Bought the Mahindra XEV 9e (9s) Pack Three in Nebula Blue from Hyderabad.
Completed ~2250 km and also finished the first free service (2,000 km / 2 months).

Coming from a Kia Seltos 1.5 Petrol, here are my honest observations after daily driving, highways, city traffic, and long trips.

First Impressions

This being my first ₹30L+ car definitely feels special.

Not going to lie — it’s also a bit of a brag booster among friends 😄

Almost everyone who sat in the car was immediately impressed by:

• the smoothness,
• instant acceleration,
• silent cabin experience,
• and overall futuristic feel.

The car genuinely feels premium and different from regular ICE SUVs.

Performance & Acceleration

The pickup is absolutely insane.

I had never experienced this kind of acceleration before. Even in Range mode, the car jumps from double-digit speeds to triple digits in just a few seconds. Highway overtakes are effortless.

• Range mode is capped at 120 km/h.
• In Race mode, it reaches 180 km/h extremely quickly.

But honestly, speeds above 180 km/h do not inspire confidence. I’m not sure if it’s mainly due to the suspension setup, but the car does not feel as planted as I expected at very high speeds.

Still, for regular usage, the smoothness + instant torque combination is addictive.

Suspension – My Real Experience

A lot of reviewers talk about the suspension, and yes, I do think Mahindra could improve it.

I created a custom mode with:

• Acceleration: Range
• Suspension: Race

But the behavior still feels a bit odd on uneven roads.

Interestingly, my issue is not front-back movement like many reviews mention. For me, it’s more of a side-to-side movement on rough patches and small road imperfections. You can actually feel yourself moving side-to-side in the seat.

That said:

• In Range mode, the suspension becomes extremely soft.
• Big potholes and speed breakers are absorbed very well.
• Unlike my Kia Seltos, I almost never feel a harsh “thud.”

So overall:

• Plain roads → very comfortable
• Low to moderate speeds → good stability
• Uneven patchy roads → noticeable sideways movement
• 180+ km/h → not confidence inspiring

Sound System – Surprisingly Good

I genuinely love the speaker system.

The 16-speaker setup sounds excellent after tweaking the equalizer a bit:

• good bass,
• nice cabin feel,
• immersive audio experience.

Definitely one of the highlights of the car for me.

But there’s one annoying issue:
After ending a phone call, the music suddenly blasts at a very high volume for half a second before normalizing.

It scares me literally every time.

My old Kia Seltos handled this much better by gradually increasing volume smoothly.

Software & Feature Observations (Bugs / Niggles)

There are definitely a few software bugs right now.

1. Android Auto Connection Issues

Sometimes wireless Android Auto simply refuses to connect.
I usually have to restart WiFi and Bluetooth on my phone to make it work again.

2. Seat Ventilation Bug

Occasionally, seat ventilation turns OFF after 1–2 seconds automatically.

Mahindra says this is fixed in the latest update. Need to test it more.

3. 360 Camera Failure (Scary One)

One time the 360 camera completely stopped working.

• Manual opening from the screen also failed.
• Had to park using mirrors only.
• Restarted the car after ~5 minutes and it came back normally.

Thankfully it happened only once, but honestly I got scared thinking the car had broken down.

4. Seat Memory Seems Inconsistent

I save my seat settings to Profile 1, but somehow it never feels exactly the same the next day.

Not sure whether:

• the profile system is buggy, or
• I’m just overthinking it.

But I end up adjusting the seat almost every time.

5. Regen Braking Defaults

I personally prefer L0 (no regenerative braking).

But every time the car starts, it defaults back to L1 automatically. Would love an option to save the preferred default.

6. Auto Emergency Braking (Most Dangerous Issue)

Lane centering and other ADAS features are actually pretty good.

But the automatic emergency braking can be genuinely dangerous in Indian traffic.

My recommendation:

• Either turn it OFF
• Or switch it to warning-only mode

Otherwise, I honestly feel someone might rear-end you someday because of sudden braking.

7. Custom Mode Does Not Save Properly

Another small annoyance:
Even though the car supports custom ride modes, it does not remember my preferred custom mode after restarting the vehicle.

Every single time I start the car, I have to manually:

• open drive modes
• select custom mode again

It’s only 2 clicks, but still feels unnecessary for a tech-focused EV.

8. Settings Are Too Deep Inside Menus

There are many useful settings I wish were directly accessible from the main “My Car” screen.

Instead, many options are hidden several layers deep inside settings menus.

Some actions take way too many clicks while driving or parked.

9. BYOD Features Need Improvement

The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) feature is actually pretty cool.

The showroom quoted around ₹5k for their BYOD holder, but I found a phone/tablet holder on Amazon for around ₹300 and it works perfectly.

I successfully used:

• one extra screen in the 2nd row,
• one extra screen in the 3rd row.

Honestly, I even want to try running 4 screens someday just for fun 😄

But there are some annoyances:

• BYOD permissions have to be enabled every single time after starting the car.
• The option is buried deep inside settings.
• Takes nearly a dozen clicks to reach.

