If you are shopping for a new electric car between Rs 20-40 lakh range, there are currently quite a few competent offerings in the market. Homegrown carmakers like Tata and Mahindra have been the default choice here, but foreign players like Vinfast and BYD have also been steadily making inroads in the segment. Here, we have listed and ranked the five best electric SUVs that you can currently buy within a budget of Rs 20-40 lakh (ex-showroom).
Mahindra XEV 9S
Price: Rs 20.70 lakh - Rs 30.20 lakh
The Mahindra XEV 9S is not only a well-rounded EV, but it’s also fantastic value for money. It’s powerful and great to drive, offers class-best 450km+ real-world range and is very refined, too. The interior is premium and feature-packed and the third-row, although tight on space, adds flexibility. The XEV 9S is only let down by some ergonomic flaws and an unintuitive infotainment UI/UX. Plus, the touch-heavy user interface could also be a downer for some. Battery options include 59kWh, 70kWh and 79kWh units, with claimed range of up to 679km.
Mahindra XEV 9e
Price: Rs 22.65 lakh - Rs 31.25 lakh
The Mahindra XEV 9e is similar to the 9S under its skin, so their pros and cons are largely the same, although the 9e rides and handles better still. Its coupe-SUV body style lends it better road presence, but it hampers practicality and space inside the cabin. The 9e also misses out on the mid-spec 70kWh battery that’s offered with the 9S, which means it only get the 59kWh and 79kWh battery options, with a claimed range of up to 656km. Despite its few shortcomings compared to the 9S, it is also more expensive.
Tata Harrier EV
Price: Rs 21.49 lakh - Rs 29.48 Lakh
The Tata Harrier EV is more affordable than the two Mahindras above, while also offering AWD on the top trim. It offers better outright performance, while matching them closely in terms of ride and handling and interior features. The Mahindras, however, edge out with greater range, more comfortable interiors, larger boots and faster charging. Do note that the Harrier EV is also known to be plagued with reliability issues and Tata’s service reputation is far from ideal. Battery options on the Harrier EV include 65kWh and 75kWh units. AWD is only available with the latter, in which guise, it can deliver up to 622km of range; in RWD guise, it has a claimed range of up to 627km.
Vinfast VF 7
Price: Rs 21.89 lakh – Rs 26.79 lakh
The Vinfast VF7 is the most powerful and quickest EV here in its top AWD guise, all while undercutting its rivals on price. It’s also got mature driving manners and a premium and spacious interior, even making for a good chauffeur-driven vehicle. However, it falls behind in term of range, refinement is below average and its over reliance on the touchscreen is an irritant. The VF7 gets two battery options – 59.6kWh and 70.8kWh units. The smaller battery can be had only in FWD guise, while the larger battery can be had in both FWD and AWD versions. In all-wheel drive guise, the VF7 produces 350hp and has a claimed range of up to 510km.
BYD Atto 3
Price: Rs 24.99 lakh – Rs 33.99 lakh
The BYD Atto 3 isn’t as quick as the other EVs here, offering a relatively calmer, smoother and comfortable driving experience. It has a supple ride and a funky interior that offers a fair number of features. However, its 49.9kWh and 60.48kWh battery packs are smaller than rivals, returning a claimed range of up to 521km. The Atto 3 is the smallest of the lot here, which means its less spacious on the inside. It is also the oldest model here and the most expensive on account of being a CKD, while all others are locally manufactured.
Dipan Sur
Uday Singh
Viraaj Bhatnagar
