Mahindra and Mahindra, India’s homegrown UV maker, known for launching some of the most iconic cars in India, is on a launch spree and updated its portfolio with multiple segment-leading products including 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N, Mahindra Thar among others. Joining the list is the Mahindra XUV400, which happens to be the company’s first-ever electric SUV, and the India-made SUV with highest electric battery range. While Mahindra has confirmed the launch date to be in Janurary 2023, the brand revealed the SUV recently and we tested the vehicle at the Mahindra SUV Proving Track in Chennai. Here’s key 5 takeaways from our recent drive of the 2022 Mahindra XUV400 EV.
Mahindra XUV400 is an electric Vehicle, and a major deal breaker in EVs is the range of the vehicle, however, that’s not the case with the XUV400. The Mahindra XUV400 happens to offer the best in the segment range of 456 km on a single charge as per the MIDC cycle, which makes it a viable option for those looking for a small electric SUV with credible mileage.
It gets a 39.4 kWh battery pack that can be topped up upto 80% in less than an hour using fast charging. Mahindra might offer a wall mounted AC charger with the SUV that can charge the battery upto 100% in 6-7 hours.
Mahindra XUV400: Performance
At the start of the video I mentioned that the XUV400 happens to be the fastest made in India electric SUV with 0-100 kmph in just 8.3 seconds. This performance comes from a massive torque output of more than 300 NM which is available right from the moment you press the accelerator. We managed to touch three digit speeds with very less effort and hats off of Mahindra for providing tank like stability to the SUV.
Apart from performance, Mahindra has done an incredible work in tuning the suspension and the steering which felt balanced and refined. Just like the beautifully crafted gear lever, the gearbox is tuned to perfection as well. The auto unit also gets an ‘L’ mode for city driving where you don’t need to use the brake and lifting the foot off the accelerator enables heavy recuperation, that stops the vehicle.
The design of the Mahindra XUV400 is taken from the Mahindra XUV300, which happens to be the compact SUV from the brand and was based on the Ssangyong Tivoli, but was redisgned to bring it under 4 metres for tax benefits. However, the EV happens to retain the original dimensions as the Ssangyong Tivoli, which was showcased as the Mahindra eXUV300 at the 2020 Auto Expo.
This time around, company has used multiple bronze painted elements to distinguish XUV400 from XUV300, which includes the new ‘Twin Peaks’ logo. Dimension wise, the Mahindra XUV400 is a mid-size SUV which is 4.2 metres in length and is the widest car in its segment. That lends it a planted, muscular profile.
Mahindra XUV400: Cabin
In terms of cabin design and features, the Mahindra XUV400 has taken an old-school route with a small infotainment screen, lots of buttons here and there, missing out on multiple new-age features. What you get a sunroof, digital instrument console, cruiser control among other things. Quality and finish wise, there’s a lot left to be Desired but thankfully, the launch is still far and we hope Mahindra will crease out the small issues we faced in the pre production units.
Mahindra XUV400: Price
Mahindra is pitching the XUV400 as a C-segment electric SUV, which means Mahindra XUV400 is being stacked against the MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona. However, given the history of Mahindra, we are anticipating the Mahindra XUV400 to be priced similar to the Tata Nexon EV MAX.