Would have been much better if it stayed enabled by default.

Sunroof Controls

Initially the sunroof controls were confusing.

But after watching a tutorial/manual video, it became much easier to understand.

There’s definitely a learning curve to some of the controls in this car.

Third Row Comfort

One thing that genuinely surprised me:
The 3rd row is actually usable.

My brothers who are around 5’8” and 5’9” were comfortable even during long trips.

That’s something I honestly didn’t expect from this kind of SUVdesign.

Real-World Battery Range

This is the part where expectations vs reality hit slightly.

What I’m Getting:

• Normal driving → ~375 to 400 km
• Race mode → ~250 to 300 km

I was expecting closer to 450 km in normal usage.

Maybe 450 is possible:

• in downhill/hilly terrain
• with heavy regenerative braking usage

But in my regular Hyderabad driving conditions, I’m not seeing that number.

Also, Race mode is mostly just for fun.
I honestly don’t see practical daily usage for it unless you’re on a very long empty highway.

EV Charging Infrastructure – The Bigger Problem

Honestly, the bigger issue is not even the car. It’s the EV ecosystem in India right now.

Problems I Faced:

• Many charging stations are faulty or non-functional.
• A lot of chargers show available in apps but don’t actually work.
• Around 80% of chargers are still below 60 kW.
• The remaining ones are usually around 90–100 kW max.

Infrastructure seriously needs improvement if EV adoption is going to increase properly.

Important Advice About Home Charging (Learn From My Mistake)

This is a BIG one for anyone planning to buy this car.

Do NOT blindly buy the 11 kW charger.

I made that mistake.

What happened in my case:

• I spent ~₹78k for the 11 kW charger.
• Then I found out my home electrical load was insufficient.
• Government approval/load increase process is slow.
• I’m still waiting for my sanctioned load to increase to at least 12 kW.

So right now, I’m forced to run the 11 kW charger at around 7.5 kW anyway.

Honestly, I could have simply bought a good third-party 7.5 kW charger for around ₹30k and saved a lot of money.

So please:

• First verify your home sanctioned electrical load.
• Then decide whether you really need the 11 kW setup.

Learn from my mistake.

Charging Apps Situation Is Also Messy

Another annoying thing:
There is NO single reliable app showing all charging stations properly.

I literally had to install around 15 different EV charging apps.

Out of those:

• maybe 5–6 apps are actually useful,
• and each one shows different chargers.

The EV ecosystem really needs a unified charging platform.

(If anyone wants, I can share the list of apps I currently use.)

Storage & Practicality

Front Trunk

Actually useful and well designed.

Rear Boot

Disappointing.

We genuinely struggled to plan a 10-day family trip because fitting all luggage becomes difficult.

Might eventually buy a roof luggage box.

Small But Funny Daily Niggle

I absolutely love the auto-unlock feature when I walk near the car with the key.

But it only unlocks the driver door.

So almost every time:

• I enter the car,
• my family stands outside awkwardly,
• then reminds me to unlock the remaining doors manually 😄

Would really love an option to unlock all doors automatically.

Accessories Situation

This was another disappointment.

The showroom had basically no accessories available and they themselves had no idea when stock would arrive.

I ended up installing accessories outside at Car Sonics, Hyderabad.

I was especially waiting for the privacy screen guard that hides the passenger display from the driver, but it wasn’t available.

Thankfully, the passenger screen honestly doesn’t distract me while driving because it’s not directly in my line of sight.

Overall Verdict After 2250 km

Despite the bugs, charging headaches, and suspension complaints, the XEV 9e still feels like a glimpse into the future.

The performance, smoothness, premium feel, tech experience, road presence, and silent cabin make the car feel genuinely special.

But Mahindra definitely needs:

• better software optimization
• suspension tuning improvements
• more polished ADAS calibration
• easier access to settings/UI shortcuts

And India seriously needs:

• better EV charging infrastructure
• faster chargers
• more reliable charging networks
• a unified charging app ecosystem

Still, every time I press the accelerator, I forget most of the complaints 😄

PS: I originally wanted to post this ownership review on Team-BHP, but unfortunately I never got access/approval there, so sharing my complete real-world experience here instead 😄

Hello folks, I booked XEV9S Pack 2 above 79KWH NCH on 5th May 2026. I was given a hand written document with dealer sign and receipt of booking amount. There was no email regarding the same. Do we get email or some booking reference number too after the booking. My dealer is saying vehicle would arrive in 2 months. Can you share your booking experience?

Guys, I have a windsor pro top model, 19k kms already done , in less than a year,

Me as a driver no hv any issues bt parents at the back seat always complains about bumpy rides , hard suspension, they can't even relax their back at the back seat , always bumpy .

Now I took a rest drive of xev9s with them , and they are a big fan of this machine , so steady and soundproof , relaxed rides .

