Mahindra XEV 9e review: A new chapter for Indian EVs

Another week and another new SUV. Except the XEV 9e is no ordinary SUV. It’s Mahindra’s flagship electric SUV and marks a pivotal moment for the manufacturer in its electrification journey. Sure, the XEV name might link the model to Mahindra’s XUV range of petrol and diesel models, but it’s not merely an electric conversion of the XUV700. Under the skin, it’s all new. It’s built on a cutting-edge electric architecture that enables some seriously impressive stats, which you will learn about in this review.

The XEV 9e has been revealed with an introductory price of Rs 21.9 lakh (ex-showroom). And the price is only a starting point in a long list of highlights.

Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and dimensions

In terms of frontal styling, the XEV 9e is what I’d picture a facelifted XUV700 to have looked like. It’s new-age, muscular and a whole lot more angular. The face is characterised by daytime running lamps that start low down on the bumper, extend all the way across the bonnet and then dip back down. The main LED headlights are positioned lower down. The grille is concealed, and cooling requirements are actually met by a passage at the bumper’s base.

The angular front end is characterised by large DRLs and a concealed grille.

On the bonnet, you’ll find Mahindra’s new Infinity logo, which will be used on all its electric vehicles. The other thing? The bonnet lifts to reveal a sizeable 150-litre frunk that’s large enough to accommodate a few soft bags with ease.

It’s at the side that you can tell that the 9e is a substantial vehicle. At over 4.7 metres, it is slightly longer than the XUV700; 19-inch rims are standard, and 20 inches are optional. The wheel arches sport a gloss finish, and the finish extends to the base of the doors to highlight the battery pack’s position. The XUV 9e offers 207mm of unladen ground clearance – 218mm if you measure from the lowest point of the battery pack. The wheelbase is 25mm longer than the XUV700’s, and that 2,775mm figure is worth remembering.

The high deck rear with a sloping roofline looks very distinctive.

Flush-fitting front door handles and rear door handles mounted on the C-pillar are other details to note. However, the one element that perhaps really distinguishes the 9e within Mahindra’s SUV universe is its SUV coupe roofline. The sloping window line ends in a pretty high deck tail, and Mahindra has also given full-width LED lighting, which adds a lot of drama to what is already an SUV that is pretty big on show value.

Hidden behind a panel on the left side are the charging ports. The position might not be ideal for all users. The tailgate is powered; it gets gesture control and opens to reveal a 663-litre luggage compartment. There’s room for large suitcases, but do note that while the space is deep, it’s not particularly tall. Also, the loading lip is high. That’s because under the boot floor sits a space-saver spare tyre, beneath which sits the rear-axle electric motor.

633-litre boot is deep, but not tall; loading lip is high

 

Mahindra XEV 9e: Interior space and comfort

Doors that open 90 degrees make getting into the XUV 9e an easy affair. Inside, the XUV 9e feels like a familiar space, but the combined effect of a three-screen layout (digital dials, centre touchscreen and a first-in-segment passenger screen), new steering and new gear selector give it a more contemporary vibe. 

The two-spoke steering finished in gloss black gets an illuminated logo, which lights up when the vehicle is switched on – a slick effect we’ve seen on Range Rovers and, more recently, Tata Motors cars.

The steering is home to touch-operated buttons that look better than they feel. Press with slight pressure, and you’ll activate the horn, and this is irritating. Physical switches for the regen levels, one-pedal driving and boost function are far nicer to use. 

A 3-screen setup and new two-spoke steering make the XEV 9e look more contemporary than the XUV700.

Front-seat comfort is good. The seats are nicely padded, electrically adjustable and have a memory function, and there’s also a knob for lumbar adjustment. The front seats get ventilation, but the control for it is on the touchscreen, and as you’ll learn, this is a recurring theme in the cabin.

Moving a lot of the functions to the touchscreen has freed up space on the centre console, which is now home to a storage space with a wireless charging bay and two USB type-C ports. Up front, you also get two cup holders, a pretty usable box under the front centre armrest, a well-sized glovebox and bottle holders on the doors. However, there’s no storage under the centre console, as is usually seen in ‘born electric’ vehicles. 

Front seats are nicely padded; gets powered adjustment with memory function and ventilation. 

