Video summary

1 Year With the Mahindra XEV 9E — What No One Tells You | 30,000 km Experience #automobile

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product reviewed

Mahindra XEV 9e (EV) — 1-year / ~30,000 km ownership experience (Video title mentions “30,000 km”; subtitles repeatedly reference 27,000 km so far.)

Key features highlighted (unique points)

  1. Reverse Parking Assist (double-arrow feature)

    • User engages the feature, takes foot off the accelerator, and the car automatically retraces the path.
    • Presented as a feature not available even in cars up to ~₹1 crore.

  2. Window convenience

    • If a window is open, it can be closed by holding the lock button (and opened similarly).

  3. Range display via Energy app

    • Uses accumulated / charge cycles data.
    • Example: 61 charge cycles for ~27,000 km → average ~430 km per cycle, with the note that range depends on parameters.

  4. Driving modes / regen control

    • Official region modes: L0 (off), L1, L2, L3.
    • Single-pedal drive for traffic: lift accelerator to aggressively slow.
    • Hidden “auto regen” mode:
      • Press the minus button twice, hold ~2 seconds to enable an auto-regen behavior responding to traffic ahead.

  5. “Focus bars” (field-of-view HUD element)

    • Described as changing width based on visual/context (not RPM).
    • Wider on highways, narrower in tight streets.

  6. Charging compatibility + “home charging confidence”

    • Strong emphasis on overnight home charging using an 11 kW charger.
    • Portable charging as a fallback: overnight ~150–200 km range mentioned.

  7. Blind Spot Monitoring

    • Light indicators on left/right rear-view mirrors to show vehicles approaching from the sides.

  8. Driver-assist / cruise features

    • Mentions Lane Keeping Assist and Speed Limit Assist.
    • Claims ADAS is Level 2+.
    • Cruise control used often, but not 100% relied on.

  9. Emergency braking behavior (safety logic)

    • Claims that per policy, if foot is on the accelerator, it won’t auto-brake; braking occurs when the accelerator is off.
    • Reviewer reports applying emergency brake only once in 30,000 km.

  10. Fog/night usefulness of driver assist

    • Driver assist can remain useful in fog but may be radar-dependent, so it may not work every time.

  11. 360° camera limitations + workaround

    • Inbuilt 360° camera described as unreliable (two minor crashes: it did not record).
    • Workaround: installed a custom dashboard with an additional DVR port.
    • Rear view mirror limitations: can keep camera on via the 360 camera button while moving.

  12. Comfort & cabin features

    • 8-way adjustable seats
      • Good overall support, but under-thigh support is lacking.
    • Solar + acoustic windows
      • Factory tint; solar reflector reduces heat and lower cabin noise reduces fatigue.
    • Sound system
      • “Very good,” best sound via inbuilt Gaana app or Spotify Lossless via Android Auto Lossless.
    • Wireless charger
      • Mentions 65W cable and additional mounting/attachment options (including possible extra screen).
    • Detachable accessory / sun shade (“stunt sheds” per subtitles) with good night visibility.

  13. User interface improvements

    • Multipurpose dial to control AC/audio, reducing constant touch-screen use (mini console vs main console on long press/single press).

  14. Interior screens / Android Auto

    • “Three-screen setup”:
      • Left screen: entertainment (e.g., YouTube)
      • Middle screen: review camera when needed
      • Android Auto maps can appear centrally via menu navigation when connected.

  15. Practical storage

    • Frunk in addition to rear boot.
    • Towing cable and jump start cable stored in frunk.
    • Spare tyre still called out as weak (see cons).

Performance & real-world experience (range, pickup, handling)

Range & battery health

  • Charging/energy data example:
    • 61 charge cycles across 27,000 km
  • Real-world range estimates (varies by driving style/conditions):
    • “Risky drive”: ~310 km
    • “Normal sensible”: almost 500 km
    • Another mentioned planning number: ~400 km
  • Battery degradation perception:
    • Reviewer says no visible battery degradation after time.
    • Example mention: Pune → Goregaon about 10 months ago with normal driving; ~100 km-ish trip with two people and speed “R”.
    • Compared with a similar recent trip, range feels “the same.”

Pickup / acceleration

  • Strong from-signal acceleration.
  • Reviewer claims no car in India can beat it at signal “shooting” (with a note they don’t support rash driving).
  • Most driving done in range mode, but pickup still feels strong.

Handling & ride

  • Handling described as excellent:
    • “Stability unmatched”
    • Lane change at ~120–150 km/h feels planted due to low center of gravity (battery in base).
  • Suspension:
    • “One of the best in class”
    • Adapts to road texture; may feel soft on abrupt transitions from smooth to bad roads, then adjusts.
    • Best feel suggested in Everyday mode (vs default “Everyday and Race” reference).

