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Old 20th January 2023, 23:13   #121
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by Geta View Post

P.S: Don't worry about fitting in bigger batteries inside your cars. Inductive charging (charging while driving) is the way to go!

Will the Magnetic field of the inductive chargers not cause interference in the car electronics as well as mobile phone?

Very obviously it would be a pretty high to have enough induced current/voltage enough to charge the huge battery.


How safe is it?

What about for patients with pacemakers? Other wearables?
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Old 20th January 2023, 23:42   #122
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by sagsaw View Post
Really? Is LFP self extinguishing?

Some discrepancy in info I feel.
Never said its self extinguishing, but the LFP cell is not going to get hot enough to cause the cell next to it to go into a thermal runaway in seconds, if there is a flammable material next to it like plastic, then yes those including in some LFP cell plastic casing may catch fire, but the actual cell inside won't.

Even in the below video, LFP cell compared is of larger capacity or energy potential vs the tiny Lipo/NCM/NCA. Yet the tiny lipo cell has more destructive reaction.

Last edited by aim120 : 20th January 2023 at 23:48.
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Old 21st January 2023, 05:53   #123
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by sagsaw View Post
Will the Magnetic field of the inductive chargers not cause interference in the car electronics as well as mobile phone?

Very obviously it would be a pretty high to have enough induced current/voltage enough to charge the huge battery
Yes. There will be challenges. Since the benefits are huge, there will be ways to go around the challenges.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sagsaw View Post

How safe is it?

What about for patients with pacemakers? Other wearables?
Not safe for patients with pacemakers as of now. They should travel in such vehicles which use inductive charging.

Last edited by Geta : 21st January 2023 at 05:55.
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Old 21st January 2023, 07:03   #124
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by Geta View Post
Yes. There will be challenges. Since the benefits are huge, there will be ways to go around the challenges.



Not safe for patients with pacemakers as of now. They should travel in such vehicles which use inductive charging.
Please read "They should not travel in such vehicles..."
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Old 21st January 2023, 11:27   #125
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Mahindra XUV400 One-of-one Edition to be auctioned this month

Mahindra is all set to auction the XUV400 One-of-one edition later this month. The auction will open on January 26 at 11 am and end on January 31, 2023, at 11.59 pm.

Mahindra XUV400 EV Review-oneofone-exclusive-xuv400.png

The one-off XUV400 electric SUV will be handed over to the winning bidder on February 10, during the Formula E weekend in Hyderabad. The winning bid will be matched by Mahindra and the amount will be distributed amongst the winners of the 'Mahindra Rise Sustainability Champion Awards' and / or to a non-profit.

Anand Mahindra will present the car to the auction winner, who will have the choice to donate his / her bid to support the winners of the Sustainability Champion Awards and / or donate the amount to a non-profit of his / her choice.

Mahindra XUV400 EV Review-oneofone-exclusive-xuv400_1.png

The XUV400 One-of-one edition was showcased at Mahindra’s Tech Fashion Tour Season 6. It has been created by Pratap Bose, Chief Design Officer, in collaboration with fashion designer Rimzim Dadu.

The exclusive XUV400 gets ‘Rimzim Dadu X Bose’ insignia and a copper-finished twin-peaks logo with a blue outline. Inside, the EV gets an Arctic Blue theme with the ‘Rimzim Dadu X Bose’ logo embroidered on the headrest.

The XUV400 is an all-electric version of the XUV300. It uses an electric motor that produces 148 BHP and 310 Nm and is powered by a 39.5 kWh battery pack that is said to offer a maximum range of 456 km (MIDC) on a single charge.

Those interested can register on the auction website.

