Mahindra refreshes BE 6 electric SUV as brand’s NZ ambitions simmer

Mahindra has relaunched its BE 6 electric SUV in India as the BE 6 Sporteq, adding a third battery option, a triple-screen dashboard and a per-kilometre battery subscription scheme, as the wait continues for the company’s born-electric models to reach New Zealand.

That wait may be nearly over. Mahindra New Zealand tells EVs and Beyond it hopes to know more about its local electric plans within a fortnight.

Revealed on India’s Independence Day and priced from 19.45 lakh rupees (around NZ$37,000) to 26.95 lakh rupees (around NZ$51,500) before on-road costs, the updated coupe SUV goes to Indian customers from 26 August, timed to the Onam festival.

The Sporteq update brings a new 70kWh battery pack, slotting between the existing 59kWh and 79kWh units. All three use BYD Blade cells and feed a single rear-mounted motor producing up to 210kW and 380Nm in the largest-battery variant.

The Sporteq range spans eight variants across 12 colours, four of them new, and is topped by two special editions: a Launch Edition in an exclusive Graphite Storm finish with a full Racing Tan interior, and a Formula E Freedom Edition drawing on Mahindra’s racing programme, with satin paint options, a two-screen race-inspired cockpit and an Acceleration Boost function cutting the 0-100km/h time to 6.44 seconds. Mahindra Racing is enjoying a strong Formula E season, with wins in Monaco and Tokyo.

Mahindra claims 548km of range for the 59kWh pack, 651km for the 70kWh and 683km for the 79kWh, all on India’s lenient MIDC test cycle. DC fast charging peaks at 140kW for the smallest pack and 180kW for the larger two.

Inside, a 12.3-inch passenger display joins the existing pair of 12.3-inch screens on all but the entry variant, creating a full-width layout borrowed from the larger XEV 9e and XEV 9S. The Freedom Edition deliberately keeps the original two-screen halo cockpit.

The software story runs deeper than the screens. The Sporteq introduces six “TEQ” feature suites running on what Mahindra calls its MAIA artificial intelligence architecture, headlined by TEQ_Talk, a Google Gemini-based voice assistant using 17 specialised AI agents to control more than 100 vehicle functions. Others bring in-car karaoke and gaming, both claimed as firsts for an Indian carmaker, and a digital car key working across Apple and Android devices. Mahindra says the new features will also roll out to existing BE 6, XEV 9e and XEV 9S owners via over-the-air update in phases from January 2027.

Among the software additions is a feature called Revive SOS, which Mahindra says provides enough reserve charge to drive up to 13km to a charging station after the battery reaches zero. It can be used up to five times over the battery’s life.

Mahindra is also offering a battery-as-a-service purchase option on entry variants, cutting the upfront price to 11.45 lakh rupees (around NZ$22,000) with battery use then charged at 3.75 rupees per kilometre over an eight-year term.

“It is about making advanced technology and everyday excitement accessible to more customers than ever before,” says Mahindra automotive division chief executive Nalinikanth Gollagunta.

The New Zealand question

Mahindra New Zealand has long signalled its electric vehicles are coming. Two years ago the company flew journalists to Chennai to tour its battery testing and development facilities, part of a charm offensive around the INGLO electric platform that underpins the BE 6, XEV 9e and XEV 9S.

Since then, the brand’s local line-up has remained combustion-only, built around the Scorpio and XUV700 SUVs and its ute range, while Chinese rivals have flooded the New Zealand electric market at price points the BE 6 would compete in directly.

The BE 6 is built in right-hand drive for its home market, removing one of the traditional barriers to a New Zealand launch. In India it competes with the Tata Sierra EV, Hyundai Creta Electric and MG Windsor.

Asked about local plans for the brand’s electric range, Mahindra New Zealand tells EVs and Beyond an answer may not be far away. “We hope to know in the next couple of weeks,” the company says.