Should I sell my mg windsor pro and add 10 lakhs around in this car ?

Or should I stay with mg and can get a solution for the hard uncomfortable long rides?

There are lot of rumours of mahindra having software issues, and car stopping midway.

Thinking of buying a family car, should I go for it?

I currently own an XUV700 AX7 Petrol Manual, bought around 4 years ago. The car has only done ~25,000 kms so far because I mostly relied on public transport and used the car occasionally.

However, my situation may change now since my office commute is around 75 kms daily (mostly city driving). Because of this, I’m planning to start using a car regularly and considering switching to an EV.

Charging setup is not an issue for me - Independent house and already have 3-phase electricity connection

My main questions are:

Does it make sense to sell the XUV700 now and move to an EV?

Or should I keep the XUV700 and wait a few more years for EV tech/infrastructure to mature further?

If switching now is a good idea, which EV would make the most sense?

Currently considering:
Mahindra XEV 9e / 9s (Prefer 9s since it is more family friendly)
Tata Harrier EV
Hyundai Creta EV
Tata Curvv EV X series
Evitara/Ebella

Would love to hear from people who moved from ICE to EV recently. Also open to other EV suggestions in this budget range.

Would like to share my recent experience with 9S 79kwh:

Drive:
I did Pune to Kolhapur and return with 7 Adults and 2 Children with frunk fully loaded with just one top from 35% to 83% in Kolhapur. Range wise there was no anxiety. We just a heavy uphill for almost 15 kilometres and lost around 60km range but during downhill recovered almost same with 2% battery gain. Driving wise never felt that I was driving with 7 adults and 2 children onboard. It was great.

Range: No range anxiety. Got almost 6-7km/kwh efficiency.

Charging stations: so many reliable charging stations on the route of Pune to Kolhapur and return. No issue at all.

FASTag: Paid toll on every toll plaza.

Comfort: I didn’t feel anything but all other passengers were saying that seats are bit hard. Had 2 adults sitting in the third row with no problem.

AC: AC was continuously on with 18 temperatures and fan speed 3. Ventilated seats were too on.

Conclusion: it was great ride. Only thing is bit hard seats. I am happy with my purchase.

Next I am planning Goa or Konkan side after couple of rainfalls. Will share that experience too.

I had booked the 7xo Diesel AT initially but now I am thinking of switching to XEV9s P3, my only concern is range since my running is pretty high (30,000kms/year) which is mostly on highways. I read a few posts saying the range you get on highways is 300-350. If this is true then I feel it can be a dealbreaker for me. I was of the assumption that I will get 450-500 on highways. If such is the case should I continue with the 7xo?

I have booked XEV9s pack three above 79kwh C11. I don’t daily use my car for longer run. Mostly 50km daily. I am thinking 3.2 Kwh charger. Practically my car is never going to go below 20%. For emergencies I have DC charger 3km away from home. Should I go for 11kwh charger? I can ask showroom not to bill me for charger as I have booked with charger?

Hey, I have already booked Kia Seltos but planning to cancel it and go for a XEV9S due to multiple reasons.

1. Seltos is taking 12 weeks to deliver, not sure how long does XEV9S is taking

2. with recent announcement regarding war and PM saying that reduce petrol and switch to electric. I feel it’s going to come as a long lasting problem. Probably better to switch to electric.

My running is very low so I’m not sure about the battery. Running is approx 500km a month. Please advice?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some feedback on the XEV9S Pack 3. I’m based in Mumbai and currently drive a 2016 XUV500 Diesel AT with only 49,500 km on the clock. Since my daily running is very low, the usual EV drawbacks like range anxiety aren't a dealbreaker for me. I mainly want to upgrade for the tech and the updated platform. Does the XEV9S make sense for a low-usage owner? Would appreciate your thoughts!

Hi, I am getting only 430 km range for my XEV 9S, and I wanted to understand if I need to any changes.

Here are the details:
Car: XEV 9S, Pack 3 Above, 79 kWh
Modes: Range and Everyday. I am using Range whenever my speed is below 60 kmph, for city driving and on internal roads. And I use Everyday for the Highway driving.
Climate: I keep the AC on throughout, 'auto' mode, temperature set to 20, fan at 3
I keep DRL on too.

I have only driven 600 km so far. Today, after a 230km drive spanning city traffic, internal roads and highways, I ended up with 46% of battery, yielding the 430km range figure.

Please let me know if 430km is typical. Is there anything I should change about my driving or modes etc.?

I’ve a new XEV 9s pack 3 above. My city range is between 250-300 on an average. Considering mostly my trip sizes are small (a trip of less than 5 km). My daily travel is somewhere around 30-50 km per day. Is this normal or an indication of faulty battery ?

I have booked Pack 3 and yet to take delivery. I'm confused between white and ruby velvet. I used to own a white sub 4m SUV and I'm exchanging it now.

Please suggest based on your opinion. BTW, most of the colours offered looks almost completely dark in tone.