The Nexon EV is packed with features, while the XUV400 EV is larger and offers a more powerful electric motor. But which EV is better suited for your family?  We find out in this review

The electric car market in India has evolved over the past few years and now we not only have new and affordable EV options, but more improved EVs from automakers like Tata and Mahindra in the mass market segment. However, if you are looking for an electric SUV with around 300 km of practical range, there are only two options: the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400 EV. The Nexon EV received a major update last year, while Mahindra also updated its XUV400 with certain new features.

Since we compared these two cars that you see in the images, the Nexon also has had a larger 45 kWh battery pack having a claimed range of 489 km, but has also got a new Red Dark Edition of the all-electric SUV. The Mahindra XUV400 EV on the other hand got an updated interior featuring redesigned dashboard and updated set of features like bigger infotainment and fully digital driver’s display. 

But the question is, which electric SUV will be best for you and your family? We find out in this comparison review.

Key

The Tata Nexon EV gets a key fob whereas the Mahindra XUV400 EV comes with a flip key. Even then, we like the key of the XUV400 EV more as it gets a copper Mahindra badge which goes well with the overall theme of the SUV. On the other hand, the Nexon EV’s key fob is just like the one offered with other ICE (internal combustion engine) Tata cars and feels less premium. 

Looks

In terms of looks, both the Tata Nexon EV and the Mahindra XUV400 EV have distinctive designs and look good in their own way. The Nexon EV appears stylish and modern, thanks to its connected LED lighting setup with welcome and goodbye animation functionalities, sequential turn indicators, and stylish 16-inch alloy wheels. The fascia of the Nexon EV, however, resembles that of many newer Tata cars, like the Punch EV and Curvv EV, but that’s not a drawback, as it still remains one of the best-looking electric subcompact SUVs.

The Mahindra XUV400 EV, on the other hand, is dimensionally larger than the Nexon EV, and due to its size, it appears more dominant. Mahindra’s electric SUV has a more traditional SUV-like silhouette, and it looks a bit understated compared to the Nexon EV. Although it doesn’t feature the modern connected lighting setup found in the Nexon EV and uses halogen headlights instead of LEDs, the XUV400 can still be easily distinguished by its copper accents. The alloy wheels are the same size as those on the Nexon EV, but the ones on the Nexon EV have a more stylish and trendy appearance.

So, the Nexon EV here is more aligned towards modern design language, whereas the XUV400 EV despite its premium design looks slightly dated. However, note that Mahindra will soon give a proper facelift to its electric SUV which will be inspired from the XUV 3XO.

Interior

From the inside, the Nexon EV’s cabin looks as modern as its exterior. The materials, leatherette upholstery, centre console with a touch-based climate control panel, and the main highlight—a two-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated Tata logo—will definitely appeal to those who always go with the trend. However, this electric SUV still lacks good fit and finish, and many elements, such as the drive mode selector knob, and some dashboard panels, feel flimsy. Also, the panel gaps are inconsistent, which is not justified for a car that costs around Rs 20 lakh on road.

The Mahindra XUV400 EV on other hand looks quite dated compared to the Nexon EV. However, the fit and finish inside the XUV400 EV is impressive and the panel gaps around the dashboard are consistent. In fact, there are some copper accents inside as well, like on around the side AC vents, on the gear selector, and some parts on the centre console giving it a premium appeal. 

 If you’re looking for a modern interior layout, you will definitely appreciate the Nexon EV. However, if quality and fit and finish are your top priorities, you will like the XUV400 EV better.

Features

Common Features: Both electric SUVs come equipped with amenities like a fully digital 10.25-inch cluster, automatic AC, a single-pane sunroof, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, and an auto-dimming IRVM (inside rear view mirror).

Tata Nexon EV: The Tata Nexon has a good lead over the Mahindra XUV400 EV in terms of features. Not only the Nexon EV has a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen, but this screen also gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Other features on board include ventilated front seats, 9-speaker JBL audio system, the sound quality of which is way better than the ones in the XUV400 EV, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, and a 360-degree camera with blind view monitor, which offers a high quality footage.

Apart from these, the Nexon EV also comes with vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) functionalities. V2L helps you to power your secondary (external) devices, whereas V2V can be used to charge another EV using the Nexon EV. The power requirements here are met through the battery pack fitted inside the Nexon EV. Before Nexon EV, these two features were only seen with premium electric SUVs like Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Volvo XC40 Recharge. 

Mahindra XUV400 EV: The Mahindra EV on the other hand leaves you a bit disappointed as it misses on amenities like ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera, and even electronic parking brake. It gets a smaller 10.25-inch touchscreen compared to Nexon, which is fluid and offers a good user experience, but the test unit we got was not updated with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay feature. The XUV400 EV features a rear parking camera without any guidelines on the infotainment screen. 

So when it comes to features, the Tata Nexon EV is any day a better pick over the XUV400 EV.

Safety

Both electric SUVs come with good safety features like 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), all four disc brakes, and hill hold assist. The Nexon however still has an edge as it additionally comes with 6 airbags as standard and front parking sensors as well. 

When it comes to crash safety ratings, the Tata Nexon EV has already received a full 5-star safety rating from Bharat NCAP. The XUV400 EV hasn’t been crash tested yet, but considering that its pre-facelift ICE version, the XUV300, received a 5-star safety rating from Global NCAP, we believe the XUV400 EV is also structurally safe enough to earn good safety ratings if tested.

