We know that Mahindra is working on new electric vehicles for the Indian market. They showcased the electric version of the XUV300 and KUV100 at the Auto Expo 2020. There have also been sightings of the test mules of both vehicles. Now, according to a tweet from Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India, Mahindra will be launching the XUV300 EV in Quarter 1 of 2023.
The tweet also reveals another interesting thing. The tweets say that the electric XUV300 will not be a sub-4 metre compact SUV. Instead, it will be a 4.2-metre long mid-size SUV. This is because there are no tax advantages for compact SUV electric vehicles so Mahindra wants to take advantage of most of the length. Hence, the new SUV will measure 4.2-metres.
This decision by Mahindra is quite interesting. The XUV300 EV was supposed to be a direct rival to the Tata Nexon EV but now the XUV300 EV will be larger. This means there should be more space for the batteries and occupants too. So, expect an ample amount of space in the new electric SUV.
Earlier, there were reports that Mahindra wants to distinguish the electric version of the XUV300 from the internal combustion-powered version of the XUV300. Some reports even suggested that Mahindra might call it the XUV400. Well now, it makes a bit more sense that the electric XUV300 will be larger than the internal combustion-powered XUV300 so yes, they might call it the XUV400 or it could just be a codename for internal use.
A test mule of the XUV300 EV was also spotted on our Indian roads. It was very similar to the ICE-powered XUV300 but was running on steel wheels and the charging port’s door was located on the front fender. There were no other changes to the SUV. However, it could be an early prototype and Mahindra will use the powertrain for the new electric mid-size SUV. As of now, it is not known whether Mahindra will be making changes to the design or will just increase the length of the current XUV300.
Moreover, Mahindra is expected to offer the XUV300 EV in two variants. The difference between them will be the battery size. So, there would be a regular version and a long-range version. The regular version will be enough for people who will use the vehicle for daily commutes whereas the long-range version will be for those who will be using the electric SUV for long tours. The regular version is expected to have a driving range of 200 km whereas the long-range version is expected to cover 375 km on a single charge.
Tata Motors also launched the long-range version of the Nexon EV recently. It is called Nexon EV Max. Where the Nexon EV is able to hit around 200 km on a single charge, the Nexon EV Max is able to do 60 km more.
