Mahindra XEV 9e: Real EV Driving & Ownership Experience after 2400 km

Since then, I’ve practically been living in the car, soaking in every bit of the experience. Here's my real user take after 30 days on the road.

BHPian aantony recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

30 Days, 2400 KMs and a Whole Lot of EV Thrill – My Experience So Far

From the moment I took delivery of my car on April 17th, it’s been a mix of excitement, discoveries, and a few heart-skipping surprises. After months of waiting and dealing with all sorts of drama, the car finally made it to the showroom. Thanks to a final-hour push from the dealership team, I got it delivered within two days. Despite some hiccups, they really stepped up when it mattered.

Since then, I’ve practically been living in the car, soaking in every bit of the experience. Here's my real user take after 30 days on the road.

Range Anxiety? Not Anymore

At first, the range after full charge hovered around 350 km. That gave me a minor panic attack until I figured out how much regen levels and my driving style mattered. Once I got the hang of feather-light acceleration and used regen smartly, it settled above 450 km.

On a drive from Bangalore to Chennai via NE7, the urge to push the car was too strong. In default mode it hit triple digits easily. My brother was in his XUV, and we just waved goodbye. Of course, the range dropped fast during all this fun. On the return leg through the hills, I drove smart with regen 3, AC on eco mode, and locked at 90 kmph. Managed to recover over 100 km. That's when I really understood how this EV behaves.

ADAS: Felt Like a Co-Driver

On NE7, I let the ADAS do most of the work. Adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist worked smoothly without glitches or reboots. At first, it was spooky when the steering nudged on its own. Felt like something from a sci-fi movie. But once I got used to it, the system gave me confidence.

One thing that could be better is the frequent hands-on-wheel warning. Pops up too soon and gets annoying. Also, reverse movement is tricky with automatic emergency braking. If you're not gently pressing the accelerator, it slams the brakes if it senses anything nearby. This can be disabled or managed with a light foot.

Features – Mostly Great, Some Quirks

No deal-breakers, but a few things to note:

1. DOMS not working
2. Door approach lock and unlock feature missing – service team said it’s been removed
3. Key fob recognition radius – Even when the key is inside the car, especially if kept near the wireless charging spot, it sometimes fails to detect. Honestly, we can’t be expected to place the key in the exact spot every time. A bigger issue is when you get down briefly after pulling out of your gate and the key is still in your pocket. The car suddenly honks and blares alarms five times in a row, giving a mini heart attack and a full dose of embarrassment. A subtle in-car alert, like a seatbelt chime, would be a much smarter way to handle this
4. Android Auto disconnects often, especially wireless – still testing with another phone to confirm
5. Sonic Suite – VESS sound works only through rear speakers, front ones are silent
6. Steering haptic feedback stopped once during my return from Bangalore – fixed itself after a quick 5-minute sleep mode. You just need to learn the right pressure to make it work reliably

Comfort Check

Seats are a bit on the firmer side. My kid used to love sitting in front, but after bumping his head on the metal bits a couple of times, he’s now a loyal back-seater. Lumbar support is good, but the overall cushioning could have been softer.

Seat Maintenance – Not for the Faint-Hearted

White seats look premium but are a nightmare to maintain. Within a month they started showing stains. I’ve been using 3M interior care for now. Not the perfect fix, but okay for quick clean-ups. M\&M seriously needs to think of accessories or coating options.

Doors – Heavy Duty Workouts

The doors are solid and well insulated. But closing them takes effort. The vacuum effect makes it worse when only one door is open. Quick hack – crack a window open and the door shuts much easier.

Today, I noticed a rattling sound from the inner handle while pulling the door. Feels like a hinge got loose. Heading to the service center to get it checked and will update.

Hidden Gems

1. Carpet lamp glows with a low battery symbol when you unlock at under 15 percent
2. When hazard lights are on, the carpet lamp flashes a caution pattern
3. ME4U app lets you close only the driver’s window remotely – hoping for full window control in future updates
4. Secure360 works but with short looped video clips. Recordings are clear though

First free service is done. Odo’s at 2400+ km. Still loving every bit of the journey with this car. Minor glitches exist but nothing major enough to steal the joy. Hoping Mahindra tightens up support response times. So far, service has been good and I’m all set for more adventures ahead.

More stories on the way from this happy EV owner.

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