can easily go in here. Even after moving the second-row seats forward, you can still keep overnight suitcases behind the third row.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Drive & Ride

The Hector Tomahawk EV's power and torque figures are 204 PS and 310 Nm, but you don't really need to remember all of that. You just need to know one thing: driving this is absolutely effortless. You put the car in Standard mode, press the throttle and it starts picking up very well. We were on a highway and easily touched 90kmph in a short amount of time. The performance is genuinely impressive, and overtaking doesn't cause any problems. Even with full throttle, there is no jolt. It doesn't feel rough or jerky. The drive remains smooth and seamless.

In Standard mode, it is already quick enough. Put it in Power mode and the throttle response becomes even better. Even in Eco mode, you won't have any problem driving it in the city. The official 0-100kmph claim is 8.2 seconds. There is also a Custom mode where you can set the power and regenerative braking manually. 

When it comes to the balance between comfort and handling, comfort wins every time in this car. The handling feels slightly biased towards comfort. At highway speeds, if someone suddenly changes lanes, the car remains stable and doesn't feel like it is going to get unsettled. But this isn't a car for fast cornering. If you take a fast corner, you start feeling the body roll. Straight-line stability, however, is good. If you go over an expansion joint even at around 100kmph, the car settles back quickly.

And then comes its trump card: comfort. We found some bad roads in Kochi during our drive, and on the rough patches this car remained very soft and comfortable. It offers a plush driving experience, with most of the problems on the road reaching the cabin in a very muted way. 

On expansion joints, speed breakers, potholes and cobbled roads, this car goes over them in a very soft manner. There is one thing you will notice on particularly bad potholes. You can hear the suspension working. There is a little thud that tells you the suspension is doing something. You won't necessarily feel it, but you will hear it.

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Range & Charging

The Hector Tomahawk EV supports up to 90 kW DC fast charging, with a claimed 30-80 percent charge time of around 35 minutes. A 7.4 kW AC charger takes roughly 12.5 hours for a 10-100 percent charge. 

The claimed range is 517 km, but the real-world range will settle close to 360-380km. There are 2 issues here. Firstly, the range indicator on the display is very over optimistic and sometimes shows 100km over the real estimated range. So don't trust it. Second, the real world range should be comfortably over 400km for a car of this size. 

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Technical Specifications

MG Hector Tomahawk EV Safety

The Hector Tomahawk EV gets six airbags, Level 2 ADAS, a 360-degree camera, Electronic Stability Control, TPMS and ABS with EBD. The EV uses a 69.2kWh LFP battery. MG says the battery has undergone more than 2,000 bench tests and 490 full-vehicle validation tests, including testing for needle penetration, thermal shock, short circuits and cell deformation. The Hector Tomahawk EV has not been tested by NCAP yet, but MG says its NCAP rating will be shared once certified.

To Summarise

MG has always had this quality of making big, spacious, comfortable and affordable cars, and the Hector Tomahawk EV feels like a natural extension of that philosophy. The special feature of the Tomahawk EV is its comfort, effortless drive and premium cabin experience. Its looks, space and boot space complement the overall experience very well. There are two major drawbacks. The range should have been better, and you won't necessarily enjoy its handling and driving if you are looking for something sporty.

But if you are ready to live with these two compromises, the Hector Tomahawk EV is a very polished package. It is available as both a 5-seater and a 7-seater, gets a premium and practical cabin, has a genuinely comfortable ride, effortless electric performance and plenty of useful features. If you are thinking of buying a big, comfortable EV SUV for yourself, this is a car that deserves serious consideration.

What are your thoughts on the MG Hector Tomahawk EV? Let us know in the comments below!