A few days ago, Mahindra teased three of its all-new electric SUVs – XUV.e8, XUV.e9, and BE.05 – in fully camouflaged forms on its testing grounds in Chennai. Now, a recent sighting of the test mule of the Mahindra XUV.e8 has come to our notice, revealing a few crucial insights into this upcoming all-electric three-row SUV from Mahindra. Essentially an all-electric version of the already-on-sale XUV700, the new Mahindra XUV.e8 will have exterior and interior tweaks over the former, making it look more modern and feature-rich.
The test mule caught by Carversal of the Mahindra XUV.e8 spied during trial runs was in a fully camouflaged avatar, as it has been seen to date. However, this time, the SUV looks more developed than ever before, though it is still not production-ready. A look at the exterior of this under-development all-electric SUV from Mahindra shows that it takes its body shell from the XUV700, including the bonnet, door panels, and fenders.
However, the front fascia and the boot lid are expected to be different from those of the XUV700, with the Mahindra XUV.e8 set to have different all-LED headlamps and tail lamps to make it look more distinguished from the XUV700. The front profile of the Mahindra XUV.e8 is expected to get a full-length connecting LED DRL bar joining the headlamps, as previewed in the XUV.e8 concept showcased in the UK in 2022.
Like the Mahindra XUV700, the new upcoming XUV.e8 will also feature flush door handles and curvy-looking LED tail lamps, although there might be a connecting LED bar running between the tail lamps. The design for the 18-inch alloy wheels is also expected to be different from those of the XUV700. Like the XUV400, the new Mahindra XUV.e8 will also get copper highlights all around its exterior to distinguish it from its ICE-powered counterpart.
New cabin
A glimpse of the interior was also seen in the spy shots of the Mahindra XUV.e8, which have surfaced recently, revealing that it will have more features and tweaks over the interior of the XUV700. The new Mahindra XUV.e8 will have a three-screen layout on the dashboard, much like the hyperscreen from the Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. There is also a new two-spoke steering wheel with a gloss black finish for the center boss, which looks very similar to that of the recently-launched Tata Nexon.
Other changes in the interior, as visible in the spy shot, include a gloss black finish for the lower center console, which comes with touch-sensitive buttons for climate control and other functions. The lower center console looks the same as that of the XUV700, with the Mahindra XUV.e8 also having a traditional automatic gear knob for drive selector modes and another rounded knob for controlling drive modes.
The Mahindra XUV.e8 is confirmed to get an 80 kWh battery pack and all-wheel drive configuration with a two-motor setup, with a combined performance rated at 230 PS and 350 Nm. The XUV.e8 will be the first all-electric vehicle from the XUV.e platform, which is expected to go on sale by late 2024, and will compete with the Tata Harrier.EV.