City usability

  • City points:
    • Very small turning radius; U-turn “in one go.”
  • Parking remains the main limitation due to car size.

Pros (as stated)

  • Reverse parking assist automation and “luxury-class” convenience claim
  • No perceived EV degradation after ~1 year
  • Excellent real-world charging confidence with home charging reducing range anxiety
  • Very strong acceleration/pickup
  • High comfort: can drive 8–9 hours continuously without feeling tired (compared favorably to XUV500)
  • Solar + acoustic windows reduce cabin heat/noise and fatigue
  • Excellent sound system, with recommended settings/apps
  • Excellent highway stability and lane-change control
  • Blind spot monitoring
  • ADAS Level 2+ with useful driver assist features (fog/night described as helpful sometimes)
  • Strong after-sales service (servicing/maintenance praised; specific advisor mentioned)
  • Good headlights throw (better than XUV500 per reviewer)
  • Convenient controls via multipurpose dial to reduce touch dependence

Cons / issues (all unique complaints mentioned)

  1. Tyres / tyre life concerns by others

    • Reviewer personally reports no issue at 27,000 km; tread indicators still show significant tread.
    • Mentions screw/puncture incidents; a screw insertion repaired/handled without air leak so far.
    • Still acknowledges many people have faced this tyre issue.

  2. Reliable 360° camera

    • Not reliable for incident recording; two minor crashes recorded nothing.
    • Configuration limitations; not safe to rely on for evidence.

  3. Software glitches

    • Car described as software-heavy; some features don’t work as intended.
    • Example issues:
      • Control panel buttons malfunction once (panel replaced once), recurred once
      • Safe Mode warning appeared once; fixed after restart

  4. Rear visibility limitation

    • Restricted rear view due to coupe design + middle seat placement.
    • Workarounds: remove middle seat or keep 360 camera on while moving.

  5. Under-thigh support lacking

    • Despite 8-way adjustability, under-thigh support feels “a bit lacking.”

  6. Passenger seat power adjustment missing

    • Lack of power-adjustable passenger seat called out as a “huge miss.”

  7. Spare tyre quality

    • Spare tyre described as very weak; reviewer dislikes space-saving approach and would prefer normal tyres.

  8. EV behavior in mud/monsoon

    • Trouble in mud before knowing to turn off ESP; with ESP off, reviewer believes it would have crossed.

  9. AC/software touch dependence complaint

    • Reviewer argues the multipurpose dial addresses touch dependence (so it’s not treated as a hard con, though earlier mentions imply it’s a common complaint).

Comparisons made

  • Vs luxury cars (general)

    • Reverse parking assist claimed to be superior even to cars up to ₹1 crore.

  • Vs previous/other cars the reviewer owned/drives

    • Mahindra XUV500 (former EV-free car)
      • EV feels less tiring: “no vibrations, no noise”
      • Better continuous comfort
      • Headlights: XUV9e has better throw than XUV500
      • Driving habit carried over (aggressive style)
    • Audi Q3 / BMW X5
      • Reviewer states XUV9e stability is unmatched.

  • Model competition mentions

    • Close competition: XUV 9S (reviewer invites subscribing for that review)
    • Considered alternative: XUV 700 AX7L around ₹28 lakh on-road (GST-adjusted estimate around ₹27 lakh)

Charging infrastructure / costs (numerical)

  • Home charging
    • Full charge overnight in ~8–9 hours using 11 kW
  • DC fast charging
    • ~45 minutes to 1.5 hours (depends on charger speed)
  • Charging cost
    • Total charging cost after running: ₹220,000 (over ~27,000 km)
  • Toll cost
    • ₹0
  • Maintenance cost
    • ₹915
  • Fuel cost comparison (if it were XUV 700)
    • Estimated fuel spend would have been ~₹5 lakh for ~27,000 km
  • Break-even claim
    • Reviewer claims they already broke even on the ~₹3 lakh extra investment versus the alternative after these costs

Verdict / recommendation (based on video content)

Strong recommendation for the Mahindra XEV 9e if you can charge at home or reliably access charging. The reviewer reports excellent comfort, stability, range confidence with minimal perceived degradation, and good after-sales service, but flags software niggles and a not-reliable 360° camera, plus some ergonomic omissions (under-thigh support, no power-adjust passenger seat) and concerns about spare tyre quality.

Ratings / scores mentioned

  • No formal star rating
  • Qualitative remark: “10-on-10 machine” if software improves
  • ADAS level stated: Level 2+

Speakers

  • Single main speaker/reviewer throughout subtitles (no clear multi-speaker segments).

Original video