EVs Launching In The Next 4 Months: From Maruti To Mahindra To Toyota!
India’s festive season is fast approaching. It is also the time when the country goes shopping. The time around Diwali is considered auspicious for making high-value purchases like those of automobiles. This time, the electric vehicle (EV) segment is expected to witness significant product rollouts and intense sales battles. Here are six electric vehicles expected to enter the market in the next four months
Vinfast VF6
Vinfast is a Vietnamese brand that’s set to enter the Indian market with two products- the VF6 and VF7. These will be electric SUVs belonging to two different segments. With an expected ex-showroom price of Rs 25 lakh, the VF6 will be a Creta EV rival. It will likely come with the best motor output in its segment- 210 PS! For perspective, the Creta Electric’s electric motor produces 170 PS.
The Vinfast VF6 will also come with a lot of creature comforts and technologies. It will have the likes of a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 26 smart features, a head-up display (HUD), ADAS, and a 360° camera. On the design front, this electric SUV will have sleek, futuristic cues and an attractive colour palette.
Vinfast VF7
The VF7 will be a bigger SUV. It will offer a higher range figure and will have better occupant comfort than the VF6. The rear seats, in particular, will be a lot better. The VF7’s electric powertrain will be able to make around 349 horsepower and 500 Nm. It will be able to do the 0-100 kph sprint in 5.8 seconds. The expected price, however, is around 50 lakh rupees.
Maruti e-Vitara
The eVitara, Maruti Suzuki’s first electric SUV, has been in the news for some time now. It is expected to launch in the coming weeks and will likely have an attractive price tag. The eVitara is currently on sale in many international markets, where it is available with two BYD-sourced battery packs- 48.8kWh and 61.1kWh. The latter has a claimed range of over 500 km per charge.
The India-spec too will feature the same batteries. It remains to be seen if Maruti Suzuki will offer the All Wheel Drive (AWD) tech in India-spec eVitara. This is already available abroad. When launched, the electric SUV will have three trims- Delta, Zeta, and Alpha and will come in 10 colours.
Mahindra XUV 3XO-Based EV
Mahindra is known to be working on an electric SUV based on the XUV 3XO. This EV could potentially replace the outgoing XUV 400 when launched. Though details are sparse, we expect it to come with the same 34.5 kWh and 39.5 kWh battery packs as the 400. On design grounds, it will stand close to the XUV 3XO (ICE). There will, of course, be EV-specific cues in the design.
Tata Sierra EV
Tata Motors is set to revive the legendary Sierra nameplate. On its return, the Sierra will have an EV version as well. The Sierra EV will be underpinned by the Acti.EV+ platform, also found on the recently launched Harrier.EV. It is likely to borrow the battery packs (60 kWh and 75 kWh) from the electric Harrier as well. The larger of these is expected to offer 500 km per charge in range. Launch is expected during the festive season.
Mahindra XEV 7e
The XEV 7e is essentially the EV version of the XUV 700. It is expected to be out in the coming months, and will be based on the same INGLO high-voltage skateboard platform as the XEV 9e. The battery packs are expected to be the same as those offered on the 9e. It can also be called the production version of the XUV.e8 concept. When launched, the 7e will battle with the likes of the Harrier.EV.
BONUS: Syros EV
Even though the launch timeline remains unknown, Kia India is known to be working on an EV version of the Syros SUV. The vehicle has been spotted on test several times and is
BONUS 2: Toyota Version of the eVitara
Toyota showcased the Urban Cruiser BEV at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo early this year, where the eVitara made its India debut. This confirmed that the brand has plans to launch its own version of the eVitara in the future. When it goes on sale here, Toyota’s first electric SUV will have the same underpinnings and powertrains as the Maruti EV. It will come with the same BYD battery packs- 48.8kWh and 61.1kWh. It could launch towards the end of this year, if not early next year.