Link to Team-BHP News

Last edited by TusharK : 21st January 2023 at 11:29.
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Old 22nd January 2023, 21:29   #126
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by sri_tesla View Post
The most bizarre marketing award goes to Mahindra for its new XUV400 ad mocking the charging point operators.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=yhhpPp5ewyw
What is this ad that everyone seems to be talking about? Mahendra seems to have completely vacuumed the ad out of the internet. Does anyone have an archive.com link thank you
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Old 22nd January 2023, 22:12   #127
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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As per Autocar India, XUV prices are available! I am wondering why such a low-key price reveal. It also says that this holds good only for the first 5K bookings.
Any idea if this qualifies for the same to subsidy. I checked out the government website for fame2 subsidy, and I could not see any entry for XUV 400.

https://fame2.heavyindustries.gov.in...UnderFame.aspx
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Old 22nd January 2023, 23:30   #128
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

A friend of mine had enquired about the XUV4OO and initially I was quick to dismiss it as a jugaad attempt by Mahindra to enter into the EV race. But I decided to go a bit more deep into the 4OO and it looks like this is a thorough attempt by Mahindra.

Compared to its closest rival the Nexon EV, it's a bigger and more spacious car overall. Performance and dynamics seem to be on another level going by the reviews. It punches above its weight by trumping the ZS EV in acceleration. Top speed at 160 kph is reasonable for Indian conditions and it also gets there pretty quick. I believe 'Talking Cars' had done a braking maneuver from 140kph and the way the 4OO handled it was mighty impressive. Mechanically the suspension seems to be superior with frequency selective damping thrown in. Safety hasn't taken a back seat with M&M providing 6 airbags. I also saw in some reviews that Mahindra has gone a step further to ensure the safety of the battery with reinforcements and better heat management system. Not sure if this is something its competitors also do, so not gonna comment on that. A potential competitor to the XUV4OO with similar battery chemistry and size would be the Kona EV. 4OO is quicker, while also providing a host of connected features, all at a lower price point. The sour point would be the interior, which I must say is dated. But the essential features are all there. A major miss IMHO would be the adjustable regen, but then again there's that L mode, should one need more regen other than that provided by the driving modes. Missing rear AC vents and ventilated seats are big misses, but hey there's a precool connected car feature at least. No working around the gawdy copper highlights, except maybe by opting for the black color. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this really looks like a good deal and I'm itching for a test drive!
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Old 24th January 2023, 08:37   #129
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by pandabear View Post
Any idea if this qualifies for the same to subsidy. I checked out the government website for fame2 subsidy, and I could not see any entry for XUV 400.

https://fame2.heavyindustries.gov.in...UnderFame.aspx
Cars aren't covered under FAME2, the only that qualifies for it are 2/3 wheelers and cars meant for fleet.
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Old 25th January 2023, 19:57   #130
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

Unveiling the 1of1 edition of the all-electric XUV4OO.

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Old 26th January 2023, 11:04   #131
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

Bookings started for XUV400 now. Dual tone costs Rs 20K extra.
https://mahindraelectricautomobile.com/xuv400
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Old 26th January 2023, 13:42   #132
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

Mahindra XUV400 Exclusive Edition auction open; Bidding crosses Rs 1 Crore in 21 minutes.

Mahindra XUV400 EV Review-smartselect_20230126134112_chrome.jpg

Source
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Old 26th January 2023, 21:16   #133
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

Now at 1crore 11lakhs, why can't they simply buy beautiful Etron for that money. Will there be any advantage of such transactions? Or is this just stupidity? I fail to understand the logic of paying 1crore more for few signatures of Rimjim and Bose on leather.

Last edited by SKC-auto : 26th January 2023 at 21:26.
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Old 26th January 2023, 22:12   #134
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

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Originally Posted by SKC-auto View Post
Now at 1crore 11lakhs, why can't they simply buy beautiful Etron for that money. Will there be any advantage of such transactions? Or is this just stupidity? I fail to understand the logic of paying 1crore more for few signatures of Rimjim and Bose on leather.
Isn't the money going for a good cause?

Arent Bose n Rimjim stars in their own right?

Why devalue fellow Indians and a good cause for which the money is being spent.

Just the cause for which money is being going to be donated makes the XUV400 more beautiful than the Etron.
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Old 27th January 2023, 13:40   #135
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Re: Mahindra XUV400 EV Review

Had a brief test drive of the 4OO yesterday.

