Mahindra XEV 9e

Mahindra is not new to EVs. It launched its first electric car in 2001 called the Reva which wasn’t much of a success. Mahindra then tried again with the XUV400, which gained some traction, but eventually lost ground to the popular Nexon EV. This time round Mahindra wants to do things right. Alongside the outlandish BE6, Mahindra also launched the XEV9e — which for all intents and purposes is the electric SUV-coupe version of the popular XUV700. 

This futuristic looking EV has more bells and whistles than you can imagine and it comes with a powerful powertrain that offers over 500km of real-world range. But how does this unique EV fare in terms of everyday usability?Is it more than just its design and flashy features? More importantly, does it put up a good fight against rivals such as the Tata Harrier EV? Let’s find out.

The XEV9e looks like it’s straight out of a video game, yet it’s not as flashy as its sibling – the BE6. The design is heavily influenced by the Mahindra XUV700, which is evident in its front profile.

Here, we see a massive closed-off grille, connected LED daytime running lamps (DRLs), vertically stacked LED headlamps, and powerful creases on the bonnet. There are sequential indicators built into the DRLs as well as a welcome/goodbye function which look upmarket, especially in the dark. The new Mahindra Electric logo is illuminated as well.

The profile highlights its length, which is close to 4.8-metres, and here you can see a neat SUV-coupe design. Front doors get flush fitting door handles, rear door handles are hidden in the C-pillar, and the roof merges gently with the raised rear end.

Mahindra offers 19-inch alloy wheels, which look small for this car. If you think the same, you can opt for bigger 20-inch wheels for an additional cost.

At the back, the connected tail lamps catch all the attention. Just like the DRLs, the tail lamps also get a welcome and goodbye function. Mahindra has very neatly hidden the charging port under the left tail lamp, and has offered an additional set of blinkers above the bumper in case the boot is open.

This design, while unique and futuristic, is unlikely to appeal to everyone. People in your family will have differing opinions, and some might not like it at first glance. But, there’s no denying that it grabs attention quickly. Its size and shape gives it an impressive road presence, and you won’t get tired of looking at it.

Mahindra is offering it with interesting colour options like Tango Red, Nebula Blue, Desert Myst, Deep Forest, Ruby Velvet, Everest White, and Stealth Black. Personally, I like the Tango Red and Stealth Black the most as they standout on the roads.

Design & Quality

Just like the exterior, the cabin also takes design cues from the XUV700. The dashboard layout, position of the AC vents and controls, and the storage options are nearly identical. What’s different is the three screen setup, the steering wheel, and colour scheme. 

The off-white/green colour used here makes the cabin look bigger and airier. While this colour combination looks premium, Indian conditions are unlikely to be kind to it. You will have to spend time, effort and money to keep this cabin looking like new. Mahindra has also used plenty of gloss black elements on the steering wheel and centre console, which look nice in this cabin, but are bound to attract dust, fingerprints, and scratches.

The cabin quality is similar to other Mahindra models, which is a good thing. Soft touch padding on the steering wheel, gear knob, centre armrest, and door pads give the cabin a rich feel. Buttons are tactile, and have a solid feel. We found the panel gaps, and fit-finish to be largely consistent throughout the cabin. 

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the XEV9e is easy as all four doors open to 90-degrees. However, with the floor being raised, you do need to lift your knee a little more than you’d expect. Average sized adults can easily enter the car, but anyone over 6-feet tall will have to duck in order to avoid hitting the side of the car.

Once you’re inside, you’ll realise that there is ample space. The front seats are wide, the large bolsters provide good side support, and there is no shortage of headroom. The driver seat is also 6-way power adjustable with manual lumbar support, and since the steering wheel gets both tilt and telescopic adjustment, finding your ideal driving position is super easy.

With a large windscreen and tall driving position, you get great frontal visibility, but the small rear windshield restricts your rearward visibility.

Rear Seats

Due to a sloping roofline, the rear seat headroom does get a little compromised, but it is still enough for an average sized adult. Knee room is adequate for a 6-footer and there is plenty of footroom to stretch your legs. The underthigh support is adequate for an average sized adult, but will feel less for a 6-footer.

Since it is a wide car, you can fit three people in the rear seat, where the middle passenger gets a dedicated headrest. However, the middle passenger will sit slightly upright, and will occasionally struggle for shoulder room. For added comfort, the rear seats have a recline function, windows get sunblinds, and you can use the centre armrest if there is no middle passenger.

Storage Options

The XEV9e has 1-litre bottle holders in all four doors, and two cupholders in the centre console for your bottles and coffee cups. Additionally, a sizable storage compartment under the climate control buttons, a glovebox with a dedicated tray for documents, and storage under the centre armrest.

