Mahindra XEV 9e first drive review

The Inglo platform that these cars are based on allows for a bit of flexibility in how the body is designed, and the Mahindra XEV 9e manages to slot in with its larger frame quite conveniently. As such, the battery and rear-mounted motor are the same, but the XEV 9e is obviously the larger of the two cars stretching beyond the wheelbase. 

You get a typical SUV-like body and design, with the higher seating position, more space in the rear and boot, and the ride dynamics that come with it. There’s also the massive sunroof, which comes with its own mood lighting setup. That said, the sunroof doesn’t open fully to let you get some air or pop your head out, which is probably a good thing.

Inside the cabin, the XEV 9e is more spacious and luxurious, largely thanks to the massive triple-display infotainment system and instrument cluster. There are three 12.3-inch displays lined up next to each other in a row, with the digital cluster on the right, primary infotainment display in the middle, and the passenger-focused display on the left. The centre display is the actual powerhouse here, providing detailed stats on everything from driving data to battery and charge details, apart from covering the infotainment basics.

 

 

 

 

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The passenger display is limited to just a few things, including music controls, the time and date display, and the Fun & Work app package (more on that later). It’s a bit disappointing that you can’t use anything else on the third display. For example, it would have been nice to be able to access car statistics and data while Android Auto or Apple CarPlay are in use on the centre display, or even to allow the passenger better control and visibility over navigation.

The software was still in beta on the test vehicles, and was therefore a bit buggy and occasionally unresponsive. While the displays and functions worked fine once they were loaded up, there were a few odd bits that made navigating the interface difficult. 

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However, wireless Android Auto worked quite well, and there’s also support for wireless Apple CarPlay, making navigation and taking calls fairly easy once I had paired my phone. There’s also a projected AR heads-up display (visible only to the driver) which shows the speed and navigation instructions in a convenient and distraction-free way.

A rather unique part of the infotainment package is the ‘Fun & Work’ app package, which interestingly runs a bunch of other apps and services within it - sort of like a browser loading web versions of the apps and services. In this, you get streaming services such as YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, news apps, and even shopping apps such as Amazon, Flipkart, and BigBasket, among others.

 

 

 

 

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Now many of us will wonder what we’re supposed to do with most of these apps in a car, but it’s interesting that you have the option to use them. Naturally, the car has its own mobile data connectivity through an embedded SIM and data plan, so all of these apps were completely functional on the XEV 9e.

The primary infotainment display will only let you use the Fun & Work apps when the car is stationary and in park mode, but the passenger-side display can function fully even while the vehicle is in motion. It’s interesting to be able to watch videos or content on the go this way, and I suppose if you really wanted to, you could even order some groceries or pizza on the way home…

The Mahindra XEV 9e is the larger of the two new electric SUVs, and feels more like an SUV too. Although both cars are built on the same Inglo platform, the XEV 9e has a larger body on top of the electric platform, along with the typically higher seating position and spacious cabin of a typical mid-range SUV.  You get a spacious back seat, plenty of boot space, and a more traditional looking front row as compared to the BE 6e.

 

 

 

 

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The car is available in two battery options - 59kWh and 79 kWh. The motor and performance is the same regardless of your choice of battery, which only has an effect on your driving range. Mahindra claims a figure of up to 656km per charge on the 79kWh battery for the XEV 9e, while the motor delivers 282bhp of power and 380Nm of torque - likely the most powerful figures for a car from an Indian brand. 

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Interestingly, there’s also super fast charging which claims a 20-80 percent charge in 20 minutes. That’s not something we’d recommend on a regular basis though; just use it in urgent situations. Most of the time, the battery health will benefit from slow and overnight charging.

Driving the XEV 9e is a breeze, thanks to excellent ride quality and handling, and zippy power delivery and instant torque which helps with all kinds of city and highway driving. Between the two cars, the XEV 9e feels a bit more planted and imposing because of its size, but it’s the heavier of the two and therefore has a slightly lower power-to-weight ratio. In practical road conditions, you’ll still get plenty of performance, and excellent handling even at high speeds.

The bigger and more expensive of the two new electric SUVs from Mahindra, the XEV 9e is also the more practical. It’s spacious, powerful, and plenty of fun in the cabin, thanks to a decent (but buggy) infotainment system with plenty of screen real estate. Features such as the Sonic Studio Experience and Dolby Atmos support will work well with the Harman Kardon speaker system, too.

Between the two new cars, get this one for more space and a better overall ride on Indian roads, as well as the road presence. For now, there’s really nothing else that compares to the Mahindra XEV 9e at the price, especially in the rapidly growing electric SUV space.