Mahindra BE 6

There was a time when cars were designed for enthusiasts like you and me, not just for families. Cars that were thrilling to drive, fun to corner, and built for people who loved driving. Such cars, however, have become increasingly rare. But that wait may finally be over. 

Enter Mahindra's BE 6: electric, powerful, rear-wheel drive, and styled like a concept car. But in creating this driver’s car package, has Mahindra made compromises that the family won’t appreciate? Or can this car truly keep both you and your family happy?

Design and Build Quality

It’s still hard to believe this is the final car. Such a complicated design hasn’t been seen on a car in India before. It looks sporty, striking, and racy, with an undeniable X-factor that grabs everyone’s attention. The DRL signature is so unique that you won’t confuse it with any other car, especially when you see it in a rear-view mirror at night. 

It also features all-LED headlamps and LED fog lamps, with dynamic indicators seamlessly integrated into the DRLs. This car also features an aerodynamic vent which, at high speeds, improves air flows reducing drag and improving stability. 

From the side angle, you can truly appreciate the car’s size. It’s a large SUV, comparable to models like the Creta, Seltos, and Grand Vitara in terms of length. It is a true coupe SUV with a sloping roofline, bold body lines, and striking aesthetics. 

Details such as flush-fitting door handles that pop out when you unlock the car, and a cleverly concealed rear door handle are very well integrated into the design. 

Mahindra offers 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels on the top-spec ‘Pack Three’ variant of the BE6. You can choose to get 20-inch alloy wheels as well by paying a premium. Lower variants get 18- and 19-inch steel wheels. 

At the rear, the styling might spark debate. While the front and sides are sharp and angular, the back is relatively flat and upright. Yet, Mahindra has added elements to spice it up: a sporty roof spoiler, another spoiler on the boot, a striking lighting element, and two diffuser-like features at the bottom. 

Look closely, and you’ll notice the reverse light positioned at the center, reminiscent of race cars or Formula 1. The LED tail lamps mirror the front design, and dynamic turn indicators are present at the back as well.

However, to elevate the design further, Mahindra has finished the lower cladding in Piano Black. Remember that these finishes are notorious for scratching easily. So, if you’re planning to buy this car, the first thing you should do is invest in a quality PPF, at least for these panels. Otherwise, every scratch will be a painful reminder on this otherwise stunning car. 

Overall, this design doesn’t look like it was created for a typical road car. It feels like something out of a racing video game that was brought to life for the streets. Elder family members might find the styling a bit excessive, but enthusiasts can appreciate a car that’s unapologetically bold, fast, and brash. This design reflects that spirit perfectly.  

Mahindra is offering striking colour options to match the BE6’s outgoing personality. Tango Red, Firestorm Orange look the loudest and most appealing. There’s a unique green Deep Forest shade that looks classy as well. Other options include Everest White and Desert Myst both of which are available with a gloss and matte finish. Finally, there’s a Stealth Black paint option that makes the BE6 look like a desi-Batmobile.

Design and Quality

Owing to a slightly high floor and a low roofline, getting in and out of the car might not be convenient for larger people. For instance, taller people in our team found their heads hitting the A-pillar while trying to sit in the driver’s seat. 

Now, let’s talk about the cabin of this car, focusing first on the driver’s cockpit. While there is space for a passenger, they feel almost separated from the driver, thanks to a unique divider. The entire design centers around the driver, creating a sense of exclusivity. It’s as if the car wasn’t designed to be driven but launched, like a true sports car-inspired interior. Sitting here feels incredibly special, and we can confidently say you won’t find such a design in any other car at this price point—or even at twice the price.  

And then, there are a lot of unique details that stand out:  

• First up are the cloth door handles, a detail typically found in high-end race cars. Initially, you might assume they’d be inconvenient, but they’re surprisingly easy to use. 

• The new steering wheel isn’t fully round but slightly squared off. It feels sporty and great to grip. While it’s not as convenient as a round steering wheel for quick U-turns, its sporty feel compensates for this minor drawback. 

• The gear selector which has an aircraft thrustor-like design. Though the quality feels a bit wobbly, its usability is good, with a satisfying grip that mimics the sensation of controlling an aircraft thruster. 

• Accelerator and brake pedals are made of aluminum with rubber grips shaped like Mahindra’s logo. A small but cool touch.  

• Top-mounted toggles for controlling the 360-degree camera, auto parking, boot, hazards and lighting are inspired by fighter jets. 

As you spend more time in the cabin, you’ll notice how everything is crafted with the driver in mind. However, a few areas could be improved:

• Joystick controls are carried over from older Mahindra models and feel outdated compared to the rest of the premium cabin.  