Rear passengers get seatback pockets, a tray under the rear AC vents to keep their phone, and two cupholders in the centre armrest.

Charging Options

The XEV 9e gets a wireless phone charger in the front, along with a Type-C port and a  65W Type-C port. Rear passengers also get a wireless phone charger and two 65W type-C ports. There is also a 12V socket placed in the boot which can be used to power a tyre inflator or maybe even a small refrigerator in the boot. 

The XEV9e’s cabin is packed with amenities and does not compromise on the premium look and feel. It offers good space for an entire family, and it does that while being practical like any other SUV.

Features

Mahindra has set a benchmark when it comes to flashy features, and no car in its price comes close to offering what the XEV9e gets. Here’s a look at the basic everyday use features, along with some other equipment.

One of the major highlights of this car’s feature list is the triple screen setup which gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, and a 12.3-inch front passenger display.

The touchscreen is smooth to operate, does not lag, has an easy to understand interface, and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also comes with an app suite that supports shopping apps, social media apps, and OTT platforms. This screen is paired with a 16-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system which offers one of the best surround sound experience under Rs 50 lakh and comes with customisable audio modes.

The driver’s display has a crisp resolution and great graphics. It has multiple themes based on the drive modes, comes with interesting graphics for ADAS features, and you can see the feed of the blind view monitor here while indicating. We only wish that its response time was quicker while going through the menus.

You also get a front passenger display which can be used to control the infotainment. Apps like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Zoom, and Google Meet can be used on this screen.

To attend those meetings on the front passenger display, Mahindra has offered an in-car camera. This can also be used to take selfies or record your drives.

Behind the front seats, you get mounts for tablets, which can be synced with the front screens using the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) app. This will allow the rear passengers to also have an entertainment package as the rear screens will display the same content as the front ones.

Mahindra offers two quirky features as well. First is the ‘GrooveMe’ app, which syncs all the interior ambient lighting and the exterior lighting setup with the music being played and it looks like a fun trick for parties. Second is the LiveYourMood app which has custom ambient lighting and seat settings paired with ambient music composed by A.R. Rahman as per the ‘mood’ you’ve selected.

There is a 360-degree camera here which has an acceptable camera quality. The feed is clear with no lag or frame drop, you can choose between 2D and 3D views, and it also functions as the car’s dashcam which can be accessed remotely. The side cameras also turn on when you indicate, making it easier to change lanes on the highway. Apart from these features, you get a heads-up display which projects the information on the windshield.

Mahindra has also offered auto park, which was earlier seen only in luxury models, and using this feature you can park your car remotely via the key or app. It is especially useful in cases when you need to parallel park or put your car in a tight spot.

The standard safety kit of the Mahindra XEV9e includes 6 airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), ISOFIX child seat anchors, rear parking sensors, rearview camera, driver drowsiness detection, and a rear defogger.

Higher variants additionally offer a knee airbag, front parking sensors, front fog lamps, a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor, and Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, high beam assist, lane keep assist, and auto lane change.

Top-spec variants get four additional radars (corner) in the ADAS setup for an even more accurate operation.

Our experience of driving the XEV9e was limited, but in that experience we noticed that the ADAS calibration was done keeping Indian conditions in mind. The auto emergency braking does not brake abruptly, and the distances for adaptive cruise control are also well defined. Our first impressions suggest that this ADAS system is dependable, but we’d be able to give a more detailed report port through testing.

The XEV9e has also secured a 5-star crash test rating from Bharat NCAP.

With the XEV9e, you get a boot space of 663-litres, but the roll-out parcel shelf limits its usability. The shape of the boot is deep and wide, but it's not tall, so fitting large suitcases of stacking one bag over another is not easy. This boot is best utilised by keeping cabin-sized suitcases, and you can easily store 5-6 of those and still have space left for smaller office bags.

If you’re hauling large items or shifting houses, you can fold the rear seats as they come with a 60:40 split, and you’ll get a flat floor to keep all your luggage.

There is a 150-litre frunk as well which can be used to keep the car’s charger or small shopping bags.

Mahindra offers the XEV9e with two battery pack options: 59kWh and 79kWh. Both are paired with a single electric motor which delivers power to the rear wheels. 

79kWh Battery Pack

City Performance

Unlike many EVs in the market, there is no learning curve with the XEV9e. The acceleration is smooth and speed increases progressively. While driving in the city, you can get a relaxed drive experience where you can cruise around and easily tackle bumper-to-bumper traffic, but that doesn’t mean it lacks power.

Overtakes can be done effortlessly and getting to high city speeds does not take time. It gets three drive modes: Range, Everyday, and Race, the latter of which can catch you by surprise. You can drive in the Everyday mode for most of your commutes, and the Range mode if you want to maximise efficiency along with regenerative braking. 

