Mahindra XUV400 EV

The XUV400’s exterior styling is the same as it launched on day 1 back in 2023. And despite being based on the XUV300, the XUV400’s styling has its own character. It borrows the ruggedness from its ICE sibling, but adds bling through the copper inserts all over. They have been tastefully integrated and help the XUV400 stand out, especially with its white and black exterior colors.

The front might not look very futuristic, but its conventional styling boasts some premium elements nonetheless, like the sleek LED DRLs. They look chic, especially with the extending copper strip that runs below them. But the design of the headlights isn’t that impressive. Not only do they look a bit aged, they also make do with halogen projector headlamps, no LEDs here. As a result, their performance in low visibility conditions is strictly average.

The muscular fenders and cladding maintain the rugged look in profile, but it's the rear of the XUV400 that’s by far the most chunky overall. The bumper is massive and so are the taillights, which get interesting LED elements within them. 

Despite the update being given to the 3XO, the overall styling of the XUV400 doesn’t seem outdated. Sure, there aren’t any futuristic or over-the-top design elements here, but most people should still like the XUV400’s conventional styling.

With its recent update, Mahindra finally gave the XUV400 the interior it deserved in the first place. It is a nice place to be in, with the dual tone theme creating a sense of space – not that there is any scarcity of it.

Just like the exterior, the styling isn’t futuristic, but rather conventional. But despite the simple design, it looks premium, with the big infotainment screen taking centre stage in the rather chunky dashboard. There’s copper inserts here as well, which along with the piano black elements up the premium factor. But the latter does pick up dust and scratches rather easily, so keep a dusting cloth handy!

While the central AC control unit has big, well-defined buttons and dials, the display for the AC controls is rather slim and looks old school. Mahindra could’ve offered digital displays within the two temperature and fan speed control knobs, which would’ve made the cabin look modern and even more premium. 

The cabin quality is decent with no major complaints, though it could be better. Fit and finish are good, there’s leatherette seats on offer and you also get soft-touch materials on the central and door armrests. But the rest of the cabin sports plastic elements only. It isn’t hard scratchy plastic, but given that the same platform-based 3XO offers soft-touch materials on its dashboard and door pads, the same material could’ve been offered here as well. 

It gets leatherette seats, which not only feel nice to touch but are actually pretty comfortable on both short and long journeys. Their cushioning is on the softer side, and you get good support from the big side contours as well. There’s manual seat height adjustment on offer, and despite the omission of telescopic steering adjustment, finding a comfortable driving position is easy.

So not only does the XUV400 deliver on space and comfort for the front passengers, there’s no shortage of storage spaces either.

Practicality

Most cars get the usual 1-litre bottle pockets on all four doors. But the XUV400 goes one step ahead and offers two bottle slots in each door for the front passengers. Your coffee mugs can be stored in the two cupholders in the central tunnel, above which is a decent cubby hole underneath the armrest. The wireless charging pad can be used to keep wallet and keys when not in use and you also get a roof mounted sunglass holder. 

The glovebox is generous too and can store your knick knacks along with the vehicle documents. Moving to the rear, there’s a phone storage area beneath the rear AC vents and two  cupholders in the central armrest. There are two USB ports up front, while the rear occupants get the convenience of a 12V socket along with a type-C port. 

Before this update, the XUV400 offered an open space in the passenger-side dashboard, which has not been removed. It was useful to store loose stuff like keys and the XUV400’s practicality would’ve been even more complete if this space was still available.

Features

The XUV400 got plenty of new features with its fresh cabin design, including a few premium ones that were previously a sore miss. Highlights include dual 10.25-inch screens, dual zone climate control, wireless phone charging, rear AC vents and connected car technology. 

The new infotainment screen runs on the same interface as the XUV700. It is easy to use, works lag-free and has crisp graphics. Toggling between core menus is easy, courtesy of the physical buttons just underneath the screen. It still doesn’t get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which has been awaiting its integration via an OTA update since birth. Just get it done with, Mahindra!

The driver’s display too feels premium with neat graphics. It relays a ton of information, right from trip details to tyre pressure figures – all of which takes scrolling of some menus. Navigating through them might be confusing at first, but you get a hang of it rather soon as the steering-mounted controls are well laid out. 

Another highlight for the driver display is the navigation feed that can also be shown directly here. But sadly, it only works with Mahindra’s in-built navigation, and not with Google or Apple Maps.

Despite the XUV400 gaining so many new features, it still misses out on equipment compared to its rivals and the list includes a branded audio system, ventilated seats, 360-degree camera and vehicle-to-load tech. These misses pinch even more so when you realise the smaller 3XO offers more kit than the XUV400.

Sure, not having a few of these features won’t necessarily mean that you’re missing out or compromising, but ventilated seats and 360-degree camera are things that you would surely have appreciated. Given that the 3XO and XUV400 share a lot of similarities in their cabin, it is possible that Mahindra could add these features as part of a facelift very soon. Dawn of the 4XO? Only time will tell.

Rear seat experience

The XUV400’s rear seat experience is best in its segment. Just like the front seats, the rear bench offers both balanced cushioning and support, which makes it a comfortable place on long distance journeys. And because the cabin is wide, the floor is flat and the backrest is flat-ish, three people can actually sit here without any complaints. Sure, their shoulders might rub ever so slightly, but that’s acceptable. In fact, the middle passenger also gets a headrest, so they won’t have issues on long distance journeys as well.

Average-sized adults won’t complain about knee- and headroom. But yes, room for stretching your legs is restricted and to a certain extent, so is the underthigh support. That’s because you sit in a slightly knee-up position and really tall adults (6ft+) could feel a slight discomfort here because of the low seating.

