After a long wait, JSW MG Motors India has finally launched the MG Hector TOMAHAWK EV, a pure-electric sport utility vehicle with a seating capacity of five people and seven seats. A total of four variants are available for sale; they are Excite, Exclusive, Essence 7S, and Essence 5S with the ex-showroom prices of ₹19.49 lakh, ₹21.99 lakh, ₹23.49 lakh, and ₹22.99 lakh, respectively.
Notably, the first three variants are seven-seaters, and the latter is a five-seater. They also have provided the purchase option under the Battery-as-a-Service programme with the starting ex-showroom price of ₹13.99 lakh and ₹4.90 per km for battery usage. Variant-wise prices under the BaaS are still pending; the one disclosed fugue seems to be for Excite.
The 5-seater has a 2-3 seating layout with 610 litres of cargo capacity that helps with carrying multiple big pieces of luggage, and the 7-seater has a 2-3-2 seating arrangement with a cargo capacity of 528 litres when the third-row seats are foldable to enhance luggage-carrying capacity. The standard cargo capacity for a 7-seater is only 195 litres, which can be used to carry small items when all seats are in use.
Notably, the five-seater is designed for a family of four or five looking for a vehicle that is emission-free and provides ample legroom, headroom, and shoulder room for rear-seating passengers with decent cargo capacity; the seven-seater is for a family of six or seven people with one or two kids. The row seats in the seven-seater are not for adults; they are designed for kids and pets.
Dimensionally, it is 4,745 mm longer, 1,850 mm and 1,755 mm, giving it a wide visual presence and making it the widest and longest car in the segment. Its wheelbase is 2,810 mm. Up front it has an illuminated MG logo, floating side indicators, a beacon headlamp and LED daylight running lights with chrome accents that add a more premium touch.
On the side, it gets 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails enhancing its SUV characteristics, and turn indicators integrated on ORVMs that are mounted on the A-pillar. Its rear has a clean design with the taillamps on the edges, LED fog lamps, and a glass antenna. The tailgate is automatically powered to enhance practicality for boot use.
Its cabin has a two-spoke D-shape steering wheel, an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display, a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto wireless connectivity and a 10-speaker Infinity sound system. Another notable feature is six different cabin modes: they are Nap Camp, Energise, Pro Pet, Valet, and Nd Quiet.
To add premiumness to the cabin, it features a wireless phone charging pad, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with a memory function, rear window sunshades to reduce glare, a panoramic sunroof to make the cabin airy and spacious, ventilated front seats to enhance seating comfort during the hot weather, and 256-colour ambient lighting to enhance the mood during nighttime highway cruising.
It is powered by a PMSM on the front axle, whose power output is 150 kW (204 hp) and peak torque is 310 Nm. It has an LFP battery pack of 69.2 kWh, giving the MIDC range of 517 km. Its 0 to 100 km/h sprinting time is 8.2 seconds. Support DC chargers up to 90 kW and AC up to 7.4 kW that take 35 minutes for 30 to 80 percent charging and 12.5 hours for a full charge, respectively.
The MG Hector TOMAHAWK EV’s main rival in the Indian market is the Mahindra XEV 9S; compared to the same base trim, its base variant is ₹0.46 lakh more affordable, has a 10.2 kWh large battery but gives 5 km less range, delivers 24 hp less power and 70 Nm less torque, is 8 mm longer with a 48 mm longer wheelbase, and supports a 50 kW less powerful DC charger.