Highway Performance

Even on the highways, driving is effortless, and getting to triple digits takes no time which is evident by its claimed 0-100 kmph time of just 6.8 seconds. The XEV9e feels quick even in its normal Everyday mode and if you want a more fun-to-drive experience, you can switch to Race mode. Acceleration is very strong, and overtaking is possible practically at any speeds. 

One thing that we particularly liked was the braking. It is one of the best pedal configurations we’ve seen till date in an electric car, and that’s thanks to brake-by-wire technology. The braking feels very analogue and the brake performance remains constant regardless of which mode you’re in.

59kWh Battery Pack

In our experience, we only drove the bigger battery pack variant, but based on the performance figures, the drive experience should not be that different. 231 PS of power is more than enough to perform quick overtakes and getting to high speeds will also be swift.

Ride Comfort

While driving on smooth roads, the XEV9e remains composed and confident. Over highway undulations, uneven patches, and flyover joints, it remains calm and limits any side-to-side movement. Even on poorly built roads, the 213mm of ground clearance allows it to drive over smoothly and provide a comfortable ride quality.

Handling

In terms of handling, the XEV 9e remains neutral. You wouldn’t really feel the size of the vehicle from behind the wheel. The steering is light and weighs up adequately as the speeds climb. Through corners, it responds as you’d expect — there’s body roll to deal with. But there’s nothing that will catch you off guard.

• The XEV9e comes in four variants: Pack ONE, Pack TWO, Pack THREE Select, and Pack THREE.

• The bigger battery pack is available only with the top-spec Pack THREE variant.

Pack ONE

• Gets all LED lighting setup (except for LED DRLs), 19-inch styled steel wheels, and illuminated front and rear Mahindra logo.

• The cabin gets a dual-tone theme with fabric upholstery and a leatherette wrapped drive selector.

• Features include cruise control, multi-level regenerative braking system, auto AC with rear AC vents, electrically adjustable ORVMs, and driver seat height adjustment.

• Gets a triple screen setup with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay along with a 6-speaker sound system.

• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, rear parking sensors, rear parking camera, driver drowsiness detection, and ISOFIX mounts.

Pack TWO

• Adds connected LED DRLs, sequential turn indicators, welcome and goodbye animations, and 19-inch alloy wheels to the exterior.

• Cabin gets leatherette seat upholstery, 6-way powered driver seat with memory function, and leatherette wrapped steering wheel.

• Additional features include a 16-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, Dolby Atmos, BYOD mounts, front wireless phone charger, dual-zone AC, auto folding ORVMs, and cornering lamps.

• Safety kti gets a boost with front parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system and Level 2 ADAS features.

Pack THREE Select

• No changes to the exterior save for electrically operated flush door handles.

• Cabin gets green inserts on the dashboard, a lighter theme for the leatherette seats, and rear window sunblinds.

• Feature additions include an in-car camera, ventilated front seats, powered tailgate with gesture control, auto park, rear wireless phone charger, and passive keyless entry.

• Safety kit gets a knee airbag, a 360-degree camera, a blind view monitor, and secure 360.

Pack THREE

• Comes with the 79kWh battery pack.

• No changes to the exterior and interior design save for soft touch padding on the dashboard.

• Feature additions include a heads-up display, 4 corner ADAS radars, and additional ADAS features like front and rear cross traffic alert, auto lane change, evasive steering assist, and blind spot detection.

CarDekho Recommends

• Go for the base-spec Pack ONE variant if you’re on a budget. It touches on all basics, comes with a great infotainment package, and does not compromise much on design and cabin feel.

• The one-below-top Pack THREE Select feels the most value for money as it offers a premium cabin experience, loads of feel good features, and a good safety package. Skip to the Pack THREE if you want all the bells and whistles or a higher range.

The Mahindra XEV9e has everything you need and more. First, it covers all the basics like space, practicality, comfort, and performance. Then, it adds some feel good and flashy features which are nowhere to be seen in the segment. And lastly, it wraps up all of that with a usable range of around 500 km.

From the outside, it seems like a great package, and with our limited experience, we can say that it has what it takes to become everyone’s favorite EV. It's not just an EV that you’ll buy as a second car, instead, it keeps the potential to be your only car. The only thing that remains to be seen is its long term reliability.

Other Options To Consider

Tata Harrier EV

Reasons To Consider

• Gets an all-wheel-drive setup

• Better rear seat headroom

Reasons To Ignore

• Not a standout design

• Slightly less usable range

Mahindra BE6

Reasons To Consider

• Sportier styling

• Same features and range for less money

Reasons To Ignore

• Not as spacious or practical