Mahindra entered the electric vehicle segment a couple of years ago with the BE6 and the XEV 9E. A year after that, Mahindra launched its first seven-seater electric SUV, the XEV 9S. This changed things, and we started seeing EV sales for Mahindra picking up. For the last two months, the Mahindra XEV 9S has been the best-selling electric car in the Indian market. Mahindra sold around 3,743 units of the XEV 9S in the month of August alone. Here we have a video of a customer who recently bought the base variant of the XEV 9S and drove the car for over 2,500 km in just 20 days. Here is what he feels about the base Pack 1 variant of the 7-seater EV.
The video has been shared by Walk With Neff on his YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger introduces us to Rohit, who recently bought a Mahindra XEV 9S Pack 1. In this video, he shares his real-world experience with the EV after driving it for around 20 days. The customer opted for the Pack 1 variant because of the battery pack options. Usually, we have seen brands offer only the smaller battery packs with the entry-level variant. However, Mahindra did things differently. They are offering both 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery packs right from the base variant, and that gives customers more options to choose from.
The customer had initially planned for the Pack 2, but the revised prices of the EV forced him to look for other variants due to budget constraints. With the price revisions, the Pack 2 was going over Rs 28 lakh on-road. This is also a reason why he went for the Pack 1, where he was getting the bigger battery pack with the same performance within his budget. The Pack 1 cost him around Rs 26.5 lakh, on-road.
The customer upgraded from a Ford Fiesta, and he is instantly impressed with the overall performance and instant torque. He really liked the fact that despite the Pack 1 being the base model, Mahindra decided to offer a decent number of features like a triple-screen setup, panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, cruise control, six airbags, a rear-view camera, and so on.
He also spoke about the tight turning radius and the powerful LED headlights, which are a boon while driving at night on our highways and country roads. The SUV also comes with a 6-speaker system, which sounds decent. The customer is really happy with the overall space in the cabin and even mentions the generous legroom, good under-thigh support, and sliding and reclining second-row seats for added convenience.
The customer mentions that he has been using the EV in the city and on highways for a while now, and he has been getting anywhere between 400–480 km in Normal mode in the city and on highways. In hilly regions, the SOC drops pretty fast, but thanks to regenerative braking, he was able to compensate for the same on his way down.
While the customer likes the EV, there are a few things he wishes were better in this SUV. He mentions that Mahindra does not offer an electric folding function for the ORVMs. The flush-fitting door handles do not pop out in the base variant, and that becomes a problem for people who are not used to them. He also mentioned that the third row is only suitable for kids and said that Mahindra should have offered front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera to make life easier for the driver while driving or parking on narrow streets.
While he didn’t have any complaints about the handling and performance, he felt that the suspension setup on the XEV 9S could have been better. He mentions that at low speeds, the suspension feels too soft, and the car bounces for a second and takes time to settle. He is also not a great fan of touch and haptic controls and says that physical buttons would have made more sense, especially for features like climate control.
The customer is happy with the EV, as he finds it to be a brilliant option for anyone who is looking for a practical 7-seater EV under Rs 27 lakh with a 450 km real-world range. The XEV 9S is a value-for-money product.