• Piano black finishes look good, but these surfaces scratch very easily. Even on our test car, which had only done 250-300 km when we first received it, scratches were already noticeable.

• Start-stop button: While sleekly integrated into the piano black panel, it requires precise pressing in the correct spot to function. This might take some getting used to.

Although the driver is the focus, passengers aren’t overlooked. They get two dedicated AC vents, a soft-touch dashboard, and smooth, premium-quality plastic panels on the door pads. 

Front Seats

The seats in this car are very comfortable and come with a dual upholstery design. The bottom portion features leatherette material with ventilation, and the upper section is made of fabric, which Mahindra claims is composed of 50% recycled materials. Adding to the comfort, the headrests are well-padded and offer excellent support, enhancing the overall seating experience for both the driver and passengers.

For a good driver, a proper driving position is essential, and this car nails it. You can sit relatively low, with extended legs and a steering wheel perfectly within reach—uncommon in SUVs, which typically have a higher seating position. 

The power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function makes it convenient to adjust the seat while the steering wheel offers both tilt and telescopic adjustments to get the right placement. The cabin successfully merges sportiness with functionality, delivering a premium, driver-focused experience unlike anything else in its class.

Rear Seat

In coupe SUVs, you neither get adequate knee room nor the headroom. However, you might be surprised by the BE 6. If a 6-foot-tall person is sitting in the front, another 6-foot-tall person can sit comfortably behind them. The foot room is also decent. As for headroom, you’ll have enough unless you’re over 6 feet tall or wear a turban. Your hair won’t brush against the roof, and there’s plenty of headroom for users of an average height. 

These seats are very supportive. They’re slightly angled upwards, providing adequate under-thigh support, which is better than you’d expect from an EV—especially a coupe SUV. The recline angle is also very comfortable, and the headrests are highly supportive. Overall, these seats are designed to keep you comfortable, even on long journeys.

Visibility outside, however, is somewhat compromised. The rear windows are small, offering a narrow view. In fact, the large headrests, while very comfortable for the driver and front passenger, obstruct the view from the back. To see forward, you’ll need to lean left or right. The glass roof doesn’t open, so kids won’t be poking their heads out but you also have to skip the open-top drive experience when the weather and temperature make you want it. Plus, because the roof is so large, it lets in plenty of light. Even with a black interior, the cabin feels airy and spacious, not suffocating.

That said, keep in mind that three people cannot sit comfortably in the back. The floor is flat, so the middle passenger won’t have a problem with foot space, but the seats are positioned a bit inward, meaning the two side passengers sit close together, making it less ideal for a third passenger.

As for features, you get a center armrest with two cupholders, and mounting points for attaching a tablet or phone behind the front seats. There are AC vents in the middle, but their design is a bit unconventional. They can’t swivel left or right; you can only open or close them.

Storage and Practicality

While the cabin of this car is undeniably sporty, Mahindra has ensured it doesn’t abandon its roots in practicality. You get two phone trays (that have wireless charging) — one for the driver and one for the co-passenger — and a separate slot to keep your wallet. There is only one cupholder, though. Under the front armrest, you get a deep cooled storage. 

The door pockets can easily hold two 1-litre bottles, the glovebox has a slim opening but is deep, and finally, there’s also a hidden tray below the center console that provides a large storage space. All the storage areas in the center console come with rubber matting to prevent items from rattling or sliding around. 

The seatback pockets are only large enough for magazines, while the door pockets can accommodate bottles ranging from 500ml to 1 litre. Finally, there’s some more storage space under the rear AC vents. 

Charging Options

Charging options are plentiful. At the front, you get two Type-C ports along with the two wireless chargers. Rear passengers also have two Type-C sockets mounted on the seatbacks, and these are 65W fast chargers, so your devices will charge very quickly. 

If you’re looking for a 12V socket, it’s available only in the boot.

Boot Space

The car features a powered tailgate, which is a significant plus and a very handy feature. Inside, you can fit about three overnight cabin trolley bags, but that will almost entirely fill the boot. Beyond that, you’ll only have room for smaller bags like laptop bags. If you opt to store a large suitcase, there won’t be much space left for anything else. For small family trips, packing in compact bags should work just fine. However, for trips with five people or larger families, you’ll need to pack smartly to make the most of the available space.  

Interestingly, the car also provides some additional storage in the front. This frunk can hold up to 35 kg of weight. While it’s not large—only suitable for small items like laptop bags—it’s perfect for carrying essentials like the car’s charger.  

Mahindra has really gone to town equipping the BE6 with all the features you can think of. We can only hope all of these features function reliably and dependably throughout the course of ownership. In our brief time with the car, everything functioned as intended. Now, let’s deep dive into specific features. 

