Mahindra has introduced a new EV to its lineup, but this is not a born EV; it is based on their top-selling compact SUV, the 3XO. This seems to be sudden and abrupt, as they have showcased quite a good EV recently, like XEV 9S, XEV 9E, and BE6, all of which are born EVs. You might wonder, Mahindra launched XUV 3XO EV, which is not a born EV? First lets see what you get with the New XUV 3XO EV, then I will answer the question
Mahindra XUV 3XO EV
It gets a 39.4 kWh NMC battery pack, with a claimed range of 456 Km. But Mahindra has given a real-world range figure of 285 Km, based on the XUV 400 customer. This car produces 147 HP & 310 NM of torque. It supports up to 350 KW of DC fast charging, and you can charge from 10-80% in 24 minutes, that is, if you can find one. But with a 50 KW DC charger, you can charge from 10-80% with in 50 mins. With a 7.2 KW charger, you can fully charge the battery in 6 hours and 30 mins.
You get this EV only in two variants, AX5 & AX7L. The major exterior design changes are closed up front grille and copper accents throughout the body, also in the interior. Other than this, there is not much change to its ICE counterpart. The price ranges from Rs. 13.89 – 14.96 Lakh.
Let’s see the features list
Mahindra XUV 3XO EV AX5
| Exterior | Interior | Comfort and Convenience | Infotainment | Safety |
| – Auto-LED projector headlights with LED DRLs (doubling up as turn indicators) – Connected LED tail-lights – 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels – Roof rails – Rear spoiler | – Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel -Front centre armrest with storage – Rear armrest with cupholder – Adjustable headrest for the second row middle passenger – 60:40 split-folding rear seats | – Single-pane sunroof – 10.25-inch full-digital driver’s display – Dual-zone climate control with rear AC vents – Keyless entry – Push-button start/stop – Steering-mounted audio controls – Cruise control – Electrically foldable ORVMs – Height-adjustable driver seat – 1-touch up/down driver-side power window – Wireless phone charger – Front and rear USB charging ports | – 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system – Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – Connected car tech – 6-speaker music system | – 6 airbags – Rear parking camera – Electronic parking brake with auto-hold – Electronic stability programme (ESP) – Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) – Rain-sensing wipers – Rear wiper and washer – Rear defogger |
Mahindra XUV 3XO EV AX7L
You get all the features from XUV 3XO AX5.
| Exterior | Interior | Comfort and Convenience | Infotainment | Safety |
| – 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels – LED front fog lamps | – Soft-touch leatherette material on the dashboard and the door pads – Leatherette seats – Illuminated sun visor with vanity mirrors (co-driver) | – Panoramic sunroof – Cooled glovebox with illumination – 65 W USB Type-C fast charging port – Auto-dimming IRVM | – 7-speaker Harman Kardon music system with amplifier and subwoofer – Dolby Atmos | – Level-2 ADAS – 360-degree camera – Front parking sensor |
Why Mahindra Launched XUV 3XO EV
You might think, will this new XUV 3XO EV replace the XUV 400?. There is no clear answer for now, but XUV 400 is still on sale, at a price of Rs. 15.49 – 17.69 Lakh, which is higher than 3XO EV. Also, XUV 400 is a larger vehicle; it does not come under sub 4 meter size like 3XO. So you get a better cabin space and boot space in the XUV 400. So, in a way, Mahindra is selling both EVs simultaneously.
But Mahindra has brought in the 3XO EV, as its ICE counterpart is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in India; it sells around 8-10K every month. And Tata has the Nexon EV, another sub-4 metre compact SUV, which sells in good numbers. Not only the Nexon ICE, but the EV also sells well. As of late 2025, Nexon EV sales have surpassed more than 1 lakh units, which makes it the first Indian EV to surpass 1 lakh sales. So, Mahindra has launched the 3XO EV to compete with the Nexon EV. As the XUV 400 is not doing well, it sells around 200 units a month, which is very bad.
So to compete at the entry level of the EV market and to beat the Nexon EV, Mahindra is taking chances with the XUV 3XO EV. According to me, it is an okay move, but Mahindra should have focused on creating an entry-level sub-4 meter EV in there existing born EV platform, as these platforms are scalable. This would have created more buzz and would have contributed to more EV adoption in India, where Tata is making some good numbers with Tiago EV & Punch EV.
Conclusion
We need more smaller EVs for our cities, as traffic is rising, parking is a hustle, and EVs shine in urban conditions. Yes, we have big EVs with 400+ Km in real world, but let’s be honest, taking an EV on a long road trip is still a challenge, because of charging infrastructure, you need a lot of planning, and the fact that EVs on highway speeds are not that efficient. So I think Mahindra, which is making some amazing cars, should think about a small sub-4-meter EV around 10-12 lakh. What do you think let me know in the comments.
