The much-anticipated Mahindra BE 6e has been launched today with introductory prices starting from Rs. 18.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The BE 6e is one of the two new electric coupe-SUVs that Mahindra has unveiled today alongside the new XEV 9e. Apart from the design which is arguably one of the biggest highlights of the BE 6e, some figures of interest include an ARAI certified range of up to 682km, 281hp of power and a claimed 0-100kph sprint time of 6.7 seconds.
The 6e is the first product from the newly constituted, electric-only BE sub-brand. There will be more products under this name which have been previously previewed by the BE.07 and BE.09 concepts.
- Mahindra BE 6e gets 59kWh and 79kWh battery pack options
- Is available only in rear-wheel drive guise at launch
- Full price list to be revealed in January at the Bharat Mobility Show
Mahindra has currently only revealed the price of the base trim of the BE 6e which it is calling as the Pack 1. This variant is available with the smaller 59kWh battery pack; prices of higher-spec trims will be revealed later.
Mahindra BE 6e exterior design
What’s really impressive about the BE 6e is that it looks nearly identical to its very radical concept. In fact, the only noticeable differences on the production version of the SUV are the conventional wing mirrors as opposed to cameras on the concept, and slightly different positioning of the flush-fitting door handles. Styling is sharp and edgy all around, and the pronounced wheel arches with the thick gloss black cladding around the sides and on the face creates a nice dual-tone finish for the exterior. A really cool detail is the air duct between the lights that channel air through the bonnet for better efficiency.
Other elements that stand out include the illuminated logos, the C-shaped LED daytime running lamps enclosing the main headlamp cluster and the two-part split spoiler and full-width wrap around LED tail lights at the rear. The high-deck rear with the coupe roofline and a wraparound glasshouse also gives a very distinct silhouette, but that seems to have pinched the window line which could compromise the view out from the second row. The rear bumper also gets a diffuser-like effect, further accentuating its sportiness.
Mahindra BE 6e dimension
The BE 6e measures 4371mm in length, 1907mm in width and 1627mm in height, and it has a wheelbase of 2775mm. The coupe-SUV rides on 19-inch aero-optimized wheels with 245/55 section tyres, lending a very strong road presence. One can also opt for larger 245/50 20-inch wheels. Mahindra says the BE 6e has a ground clearance of 207mm and a turning circle of less than 10 meters which is pretty impressive. It has a boot space of 455-litres and an additional frunk space of 45-litres.
Mahindra BE 6e interior and features
The interior design is just as radical as the exterior, carrying forward a lot from the concept. The most distinctive element here is the halo-like trim that wraps around the driver side of the cabin, giving a cockpit-like feel to the interior. It extends from the dashboard to the center console, effectively splitting the cabin into two halves, and even houses the driver’s side AC vents; the passenger side AC vents are also seamlessly integrated in a slim strip on the dashboard.
Instrumentation and entertainment duties are handled by dual, 12.3-inch floating screens running a new software called MAIA with 30+ pre-installed apps. The BE 6e also gets a segment-first augmented reality head-up display. Other highlights include a new two-spoke, flat-bottomed steering wheel with an illuminated Mahindra logo and a floating center console that houses an aircraft thrust lever-style drive mode selector, a rotary dial for drive modes, a wireless charging pad and cupholders. Being a born EV, there’s a nifty open storage area just below the floating center panel. There’s also another aircraft-style control panel on the roof housing lighting and sunroof controls, and unique strap-type interior door handles.
Top-spec variants of the BE 6e also comes equipped with dual-zone climate control, a huge panoramic sunroof with integrated muti-colour lighting patterns and laminated glass, auto park assist, an in-car camera, electronic parking brake, a Dolby Atmos 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, ambient lighting, powered driver’s seat, 5G connectivity with in-built Wi-Fi, Level 2 ADAS suite, 360-degree cameras and 7 airbags. The 6e allows for a unique BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) feature where you can plug-in any external device in the second row and stream your desired content.
Mahindra BE 6e interior battery, range and charging
The Mahindra BE 6e will be offered with two battery packs – a 59kWh unit and a 79kWh unit - with an LFP (Lithium iron phosphate) chemistry. It is underpinned by Mahindra’s scalable and modular born-EV INGLO platform which employs BYD’s blade cell technology, and uses what the brand calls a ‘compact three-in-one powertrain’ made up of a motor, an inverter and the transmission.
The BE 6e will be offered in two states of tune – the 59kWh battery-equipped variants produce 228hp, while the 79kWh battery-equipped variants produce 281hp; torque is rated at 380Nm for both variants. At launch, the BE 6e is only available in rear-wheel drive guise, although an AWD version could be on cards for the future. Mahindra is claiming a 0-100kph sprint time of 6.7 seconds for the higher-spec variant of the BE 6e. The car offers three drive modes – Range, Everyday and Race.
The larger battery pack has an ARAI claimed range of 682km, or a WLTP range of 550km. Mahindra is also providing lifetime warranty on the battery pack and claims that using a 175kW DC fast charger, the batteries can charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. As standard, however, the company will be providing either a 11.2kW AC charger or a 7.3kWh charger on a chargeable basis. Other technical highlights of the BE 6e include regenerative braking, electric power steering with variable gear ratios, semi-active suspension system, brake-by-wire technology and all four disc brakes.