MAHINDRA BE 6

Mahindra BE 6 review: Design and dimensions

At first glance, the BE 6 comes across a concept car that has sprung to life straight out of a sketchbook. The styling, the character lines, and the overall shape of the vehicle not only promise to turn heads but also make it stand out in the crowd. In fact, hardly any car on sale in India looks anything like the BE 6.

While looks are subjective, you cannot miss out on some unique design features this EV carries. The sleek LED DRL and headlight units, the illuminated BE logo instead of the brand identity, gloss black cladding and the weirdly-shaped bonnet with air intakes to help its aerodynamics complete the front face of the BE 6 with a bold stance.

At the sides, the EV continues to get this gloss black treatment on the wheel arches housing these 20-inch alloy wheels with aerodynamic design. The flush door handles, rear-door handles mounted on C-pillar, the prominent character line across the body and the overall coupe-like shape make it look sporty.

At the rear, the BE 6 gets these twin spoilers that work as air channels, the LED taillights with a similar shape to the front ones, gloss black bumper and the new infinity logo which signifies Mahindra's new EV branding Electric Born SUVs.

The BE 6 may appear as a small sub-compact SUV, but it is not. With a dimension of more than 4.3 metres in length, about 1.9 metres in width and over 1.6 metres in height, the BE 6 in real life is almost similar in size compared to the likes of Tata Curvv EV or Hyundai Creta. It offers a ground clearance of 207 mm, and more than 2.7 metres of wheelbase promising a whole lot of space inside. Space is not a constraint for luggages too as the boot space of the BE 6 measures 455 litres. If this is not enough, there is an additional 45-litre of storage at the front too that is good enough to hold charging cables and other items.

(Also read: Mahindra XEV 9e review - Setting a new benchmark for EVs in India)

Mahindra BE 6 review: Interior and features

Step inside the BE 6 and you will be greeted to a fresh design language that Mahindra has developed keeping in mind who this EV is targeted at. Mahindra says the cockpit of the BE 6 is inspired by fighter jets with several elements trying to imitate the look and feel. For instance, the gear lever looks more like the thrusters, the control panel above the rear-view mirror, the square-shaped two-spoke steering wheel and the front seats with these big headrests - all accentuate the sporty character of the electric SUV.

The driver's space has been designed in the shape of a cockpit with a curved centre console which cocoons the person behind the squarely-shaped steering wheel. It is a two-spoke unit and gets gloss black finish with mounted controls for various features and functions like the ADAS as well as regen functions through shifters. It also gets an illuminated BE logo at the centre, much like some of its rivals.

The centre console houses the start-stop button, haptic buttons for climate control, drive modes and a rotary dial to control some of the functionalities. The dashboard is quite deep especially to accommodate the large Head-up Display which offers augmented reality.

The dual-screen setup, which includes the infotainment system and the driver display, both measure 12.3 inches. The touchscreen infotainment screen, powered by Mahindra's new AI assistant MAIA, is bright and responsive offering several quirky features. The test unit we drove had the beta version and did not respond to some of the commands smoothly. However, the features that caught our attention were the ADAS controls, Vision X offering augmented reality and the AutoPark functionality which helps to park the vehicle without the driver intervening manually. Some of the other quirky features include this Selfie button which helps the ADAS suit to monitor driver fatigue and also helps you to click pictures or take videos for fun.

The digital driver display, equally as large as the infotainment screen, offers new graphics and all the necessary vehicle and drive-related information in a clear and legible manner.

The cabin is a mix of multiple soft-touch material all around offering a premium feel. However, there are still some hard plastics around where Mahindra may have cut down on cost. The company did not compromise on comfort for occupants though with these soft-material seats with ventilation for the front row. The driver seat can be electronically adjusted. We wish this feature was also offered for the front seat passenger who does not get to adjust anything but recline level. The door handles are made of fabric and are unique to the Mahindra EV.

At the rear, the backseats are large and comfortable enough to seat two people. A third may not be a squeeze thanks to the flat floorboard under which the battery is placed. The seats can be reclined, offer a central armrest with cupholders, a fancy-looking AC vent for the backseat passengers and two USB-C type ports on the back of the front seats.

The windows are small which may not be to the liking for those who have motion sickness. However, Mahindra makes up for it more than enough with this giant fixed infinity glass-roof with illuminated design, another first for any car made in India.

Mahindra BE 6 review: Drive performance, range, top speed

We did not get enough time to check out the BE 6 to its full potential. However, whatever we could manage was enough to impress. Mahindra claims the BE 6 can sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 6.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 200 kmph. There is 288 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque on offer promising an exciting drive.

Being a rear-wheel drive, it offers plenty for the enthusiasts looking for a bit of fun. It is quite fast for sure, but can be quite sedate while meandering through city traffic as we did in Chennai. Being a compact car, it is easy to manoeuvre through narrow roads or traffic. The steering wheel may need a bit of getting used to due to its different shape, but once in grasp will respond promptly. It weighs up nicely at high speeds and is light at city speeds. The braking too is on point and the suspension is just enough to gobble up smaller aberrations on the road.

While we could not test the range of the EV to our satisfaction, we can say Mahindra's claimed range is not too far from the truth. The BE 6 will be offered with two battery packs - a 59 kWh unit and a 79 kWh pack. Mahindra claims it could offer a range well above 600 kms on a single charge, the real-world range will be around 500 kms, about as much we also calculated during our drive.

Mahindra BE 6 review: Verdict

At a starting price of just ₹18.90 lakh (ex-showroom), Mahindra BE 6 comes across as a quite loaded and fun-to-drive electric car. We are yet to know the full prices which are expected to come out in a couple of months. So should you consider the BE 6 as your next EV? It sure is worth to be on your checklist.