I am confused between the Mahindra BE 6 Pack 2 and the Mahindra XEV 9e (considering it as a 5-seater). My monthly driving is around 1,500-2,000 km, with approximately 60% highway usage.

Autocar India

•2d

For your requirement, we would pick the Mahindra XEV 9e. It feels the most complete package here, with a large battery, strong real-world range and a cabin experience that genuinely feels special and premium. It also benefits from Mahindra’s much stronger sales and service footprint compared to a new entrant like VinFast.The Tata Harrier EV QWD is undeniably quick and impressive, but its range is meaningfully lower than the XEV 9e, which makes the Mahindra the easier long-term ownership proposition if range matters to you. Tata’s service reach is strong, but consistency can still vary depending on your city and dealership.The VF7 AWD is the wildcard. It is quick, fun and interesting, but VinFast’s sales and service network in India is still very limited compared to Mahindra and Tata, which makes it a harder recommendation when reliability and support are explicitly your top priorities.

Mahindra XEV 9e

Tata Harrier

Vinfast VF7

Autocar India

•1d

That is significantly lower than expected. In our real-world testing, the Mahindra XEV 9e delivered around 425 km in the city, 488 km on the highway and a combined figure of 456 km. So getting only 190 km from 100 percent down to 15 percent is nowhere near normal performance.Even allowing for heavy AC use, aggressive driving or dense city traffic, that kind of drop is excessive. This is not something that should be dismissed as normal EV behaviour. We would strongly recommend getting Mahindra to inspect the car immediately, because this could point to a battery calibration issue, software problem or another efficiency-related fault. A range figure that low on a 79 kWh battery is simply not in line with what the car is capable of delivering in the real world.

Mahindra XEV 9e

Autocar India

•1d

Insurance and finance are where dealers make a healthy margin, so taking an outside quote can often lead to meaningful savings. Just keep in mind that some dealers may pull back part of the car discount once they know you plan to source insurance externally, so compare the overall deal, not just the insurance line item in isolation. If there is no meaningful dealer discount on the Mahindra XEV 9s, getting insurance from outside usually makes more sense.For an EV like this, the must-have add-ons are zero depreciation, return to invoice, battery and EV component cover (if not already included), consumables cover, and roadside assistance. Also, an engine protector is equivalent only if the insurer explicitly covers EV electrical systems or water ingress-related risks. Tyre cover is optional, but worth considering given the replacement cost of larger wheels and tyres on a car like this.A realistic saving with an outside policy, even with all the essential add-ons, could be in the 20 to 25 percent range, depending on the insurer, city and IDV structure. The key is to make sure you are not compromising on EV-specific battery and electronics coverage purely to save money.

Mahindra XEV 9S