Mahindra unveils its first e-SUV XUV400; claims 456 km driving range, 150 kmph top speed

Homegrown sports utility vehicle (SUV) manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra, on the eve of World EV Day, unveiled its first all-electric SUV ‘XUV400’ with the company’s new twin peaks logo with a satin copper finish for the domestic market. Mahindra claims that its XUV400 EV boasts cutting-edge technology, powerful features and thrilling performance.

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd, in a statement, said: “The Mahindra Group is committed to becoming Carbon Neutral by 2040 and our EV game plan is at the core of this mission. We are doing our part against climate change with the unveil of the All-Electric Mahindra XUV400, a fun-to-drive, generously sized SUV boasting excellent interior room for our discerning customers.”

The SUV manufacturer also revealed that the new XUV400 would be available for test drives from December 2022, followed by bookings, price reveals and deliveries in early 2023. The XUV400 goes up against Tata Nexon EV and Nexon EV Max.

“The market too is extremely receptive for a clean, enjoyable and capable vehicle, and we foresee stupendous growth in the category. The XUV400’s class-leading acceleration delivers an adrenaline rush, while its exceptional range offers anxiety-free drives. On the eve of the World EV Day 2022, we are proud to present to India’s young trendsetters the fun and fast XUV400,” Nakra added.

Looks and design: Mahindra’s latest SUV looks largely similar to the XUV300 and gets a new closed-off grille with arrowhead-shaped inserts and the new ‘Twin Peaks’ logo in the centre. It also features LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs).

The XUV400 will be available in five colour options - Arctic Blue, Everest White, Galaxy Grey, Napoli Black and Infinity Blue.

The new XUV400 stands 4200 mm long and 1821 mm wide. It has a 2600 mm wheelbase and 378 litres/418 litres (up to the roof) boot space. The XUV400 rides on high gloss alloy wheels featuring a diamond-cut high-contrast surface treatment.

In terms of interior, XUV400’s dashboard design is similar to its ICE counterpart. However, the XUV400 gets an all-black interior with bronze highlights around the AC vents and some switchgear as compared to XUV300’s light colour theme. The nee e-SUV also features gloss black inserts on the dashboard and steering wheel.

Powertrain and performance: Mahindra claims that the new electric SUV is the first Indian make passenger vehicle with the fastest acceleration in the non-luxury segment and can reach the 100 kmph mark from a standstill in 8.3 seconds. XUV400 has a top speed of 150 kmph and a driving range of 456 kilometres as per Indian driving cycle standards (MIDC).

The XUV400 features three driving modes - Fun, Fast and Fearless. Mahindra also claims that the new e-SUV is capable of single pedal driving as it comes with regenerative braking feature.

The SUV comes with a 39.4kW battery pack that uses Li-ion cells and takes 50 minutes to complete 80% charging with the 50kW DC fast charger. However, when charged via a 7.2 kW/32A outlet, the SUV takes 6 hours 30 minutes for 0-100% charge, while the same is achieved in 13 hours using a standard 3.3 kW/16A domestic socket.

Safety and features: The XUV400, which is built in collaboration with global partners from South Korea, leverages strengths across various segments – an advanced tech eco-system for speed and expertise – including calibration, system integration and vehicle validation, revealed Mahindra.

R Velusamy, President, Automotive Technology and Product Development, M&M Ltd, while explaining the development of the new e-SUV, said: “We started the development of the XUV400 by leveraging Mahindra’s R&D capability with teams spread across Bengaluru, Pune, and Chennai. We have tested the vehicle globally under extreme weather conditions along with testing of its fast-charging compatibility (CCS) in multiple geographies to ensure seamless experience for our customers. The XUV400 is based on our hugely successful XUV300 platform, which has been engineered to ensure every drive is safe, while delivering authentic SUV attributes. Combined with BlueSense Plus app for control of vehicle functions and status on mobile application, the XUV400 is a fun, peppy and stylish e-SUV for all those who are future-ready.”

Mahindra’s latest EV shares most of its features with its ICE sibling XUV300 and features analogue instrument cluster with digital MID, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system running the automaker’s proprietary AdrenoX infotainment software. The only noticeable differences are in the centre console, which gets a newly designed drive selector instead of a traditional gear lever.

The e-SUV XUV400, in terms of features, gets equipment like dual-zone climate control, single-pane sunroof, cruise control, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and connected car technology with OTA updates. Mahindra XUV400’s safety features include six airbags, disc brakes for all four wheels, an IP67 rating for the battery pack and ISOFIX anchorages.