The steering has a gloss black panel, and the "BE" logo illuminates at night, adding a premium touch. You get three screens—a driver's display, an infotainment screen, and an augmented reality heads-up display (AR HUD). In the centre, there’s an auto-dimming, rimless rear-view mirror that looks sporty. Dual-zone climate control, multi-color ambient lighting throughout the cabin, and a fixed glass roof (with lighting!) further enhance the experience. 

The 12.3-inch driver's display offers a lot of functionality. It shows details of the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), including the distance to the car in front and alerts for vehicles approaching. Navigation is directly integrated here, so if you’re using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you can see the maps on the display itself—minimizing distractions by reducing the need to glance at the infotainment screen. 

The display also provides trip information, energy consumption details, and a dynamic energy flow diagram showing how power is distributed from the batteries to the wheels. Driving modes are paired with animations and colors: Range mode glows green, Everyday mode turns purple, and Race mode is fiery red. The transitions are smooth, and the execution is impressive.  

This 12.3-inch infotainment system is all-new for Mahindra too, with a clean tile-based interface. It’s logical and user-friendly and also has in-built Amazon Alexa and ChatGPT. You can access everything from climate control and seat ventilation to ADAS settings and driving modes. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wireless and work smoothly, though we experienced minor pairing issues with Apple CarPlay. 

You can add two more screens to the BE6 by mounting them to the front seats. This feature is called ‘Bring Your Own Device’ or BYOD, which is an app that syncs with the car’s system. It allows the rear seat occupants to control climate settings, music, and more, effectively turning your phone or tablet into a third or fourth screen. It’s a very impressive feature. In fact, if everyone in the car wants to watch content together, it can be synced seamlessly too.

Another standout feature is the 16-speaker sound system which delivers excellent audio quality. With customizable equalizer settings and strong bass from the subwoofer, it creates an immersive sound experience, whether you prefer symphony hall vibes or concert-level intensity.  

The ambient lighting system is highly customizable too. You can choose preset options, mode-dependent lighting, or create your own color and pattern combinations, including wave, glow, or static effects. The lighting isn’t limited to the cabin; even the roof features a unique illuminated pattern.  

There’s another party trick available called ‘GrooveMe’. This feature syncs all of the vehicle's lights from the headlamps, tail lamps, turn indicators, interior ambient lighting and roof lights to the music that’s being played. It’s a fun feature to show off, or set the vibe on a relaxed evening. 

The 360-degree camera is another highlight. While the animations are basic, the image quality is solid. More impressively, it doubles as a dashcam, recording incidents or road mishaps at the press of a button. It also includes a selfie camera to capture moments inside the car. Even when parked, the camera monitors the surroundings and records suspicious activity, like attempts to tow or tamper with the car—providing added security and peace of mind. 

Mahindra also offers full auto park functionality on the BE6. This means the car can detect parking spots on its own, whether parallel, perpendicular or diagonal and park itself. You can also use the key to retrieve the car from its parking spot. 

Finally, there’s an in-car camera that can be used for video calls or take some fun selfies. Interestingly, Mahindra also provides some funky filters to make the moments more memorable.

If the car is sporty, then safety is just as important, and that's why Mahindra has gone the extra mile by not just offering 6 airbags but 7 airbags in this car. Along with this, you also get ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), and Hill Hold, ensuring all-around safety. It also features a driver and occupant monitoring system that will alert if the driver is distracted or fatigued. 

There’s Level 2 ADAS as well, which consists of a host of functions including auto-emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and more. Mahindra’s calibration of ADAS has been done thoughtfully, keeping Indian driving conditions in mind. It’s not overly sensitive and adapts to Indian driving styles rather well. 

Performance

The BE 6 is based on the INGLO platform that’s capable of supporting both rear wheel drive and all wheel drive. However, at launch Mahindra has only introduced the rear-wheel drive. It is available with two battery packs: 59kWh and 79kWh. 

Mahindra BE6 79kWh 

City Performance 

The performance numbers are mind-blowing. But what’s even more impressive is how easy the BE6 is to drive inside the city. Power delivery is smooth and instantaneous. We wouldn’t blame you if you gunned for small gaps in traffic purely because you could. The acceleration is addictive and the drive experience is fun or relaxing depending on what you want it to be. 

Inside the city, you can explore the BE 6’s single-pedal drive mode. When you lift off the accelerator pedal, it automatically brings the car to a full halt. The calibration is done very well and the car comes to a complete stop without any abrupt braking. First time EV buyers will need some practice to get used to it but it does prove to be useful especially in heavy traffic. Otherwise, you can select the different levels of regenerative braking via the paddle shifters to tailor it as per the situation demands. 

