Mahindra XUV Electric, BE5, BE7, BE9 First Look Review

Mahindra has just made a ton of announcements which include the unveiling of five new EV SUV prototypes, a vital merger, introducing a new electric sub-brand, and showed us their brand new, state-of-the-art, design studio based out of Banbury in the United Kingdom.

Yes I know this is too much to take in at once so let’s break it down and check out the details.

First up, let’s start with the hub of all these things, MADE or rather, Mahindra Advanced Design Europe which is Mahindra’s brand new state-of-the-art design centre which is based out of United Kingdom. Now, this design studio will be the base where all future Mahindra EVs will be conceptualised and created, along with advanced vehicle design concepts.

M.A.D.E is equipped with state-of-the-art design tools, enabling it to handle end-to-end design activities including conceptualisation, 3D digital and physical modelling, Class-A surfacing, digital visualisation and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) design.

Mahindra has decided to partner with Volkswagen and signed a term sheet for supplying MEB Electric Components for Mahindra’s new Electric SUV family. Now, this is indeed a huge piece of news for both companies.

Besides the supply of EV components, Mahindra and Volkswagen are also exploring further cooperation, including platform sharing and cell manufacturing, which would also not be limited to only India. In addition, the two companies will explore further opportunities for collaboration, opening the perspective towards a broader strategic alliance to accelerate the electrification of the Indian automotive market.

The upcoming Mahindra EVs will be sold via two new sub-brands, XUV.e and BE. The XUV.e also gets the same twin peak logo in a copper shade.

For the EVs, Mahindra has just unveiled a brand new architecture, which has been developed using MEB components from Volkswagen. Called INGLO, this modular electric skateboard will underpin the company’s new range of born-electric EVs.

The new platform will offer a wide range of adaptability along with a significant reduction in weight and will be one of the lightest skateboards.

According to Mahindra, INGLO will use a common battery pack design. The battery pack will come with capacities ranging from 60-80 kWhr and will be able to sustain an impressive 175kW fast-charge and will be able to charge up to 80% in less than 30 min. According to Mahindra, the 80kWhr battery should offer a driving range between 400-450 km under the WLTP cycle.

Powering the new SUVs will be a compact electric motor with a motor-inverter-transmission and will be offered with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. According to Mahindra, rear-drive models will get up to 286BHP, while the all-wheel drive models will get up to 394BHP with a 0-100 kmph time between five-six seconds.

We also managed to drive a very early prototype of the XUV E8, which means Mahindra should be able to meet the launch timelines as scheduled. The first to arrive will be the XUV.e8 in December 2024 followed by the XUV.e9 in April 2025, and later in October that year, the BE.05 will debut, while the BE.07 is slated for October 2026. For now, the launch of the BE.09 is yet to be decided.

Now let’s get to the meat of the matter, the five new electric SUVs. The XUV.e will have two models, the XUV.e8 and XUV.e9, while the BE will consist of three SUVs, the BE.05, BE.07 and the BE.09.

XUV.e8

This is the prototype that we managed to get our hands on for a very short spin in the parking lot. The e8 is based on the XUV 700 and is expected to be a seven-seater. The e8 will get AWD and will aim to offer supreme ride comfort both on and off the road.

XUV.e9

The e9 is expected to be the top-shelf SUV with an emphasis on style which is immediately noticeable with its coupe styling and is expected to get a panoramic sky roof as well. The e9 will be a five-seater SUV that will aim to combine the traits of an authentic SUV along with the aerodynamic silhouette of a coupe.

BE.05

According to Mahindra, the BE.05 is an electric SUV that follows the spirit of the Thar. Further, Mahindra describes the SUV as “a racing-inspired bold design complemented seamlessly by multi-sensory experiences”. It also calls the BE.05 a “Sports Electric Vehicle”.

BE.07

The BE.07 is expected to be positioned between the BE.05 and BE.09 and is expected to be launched in October 2026. Unlike the other SUVs that sport a coupe-type silhouette, the BE.07 will have a tall stance with a flat roofline, squared wheel arches, long vertically placed LED DRLs, and identical tail lamps.

BE.09

Just like the XUV e9, the BE.09 will sport a coupe body style too. According to Mahindra, the BE.09 will be a head-turning Grand tourer SUV with a chiselled design, dynamic roof and solid stance. It will allow four passengers a first-class experience in comfort and driving. Mahindra has not specified the launch timeline of the SUV but we expect it to be introduced sometime in 2027.