Mahindra XUV400

Mahindra may be late to the electric party, but the XUV400 has a lot going for it against its established rival - the Nexon EV. Like the Nexon EV, this is an adaptation of their IC engine car and not one of their ‘Born-Electric’ ones coming later. But unlike the Nexon EV which is a sub 4 metre compact SUV, the XUV400 is a wider, full 4.2 meter-long Creta-sized mid-segment SUV. And with Mahindra always playing the value game, they may price it closer to the Nexon EV Max.

The styling is a lot similar to the XUV300, but this one looks way better without the truncated rear. With no tax benefits to be had, Mahindra has opted for the full Tivoli size and that means, a bigger boot – 378 litres as opposed to the 257 litres of the XUV300. The rear end is very similar in design, but with clear tail lights. The front end has a closedoff grille with lots of copper-coloured trim.

Inside, it is familiar stuff as the XUV300, save for….you guessed it, more copper colour trim. The dashboard with its small 7-inch infotainment screen looks dated after what we have come to experience on the XUV700 and Scorpio. The sense of space inside is much better than in a Nexon EV. The front seats are supportive and wide. Rear seat space isn’t compromised because of the clever battery placement which is mostly along the centreline of the floor pan.

Under the hood, the XUV400 gets a 150bhp, 310Nm motor powering the front wheels. The battery pack is 39kWh using older chemistry NMC cells, from LG Chem while the battery management, controllers and motor are from Valeo. The motor calibration is very good with very little vibrations. The XUV400 comes with three driving modes – Fun, Fast, and Fearless –probably named by the same person who came up with Zip, Zap, Zoom. In Fearless, it accelerates hard and all that torque comes up in an instant. 0-100kmph is dealt with, in under 9 seconds and the top speed is 160kmph. There is a lot of wheelspin, which Mahindra assures will be taken care of by the Traction control system when the production variants come out. Fast and Fun modes are noticeably slower with more regen and there is even a onepedal mode with L chosen on the selector.

The XUV 400 has good straight-line stability and composure. In the corners, you can feel the chassis is capable, but in this prototype form, it was a bit hard to drive smoothly in the corners, especially in Fearless mode. Go near the throttle and it gives way to inside-wheelspin and makes it understeer. The steering is also a bit slackened in the centre and doesn’t weigh up nicely. The ride quality is decent though. What takes the cake is the braking which it does with minimal fuss and no drama.

Mahindra claims an MIDC range of 456km and a charging time of 50 minutes on a 50kW DC charger to get from 0-80 percent. It can charge from 0-100 percent in 6.5 hours and 13 hours using a 7.2kW or a 3.3kW charger respectively.

Mahindra claims an MIDC range of 456km and a charging time of 50 minutes on a 50kW DC charger to get from 0-80 percent. It can charge from 0-100 percent in 6.5 hours and 13 hours using a 7.2kW or a

3.3kW charger respectively. The XUV400 promises to be a competitive alternative to the Nexon EV Max, with a bigger size, better performance, more space, and better range. The battery chemistry may be a bit old, but if it works it works. We will wait for the pricing to see if it's any good

Bollywood

comedy-thriller Govinda

Naam Mera was written and directed by Shashank Khaitan. Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, and Kiara Advani are the movie’s stars. Mumbai-based backup dancer Govind “Govinda” Waghmare, also known as Govya or Govindya, aspires to become a choreographer in the future. In order to be with his dancer girlfriend Suku, he wants to get a divorce from his bitterly unhappy marriage to Gauri. Govinda Naam Mera is a pleasant surprise. The screenplay by Shashank Khaitan is really well-written and interesting. With all of its unexpected turns, the story is a success. Vicky Kaushal, who played the title role so effortlessly and with amazing comic timing, was the film’s biggest revelation. You'll start moving to both of the energetic songs, Kyaa Baat Haii 2.0 and Bijli. John Stewart Eduri's background music for the movie is cleverly composed and fits the mood of the narrative.