Game-changing Flagship

Does the Mahindra XEV 9e redefine the eSUV experience as we know it? We put the coupé SUV through its paces in different scenarios to find out

- Gaurav Davare

WE KNOW SPORT UTILITY vehicles (SUV) have been ruling the roost in the automobile space for some time now and, very recently, the trend of coupé SUVs began to emerge with the Citroën Basalt and Tata Curvy. Well, after much anticipation, thanks to concept previews, Mahindra have begun a new era of quiet revolution as well as stepped into the coupé SUV game with the XEV ge. One of two eSUVs launched as part of Mahindra's Electric Origin SUV line-up, it promises a lot on paper, but is it enough to change the game in this ultra-competitive space? We get behind the wheel of the XEV ge to find out just that.

On account of the "Heartcore" design philosophy, one thing that immediately makes this eSUV stand out is its futuristic design and quite close to the concept version, which is a big positive. That said, among the aggressive cuts and the strong shoulderline, there is some curvature giving it a bit more conventional flair. The LED daytime running lights (DRL) and rear connected tail-lamps look sleek, with the closed-off front grille, aerodynamic 19-inch alloy wheels (20-inch ones optional), and flush-fit doorhandles giving a minimalist theme. There is a bit of muscle thrown into the mix with the gloss black cladding, but it's that sloping roof-line, which seamlessly flows into the chunky tailgate, that gives it that attractive coupé SUV silhouette. In fact, if you look closer, you'd think it is essentially a facelift XUV700, just with a coupé body-style, but the XEV ge is a bit longer at 4.789 millimetres. The cherry on top is the illuminated logos that sum up a mature design for the XEV 9e.