From a compact SUV to a 7-seater and a few coupe SUVs too, here’s what you can expect.
It’s no secret that Mahindra is looking to make up for lost ground in the EV space, and to that end, it has not one or two, but a whole range of electric SUVs in the pipeline over the next few years. You will have read about the first one – the XUV400, an EV derivative of the XUV300 – which is due to launch in early 2023, but it’s what comes after that has the potential to truly shock.
- 5 electric SUVs on bespoke born electric platform
- To start with XUV800 and move to smaller models
- All likely to have coupe SUV derivatives
Bespoke EV platform heavily reworked from XUV700
After the XUV400, which will use the XUV300’s ICE platform, likely in the interest of shortening the development time and getting to market as soon as possible, all subsequent Mahindra electric SUVs will use a bespoke EV skateboard platform.
Developed in-house, a good starting point for this was the XUV700’s platform, thanks to its long wheelbase, which is needed to house a large battery pack. However, it has been thoroughly re-engineered to the point that, for all intents and purposes, it’s an all-new platform, similar to other born-electric architectures, intended to house a large battery pack in the floor and electric motors at either axle.
While the width of an electric platform is set by the width of the battery pack, the wheelbase is flexible and can be lengthened or shortened to suit a variety of segments and body styles. Mahindra has planned numerous different EVs around this, ranging from a 7-seater to a compact SUV. What’s more, unconstrained by an engine up front, a transmission tunnel in the middle, and a fuel tank at the rear, it gives designers immense freedom with not just body shapes and styles, but also the packaging of the interior. In fact, Pratap Bose and his design team are said to have worked on all these SUVs, and many of them are fresh designs, unrelated to existing Mahindra products. Here’s what we know about the five EVs.
Mahindra XUV800 (code: W610)
Estimated launch: June 2024
Electrifying the current flagship SUV, the XUV700, was the obvious first choice, and the XUV800 name is a good way to link it to its ICE counterpart. Doing so cashes in on the success of the XUV700 and would be an easy and quick start on an all-new platform. Likely to be conceptually similar to the ICE variant – using the same basic layout, same silhouette and same three rows of seats – it’s expected to offer the same sort of practicality. The battery pack could be upward of 80kWh in capacity, and it will come with one or two permanent-magnet brushless motors (for 2WD and 4WD) and power outputs ranging from 150hp to 310hp. Expect a price in the region of Rs 30 lakh-35 lakh for this 7-seat electric SUV.
Mahindra XUV900 EV (code: M310)
Estimated launch: July 2024
We already know a coupe version of the XUV700 is on the way (code: W620), and it will likely be called XUV900. The EV version of this (code: M310) should logically be called the XUV1000 but the word is still out on that. Drawing design inspirations from the XUV Aero concept, the M310 will share a lot with the W610, and it’s likely that both SUVs will be similar up to the B-pillar, with common front doors. The big difference, of course, would be a sloping roof with an altogether different rear end, and a 5-seat layout. The price for this flagship SUV, however, could be on the other side of Rs 30 lakh.
Mahindra M110 – Tata Curvv rival
Estimated launch: November 2024
Also in the works is a grounds-up new midsize coupe SUV with a length somewhere between 4.2 to 4.4 metres. This can be seen in the teasers sent by Mahindra and is the coupe SUV a size smaller than the large M310, with a smaller wheelbase. Codenamed M110, this SUV will likely go directly up against the production version of the Tata Curvv, which is due in 2024. Power and torque figures are expected to be a bit lower than the W610 and M310, and a smaller battery is also likely, so expect a lower range. Interestingly, this could be Pratap Bose’s first Mahindra design from a clean sheet of paper, so expect something fresh and different.
Mahindra M210 – midsize SUV
Estimated launch: April 2025
Essentially a conventional SUV-shaped version of the M110, the M210 is likely to be a midsize SUV in the vein of the Hyundai Creta, except that this will be all-electric. Power output should be similar to the M110, and it will likely use the same battery pack too, but the more upright stance should make the interiors roomier and more practical. It will still be a 5-seater, though. Expect this midsize electric SUV to be launched in April 2025, perhaps with a starting price of around Rs 25 lakh.
Mahindra compact SUV / coupe SUV
Estimated launch: Unknown
The least is known about the last electric SUV in the line-up, previewed by the smallest silhouette in Mahindra’s teaser video. The fifth born-electric vehicle Mahindra is planning could be a notch below the M210 and may even have coupe styling, if the teaser is anything to go by. Whilst the other four models are signed off and suppliers have been given RFQs (request for quote), not much more is known about this. However, we can take a stab that it will sit even below the XUV400, as that will have the Nexon EV in its sights.
Which of these Mahindra born-electric EVs are you most looking forward to? Let us know down in the comments section.
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