Road Test and Review: Mahindra e2o T2

Frankly, I had rebuffed Mahindra’s offer to test drive the e2o when it was launched in 2013, because I knew I would be staring at the battery range indicator rather than focusing on the drive or the dynamics of the car. I was too skeptical to take the car for a photo-shoot or speed test because the maximum I could peacefully go away from a known charging station was 30-35 kilometres.

When Mahindra called me again recently with the same offer, I happily accepted because the new premium variant of the e2o runs up to 120 kilometres on a single charge. That’s not all, it is now equipped with power steering, which makes city driving a doddle.

Design

The new e2o’s exterior styling remains unaltered and continues to be a mix of futuristic and quirky design. Projector headlamps and honeycomb mesh grille give this tiny car a sporty front but it looks a bit disproportionate in profile, thanks to its tall stance and short wheelbase. The rear gets an all-glass tailgate and a pair of small but nicely tucked in taillights. The body is made of ABS plastic and is attached to the space frame with glue. The panels are infused with colour during the manufacturing process, so they are scratch and dent proof to impacts of up to 15 kmph.

I am still wondering how on earth could such a small two-door car offer so much cabin space. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and at the tap of a lever they slide forward and tumble, providing easy access to the second row. The second row offers surprisingly ample space for two passengers. Moreover, the large glass windows on both sides create an airy feel. Boot space, however, is just adequate for the grocery-getter duty.

There’s no dearth of equipment in the cabin. The centre console is dominated by a 6.2-inch touch screen infotainment system that displays navigation, DVD player, rear view camera and vehicle settings. The instrument cluster gets a blue backlight monitor to show battery percent, distance-to-empty along with speed and other info.

The e2o gets power windows, electric mirrors, keyless entry and push start button as well. Moreover, you can control some of the functions using a smartphone app. However, the overall quality, fit and finish of the cabin is just average.

Performance, Ride and Handling

The centrally mounted lithium-ion battery powers a DC motor that delivers 25.4bhp and 55Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through an automatic transmission. Slot the gear lever to ‘F’ and the electric motor’s torque is available right from standstill, brisk enough to keep pace with traffic. When in need of more power to overtake you can shift to ‘Boost’ mode for swifter acceleration. Boost mode is reasonably faster with a 0-60kmph sprint time of 12.8 seconds as against 20.6 seconds in the ‘F’ mode.   Top speed is electronically limited to 80kmph.

The e2o gets MacPherson strut suspension in the front and coil springs in the rear. Since there’s no engine noise, you might clearly hear suspension thuds at times but ride quality is really impressive for a car of this class. This is not the kind of the car to have fun with, so I didn’t bother to check the car’s handling ability. Disc brakes in front offer sufficient stopping power, too.

The e2o’s compact dimensions and now the addition of power steering make congested city roads its playground. In fact, you can meander in and out of traffic with the ease of maneuvering an auto rickshaw.

Running and maintenance cost

Priced at Rs 5.72 lakh (on road, New Delhi) the e2o is not a cheap car to buy but it costs peanuts to run and maintain. Battery comes with a 5-year warranty and Mahindra says it lasts up to 1.25 lakh kilometres with 80% life still remaining. For driving 120km, the e2o consumes 12Kw/hr power and the cost of running is approximately 50 paise per kilometer. Moreover, service is free for the first three years. Even after three years, the customer needs to pay just the labour charge.

Bottom-line

India may not be electric car-friendly yet, but e2o is the first step towards getting there. Mahindra already offers quick charging stations at shopping malls, airports, Mahindra showrooms and many other places. Some state governments are offering subsidy on electric car purchases, too. Using an electric car certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but once accustomed to it the Mahindra e2o makes good sense. After all, this environment-friendly car is incredibly pocket-friendly too.


https://in.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fullthrottle/road-test-and-review--mahindra-e2o-t2-051828105.html