Mahindra’s BE 6e and XEV 9e ‘just happen to be electric’. They are all about tech

One criticism has been that Mahindra has used a lot of foreign parts and technology on these two vehicles. But anyone can source the best parts, the challenge lies in integration.

Mahindra’s BE 6e is a driver-centric vehicle | By special arrangement

Mahindra and Mahindra has launched two electric vehicles—BE 6e and XEV 9e—both of them developed by the manufacturer from the ground up. They are good looking machines, with the tech and safety credentials to boot.

“These two SUVs just happen to be electric,” said Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and CEO, Auto and Farm Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra. “The lower running cost is not even the icing on the cake, it is something beyond that,” he told me, “what will draw buyers to these two vehicles is the amount of technology onboard.”

And after driving both the BE 6e and XEV 9e, they blew me away with the onboard technology. But it would remiss to not say that they were also very good to drive. Fast, thanks to a 210kW motor but agile around the corners as well despite the nearly one-ton weight of the battery pack. And the XEV 9e was pretty spacious as well.

I have been covering India’s automotive industry for almost 25 years now. I started around the time Mahindra and Mahindra was reinventing itself by launching the Scorpio. And as much as I enjoyed driving that vehicle back in the day, even taking one on an epic road trip from Mumbai to Alappuzha, the term ‘refined’ never applied to it. Mahindra has come a long way since then, but there are always some hitches here and there; even on the new Thar Roxx which I drove back in August this year.

By that same measure, I was hard-pressed to find any issue with either of these two vehicles. Let me first clarify that this was a ‘first drive impression’, not a review. Driving a vehicle for an hour or two, particularly pre-production prototypes, doesn’t give you a full impression of the car. And even though we left our hotel in Chennai at 7 am, the traffic from the southern metropolis toward the industrial belt further south was pretty intense.

Mahindra’s XEV 9e is more of a family car. | By special arrangement

The BE 6e was a fun vehicle to drive, given its driver-centric nature. It’s aided by its rather radical looks, the wrap-around cockpit with roof-mounted controls and a fighter-jet inspired gear shifter. The XEV 9e was more of a family car and its side profile bore a family resemblance to the XUV 700. It reminded me of the XUV Aero concept Mahindra had shown at the 2016 Auto Expo. That is not to say that the XEV 9e is a slouch, both vehicles have the same INGLO platform developed at Mahindra Research Valley outside Chennai.

One criticism has been that Mahindra has used a lot of foreign parts and technology on these two vehicles. The platform uses parts from Volkswagen’s MEB electric vehicle platform, the cells are BYD’s Blade Cells and the motor is sourced from French manufacturer Valeo. I would like to defend it on this count—anyone can source the best parts, the challenge lies in integration. While the cells do come from China, BYD’s cells are used by a whole host of manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz. Maruti-Suzuki too will be importing battery packs from BYD for the upcoming eVitara. Mahindra, on the other hand, constructs the battery pack themselves using in-house ‘Cell-To-Pack’ technology.

Jejurikar and R Velusamy, chief of global product development, did however clarify that as volumes grew, more and more of these two SUVs as well as future electric products would be localised.

Dancing lights and soundscapes

I tried both vehicles at the test facilities at Mahindra SUV Proving Tracks (MSPT) facilities outside Kanchipuram, even taking the BE 6e to its top speed of 202 kilometers per hour on the high-speed banked oval. I also drove them around Mahindra’s ‘Handling Circuit’ with its tight corners. Both the vehicles were extremely agile, the BE 6e more so as it was slightly lighter and smaller. Do note though, that both both vehicles have a similar wheelbase and wheel track.

But Jejurikar was right, these cars were all about the tech. Take for example the 16-speaker, 1400-watt Harman-Kardon audio system that allows you to replicate ‘soundscapes’ like Wembley Stadium or the Royal Opera House in Mumbai. I put it to the test and it sounds fantastic. As good as, if not better than, some of the audio systems on luxury-brand cars that I have driven. Little wonder then that Mahindra was benchmarking themselves against those marques.

On the BE 6e, the connected LED taillight can also ‘dance’ along to the music. The XEV 9e features a 110 centimeter large triple-screen display. The co-passenger screen can be used in conjunction with an inward-facing camera to make video calls or even play videos. And then there is the ‘Infinity Roof’. Both cars have ambient lights, but what’s truly unique is that the glass roof is etched with designs and is backlit. In fact, Velusamy told me that the company hopes to offer customisable designs. “You can have your own face etched onto the roof design and backlit,” he said. Knowing how vain some Indian car buyers are, this will almost certainly be done.

Safety first

One could get lost in the feature list. But there is another important feature that goes beyond technology, and that is safety. The MSPT also has a crash-test laboratory and the press got to experience a live crash-test of a Mahindra XEV 9e conducted according to GNCAP/BNCAP offset-frontal regulations at 64 kilometres per hour. And the car passed with flying colours. Both vehicles will feature seven airbags and also use specialised high-strength steel in vulnerable parts to protect the occupants and the integrity of the battery pack.

Mahindra has also impressed everyone with the pricing for the ‘Pack 1’ base variants of both vehicles. It will start at Rs 18.9 lakh for the BE 6e and Rs 21.9 lakh for the XEV 9e. While these ‘Pack 1’ variants might lack some of the more enticing technology and feature the smaller battery pack (even though a 59kWh battery is bigger than anything rivals offer), these prices will definitely pique the interest of consumers.

On the face of it, Mahindra has caught up—not with the German luxury carmakers they were benchmarking against, but Chinese EV manufacturers who are dominating the world. Now, will these cars manage to give the Indian EV market the shock treatment it needs? I hope so, but that’s a question that only the Indian consumer will be able to answer and that too after February-March 2025 when deliveries start.

Kushan Mitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets @kushanmitra. Views are personal.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)