Mahindra BE6 Old vs New - What's different now?

Mahindra, as part of its annual Independence Day tradition this year, decided to launch an updated version of its radical-looking electric vehicle, the BE6. But how does the new version of this electric SUV differ from the previous model that was on sale? Here’s all that you need to know. 

New Mahindra BE6 Battery pack option 

On the new model of the BE6, Mahindra has added the option of a new 70 kWh battery pack that will be available as an option with the existing 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery packs. As per ARAI, this battery pack with the 280 bhp motor will churn out a range of 651 km. However, it is important to note that in reality the range number would be closer to 470-odd km as real-world driving styles are very different from the way these cars are tested. 

Also read: Are Electric Cars Safe? A Complete Guide For Indian Buyers

Mahindra BE6 Battery As A Service Explained

With the introduction of the updated BE6, Mahindra too is now stepping into the domain of offering Battery as a Service (BaaS). With other OEMs too offering this option for customers and thereby also lowering the sticker prices for their vehicles, Mahindra too wanted to play on shock value. The BE6 with BaaS is now priced at Rs 11.45 lakh (ex-showroom), which is a whopping 8 lakh rupees cheaper than buying outright. 

However, one thing to keep in mind is that on the variants with BaaS, the battery loan is charged at Rs 3.75 per km with a minimum fee of Rs 6750 per month for 1800 km worth of running. And this loan generally runs for up to 8 years. 

Refreshed Interiors

Another major update in this iteration of the BE6 is the interiors. Most variants of the BE6 now do away with the twin-screen setup with the halo ring, and instead a triple-screen setup is now present on the BE6 as well. This setup is similar to the ones available on the XEV 9s and the 7XO and not only increases the space on offer in front of the cabin but also fixes a lot of the ergonomic flaws that the Halo ring setup had on the outgoing model. What is interesting to note, however, is that this setup will still be seen on the base pack one and the Formula E variant.

The interiors also get a new tan coloured upholstery option which wasn’t available earlier on pack two and above. The lower variants will continue to sport the grey and sage green interiors as on the outgoing model. 

Revised Formula E Edition 

With this update to the BE6, Mahindra has also done away with a bespoke Formula-E edition of the vehicle that was available earlier. The outgoing BE6 Formula E variants had circular headlamps that gave the vehicle a distinct identity over the standard model; however, that is not the case anymore. 

Instead, now the Formula E iterations of the BE6 have been reduced to plain sticker jobs and nothing more. Visually, there’s not much to distinguish this edition from the standard models except for the badging on the rear. A probable reason for this could be that Mahindra wants to sell the Formula E edition of this vehicle as an additional variant and not as a limited-run model. 

Mahindra BE6 Additional Tech features

Dubbed the Teq suite, Mahindra has equipped the BE6 with its latest set of tech features such as a Gemini AI-based conversation assistant that can not only help with getting around Android Auto but can also help with vehicle-related functions as well. Some other interesting features that have now been added to this vehicle are Dolby Vision, Dolby Audio and Karaoke mode. 

Another party trick that has been introduced on this model of the BE6 is the Teq_xting feature, which lets owners customise the text and project it through the tail light setup on the vehicle. 

However, the most useful feature that Mahindra has given to this vehicle as a part of this tech package is the Revive & Revive SOS function. This is going to be a lifesaver for a lot of people who may forget to charge their vehicles to the appropriate battery levels and then end up getting stranded on the highway due to range depletion. Essentially, this feature will act as a reserve range, which would help the owner to get his vehicle to the nearest possible charging station even after depleting the battery to zero per cent. However, one must keep in mind that the “Revive SOS” function is going to be limited to only 5 uses during the entire lifetime of the vehicle. 

Also read: Cars With Triple Screens: Inside India's New Dashboard Obsession

While the BE6 did not really need too many updates, given the discounting on the outgoing model and with the launch of the Tata Sierra EV, our guess is that Mahindra didn’t want to leave these updates for too long and let the competition have a free run in the market. 

With prices starting at Rs 19.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Mahindra BE6 Sporteq is going to face competition from the likes of the Hyundai Creta EV, the Tata Sierra EV and even the newly launched MG Hector Tomahawk EV.