Mahindra e2o review, test drive and video

We comprehensively road test Mahindra's all-electric e2o

Published on May 17, 2013 04:50:00 PM

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Mahindra e2o review, test drive and video

Compared to the futuristic exterior design, the cabin of the e2o feels conventional. The overall fit and finish is an exponential improvement over the Reva’s but not quite as good as a modern conventional hatchback. It still has a slightly ‘handmade’ feel to it, both inside and out, and that’s simply down to the fact that small volumes don’t allow for huge investment in expensive (and quality) tooling. However, apart from some tacky bits (like the gear selector and door latches) the insides really do work.

The neatly laid out dashboard is dominated by a large steering wheel (to give better leverage in the absence of power assistance), while the touchscreen interface and the bright blue-backlit dial that shows all essential info, look sufficiently high tech. Apart from goodies like a navigation system and a reversing camera, you get comprehensive information from the vehicle monitoring systems.

When the car is charging, the display tells you how much time is left for a full charge and a dedicated smartphone app allows you to view the car’s charging status remotely on your mobile phone. You can even switch on the air conditioning remotely.

The front seats are wide and have enough cushioning to make short city commutes comfortable. The big surprise, however, is that once you are sat in the back, the rear seat is reasonably roomy and useable. The driving position is set modestly high (those batteries are under the seats, after all) but ergonomically, it is a bit flawed. The pedals are offset and the power window switches behind the gearlever are tucked low down and are hard to reach. Even starting the car is quite tricky. Unlike a normal keyless-go system, you always have to authenticate the key near the start button after pressing it. The cabin is fairly quiet as you would expect from an electric car, though the accompanying whines and hums of the electric motor and its ancillaries can always be heard. What’s impressive is that road noise is quite subdued and the suspension works quietly too.