Being republic day, I had called PPS Mahindra, Kochi, the day before and enquired whether the test drive would be available. Was assured the same and my dad and I decided to go have a look. We reached there by around 3.30 PM. I guess yesterday being a holiday, the staff were not at full capacity. There was hardly anyone at the showroom. We checked out the Napoli black 4OO showcased at the front. The car looks quite good in black with the copper accents, and not as garish as I thought it would be. Don't think it will be the same for other colors though. The paint quality could have been better. As already mentioned in the official review, the fit and finish is really good. The extra width and length renders a bit more presence than the Nexon EV. It’s not huge, and a Creta/ZS EV still looks bigger, but it manages to look bigger than the Kona, maybe due to the increased height.

Step into the interiors and you might feel meh! Even my dad who is not a techie of any sorts was asking why the interior looks so drab. It is not befitting of a 20 lakh rupee car. The copper accents fail to hide the age of this interior layout, but it does add a bit of flair. The infotainment screen, especially the UI looks prehistoric, although it's response times are ok. But resolution is unlike the HD ones we have come to see in the Hyundais and Kias.

A question to bhpians – would it be possible to swap this with an aftermarket unit? Would there be a unit which is compatible with all the EV related statistics and stuff that the OEM screen comes with? I believe an upgrade in this regard could breathe some fresh air into the cabin, save for the lower part of the central console.

No automatic climate control, ventilated seats, rear ac vents or cruise control. Only a single USB port and auxiliary power outlet in the entire car. Switchgear is ok for the most part. The good-looking gear lever seems a bit out of place in the otherwise shabby interior. It’s ergonomic to hold, and the markings change as soon as we move through the P,R,N,D sequence, unlike the Nexon EV max’s rotary one, which looks cool but is a bit hesitant. The analogue dials present all necessary info rather well. I felt it was a bit easier to use these to keep track of the regen and boost while driving, as they are always noticeable in our peripheral vision and we don’t necessarily have to look down into them. The MID in between has got a dated layout, but is pretty comprehensive although I’m not sure if TPMS is part of the package.

The interiors are spacious, may be even more than Nexon, owing to the extra width and wheelbase. Rear leg room is good, but some more under thigh support would've been welcome. And we can't really stretch the legs too much underneath the driver seat because of the hard seatback extending till the bottom and the raised floor height. All said, it doesn't have that cutting edge look in the interiors that we've come to associate with EVs, but what is cutting edge is the drive!

Now because this is Mahindra’s first major product in the EV space, one would expect the sales exec to share your enthusiasm, right? But nope! When we initially reached the dealership, the exec present there told that test drives are not possible because the car had ran out of juice! We were bummed and told him that we had called in advance (the exec I talked to previously was not present yesterday) and made sure that the test drive could be taken. That’s why we drove 30 kms on a holiday through dense traffic to check out the car in person. He would not budge and told that other prospective customers also had to return without a drive. Typically showrooms plug in the EV cars after every test drive, so I was not so convinced with his answer. So asked him what color the test drive car was. Upon knowing that it was white, I asked if we could have a look to fine tune our color preferences. He obliged and took us to the back of the showroom where the white 4OO was being charged via a 15A socket. As soon as I opened the driver side door, the MID flashed indicating 73% charge! I pointed this out to the exec who now told me that if they unplug the battery before it’s charged till 100%, there would be damage to the battery. He was clearly trying to shoo us away from the drive. I decided to have some fun and asked if the car can only be used after charging it all the way till 100% wouldn’t that be a major design flaw? Asked him to clear it with his superiors and check whether we could get that promised drive while he’s at it. He disappeared for a while and came back to collect my license details for the TD without any further questions. I also didn’t ask anything further. And nope! The white with copper accents doesn’t look that good, at least through my eyes.

