According to an official Mahindra sketch, we know for sure that the XUV Aero Electric won’t get suicide doors. In the sketch, the claw-type handles are clearly visible for the rear doors. Thanks to our reader Mangesh Tripathi, we got our hands on a sketch that was earlier available on the Mahindra’s official website. The pics are no longer accessible on the site. (Heartfelt gratitude to you sir. Your goody bag with gifts will be on its way soon.)

It looks like Mahindra have finally decided to give the XUV Aero approval for production. Numerous reports claim that the car has moved out of the boardroom and onto the engineer’s table. Some of them suggest that the XUV Aero Electric could be under consideration.

Perhaps Mahindra listened to our philosophy and decided to bless us with a lust-worthy electric car.

The XUV Aero was a design experiment by Pininfarina, and we first saw it at the 2016 Auto Expo. The car is an amalgamation of SUV and coupe body style. An attractive, but, expensive silhouette. The cheapest SUV coupe you can buy right now is the Mercedes-AMG GLE 43, which costs Rs. 91 lakh. (Note: Post-GST price not revealed as of July 6)

Quick Fact: Pininfarina designed the XUV Aero. The design house has also worked on several Ferrari models, Rolls-Royce and many more cars from various car manufacturers.

History Of Suicide Doors

The hinge of such a door connects to the rear. The door will crush you if a moving car hits it while you’re stepping out of the car. That’s how they became famous as suicide doors about half-a-century ago.

No Suicide Doors For XUV Aero Electric

The SUV was an early design concept and had rear-opening doors for back seats. The model on display didn’t have a B-pillar, and the front door latched onto the rear one. Rolls-Royce cars, which cost Rs. 5 – 8.5 crore, have retained their suicide doors to date because of their advantages.

The absence of a B-pillar and backwards-opening doors make getting in and out of the car very easy. On the flip side, the missing support makes it difficult to absorb crash impact satisfactorily. Crash protection and safety are obviously high on buyers list when spending twenty big ones on a car. So Mahindra has ditched this aspect of the XUV Aero Electric for conventional doors. However, the trademark “claw-type” handles will mark their presence on all four doors.

XUV Aero Electric Range

Unlike the E2O, the SUV will have a range of about 250-350km per charge making it very practical for everyday use. The power will also see an increase and the Aero will get two electric motors. A 100HP motor will drive the front wheels, and the other will move the rear. Thus, it’ll have the all-wheel drive capabilities similar to the XUV500. The combined power output will be approximately 200HP.

Mahindra XUV Aero Electric Production In 2019

We should start seeing the prototypes testing on public roads starting in 2018. It was the Auto Expo that made the XUV Aero so famous. So, we are expecting to see the XUV Aero Electric at the 2018 Auto Expo once again in February. Unlike the 2016 Aero, this model will be close to production spec. The tests should commence shortly after that, and the car should go on sale sometime in 2019.

XUV Aero Price

An electric car as hot as XUV Aero should help the EVs lose their ‘cost-effective’ image. With a price tag of Rs. 20-25 lakh for the Aero, no one will see electric cars as ‘affordable transportation’ anymore.

Also Read: Electric Cars Can Succeed In India If…

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