Mahindra XUV700 Electric with AWD Capabilities to Rival Tata Harrier EV QWD

Tata Motors has recently launched the Harrier EV, which comes at an aggressive price tag of Rs 21.49 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). The new model undercuts its direct rival, the Mahindra XEV 9e. What’s more interesting is that the XEV 9e is a rear-wheel-drive SUV Coupe, while Harrier EV gets both RWD and dual-motor AWD setup. 

Mahindra has no AWD product when it comes to electric vehicles; however, things will change soon. The homegrown UV maker will launch the long-awaited XUV 700 electric, which is most likely to be called Mahindra XEV 7e. The new electric SUV will come with a dual-motor AWD set-up and will be a direct rival to Tata Harrier EV. 

The Mahindra XUV700 electric will be a 3-row SUV, and is expected to offer 6 and 7-seat layout with former having captain seats in the second-row. The homegrown automaker could also offer the 5-seater derivative of the XUV700 electric, which will be positioned as a direct challenger to the Harrier EV. 

XEV 7e Specifications

The new XUV 700 electric will share the battery packs with the BE 6 and XEV 9e. The battery pack options are 59kWh and 79kWh with a rear-axle-mounted electric range. The XEV 7e or XUV700 EV with a bigger battery pack will have a dual-motor AWD set-up. This battery pack with RWD setup offers 286PS and 380Nm of torque. In the dual-motor AWD set-up, we expect the power and torque output could stand around 400bhp and over 500Nm, respectively. 

Mahindra XUV700 Electric - What to Expect?

The electric SUV has been spotted testing multiple times, suggesting that it will appear largely identical to the Mahindra XUV700. It will have several EV-specific design changes with inspiration from the Mahindra XEV 9e. The front will have resemblance with the SUV Coupe sibling, featuring inverted L-shaped connected LED DRLs, and a split headlamp setup. The XEV 7e will come with a XUV700-like silhouette, aero-optimised alloy wheels, and wrap-around LED tail-lights. 

The electric SUV will come with a triple screen setup covering the entire dashboard. This connected screen incorporates a 12.3-inch infotainment unit, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a similarly sized co-passenger display. In terms of features, the SUV will have multi-zone climate control, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, powered front seats with memory function and ventilation, ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof.

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