Highway Performance

0-100kmph time of 6.7 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 202kmph. I drove it at Mahindra’s test track in Chennai, and can confirm those numbers are achievable all-day, everyday in the real world. T

This means highway performance is blistering quick as the BE6 can hold even illegal speeds all day long, with a full passenger load. Even at triple digit speeds, you can simply floor the throttle to get even more acceleration. Add the healthy noise insulation package into the mix and the BE6 becomes an effortless long distance highway cruiser. 

There are practically no petrol/diesel cars available under Rs 50 lakh that deliver a performance that’s even remotely close to the BE 6.

The BE 6 is an easy car to maneuver owing to its light steering and while it does get heavier at higher speeds, the feel is quite artificial. Ride quality is set slightly on the firmer side. It feels comfortable over smooth roads but there is some side-to-side tossing passengers will experience over uneven roads. This behaviour is likely to get amplified if you get the optional 20-inch wheels vs the 19-inch wheels of our test car.

That said, on the handful of sharp bumps and potholes we dealt with, the suspension did a good job of controlling any shock in the cabin nor did it crash or get noisy over bad bumps.

The BE6 is available in three mainstream trims: Pack One, Pack Two and Pack Three.

Other than that, Mahindra has also launched a new Formula E Edition to mark the first anniversary of BE6. It is available in 2 variants: FE2 & FE3. It starts at Rs 23.69 lakh. 

Mahindra BE6 Pack One (Check Out Real World Images)

• This variant is available only with the smaller 59kWh battery pack. 

• Visual highlights include LED projector headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, illuminated front and rear logos, LED tail lamp and a rear spoiler. It gets 18-inch steel wheels with covers. 

• The interior features fabric upholstery and functional features such as height-adjustable driver’s seat, 60:40 split rear seats, front and rear armrest.

• Features include automatic climate control, 12.3-inch touchscreen and driver’s display, 6-speaker audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a rear parking camera. 

• Safety features include 6 airbags, ABS, electronic stability control and tyre pressure deflation warning.  

Mahindra BE6 Pack One Above

• Looks visually identical to the Pack One, except for a fixed panoramic glass roof and 19-inch styled steel wheels. 

• Feature additions include a wireless charger, auto-dimming IRVM, and dual-zone climate control. 

Mahindra BE6 Pack Two

• The Pack Two variant is available with both 59kWh and 79kWh battery options. 

• Compared to the Pack One Above, it gets sequential turn indicators and goodbye/welcome animations. 

• Feature additions include a 16 speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and Bring Your Own Device. 

• Safety package gets a massive upgrade with Level 2 ADAS and front parking sensors. 

Mahindra BE6 Pack Three Select

• Compared to the Pack Two, additional visual elements include a centre tail lamp with animations, 19-inch alloy wheels, and powered door handles. 

• The interior experience is richer with leatherette seats, and leather-wrap for the steering wheel. 

• Plenty of feature additions: 2x wireless chargers, powered driver’s seat, front seat ventilation, powered tailgate are available. Other notable additions include auto park functionality, and an air-purifier. 

• Safety feature additions involve 360° camera with dashcam functionality, and driver monitoring system.

Mahindra BE6 Pack Three

• The Pack Three is available only with the 79kWh battery pack. 

• It looks identical to the Pack Three Select save for minor additions such as carpet lights, in-car ambient lighting, and lighting on the sunroof. 

• Feature additions include the AR head-up display, and more ADAS features such as forward and rear cross traffic alert, auto emergency steering and blind spot detection. 

CarDekho Recommends: 

• The Pack One Above offers a healthy balance of functional and feel-good features. There are no real misses here and feels like a complete package. 

• If budget is not an issue, the Pack Three offers solid value for money. It’s worth considering it instead of the Pack Three Select model. 

After a long time, we’ve driven a car that knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. The BE 6 is a young, fun, fast, and tech-loaded SUV with a single focus: to keep that inner child of yours happy—the one who used to love driving cars in video games (and possibly still does). Its looks are straight out of a sci-fi movie. The driver gets a premium cockpit, it offers a good driving experience, and its real-world range of 400-550km (depending on the battery pack) will be adequate for most. And it does all this while keeping your family in mind as well. Truly, if you’ve been dreaming of owning a sporty car that doesn’t demand too many compromises and remains affordable, look no further!  

Other Cars To Consider

Hyundai Creta Electric

Reasons To Consider

• Conventional design

• Better rear seat experience

Reasons To Ignore

• Not as fun to drive

• Real world range is lower

Mahindra XEV 9e

Reasons To Consider

• Larger car

• Better rear seat experience

Reasons To Ignore

• Considerably more expensive