Quality-wise, the XEV 9e does well with nice materials for the most part. The piano black elements look good, but the surface is prone to scratches. The light upholstery is also a challenge to keep clean. Also, I wish Mahindra hadn’t gone for a touch panel for key switches such as the hazard lights. Frontal and side visibility is good, but rearward visibility is limited. The large rear headrests block out much of the view. 

Mahindra XEV 9e: Rear seats

The entry to the rear seat is, again, very convenient. The XEV 9e offers a really good backseat experience, and I’m not talking only in terms of electric SUVs but SUVs in general. I specify this because EVs, with their battery packs positioned under the floor, aren’t known to offer the best seating position. But that’s not an issue with the XEV 9e, which seats you in a comfortable position with good thigh support. The seat is well-cushioned, and the backrest can be reclined, too.

The legroom is impressive, and should you want to stretch out, there’s a boss mode that allows the front passenger seat to be pushed forward at the pull of a lever. The cabin is wide enough for three adults to sit in comfort, and the flat floor is an element the middle passenger will appreciate. The headroom, a typical compromise in coupe-SUVs, is adequate for average-sized adults, but a tall occupant’s head will touch the roof.    

The rear bench is comfortable for three; you don’t sit in a knees-up position, as in most EVs.

Features at the back include sunshades for the windows, a foldable centre armrest (it’s positioned a touch high), air conditioning vents and a wireless charging pad. Mahindra also offers a dock and dedicated 65W charging slot to mount a tablet onto the front seat backrest. What’s cool is that this ‘Bring your Own Device’ feature allows you to control car features from your attached iPad or tablet.

Mahindra XEV 9e: Features and tech

Now, onto the tech, and there’s a lot of it on board made possible by what Mahindra calls MAIA, or Mahindra Artificial Intelligence Architecture. This high-speed Ethernet-based backbone is a next-gen electrical and electronic architecture that’s needed to feed the data-hungry network of software and hardware for everything from the infotainment system to ADAS and vehicle functions.

Let’s start with the 12.3-inch digital dials. The screen is vibrant and offers different themes for each of the driving modes. It can display a full-size map, show the ADAS at work and relay feed from the side cameras. Also included is a sophisticated head-up display with augmented reality that puts info of your choice in your line of sight. Direction arrow overlays at turns are particularly cool.

Central touchscreen is slick and feature-packed but the layout isn't user-friendly.

The 12.3-inch centre touchscreen is slick and responsive to inputs and is packed with apps and features – some handy, some fun and some unnecessary. You will need time to learn the different menus, and frankly, the interface’s layout isn’t the best. Mahindra says the software is still a beta version and that things will be sorted.

In terms of features, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included; there’s a battery and charge readout with a lot of details of interest, and even lap and performance timers. There’s a particularly long list of apps, including for video streaming and gaming, though some just feel like overkill. The apps we tried worked really smoothly. The main touchscreen also serves as the display for the 360-degree cameras. The camera resolution is good, but the 3D view wasn’t super slick.

Passenger screen can stream videos, but lack of a privacy filter is a distraction for the driver. 

The touchscreen is also the go-to control for other car functions, such as the drive mode selector and climate control system, and therein lies a problem. There’s too much on the screen, and while access to these critical features is via physical shortcuts, it just isn’t user-friendly. For instance, the drive mode screen pops up on the far side of the screen. The climate control menus also disappeared from view before inputs were completed.

A unique inclusion is a camera on the roof, part of DOMS or Mahindra’s Driver and Occupant Monitoring System. The camera has multiple uses. It very effectively monitors driver alertness and can also be used for video calls or as a security device to remotely give you a view of your car’s interior. You could also use it in the selfie mode and have a laugh with friends and family using the AI filters.

You can also play with the lighting. There’s the option to have your car put on a light show synced to your music and a range of colour choices for ambient lighting, which extends to the large glass roof, and you can switch between different effects. Again, very cool.

The Harman Kardon sound system with Dolby Atmos really sucks you into the sound experience. 

The 12.3-inch screen dedicated to the front passenger is a unique inclusion on the XEV 9e and is something that we’ve typically seen in significantly pricier and higher-end cars. The screen is really nice to use, and it packs in a whole universe of apps and features, including some shopping apps. It really gives you a lot of avenues to kill time in the car. The apps of greater interest are for video streaming, including YouTube, Amazon Prime and Disney Hotstar. What is disappointing is that the screen lacks a privacy screen or filter. In effect, the screen is visible to the driver and is a source of distraction on the go.

