The most painful aspect of participating in a media campaign for a new car is having to come back and drive your car. Especially if the new vehicle is an EV. And even more so if that EV is Mahindra’s new BE 6e or XEV 9e. Mahindra’s recent unveiling seems to have shaken up the EV segment in India, offering a number of unheard of features in their respective price segments along with some innovations. After driving the two new SUVs, examining their features and capabilities first-hand, and seeing how Mahindra’s battery pack turned out to be safe even after several torture tests, I am quite impressed. And considering the starting price of around Rs 20 lakh, these SUVs are looking great indeed. In fact, I think the BE 6e and XUV 9e could be the Xiaomi Mi 3 of the EV world. here’s why.
design
Right from the start, the Mahindra BE 6e and XEV 9e grab attention with their sporty looks and unmatched road presence. While the BE 6e looks futuristic, the XEV 9e bears little resemblance to its ICE cousin, the XUV 700. Both vehicles are similar in many respects, and yet, manage to stand apart with their own unique distinguishing qualities… the BE 6e with its bold, radical approach, and the XEV 9e with its flowing lines and slim roofline. The 19-inch wheels in the former and 20-inch wheels in the latter are quite attractive.
After spending some time behind the wheel of these babies and driving them around town, on the highway, and at the test track, I admit that of the two new cars, it’s the BE 6e that has my attention. It hits the sweet spot in terms of size, and elements like the S-duct on the bonnet, the flush door handles and the dual spoiler at the rear tug at my heartstrings like nothing else there. The connecting light strip at the rear and the LEDs that dance when music plays (when the car is parked) are also fun.
interior design
Plush and loaded – that’s how I would describe the interiors of the XEV 9e. Mahindra has rarely left out any such comfort feature… you name it, and this baby has it. The first thing that strikes you is the huge screen on the front – its entire length 110 cm. It actually consists of three separate screens, one for the driver, one for the central infotainment and a separate one for the passenger. And the second is the panoramic sunroof that extends from front to rear. Not only does it provide UV protection, but it also lights up with a color-changing pattern that looks great. However, the sloping roofline and slim shape of the rear windscreen affect rear-view visibility for the driver, especially since the middle headrest obstructs a portion of the view.
However, stepping inside the BE 6e is a completely different experience. It can’t boast of a huge three-screen setup like its bigger brother and instead settles for two. What strikes you here is the cockpit-inspired styling, which is evident in elements like the wrap-around dashboard, flat-bottom steering wheel, thrust lever-style gear shifter and sporty seats that make you feel like a pilot flying. Let’s get it done. Before you go for a drive and press the accelerator.
Infotainment and connectivity in car
This is where Qualcomm flexes its muscles, with the Snapdragon SA 8295 chipset powering the proceedings. Dubbed MAIA as the acronym for Mahindra Artificial Intelligence Architecture, the technology combines hardware and software in an effort to provide a seamless connected experience. The Snapdragon chip is at the heart of it, including a 5nm SoC with a 6th-generation GPU, 24GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, AWS, 5G, Wi-Fi 6.0, and Bluetooth 5.2.
At least 16 Harman Kardon speakers with Dolby Atmos, a 15-channel amplifier and up to 1400 watts of audio are on offer in what the brand is calling the Mahindra Sonic Studio Experience. Created by music maestro AR Rahman, the audio experience in these vehicles is said to be unmatched. A whole range of apps (including shopping and productivity) and OTA updates are also coming. Heck, one can even shop using apps like Myntra and Amazon and make video calls on Zoom and Google Meet on the passenger display in the Mahindra XEV 9e.
power and handling
The numbers tell their own story. Offering up to 282bhp of power and 380Nm of torque, these are fast machines that are eager to get going as soon as you touch the pedal. The cars can accelerate from standstill to 100 kmph in just 6 seconds, and having driven them, I can guarantee sharp handling. The BE 6e with its smaller dimensions is undoubtedly faster, but the XEV 9e is also a lot of fun to drive. Top speed is pegged at 202 kmph, and I had no problem getting the XEV’s speedo straight to that number on Mahindra’s test track. I even managed to take a turn at 170 kmph a few times, and sure enough the SUV stopped in the lane without blinking. This was in Race mode, with other, more sedate driving mode options Everyday and Range available.
Again, it is the BE 6e that feels more agile and sporty in its handling, with the steering being very responsive regardless of speed.
Electric Origin Architecture – INGLO
Built specifically for electric vehicles, Mahindra’s INGLO architecture offers several benefits, unlike many other existing EVs built on ICE platforms. One of the major ones is the modular skateboard design that pushes the wheels to the farthest corners, maximizing space and allowing a lower center of gravity. Battery capacities range from 59kWh to 79kWh with impressively fast charging speeds.
Battery power, range, reliability and charging
The BE 6e and The 79KWh battery promises a range of over 650 km (682 km on the BE 6e and 656 km on the XEV 9e). With that range and those charging speeds, battery worries could be a thing of the past, and Mahindra will have eliminated the biggest problem of owning an EV once and for all.
Furthermore, to prove just how safe and reliable its new Blade battery is, Mahindra put the battery pack through several torture tests, all conducted live in front of the media. A live frontal crash test done at 64 kmph, a nail penetration test, a fire resistance test (done by pouring petrol on the battery and setting it on fire), and driving a 22-tonne truck on a live battery back up, All in one effort to show just how reliable that battery is. Mahindra dropped the battery from a height and immersed it in water. And needless to say, the battery survived and came out of those tests without any disastrous consequences. Very impressive I would say.
ADAS, Auto Park and more
What car is without some ADAS? The SUVs come with ADAS Level 2+, equipped with five radars and a vision camera that can detect other types of vehicles and even pedestrians, barricades and animals. Yes – it can detect cattle on the road and apply emergency brakes in time, and I can say this with confidence after watching a live demo (done using a dummy cow). Then there’s the so-called Identity feature, a driver and occupant monitoring system that can detect driver fatigue and even serve as a selfie camera for video calls, and VisionX, an AR Heads Up Display (HUD ). The auto park facility is also quite good, but not useful. It uses 12 ultrasonic sensors that enable the vehicle to detect a suitable parking spot and park automatically. It works with the driver inside, and even works using the key remotely while no one is present inside the car.
final thoughts
The starting ex-showroom price of Mahindra BE 6e is Rs 18.9 lakh, while the starting price of XEV 9e can be Rs 21.90 lakh. Looking at everything on offer, these prices seem too good to be true, and the vehicle is set to disrupt the EV segment in India not only in its own segment but also in the lower and higher segments. It reminds me of the brand’s first offering, the Xiaomi Mi 3, which took the smartphone segment by storm a decade ago, offering great specs at an incredible price. (Sure, Xiaomi has its own EVs, but they’re not available in India.) On the other hand, buying a car isn’t the same as buying a phone, and there’s a lot more at stake. It remains to be seen how Mahindra’s new EVs are accepted by the public and how well they ultimately sell. Moreover, the EV landscape in India is rapidly evolving, and other brands are also lining up new launches. However, for now, Mahindra has my attention and that of car lovers across the country. Despite branding disputes with IndiGo Airlines, Mahindra’s new electric vehicles have largely electrified the EV segment in India.
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