Almost a year after its global debut in the UK, the Mahindra BE.05 electric SUV has been spied testing for the first time – on the outskirts of Chennai, near Mahindra Research Valley.

1. BE.05 EV SUV will go on sale by October 2025
2. Will be a direct rival to the Tata Curvv EV
3. Sits on born-electric INGLO platform

Mahindra BE.05 SUV: what do the spy shots reveal?

At first glance, the BE.05 SUV test mule looks almost identical to the concept shown last year. However, a closer look reveals some subtle changes. The styling is now smoother with lesser cuts and creases on the exterior panels, and the cameras that were used on the concept in place of wing mirrors have now been replaced by conventional wing mirrors.

The massively flared wheel arches also seem to have been toned down, but the striking C-shaped LED daytime running lamp treatment on the aggressive fascia remains unchanged from the concept. The window line also seems a little more conventional than in the concept. 

Mahindra BE.05 SUV dimensions, styling, interior

The BE.05 retains its four-door SUV-coupe styling from the concept which gives it quite a unique look. In concept form, the BE.05 measures 4,370mm in length, 1,900mm in width, 1,635mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,775mm. We expect the production version to also have a similar footprint.

The prominent air duct seen on the bonnet of the concept, however, has now been replaced by a conventional bonnet design. And although not distinctly visible here, the flush door handles from the concept could move to a more conventional location and not at the top of the door in the production version. 

Being an SUV-coupe, the BE.05 features a sloping roofline that neatly blends into the rear-end. At the back, the BE.05 features C-shaped tail-lamps and a heavily styled bumper, which, like the front styling, will carry on to production with mild design tweaks.

While there are no spy shots of the production-spec BE.05's interior, the concept featured a dual-screen layout with a two-spoke steering wheel and a rotary control with a large gear selector.

Mahindra BE.05 SUV platform, powertrain

The BE.05 will be one of the many born-electric Mahindra SUVs to sit on the all-new INGLO EV skateboard platform. While the exact powertrain figures for the BE.05 have not been revealed, what we know is that this platform will use a common battery pack design with standardised cell-to-pack technology that will use both Blade and Prismatic cell structures.

Vehicle battery sizes will range from 60-80kWh and will be capable of fast charging up to 175kW, which would charge the battery to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes, depending on the model. Mahindra says the 80kWh battery should return a driving range of about 435km to 450km under the WLTP cycle. As far as motors go, the new electric SUVs that will sit on this platform will have both rear-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive, depending on the model.

Mahindra BE.05 SUV: what will it rival?

The Mahindra BE.05 SUV will sit above the XUV400 EV and will launch by October 2025. It will directly rival the Tata Curvv EV, which will go on sale in 2024.

Spy shot source