In addition to all that I’ve spoken of, there’s a brilliant-sounding 16-speaker 1400W Harman Kardon sound system with Dolby Atmos, which really sucks you into the sound experience. Plus, there’s auto parking. A particularly handy feature is the option to control the car via the key fob and have it roll into a slot in tight parking spots, saving you the struggle of getting in and out. The feature set really is up there with cars three or four times the price.

The interior camera can be used for selfies, video calls and remote monitoring of the vehicle.

The safety list is long, too, with seven airbags, ABS, ESC, hill hold control, hill start assist and even ADAS that relies on inputs from 12 ultrasonic sensors, five radars and six cameras. Mahindra is gunning for glory with a full five-star rating in adult occupant and child occupant protection. However, there’s no official crash-test rating at the moment.

Mahindra XEV 9e: Architecture, battery and motor

As mentioned, the XEV 9e is not an ICE to EV conversion. It’s a born electric SUV underpinned by Mahindra’s new Inglo skateboard architecture. A rear-mounted motor with a rear-wheel-drive arrangement is standard, and the architecture also supports a front motor enabling all-wheel drive. Inglo will be the base of a whole host of Mahindra EVs of different sizes, including the radical but significantly smaller BE 6e. The only common dimension for all Inglo products will be the 2,775mm wheelbase, within which resides the battery pack. Among the models to come is the XUV700’s electric version with a conventional SUV silhouette.

As for the powertrain, the XEV 9e is available with two options for the battery pack. Lithium-ion phosphate, or LFP, is the chemistry of choice for the batteries, while the battery packs are made up of blade cells that are compact, energy-dense and strong. Mahindra says the battery packs offer the highest level of safety and have been tested for impact, thermal load and water resistance. Mahindra is offering an incredible lifetime warranty on the battery for first owners.

2775mm wheelbase will be common to all Inglo-based electric Mahindra SUVs.

The base battery pack has a 59kWh capacity, and the larger one is 79kWh. The MIDC range for the 59kWh battery pack is 542km; the 79kWh version boasts figures of 656km on the Indian MIDC cycle and 533km on the WLTP cycle. Mahindra claims a 500km-plus real-world range.

Charging options include 7.2kW AC and 11kW AC charging, though, unusually, the cost of the charger and installation is over and above the vehicle’s cost. There’s also DC fast-charging up to 175kW, which allows a 20 to 80 percent charge in just 20 minutes. You’ll be lucky to find a charger of this speed in your city, but it’s good to know the car is ready for the infrastructure when it comes.

Both battery-pack versions use rear-axle motors that drive the rear wheels. Peak power is 231hp for the 59kWh version and 286hp for the 79kWh version, though torque is 380Nm for both. 

Mahindra XEV 9e: Performance and refinement

Featured here is the XEV 9e in 79kWh, 286hp avatar, and its performance is impressive. Pressing down on the accelerator pedal grants immediate go. The power is very satisfying, and overtaking does not require any pre-planning.

Performance is really impressive, as is refinement.

You can fine-tune your experience by shuffling between three drive modes, but what’s nice is that you get ample performance even in the mildest of the three, which is called ‘Range’ mode. ‘Everyday’ mode, the default setting, gives you added pep, but on days when you are in a hurry, you’ll want to switch to ‘Race’ mode, which has the electric motor feel its sportiest. Interestingly, you don’t have to be in Race mode to experience the full might of the electric motor. The Boost function (the button is on the steering) gives a short burst of full power even in Everyday and Range modes. A 0-100kph run yielded a 7.2-second time on the onboard timer. The figure is really impressive.

Like other EVs, the 9e doesn’t make a song and dance about the performance on tap. Road, wind and suspension noises are very well contained, so you can have very soothing experiences or also make the most of the Harman Kardon sound system without any unnecessary background disturbances.

Mahindra XEV 9e: braking

The XEV 9e is good on the brakes, too. The pedal feel is good, as is the stopping power from the all-around disc brake setup. Also nicely set up is the regen braking. There are three levels of regen braking, and you can feel the step between the levels. You also have the option to put the regen completely off to have the vehicle coast on when you lift off the accelerator pedal. 

One-pedal drive is very well-judged. The function can be activated via a steering button.