Practicality

The Tata Nexon EV may leave you wanting more in terms of practicality, as it only offers door pockets and a glove box for storing your belongings. It lacks cup holders in the centre console, and although there is a storage space under the front armrest, it is quite limited. In comparison to the XUV400 EV, the Nexon EV provides cabin lights only for the front-row passengers. However, it does come with multiple charging options, including a 12V socket, a Type-C port, and a USB port.

The XUV400 EV offers a way more practical cabin experience than the Nexon EV as it includes cup holders in the centre console and a more spacious storage area under the front armrest. In fact, the cabin lights in the XUV400 EV are provided for both the front and rear rows. However, the charging options are similar to those in the Nexon, including USB, Type-C, and a 12V socket. 

Both EVs offer similar practicality for the rear seat including rear AC vents, USB chargers, a 12V power outlet, and a centre armrest with cup holders. 

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

In this department, the Mahindra XUV400 EV is the clear winner. Due to its size advantage, it provides better knee room, headroom, and thigh support for rear passengers compared to the Nexon EV. Even with three people seated in the back, the shoulder room is better here.

The rear seats of the Tata Nexon EV feels a bit cramped when three people are sitting and their shoulders also might rub each other. Since the floor height in the long range version of the Nexon EV is more and the distance between the floor and the seat is not much, the thigh support also feels compromised here. Unlike the XUV400 EV, the Nexon EV doesn’t get a headrest for the middle passenger.

Boot Space

When it comes to boot space, the XUV400 EV thanks to its bigger dimensions has an advantage over the Nexon EV. Though the difference of 28 litres might not sound big enough, practically the XUV400 EV’s boot is better at accommodating large suitcases, thanks to a deep boot floor. The Nexon EV on other hand doesn’t offer less boot space, but since the boot floor isn’t large enough, placing large suitcases is a bit challenging here compared to the XUV 400 EV.

Performance

Before getting into how these electric SUVs perform, first let’s have a look at their battery pack and electric motor specifications in detail:

Both Tata and Mahindra EVs are exciting to drive; however, what sets them apart is the way that power is delivered. Compared to the XUV400 EV, the Nexon EV here feels to have a more mature tuning and the power delivery is smooth, which will be suitable for those who are driving an EV for the first time. 

Tata Nexon EV

The Nexon EV offers three drive modes: Eco, City, and Sport. Starting with the Eco, you should only use this mode when you are really low on battery as the performance is very restricted. In fact, making an overtake in this mode is a lot of struggle. In City drive mode, the Nexon EV offers a smooth acceleration which is good enough for city commutes and even for highways. There’s no problem in making overtakes in City mode. But when you put this Tata EV in Sport mode, it really feels exciting and fun to drive. 

Tata is offering three levels of regenerative braking with the Nexon EV, which can also be controlled via paddle shifters. While Level 1 operates very smoothly and doesn’t even make you feel when the brakes are applied, Level 2 provides effective braking regeneration, often allowing you to avoid using the brake pedal in many situations. Talking about the level 3 regenerative braking, the braking here is very strong and sometimes it feels overly restrictive. However, once you get used to these regenerative braking modes, you will be able to drive it on a single paddle and it will feel more convenient.

Mahindra XUV400 EV

Now coming to XUV 400 EV, it has been tuned in a way that it feels more exciting to drive. Unlike the Nexon EV’s smooth acceleration, the XUV400 EV tends to pick up speeds very quickly and even the tires lose traction sometimes when you floor it hard. The XUV400 EV also gets three drive modes: Fun, Fast, and Fearless. While the XUV400 EV can be driven easily in the city in Fun mode, it becomes more effortless to drive in Fast mode. In this mode, you can easily make overtakes in both city and highway conditions. The Fearless mode is the most exciting of all three, in which it offers its peak performance and feels fun to drive.

The XUV400 EV doesn’t offer multiple regenerative braking modes like the Nexon EV. Instead, it features a single regenerative braking mode, where the car slows down quickly when you release the accelerator pedal, but the deceleration is smooth. 

So, which one is better suited for you? For first-time EV drivers, the Nexon EV is an ideal choice, as it offers smooth power delivery, making the transition from driving a petrol car to an EV more convenient. However, if you’re an enthusiastic driver and prefer quick acceleration, you should definitely opt for the XUV400 EV.

Ride Comfort

While both the Nexon EV and XUV400 EV offer a comfortable ride, the Nexon EV may make you feel some bumps and unevenness inside the cabin. Even when going over speed breakers and rough roads, there can be noticeable cabin movements. So, be sure to keep your speed in check when navigating through rough terrain in the Nexon EV. On the other hand, the XUV400 EV provides better ride quality, effectively absorbing the impact of broken roads, potholes, and uneven patches, so you don’t feel them inside the cabin.

Nexon EV: Some Glitches Hard To Ignore

Tata still doesn’t seem to be doing well when it comes to electronics it is offering with its new-age cars. We experienced some technical glitches while testing the Nexon EV, one of which was a sudden drop in driving range from 73 percent to 18 percent, which was corrected after restarting the car. Also, the auto hold function of the Nexon EV almost failed when it was parked on a slope. When attempting to drive it from the slope to a flat surface, the car slid back, and there was a delay in throttle response. Because the auto hold function wasn’t working, we struggled to drive it up the slope. We never faced such issues with the Mahindra XUV400 EV.

Charging

Both Mahindra and Tata EVs support DC fast charging, and based on our tests, both can take the same amount of time to recharge from 10 percent to full. We have detailed the charging speed for both Nexon EV and XUV400 EV below: