Mahindra at the Auto Expo 2020 showcased their e-XUV300 which is a based on the XUV300 internal combustion engine SUV. The e-XUV300 upon launch will rival the Tata’s Nexon EV in the Indian market. The e-XUV300 is underpinned by the brand’s MESMA (Mahindra Electric Scalable Modular Architecture) platform which will also be used on all future Mahindra Electric products.
On the outside, the e-XUV300 features an aerodynamic closed grille design flanked by diamond-patterned advanced LED headlamps with blue inserts. The bumper has a layered design with blue accented features and a grated air dam. The profile of the e-XUV300 has rounded wheel arches, black plastic claddings with blue patterned alloy wheels and gloss black A and C pillars. Also, the ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirrors) have been replaced by rear view cameras placed on a stem-like mount. The rear of the car gets a combination tail lamp with blue and black inserts, sharp cuts & crease lines and blue elements on the rear bumper.
Though the powertrain and range details on the electric vehicle are not available at the moment, speculations are that the e-XUV300 will come with a 350V and possibly a more powerful 380V powertrain with AC fast charging. Its close rival, the Tata Nexon EV comes with a Liquid-Cooled PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) with a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion liquid-cooled battery pack which generates 129 PS of power and 245 Nm of torque coupled to a single-speed transmission claimed to return a range of more than 300 km on a single charge.
While the showcased e-XUV300 had some advanced features, the production model may or may not come with some of those and speculations are that the brand will bring the road-going EV with LED projector headlamps, conventional design alloy wheels instead of the patterned ones, conventional ORVMs in place of the outside rearview camera but the blue styling elements which distinguish the EV from its internal combustion engine sibling is expected to remain.
While the Mahindra e-KUV100 has been launched in India at the price of INR 8.25 lakh the e-XUV300 is expected to be launched in the second half of 2021 to rival the Tata Nexon EV, and prices could be in the range of INR 12 – 15 lakh ex-showroom.
