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It’s been quite a while since I’ve driven a Mahindra. The last car I drove from the company was the XUV 300, and it was a blast. It was the 1.5L Diesel, which claimed to have the best-in-segment torque of 300 Nm. And it did. Diesel engines, dare I say, have become a thing of the past. Even before the age of EVs, diesel-run mills were the black sheep of the combustion engine family; always in the crosshairs of environmentalists and tree huggers alike.
But truth be told, that was the last thing on my mind. Revving the engine on the XUV 300 and coaxing every bit of torque from it put a smile on my face. It felt planted. It felt like it wanted you to drive hard. It felt like a driver’s car. That is something Mahindra did very well with the XUV 300.
This was back in 2019. Five years later, the automotive world is a different place, especially in Nepal. EVs have taken charge and are the talk of the town. SUVs remain the most coveted segment. Throwing their hat into the mix, Mahindra recently launched the XUV 400 into the Nepalese market, their first electric SUV.
The XUV 400 is built on the same platform as the XUV 300. And in this review, I chase the high of driving the latter.
Built on the same platform, the XUV 400 has similarities to the XUV 300. The most important difference is that it isn’t a sub-4m car anymore.
To accommodate the battery pack, the Mahindra XUV 400 now stretches to 4.2 meters and has gained an additional 7mm of height. As a result, the XUV 400 looks better proportioned than the 300. It is also worth noting that the XUV 400 boasts the best-in-segment wheelbase (2600mm) and width (1821mm).
There are other cosmetic changes too. Mahindra has speckled the exterior with copper colored accents. For those of us accustomed to chrome accents, this looks pretty fresh. As you might have already caught on, the premise of copper is that it is a good conductor of electricity.
On the test unit handed to us, which came in their Napoli black shade, the copper accents looked stunning. The dual-tone copper roof with the copper spoiler looks splendid, and I genuinely enjoyed looking at it parked by the side of the road from our third-floor office.
You get projector headlamps with LED DRLs that do a great job of illuminating the roads at night. You also get front fog lamps and LED tail lamps. The 16-inch diamond-cut alloys also look good.
The interiors of the Mahindra XUV 400 get an all-black treatment. They have carried forward the chrome accents in the interiors as well. You will find them around the AC vents, gear selector, and the twin peak logo on the steering wheel. The chrome accents have been tastefully used and work well with the overall design of the car.
In-cabin space is very good, even in the back seats. The seats provide good support, and the availability of rear air-con vents is a bonus. For the most part, the car feels like a premium offering. The materials used are of good quality, the 10.25” touchscreen display is clear and lag-free to use, and you get wireless charging for your phone, dual-zone automatic temperature controls, and a small electric sunroof. The physical buttons and knobs make life much easier by making AC and audio adjustments much easier and safer when driving.
However, some elements feel less premium. The rear camera display doesn’t come with adaptive guidelines (they have been promised as an OTA update) and does not have accurate lateral elements in your way. You have to manually slide open the sunshades for the sunroof, and you don’t get electrically adjustable seats.
On a car that costs ver Rs.50 lakh and is otherwise decked out with good features and functionality, having to reach under the seat and scooch your bum forward to adjust the seat feels awkward. The sound system could also definitely be a lot better. The boot space measures 378L and is plenty for a small family trip. It is worth mentioning that the added length gives the XUV 400 a leg up on the XUV 300 boot space of 257L.
While you will notice that the test unit provided to us has a gaping space where the glove box should be, we have been assured that delivery units will come with glove boxes already attached.
When it comes to safety, Mahindra does not mess around. The XUV 300 received a GNCAP rating of 5 stars, and the XUV 400 should also yield similar results once it has been tested. Nevertheless, you get a host of safety features that should instill a sense of confidence in owners. These features include 6 airbags, ESP with Hill Hold Assist, TPMS, an IP67 rating for the battery and motor, crash detection and cut-off safety, and liquid cooling on the battery pack along with efficient thermal management.