Now coming to the drive. It is just sublime! If you need reasons to overlook the boring interiors of the 4OO, I will give you 2 – Drivetrain and suspension. I started off the drive in ‘fun’ mode. The range at 73% was showing 273 kms. As the TD would be short as informed by the exec, decided not to waste any time and straightway shifted to ‘Fearless’ mode. The range now showed a measly 161 kms with 73% charge remaining. Floored the throttle and boy, does this thing fly! It urges forward with such vigour that stays true to its 8.3 second 0-100kph time. The one thing that attracts me towards EVs more than the cheaper running costs is the democratisation of performance and the 4OO is no exception. The brisk acceleration and the heavy battery’s weight distribution ensures a confident build-up of speed that could only be experienced with cars costing several times its value. In spite of being a not so large car, the solidity of the 4OO’s chassis gives a feeling that you’re driving something substantial, yet not so cumbersome. Wheel spin was well-controlled. The car we drove was shod with Apollos. The NVH was good as is the case with EVs. The motor gives a faint whine that’s kind of enjoyable. The brakes felt supremely confident. Even with the peaky nature of the ‘Fearless’ mode, the braking was spot on. Good braking capability is actually a necessity for something with this much performance on tap and I’m glad that Mahindra didn’t skimp on it. One of the negatives with the 4OO was said to be the lack of adjustable regen. But there is a work-around available. Each driving mode has got its own preset regen level. But if you’re looking for even more regen, you can slot the gear lever into L mode. This works across all modes and there’s a difference in the way the car slows down. That means by default, there are 2 regen modes for each driving mode- a preset one and a more aggressive one with the L mode. Agreed, a dedicated adjustable regen button would have provided that much more flexibility, but the L mode is a big relief for those who want to do one pedal driving.

Another major miss for the 4OO was said to be the lack of hill hold assist. The exec also wasn’t sure if that was available or not, so decided to test it on an incline. Stopped the car on an incline and released the brakes. It barely started to roll back and stopped. This was in contrast to the hill hold in my 5OO where even that minimal roll back was absent. I guess it was the torque from the electric motor, and not a dedicated hill hold system, which was preventing the roll back. I could be wrong on this, but stopping on an incline was not a problem. Gentle dab on the accelerator and the car moved on.

The next biggest plus of the 4OO is its suspension. I am not sure if it’s the weight of the battery pack, or the FSDs or the tuning of the suspension by M&M, or a combination of all these, this has to be one of the best riding cars that I have experienced so far in the way it balances ride quality and dynamic capabilities – very Compass like IMO. There’s a hint of stiffness, but the way it easily dismissed the same rough road patches upon which my XUV5OO jittered and crashed was an eye opener for me. Mahindra has really come a l-o-o-n-g way in suspension tuning.

Thanks to the drive train and suspension, the quality and feel of the drive is just awesome. The car as a whole feels like it’s catered more towards an enthusiast than a general customer. It feels sprightly to drive, but misses out on some features compared to the competition. I just couldn’t stop grinning the entire time I was behind the wheel! I am happy to be proved wrong on my earlier statement that this was a jugaad attempt by Mahindra in the EV space. Anyone who is planning on dismissing this car for the styling/interiors, do take a test drive – it might surprise you. Regarding the range, I assume it can do 200 kms on hard driving and if one is light with the throttle, 300 to 350 seems possible.

So did I book one? The answer is no. I loved the product and was willing to overlook the uninspiring interiors in favour of the excellent dynamics. I visited the showroom with the intention of booking one as well. But my experience with Mahindra service with respect to my XUV5OO was a mixed bag. In instances where higher up Mahindra officials were involved, it was exceptional, but in others it was sub-par. Electric vehicles are still in a nascent stage in our country and there is a real lack of expertise when it comes to dealing with associated problems. We have a number of threads in team-bhp itself where EV problems take its own sweet time to get diagnosed, let alone be rectified. Unlike an ICE vehicle where we could at least consult an FNG with respect to the problems, owners of electric vehicles are at the mercy of dealership ASS for things to get sorted. The unwillingness to even provide a promised TD for a prospective customer for what is essentially a long-awaited mainstream EV from the manufacturer doesn’t really inspire much confidence, at least in my books. If this is how things are even before a sale, how would it be after? With that question lingering in my mind, I decided to withhold my booking and wait a little longer.

Last edited by GKR9900 : 27th January 2023 at 14:04.
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