MAHINDRA has unveiled 5 new electrical SUVs based mostly on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform because the Indian producer seeks to expedite its transfer towards battery-powered automobiles – and the vary is tipped to make it into Australian showrooms.
Previewed as a part of an internet presentation this week, the forthcoming fashions can be offered below particular person model streams – XUV and BE – the design of every conceptualised on the Mahindra Superior Design Europe facility within the UK.
Mahindra, which is the second buyer for Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform after Ford, will start manufacturing of its first MEB-based SUV this yr at its Cologne plant in Germany. That mannequin, the XUV.e8 is slated to go on sale from December 2024 and can be adopted shortly after by the XEV.e9.
The Mumbai-based firm will launch its BE-branded fashions progressively from October 2025, the trio named BE.05, BE.07 and BE.09 respectively.
The MEB-sourced platform – which can be reformed below the Inglo identify by Mahindra – will supply battery capability starting from 60 to 80kWh and supply a fast-charging time of lower than half-hour to realize 80 per cent capability.
Mahindra didn’t specify the vary of any of its 5 fashions.
Talking to GoAuto Information this week, Mahindra Automotive Australia advertising and marketing supervisor, James Halliwell, stated that with India being a right-hand drive market, Australian gross sales of the model’s forthcoming eSUVs are nearly assured.
“A while in the past, in truth by the latest COVID-19 interval, Mahindra realised that with Normal Motors pulling out of right-hand drive markets, there was a possibility for it to push in direction of markets together with Australia, South Africa, the UK, Japan, and so forth,” Mr Halliwell defined.
“Australia, together with South Africa, are precedence export markets for Mahindra, and the brand new vitality autos now we have simply introduced are undoubtedly on the radar. That stated, that is fairly a forward-looking assertion given the arrival time of the fashions in query and associated manufacturing schedules are nonetheless a few years out.”
“Earlier than then, and hopefully throughout the first half of subsequent yr, we’ll see the brand new Scopio-N and XUV700 arrive in Australia, however that timeframe too is unclear given the recognition of those autos of their residence market.”
“Mahindra acquired 25,000 reservations for the XUV700 inside one minute of the car being out there on-line, and 100,000 reservations within the first half-hour – that demand might even see Australia’s launch timeframe set again.”
Regardless of the potential delay, Mr Halliwell stated that Mahindra’s native arm is happy in regards to the information of its first eSUVs for the Australian market and believes the mix of fashion and efficiency will foster sturdy gross sales for the vary Down Underneath.
“We’re very excited to see the XUVe and BE vary launched, and personally I believe that Pininfarina and the home design workforce have accomplished a terrific job in styling these fashions. The design will give us an edge, and Volkswagen’s platform will present the expertise, security and efficiency wanted to get us to market extra rapidly.”
Volkswagen stated that multiple million autos can be produced by Ford and Mahindra over the length of the deal.
“The partnership not solely demonstrates that our platform enterprise is very aggressive, however that the MEB is properly on observe to grow to be one of many main open platforms for e-mobility,” stated Volkswagen board of administration member, Thomas Schmall.
Producing a spread of recent vitality autos (NEVs) is essential to Mahindra because it seeks to interrupt the dominance of rival Tata Motors in its residence market. By 2027, Mahindra says it expects its NEV vary to account for “between 20 and 30 per cent of its whole SUV gross sales”.
The Mahindra BE.05 coupe-SUV, which is able to arrive in Indian showrooms from October 2025, is being touted as a Sports activities Electrical Automobile, or SEV.
It boasts aggressive frontal styling with angular C-shaped LED headlights and huge air intakes harking back to an Italian sportscar. With sharp traces and a outstanding air duct on the bonnet, the mannequin is additional enhanced by squared-off wheel arches and huge diameter alloy wheels, flush-mounted door handles, a outstanding shoulder line and pronounced rear haunches with C-shaped LED tail-lights.
Mahindra says the BE.05 SEV will supply a driver-focused cockpit with a excessive centre console providing the motive force and passenger their very own particular person house. The cabin reveals a pair pf massive touchscreens for operation of the car’s secondary management, a twin-spoke steering wheel and huge gear selector.
The BE.05 measures 4370mm in size, 1900mm in width, 1635mm in peak and rides on a 2775mm wheelbase. In its residence market, the mannequin will instantly compete with the Tata Curvv.
The BE.07, in the meantime, will launch in October 2026 and produce a extra conventional SUV silhouette to Mahindra’s electrical vary. The mannequin retains lots of the styling cues of its coupe-SUV sibling, together with the C-shaped head- and tail-lights, however with a much less angular design suggesting a family-focused intent.
Mahindra says the BE.07 previews a tech-laden but sensible cabin with a full-width digital display screen throughout its dashboard, just like that of Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX system. There aren’t any bodily switches evident within the cabin, which is topped by a full-length panoramic sunroof.
Barely smaller in dimension to the newly-launched XUV700, the Mahindra BE.07 measures 4565mm lengthy, 1900mm broad and 1660mm excessive, and rides on the identical 2775mm wheelbase because the BE.05.
Lastly, the BE.09 – one other coupe-SUV – will sit atop the BE line-up. Mahindra has but to disclose specs or measurements of its flagship electrical mannequin, however says it’s going to supply simply 4 seats, suggesting a sports-luxury focus for the mannequin.
