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A new iPhone launches every year. Same goes for any flagship android phone. But what if I said, a car gets a new update every year? You’d think I’m stupid, and I will point you towards the updated XUV400. Within a year of its launch, Mahindra has given the XUV400 an update to keep it relevant. Just like the last iPhone, this car looks exactly the same as before. But run through the product brochure and you will find so many new features listed out, you sure will be more and a bit curious about one. So let me tell you what’s new, if it’s any different to drive and should you finally buy one over a Nexon EV.
Big screens dominate the update. The instrument cluster and the infotainment screens are large 10.25 inch units now. They look so much better than before, and now come with a suite of connected car features using Mahindra’s Adrenox app. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless finally, as it should in every car. At least that’s what the brochure says. The car we tested hadn’t got the OTA update so neither worked but Mahindra tells us that by the time of the delivery of the car, you should be getting it. You tend to lose a lot of charge with this wireless business so the wireless charging feature will come in useful. The thing with wireless charging is that it heats up your phone. Not with the XUV400 though. It gets active cooling, so I suppose it should extend the phone’s battery life, and help you overcome your hesitation to use it. Another big update the XUV400 desperately needed was climate control. Good thing this car finally gets it, and Mahindra has gone a step further and given the SUV dual zone climate control.
Even the rear passengers get AC vents so they’ll hate you a little less now. There’s a nice slot for a phone and a USB-C port for charging. The front passengers though continue to get the old micro-USB port which means you will have to carry a converter. The seat comfort and space was and continues to remain better than the Nexon EV however, the XUV400 still doesn’t get cooled seats.
Under the floor, things remain the same as well. You get two battery pack options. A 34.5kWh battery and a 39.4kWh battery, with the former coming with a claimed MIDC range of 375km and the latter gets a range of 456km on a full charge. The smaller battery now is available with all the bells and whistles, so you can get a top spec XUV400 at a lower sticker price if you don’t mind lesser range.
The XUV400 is still the quickest Mahindra. No changes there. The XUV400 continues to make 147.5bhp and 310Nm of torque and can do the 0-100kmph sprint in a claimed 8.3 seconds. It isn’t the fastest Mahindra though. Top speed is limited to 150kmph, but once you cross the 100kmph mark, battery charge drops at such an alarming rate, you won’t dare pedal to the metal driving for more than a few minutes. Go easy and it’s a very comfortable cruiser. The ride is supple, seats are comfortable and everything is typically electric. Quiet, soulless, relaxing. The good thing now is that you feel much nicer about yourself from the driver’s seat. The flat bottom steering hints at a bit of sportiness, all the features belong to 2024 and because of the update, you can finally convince friends and family that you didn’t make the wrong choice by picking the XUV400 over a Nexon, at least for debate purposes.
On the handling front, the drive modes add weight to the steering wheel as you step up the modes, but a nice and weighty steering wheel comes at the cost of a fast-depleting battery in fearless mode. You cannot pick weight in the steering and a relaxed output from the motor together, and so, at its least exciting setting, the handling feels lifeless as well. Besides the steering, another weak point is the low rolling resistance tyres that aim to eke out the best range from the SUV but falls short on grip. A grippier set of rubber would help improve the XUV400’s handling considerably. That said, while the XUV400 isn’t a corner carving tool, it is a nice cruiser that can make city commutes rather effortless.
The big question now is, should you buy one? Same time last year, my answer would have been a no, but now, the XUV400 has bridged the gap. It’s a better rounded product now. Pre-update, the XUV400’s prices started from Rs 15.99 lakh and went up to Rs 19.39 lakh, ex-showroom. The pleasant surprise is that Mahindra has reduced prices considerably! The base variant now starts from Rs 15.49 lakh, ex-showroom, while the top spec variant is priced at Rs 16.74 lakh, ex-showroom for the 34.5kWh battery variant and Rs 17.49 lakh for the 39.4kWh battery variant. That’s incredible value for money now.