But no one will ever feel cramped in the XUV400’s rear seats. The cabin already is spacious and you get big windows that offer a clear view out. So whether you’re looking at it as a chauffeur driven vehicle or one that will be comfortable for your elderly parents, the XUV400 won’t disappoint you. 

No entity has crash tested the XUV400 yet, but it is based on the XUV300, which received a full five star rating by Global NCAP. In terms of features, the XUV400 gets dual airbags, ISOFIX mounts, all-four disc brakes, tyre pressure monitoring system, and ABS with EBD as standard equipment. 

The top-spec trim further gets six airbags, rear defogger with wiper and washer, hill-hold assist and a rear view camera. Although, the execution of the rear view camera could’ve been better as the feed’s quality isn’t the best and it doesn’t guide guidelines either. The latter will be added via an OTA update, says Mahindra.

One of the advantages of the XUV400 over its chief rival and even the 3XO is its boot space. Thanks to the elongated rear, you get 378 litres of space. Not only is it massive, but the floor is deep and the area is wide, so a full suitcase set that includes a small, medium and large suitcase can fit easily. Even after that, you have space for a duffle or a couple of laptop bags.

Additionally, the rear seats fold 60:40, which allows you to store more or longer items. However, the floor isn't flat since the seats are slightly raised, and, also, Mahindra still doesn’t offer a parcel tray here. But overall, the XUV400’s boot won’t leave you wanting for more.

Driving the XUV400 is a very pleasant experience and despite its electric nature, new or amateur drivers won’t take time to adapt to it. There are three driving modes on offer – Fun, Fast and Fearless – and irrespective of the drive mode you’re in, you won’t feel a lack of performance. 

Power is delivered instantly, courtesy of its electric nature, which makes both city and highway overtakes very easy. The acceleration is quick, but doesn’t feel scary as the throttle calibration is smooth. So when you get on the throttle, the XUV400 picks up speed smoothly and doesn’t feel jerky. 

Between the three driving modes, you’ll feel a change between its throttle response and steering weight. The fun mode is equivalent to a conventional Eco mode, wherein the car picks up speed very smoothly, which is adequate for relaxed city and highway driving. If you want the throttle to be sharper, you can switch to fast or even the fearless mode if needed. 

The car picks speed really quickly in the latter, and while it is still smooth and linear, it can be a little overwhelming for a new driver who isn’t used to an EV’s instant torque. But even new drivers won’t have any issues getting used to the XUV400’s regenerative braking. It varies slightly between the three modes and the intensity depends on the speed of the vehicle, but it still feels natural at all times. You additionally get a single-pedal drive mode, which has really strong regen and can bring the car to a complete standstill as well. That’s something you will certainly appreciate in bumper to bumper traffic. 

Another thing to appreciate is the XUV400’s range. Mahindra claims 456km, but we’ve tested the SUV from 100% to 0% and found its real-world range  to be exactly 290km. 

To put that into perspective, if you have a daily running of around 40kms, then you’ll only have to charge the vehicle once a week. And with 290km of real-world range, you can take it beyond the city borders and easily do intercity trips like Delhi-Jaipur, or Mumbai-Pune, provided that you have a charger at the destination. 

In fact, if you don’t mind planning ahead, you can do even longer road trips with the XUV400 as it gets fast-charging capabilities of up to 50kW. The DC fast charger takes only 50 minutes to charge the XUV400’s battery from 0-80%. So when you stop for some stretching and snacking, your car can juice up quickly as well.

Beyond your usual city commutes, the XUV400 can definitely be used as a road trip vehicle too, because not only is the performance and range adequate, its ride quality is also appreciable and will maintain your comfort at all times.

The XUV400’s suspension takes up all the potholes, speed breakers and rough roads that our city’s infrastructure can throw at it. It works silently and you’ll rarely ever feel movement inside the cabin, despite the additional weight of the battery pack. Even when you miss a speed breaker or pothole and can’t brake and stop the vehicle in time for it, the XUV400’s suspension will still keep the movement to a minimum and absorb the impact for the most part. 

It is only over really broken roads with deep potholes that you’ll feel movement inside the cabin, which could be uncomfortable for older people sitting in the back seat. So it is best to take those patches at a really slow speed. 

The ride comfort is appreciable on the highway too as the car feels planted and the movement is controlled despite any sudden change in elevation. It is stable around a corner too – that is, if you drive in a regular manner. Drive a little spiritedly and the XUV400’s additional weight makes itself known and the car starts to understeer. But take it easy and your family won’t have anything to complain about on those road trips in the hills.

In a day and age where cars try really hard to grab your attention with futuristic, alluring gimmicks and looks, the XUV400 sticks to the basics and gets them right.

It might not look futuristic, but its styling is still attractive and relevant. The cabin design, too, is simple, but has no ergonomic issues. It doesn’t compromise on comfort, and has plenty of space, including the rear seats, which are best in its segment. 

Yes, it does miss out on a few feel-good features, but it’s not like the current list has any major miss enough to change your decision. In fact it is likely that those missing features will be added to the XUV400 very soon, after which, there won’t be any big miss in its package.

It’s true that living with an EV with the current infrastructure isn’t as stress-free as owning an ICE vehicle. You might struggle to find a charger sometimes and you will have to plan your road trips as per the availability of chargers. But if thinking ahead and planning your routes isn’t too big of a limitation for you, then the XUV400 can be your family's sole vehicle. 

You won’t go wrong with it, especially if you prioritise an effortless and refined driving experience over feel-good features without compromising on the cabin’s space, comfort and practicality.