India is talking about the new Mahindra BE 6E and the sheer performance (and thrill) it delivers at an extremely reasonable price. Packing over 280 horses into something that’s priced under 20 lakh, ex-showroom ( though the base-spec) is something mostly unheard of on our land. Mahindra has done it. Applause. Do you know what other cars here offer 280 or at least 200+ hp? Here is a quick list of five such vehicles.
To set the context, the Mahindra BE 6E comes with a single motor setup and two battery pack options (59 kWh and 79 kWh). Mahindra’s in-house developed high voltage architecture- INGLO forms the base for the BE 6e. The rear-mounted motor makes 282 bhp and 380 Nm and the vehicle has an RWD layout.
BMW 330Li
The BMW 3 series is loved by many for the punch it packs and for how well it drives around corners. Till recently, BMW India had the standard wheelbase model on sale here- which excelled with its road manners and performance. Fast forward to the present day and we have the 3 in just the LWB form ( or the Grand Limo- denoted by an ‘L’ in the name) and with two powertrains- petrol ( 330 Li) and diesel (320 Ld).
The petrol-powered 3 series draws its juice from a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 253 bhp power and 400 Nm. The power here is 29hp less than that of the BE 6e. The 330 Li, however, had 20 Nm of additional torque offered. It has an ex-showroom price of 60.60 lakh, almost three times the price of the Mahindra ( or two times if we assume the top-spec range-topping BE 6e to cost around 25-28 lakh ex-showroom.
Mercedes Benz E Class (E200)
Mercedes Benz India recently launched the new E-Class sedan in India. The sixth-gen E-Class (V214) comes in three trims and has both petrol and diesel fuel options. It has grown in size, when compared to its predecessor, packs more tech and features inside, looks better than before and has a few key tweaks done to its powertrain.
There are two petrol engines offered- a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo-petrol that makes 204 hp, and a larger 3.0L six-cylinder petrol that produces 381hp and 500 Nm. The latter sits on the AMG line. So the E 200’s engine falls short by a whole 78 hp, if compared to the BE 6e’s powertrain. The ex-showroom price of a brand new Mercedes E200 is 78.50 Lakh, and you can imagine how many BE 6es could come for that money!
2024 Mini Cooper S
Early this year, Mini India launched the new Cooper S in the country, with some key upgrades to the styling, cabin, and powertrain. It now gets a better 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol that makes 204 hp and 300 Nm. Thus, the Mahindra has 78 additional horses when compared to the Cooper S. The hatchback has an ex-showroom price of 44.90 lakh. The top-spec BE 6e could stand somewhat near with its pricing- which we expect to be around 28-ish lakh, ex-showroom.
2024 Mini Countryman EV
Comparing apples to apples, the new all-electric Mini Countryman has 204 hp and 250 Nm on tap. These numbers are definitely less than the BE 6e’s output by fair margins. The Countryman EV is based on the same platform as the BMW iX1, and comes with a single-motor setup alone. 0-100kph is done in 8.6 seconds. Despite its non-impressive specifications, the Countryman EV has a sticker price of 54.90 lakh.
Audi A6
The Audi A6 sedan’s 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine produces 262 hp and 370Nm. This is probably the nearest any vehicle from this listicle has gotten to the BE’s specifications. It falls short by just 20 hp and 10 Nm. The A6 (Premium Plus 45 TFSI S tronic) sells for 64.41 lakh, ex-showroom.
Bottom Line…
We have been talking about the range-topping BE 6e and its 280 horses till now, but there is also a lower-spec version available. It makes 228 bhp- Mahindra will reveal further details of this powertrain configuration closer to the launch. But hey, we now have clarity on the value proposition. It is 228 hp for 18.79 lakh ex-showroom. What else can you buy for that amount of money, should you need 200+ hp?
