Sona Comstar CEO Super Impressed With Mahindra XEV 9e: Buys Not One But Two
Mahindra launched the XEV 9e coupe in India in November 2024. Deliveries began in early 2025. In the time that followed, we saw the electric SUV reach the garages of many public figures, businessmen and industry leaders. The CEO of an automotive component manufacturing company recently took to LinkedIn explaining how he bought not one, but two XEV 9es and how happy he is with the experience so far.
Vivek Vikram Singh is the MD and CEO of Sona Comstar, a company that is into the manufacturing and supply of critical driveline, electrical and electronics components to automotive, railways and other mobility sector demands. On April 9, he shared a LinkedIn post explaining his experience with the 9e.
In it, he says that two XEV 9es were inducted into the company fleet at two different points in time. The company bought the second 9e less than a year after the first one joined its fleet. The second one was for Sona Comstar’s Chennai plant.
Singh says that the company uses these cars for customer and supplier visits and also for visiting employee transportation. For a long time, hybrid vehicles used to serve this role. The requirement was clear- large, comfortable, and cost-effective vehicles. The XEV 9e, according to the CEO, was ‘a clear step forward’. He bases this claim on two key factors: economics and experience.
Singh says that the total cost of ownership of the XEV 9e is ‘meaningfully lower’ than ‘comparable hybrids’, although he doesn’t specify which hybrid he is referring to. This, he says, matters when the intention is to ‘squeeze the last drop of returns from all capex decisions.’
The XEV 9e delivers a likeable experience, according to the CEO. It has a near-silent cabin. The rear seat is comfortable and can be a productive space for employees. Taking calls, working quietly, or just thinking between meetings- everything is possible there.
The CEO is also impressed by the 9e’s design. He calls it a ‘free bonus’. Pratap Bose, Chief Design & Creative Officer at Mahindra, and his team have done a wonderful job designing it.
Towards the end of the post, the CEO also states that he would strongly encourage his friends and colleagues who are evaluating company cars and private vehicles to consider the 9e. Looks like this bossman is absolutely impressed by the electric coupe SUV. He says that the ‘9e delivers when and where it matters’.
Mahindra has packed the XEV 9e with features and technologies. It gets the ‘coast-to-coast screen’ setup- three interconnected 12.3-inch screens serving as digital instrument cluster, central infotainment and front passenger display, wireless charger, 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with Dolby Atmos, panoramic glass roof, ADAS Level 2+, 360-degree camera, and more.
The XEV 9e is underpinned by Mahindra’s scalable and modular INGLO skateboard platform. It is available with two battery pack options- 59kWh and 79 kWh. The larger can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes on a 175kW DC fast charger, and is claimed to offer an MIDC range of 656km. The smaller battery version has an MIDC range of 542km.
This electric SUV comes with a ‘compact three-in-one powertrain’ (comprising the electric motor, inverter and transmission) that makes 286hp and 380Nm (on the 79kWh version). The motor sits at the rear and drives the rear wheels. The electric SUV can do the 0-100 kph sprint in just 6.8 seconds. Both ends get disc brakes, and the suspension is tuned to deliver a fine balance between ride quality and dynamics.
Source: LinkedIn Post