Upcoming Mahindra XUV300 Electric To Take On Tata Nexon EV Max

Mahindra might name the upcoming electric SUV, XUV400 instead of Electric XUV300 as it will be a larger vehicle

Mahindra was the first mainstream Indian manufacturer to venture into electric mobility for the masses. They acquired Reva, an electric car manufacturer, and launched the E2O, E2O Plus and E Verito in the Indian market. Mahindra was going to be a shining example with a very early start it had with electric vehicles. But the plan didn’t materialize as Mahindra expected.

E2O and E2O Plus looked polarizing, had underwhelming performance and had questionable safety and integrity. E Verito on the other hand was too inferior as a product for the price it commanded. Despite the headstart, Mahindra didn’t become the mass-market EV leader that it hoped for. Instead, that title is held by Tata Motors, deservingly so. Tata Motors based their EVs on already popular and desirable cars like Tigor and Nexon unlike Mahindra with Verito and Reva cars.

Mahindra XUV300 Electric

Mahindra wants to get back in the EV game and XUV300 Electric will be its first product of the eight passenger EVs it plans to launch by 2027. The company is also considering a partnership with Volkswagen as the German automaker has a successful EV portfolio.

Mahindra recently revealed that their first EV will be launched in the first quarter of 2023 and it will be around 4.2 metres in length. We expect the product to be unveiled by the end of 2022. Mahindra might name its first electric XUV400 instead of Electric XUV300. This shift in naming scheme might be due to the fact that the upcoming electric SUV will share its dimensions with SsangYong Tivoli instead of XUV300.

SsangYong is a South Korean automobile manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra. Tivoli is a compact MPV by SsangYong that measures a little over 4.2 metres in length. XUV300 SUV in India, is a chopped-up Tivoli with more ground clearance. Mahindra intends to retain Tivoli’s dimensions on their upcoming electric SUV and as it is bigger than XUV300, XUV400 name makes sense.

With larger dimensions, XUV300 Electric will have a proportionate design and a decent boot capacity, unlike XUV300. Mahindra has also stated that XUV300 Electric will source high energy-dense NMC cells from LG Chem. NMC cells are superior to the cylindrical LFP cells found on Nexon EV and EV Max. With this move, XUV300 Electric might be more powerful and have a longer range than Tata’s EVs.

Launch and Competition

Mahindra has officially announced that the electric version of XUV300 will be launched around first quarter of 2023. Even though the car was showcased at 2020 Auto Expo, supply scarcity for battery cells and other EV components specifically designed for XUV300 Electric has delayed plans. The uncalled Covid crisis is another factor for the delay.

As EVs in India aren’t taxed as much, Mahindra isn’t bothering to trim down the Tivoli to fit sub 4-metre constraints. With the bigger size, it will be larger than Nexon EV and Nexon EV Max. It will be more comparable to MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona which are similarly sized. We can expect the upcoming Mahindra electric SUV to be priced in similar range as Nexon EV Max. If Mahindra delivers a good product with more range than the Nexon EV Max, it will be a very compelling product for the Indian EV market.