Also included is one-pedal driving. It’s the strongest mode of regen and is strong enough to bring the vehicle to a halt. Over the drive out of Chennai, I rarely used the brake pedal, which tells you how effective the one-pedal driving system is.

Mahindra XEV 9e: Ride and handling 

The 9e uses independent suspension front and rear, and the arrangement includes semi-active dampers. In a nutshell, the damping force can be altered in response to the surface in all of 15 milliseconds, says Mahindra. The 9e scores really well on ride comfort. The large tyres are not fazed by small potholes that might litter your route, and the sensation is of being in a tough vehicle. It feels very Mahindra in that sense.

Chunky tyres on 19-inch rims deliver a plush ride. Body control is also very impressive.

The 9e is also surprisingly easy to drive. It might be big and heavy, but you don’t get that impression from the driver’s seat. And that’s because at low speeds, the steering is light, you don’t need much effort to twirl it, and even the turning circle is surprisingly small. The bigger surprise is high-speed handling. It’s not roly-poly, as you’d expect a big SUV to be. The big and heavy battery pack positioned low down in the body forms a good base, and the semi-active dampers also work well to keep the 9e fairly flat. There isn’t excessive body movement when you turn from side to side, which means you can carry more speed than you’d expect to. Do so, and you will hear the Goodyear tyres squeal in protest.

The grip levels are good; it feels poised. Actually, it even feels pretty agile and is quite open to changing direction quickly. An integral part of this experience is the steering. At higher speeds, there’s added weight that gives a lot of confidence.

The 9e is big and heavy, but you don’t get that impression from the driver’s seat.

With rear-wheel drive, there are less forces for the front wheels to tackle. The steering feel, on the whole, is nice. On the subject, the 9e is rear-wheel drive, but it’s not an overtly sporty setup. I think Mahindra has wisely chosen to give this very balanced dynamics, which all manners of drivers will be able to enjoy.

When you add up the different facets of the 9e’s driving experience – the way it performs, the way it drives, and the way it handles – you’ll realise that mechanically, it is a very well-sorted package. The 9e comes across as a world-class product, something Mahindra should be proud of.

Mahindra XEV 9e: ADAS

You can even let the SUV assist in some aspects of the driving experience. The 9e packs in a long list of ADAS functions, and the drive out from Chennai highlighted that the system is well-calibrated to Indian driving conditions. Lane Keep Assist is quick to lock onto the lanes and does a good job of keeping the vehicle centred on the lanes. It does get thrown off on poorly marked roads, but what is really nice is that you get a clear indication of when that happens on the head-up display.

Lane Keep Assist works nicely on well-marked roads.

Adaptive Cruise Control does a good job of maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, and you can adjust the distance to your comfort level. It also has the ability to bring the car to a complete halt and get moving when traffic starts moving. Another safety feature that works really hard in the background is Attention Assist, which is part of DOMS. Should the system detect you fiddling around with the menus for too long, dozing off or perhaps even taking out your phone on the move, you’ll get a warning on the instrument cluster. It’s a great feature to have in our very distracted times.

We didn't try out emergency braking, but Mahindra says the system has been fine-tuned to better read Indian road conditions and can identify and react to a cow now.

Mahindra XEV 9e: Price and verdict

It’s hard not to come away impressed with the Mahindra XEV 9e. Big on road presence, smartly turned out and comfortable and roomy inside, it ticks the usual SUV boxes. But it’s as an EV that the 9e really impresses. The powertrain is fantastic, delivering an experience that you’d get in a car a few rungs higher on the price ladder. In ride and handling, too, the 9e is up there with global models. 

The other draw is equipment. Talk comfort features, safety features, or even flashy kit; the 9e’s list is long. However, with so many features and so many different systems talking to each other, Mahindra will have to ensure the tech runs glitch-free, and that’s no easy task.

Also, the confusing UI/UX needs improvement and maybe even a redesign further down the road. Customer deliveries only start by February or March 2025, so Mahindra has some time for last-minute fixes. 

Prices for the 9e start at Rs 21.9 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base 59kWh variant, and we expect the fully loaded 79kWh variant with all the bells and whistles to come in under Rs 30 lakh. Factor in all that you get for the money, and you’ll find immense value in the 9e. But the question is whether the buyers shopping at this price point ditch their beloved petrol and diesel SUVs for an all-electric 9e. The pull factor sure is there.

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