Here is what you need to know: The Mahindra XUV 400 provides the highest power, 110kW (150PS), and torque, 310 Nm, in its segment, powered by a high capacity of 39.4 kWh battery. The XUV400 is also the first Indian passenger vehicle with the fastest acceleration in the non-luxury segment, as it attains the 100 kmph mark from a standstill in a mere 8.3 seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 150 kmph.
So, you know it’s a fast car. But what does that mean? For the everyday driver, the 0 to 100kmph stats on their own don’t mean much. Nevertheless, they tell a lot about the car’s performance capabilities. As promised, the XUV 400 feels fast. You get three modes: fun, fast, and fearless. Eco, Normal, and Sports.
Fun mode is the least fun among the three modes. The eco mode for Mahindra, the XUV 400 is mundane. The steering is feather-light, which makes it great for city driving. On the plains, the fun mode is adequate and honestly, the one that I would choose for everyday commutes since the torque delivery isn’t too violent. On steeper inclines, this mode struggles to provide pace. You have to mash the accelerator to gather speed, but once you gain momentum, things get better.
Fast mode brings along a big jump in performance. The steering feels heavier and the car becomes significantly more responsive to your accelerator inputs. Importantly, though, the pedal response in fun mode is linear and not too jerky. That is until you decide to put the pedal to the metal and floor it. Then the XUV 400 bolts off the line and continues to gather pace until you reel back your right foot or, I assume, you reach the top speed of 150kmph.
Switch to fearless mode and the gloves come off. This is where you make all 310 Nm of instant torque work for you. While the performance jump isn’t monumental, the fearless mode is what makes the XUV 400 this much fun. The throttle response is instant and propels you forward with an aggression akin to a greyhound released onto a racing track.
This feeling gets increasingly more addictive, and you have to restrain yourself from picking this mode even when you are in standstill traffic. Not only does fearless mode have too much grunt for in-city driving, but it also affects your battery range the most.
All that fun comes at a price. If you are looking to conserve battery range, fun mode is your best bet. The claimed MIDC range is 456 km, but realistically, you can get somewhere around 250 km with a mix of city and highway driving. When you do run out of battery, the 7.2kw AC charger takes 6.5 hours to get you to a full charge and just 50 minutes if you have access to a DC charger.
You do not get a choice of levels for regenerative braking. In the XUV400, the regenerative braking varies depending on factors like the speed that you are doing when you lift off and the drive mode that you are in. There are 5 transmission modes to choose from: P, R, N, D, and L. The L mode stands for Lively mode. This mode allows one-pedal driving, where if you get your foot off the accelerator, you will slow down to a complete halt. This increases brake regeneration and is a handy feature to have.
Happily, the XUV 400 isn’t just exciting on fast straights. The suspension setup is slightly on the stiffer side, and you will notice bumps and jolts seeping into the cabin. On the bright side, the stiffer suspension allows you to take on swift corners with more stability. There is a better feel of control on the turns, and it proves to be a fun car all around.
Although body roll in the rear seat is significant. Disc brakes on all 4 wheels inspire enough confidence to push this very capable car.
The Mahindra XUV 400 stays true to the fun driving character of the XUV 300, and it lives up to its claims of being the fastest in its segment. While I do miss the linear driving fun and some of the familiar quirks of internal combustion engines, the XUV 400 still proves to be a delight on the road. The instant torque and responsive handling make it an exciting car to drive, especially in its fearless mode.
At Rs. 52.50 lakh, the XUV 400 is not cheap, and it's worth noting that the Tata Nexon EV comes at a more affordable price point. However, the XUV 400 feels more premium both in terms of styling and driving fun. The copper accents, spacious interiors, and advanced features contribute to a sense of luxury.
Despite this, I do wish Mahindra hadn’t skipped out on some features like adaptive guidelines for the rear camera and electrically adjustable seats, which would have enhanced the overall experience. Nonetheless, the XUV 400 is a compelling option for those looking for an electric SUV, and I did not miss the old diesel engine all too much.
