Small, truly affordable electric SUVs may be missing from U.S. car showrooms, but they’re common on the other side of the planet. While China certainly gets the most attention with its grandiose EV market and tech dominance, its neighbor India is also leaning increasingly into electrification.
India has the world’s third-largest auto market behind China and the U.S. in terms of sheer volume. Its EV market is far smaller than China’s, but similar to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam. The momentum is now building rapidly and it’s mostly led by local players.
One of India’s largest automakers, Mahindra, revealed four concepts on Friday. The line-up includes four compact SUVs called the Vision S, Vision X, Vision T and Vision SXT. Mahindra said they will ride on a “multi-energy” platform called NU IQ that supports both combustion engines and fully electric powertrains.
Mahindra withheld specifics on motors and output, but confirmed the models will use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP ) batteries, likely sourced from China. And most importantly, Mahindra claimed its new platform will be the first in the world to have a flat floor, even for its combustion engines.
The platform will support both front- and all-wheel-drive layouts. It is also designed for export to left-hand-drive markets and places heavy emphasis on software, connectivity and digital features. The first production model is slated to launch in India in 2027.
However, the focus on design took center stage at the unveiling. The Vision S and T both look like the children of Land Rover Defender and Ford Bronco, thanks to the boxy proportions and the C-pillar-mounted exterior gear carrier—the S is a small SUV for the road and the T is a larger off-roader.
Photo by: Mahindra
The T is also expected to spawn into the Thar Electric, per local news reports. Mahindra’s Thar is a popular gas off-road SUV in India, so having that go electric would be the country’s equivalent of Ford electrifying the Bronco. (There’s an electric and plug-in hybrid Ford Bronco in China, but not in the U.S. yet.)
The Vision X is a compact family crossover, whereas the Vision SXT showcases a lifestyle off-roader, replete with two spare tires mounted at the rear and chunky side body cladding and skid plates.
The line-up is truly compact, stretching between 3,990 millimeters (157 inches) and 4,320 mm (170 inches). They’re closer in size to the Chevy Bolt EV and the Toyota Corolla Cross than anything else offered in the U.S.
Photo by: Mahindra
It’s worth noting that Mahindra has a strong track record of going from concept to production. A couple of years ago, it showcased two futuristic-looking electric SUV concepts. Two years later, both those EVs—the BE 6 and XEV 9E—were on the market, looking similar to the concepts, with only design changes being those required for regulatory compliance.
Built on dedicated EV platforms, they feature Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, 59- or 79-kilowatt-hour battery packs, up to 500 kilometers of claimed range (optimistic by Western standards) and 175 kilowatts of peak charging speeds.
Their $25,000–$30,000 price range makes them premium EVs in India, but that price bracket is still well below the average EV price in the U.S., which was nearly $56,000 in July as per Cox Automotive.
The Mahindra BE 6 (left) and XEV 9E (right) are futuristic-looking electric SUVs on sale in India. This image is of production vehicles, not concepts.
Photo by: Mahindra
Similar to China’s automakers, Indian automakers have come a long way. Tata Motors owns Jaguar Land Rover. Mahindra owns Italian car design company Automobili Pininfarina. Two-wheeler and commercial vehicle maker Bajaj Auto is the parent company of Austrian motorcycle brand KTM and Swedish brand Husqvarna.
India’s EV market is huge, mainly driven by two-wheelers and three-wheelers. And Indian cities have far more electric public transport buses than any U.S. city. I’ve seen more electric buses in Delhi and Mumbai. I’ve yet to see one in New York City.
Now local automakers there are proving that small electric SUVs can not only be cheap, but also look cool and pack a respectable amount of tech and features.
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