Is This India’s Best SUV?
India is probably the only country in the world where a family of four walks into a car showroom and asks for a sevenseater. Because what if one day the entire extended family, their luggage and the neighbors kid all want to go on a road trip together? And that’s why this exists, the Mahindra XEV9S. And electric or not, this might just be India’s best SUV. You could think of the XCV 9S as an upright, more practical 7 seat SUV version of the rather popular XCV 9E. And that’s a good thing because much like the 9E, you get two battery options here as well, a 59 kWh and a larger 79 kWh, which should be good for a predicted real world range of about 500 km. And that is plenty for that family road trip. The entire family would also be entertained through the trip, not because of the triple screens in the front or the provision to magnetically mount your iPad or iPhone in the back, but because of the 285 horses and 380 Newton m of torque that the 9S puts out. Because of course, nothing unites a family more than their mutual displeasure for unwanted acceleration. and acceleration you will have plenty of because 100 comes up in just 7 seconds. And yes, it is still rear wheel drive. So, if you have the place and the skills, it will slide. Oh, yes. And uh speaking of sliding, the second row really is the place to be in the XEV9s. It slides, recines, and has ventilation. Plus, the fact that you can mount your device here with a neat charging port tucked in there as well. You have a large glass area thanks to the panoramic sunroof, sun shades, and so much more mean that this really is one of the best second rows when it comes to electric SUVs. this side of a cr and a crow is almost exactly what you’d end up shelling to get things like a powered boss mode function and a banging 16 speakeraker Harmon Carden sound system with Dolby Atmos. But even cars at that price can’t quite match the comfort of the 9S. Like the 9, you get semi-active dampers and a five link independent rear suspension at the back. And in English, what that means is that you don’t really have to slow down for bad patches or potholes. And not only will the car come out the other side smiling, but the neighbor’s kid that’s sleeping all the way in the third row, they will still be sleeping. And that alone is worth the X showroom price, if you know what I mean. By the way, that third row isn’t just for kids. With the second row slid all the way forward, there’s enough knee room for a 5′ 11in adult like me to squeeze in. And thanks to the upright roof line, the headroom is fineish. But the fact that you’re essentially sitting on the floor with your knees really high up means you definitely won’t be calling dibs to sit back here. Unless of course you’re the youngest sibling, in which case you will always be sitting back here. You do get 527 L of boot space with the third row folded down. But the thing is that for us Indians, welcoming people or guests into our homes is an aspiration. And that of course also translates to our cars in today’s day and age. And even though you may only use that third row six times in your 10 years of ownership, the fact that you can just adds to that sense of pride. Sure, it’s not perfect. The ride though comfy in the city tends to get bouncy at speed. And while we had no software glitches in our short drive, I genuinely hate the use of piano black and touch sensitive buttons all over the cabin. I’m also not a big fan of the design if I’m honest. It looks a bit bulky and heavy instead of imposing and athletic. But that is more of a personal opinion because starting at just under 20 lak rupees, what isn’t a personal opinion is how well kitted out and well priced this is the pack 1 variant already has the triple screen layout and the panoramic roof as standard. And even then when you take the topsp spec pack 3 above variant which is just under 30 laks you’re still getting one of the most feature- packed comfortable and practical electric SUVs out there which is still very impressive. This then is for sure one of if not the best SUV India has ever made. This is the first time I’m driving up the Nundi Hills road which is crazy. I’ve lived in Bangalore for like 4 years. I’ve come here for countless drives but never driven up the Nandi Hills road and I think it’s fantastic. I mean all of you people from Bangalore have such a nice road that you have access to. Sure traffic is a little bit sketchy at times like it is sketchy in front of me right now. But overall a very nice road. It’s great tarmac. It’s marked lanes and just a really nice guard to drive past through.
India loves a 7-seater, and Mahindra just built one of the best. The XEV 9S takes the 9E’s electric goodness, adds space for seven, extra comfort in the second row, 285hp, semi-active dampers, and so much more. It’s not perfect, but for ₹20–30 lakh, this might genuinely be one of the best SUVs India has ever made.
#PowerDrift #MahindraXEV9S #XEV9S
Chapters:
00:00 – Why India Wants 7-Seaters
00:18 – Meet the XEV 9S
00:42 – Battery & Range
00:56 – Features
01:06 – Performance
01:35 – Second Row Comfort
02:06 – Tech & Ride Quality
02:46 – Third Row Test
03:16 – Boot Space
03:44 – What’s Not Good
04:05 – Design Talk
04:17 – Variants, Pricing & Verdict
04:55 – Unscripted – Nandi Hills
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