MAHINDRA BE6 E

MAHINDRA NEW EV/BE (BORN ELECTRIC) BE6E 

INTRODUCTION 

It’s safe to say that no one expected Mahindra to build a car that was so close to the concept model. The car that you see here, is called the BE 6e. It is based on the INGLO platform. This is a born electric (BE) vehicle, which means that it has been developed from the ground up as an EV. This is really important as it gives the designers a clean slate to explore all possibilities and Mahindra’s designers sure seem to have gone all out with the design of the BE 6e. The car looks  futuristic and shares its underpinnings with the XEV 9e. The big difference is the area of focus. While the XEV 9e is comfort-oriented, the BE 6e is all about sportiness and agility. Mahindra has done a good job of differentiating the two cars. If you’re wondering about the size, the bigger XEV 9e is roughly the size of an XUV700 / Tata Safari while the BE 6e is smaller and comparable to the Hyundai Creta or the Tata Curvv.

Just like the bigger 9e, the BE 6e gets 2 battery options - 79 kWh and 59 kWh. The bigger 79 kWh battery pack is mated to a 282 BHP motor and the smaller 59 kWh battery pack is mated to a 228 BHP motor. The motor is mounted on the rear axle and powers the rear wheels only. Enthusiasts don’t relate to EVs as fun vehicles. However, given the lack of affordable rear wheel drive cars in our market, this is an EV that might just attract some of the enthusiasts. Keeping the EV vs ICE bit aside, this car genuinely feels to have been designed around the driver. We got to spend some time with it, so here are our initial observations.

Since the BE 6e shares its platform with the XEV 9e, there are some similarities between the two cars which you might see in the review as well.

Mahindra BE 6e Pros

• Looks like something that’s straight out of the future. Has a very unique design inside out. Surely a head-turner

• Powerful motor sends 282 BHP to the rear wheels (0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds)!

• Low centre of gravity, stiff suspension and connected steering offer a great handling package

• 79 kWh battery pack should comfortably offer 450 - 500 km real-world range. This is enough even for road-tripping with the family

• Lifetime warranty on the battery is a big assurance for EV owners

• 455-litre boot and the 45-litre frunk are good enough for family holiday luggage

• Fully loaded with a bunch of unique features like interactive rear LED strip, augmented reality integrated head-up display, infinity roof with interactive lights, 16-speaker Harman Kardon system with Dolby Atmos, selfie camera, UV filtration glass, auto-park with remote car control and many more

• Safety features include Level 2+ ADAS, 7 airbags, fatigue alert system, all-wheel disc brakes, ESP, front parking sensors, 360-degree camera, hill hold, hill descent, TPMS, etc.

Mahindra BE 6e Cons

• Uncomfortable rear seat experience. High floor, difficult ingress and egress and limited headroom (due to the sloping roofline)

• Stiff suspension setup means you feel the bad roads. Ride is liveable, but not for someone looking for a comfortable suspension

• Concept car-like styling may not be to everyone’s liking. Will surely divide opinions

• Rearward visibility is poor, as is the case with most Coupe-SUVs

• Some cabin plastics don't feel premium in an otherwise loaded SUV. Excessive piano black in the cabin isn't to my tastes and makes it very difficult to keep scratch-free

• This car is extremely complex - we have concerns over niggles & bugs in a freshly baked Mahindra, especially the early batches

• Mahindra's after-sales service is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble. Wondering how many of them will be able to handle such a complicated car too

• Missing features like a full-size spare tyre (you get a skinny 135 mm space saver which will cap your cruising speed to 80 km/h), cooled glovebox, rear sunshade and no physical buttons for HVAC controls

Mahindra BE 6e Price & Brochure

Mahindra has announced the introductory starting price of the BE 6e - Rs. 18.90 lakh (ex-showroom). More details on the pricing will be available when bookings open  in January 2025 and deliveries are expected to commence by the end of March. The starting price for this ‘Pack 1’ variant is for the smaller 59 kWh battery pack and is pretty attractive. Some of the features included in the Pack 1 are a 228 BHP motor powering the rear wheels, one pedal drive, Bi-LED auto headlamps, LED tail-lamps, rain-sensing wipers, 6 airbags, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 5G connectivity, rear parking sensors with camera, connected car features and more. The brochure and more details will be revealed closer to the launch.