When the Mahindra BE 6 first burst onto the scene, it changed the EV car game significantly. A new platform, serious performance, respectable range, but most importantly, scintillating looks. It was a serious player, and the sales numbers show that. Even if you are not willing to look at numbers, just notice the number of BE 6s you see on the road, and you’ll know that it is doing alright. We were left seriously impressed by it… so much so that we got one for the xBhp Garage. Now, we have the BE 6 SPORTEQ. How does it fare? Let us find out in our review. 

As always, we will start with the looks, and for that, we’ll have to talk about the variants. This is going to be a fair bit to take in, so hold on. First off, we have One and Two. They can be had with a 59 kWh battery pack, with or without BaaS (Battery as a Service). BaaS variants are priced at INR 11.45 and 12.95 lakh for One and Two, respectively. The non-BaaS variants are priced at INR 19.45 and 20.95 lakh for One and Two, respectively. 

Then there’s THREE, which can be yours for INR 21.95 lakh for the 59 kWh variant and 22.95 lakh for the 70 kWh variant. Then there’s THREE+, which goes for 23.95 lakh for the 70 kWh variant and 24.95 lakh for the 79 kWh variant. Then there’s Four, Launch Edition, Formula E Freedom Edition, and Formula E Freedom Edition Four. Apart from the Formula E Freedom Edition priced at INR 24.45 lakh, all the other three variants mentioned here are priced at INR 26.95 lakh. 

That is a lot to unpack, but it is worth it. We drove the Four variant, which is similar to the Launch Edition, but the latter gets the Graphite Storm colourway with a full Racing Tan leatherette interior. The Formula E Freedom Edition is a sportier expression of the BE 6 SPORTEQ series with an original race-inspired cockpit with two screens and the signature halo design that celebrates Mahindra’s Formula E journey, along with subtle tricolour accents that celebrate its racing inspiration. 

Now, let us talk about the heart of the matter- the changes. In terms of mechanical bits, the BE 6 SPORTEQ FOUR is similar to our own BE 6. The performance numbers, the battery pack, etc., are all in the same ballpark. So predictably, the driving experience remains similar too. It feels punchy, composed over bad roads, steady through corners, and comfortable over long distances. In simple terms, it is still a pretty awesome car to drive. 

We have had ours for a while. We have played around with it a bit, which started with a Joker livery and ended with us tweaking the car a bit to turn it into a drifting machine. At a fair few of our events, we have shown its prowess by drifting in our BE 6 for the audience. Interestingly, the BE 6 SPORTEQ does not need any tweaking… it comes with a Drift Mode built in! But more on that later. 

Let us start with the visual changes. The only significant one on the outside is a customizable text display on the rear. Want to send the ones following you a message? Now, you can. Though interesting, we can also predict some less-than-tasteful use of this playful new feature. Other than that, there’s SPORTEQ badging in a few places. 

On the inside, there are a fair few changes. The first thing is the missing bridge of sorts. It frees up more space. Another missing item is the artificial sound control button. It has been moved somewhere in the various menu items. Talking about menu items, the dashboard continues to be dominated by the three screens, but now, there is a continuous arch that runs across them, giving the cabin a more connected feel. The variant we drove also gets a tan interior trim that looks more premium. 

The bigger story is the in-car experience. The BE 6 SPORTEQ gets a 16-speaker Dolby Atmos audio system along with Mahindra’s in-house AI system called MAIA, along with 6 TEQ suites: TEQ_Talk, TEQ_Play, TEQ_Drive, TEQ_Me, TEQ_Secure, and TEQ_xting. 

TEQ_Talk, built with Google Gemini, is a conversational companion that powers natural interactions through specialised AI agents. It supports over 100 core functions and 48 apps, including vehicle controls, navigation, music, news, and so on. TEQ_Play is aimed at entertainment, as the name suggests, including functions like Karaoke, an in-car gaming suite, private audio, and so on. With private audio, you can connect a Bluetooth device such as headphones or smart glasses and listen to your music without disturbing everyone else in the car.

TEQ_Drive is the one we were looking forward to, as it has the Drift Mode along with Custom Drive Modes, Tribe Drive, and a special acceleration boost, which is limited to the Formula E Freedom Edition. Another interesting feature is the Revive and Revive SOS. The former provides up to 13 km of additional range when the battery is running low, and the latter delivers an extra burst of emergency energy for around 13 km of additional range. Revive SOS, though, has a limited usage of a maximum of 5 times over the entire lifetime of the battery, for obvious battery longevity reasons. 

Then there’s TEQ_Me for personalisation, TEQ_Secure for safety features such as Secure360 Pro, which has a live view with audio relay and intrusion alert, along with NFC and a digital car key. The system can work with iPhones, Apple Watches, Android phones and NFC cards, so you don’t necessarily have to carry the traditional key around with you. More importantly, you can also remotely give access to the car to a friend or family member. So if someone needs to use the car while you’re not around, you can provide access without physically handing over the key.

Finally, there’s TEQ_xting… the personalised tailgate messaging system. 

Also, the people who already own a BE 6 do not need to fret either. Most of the new features will be rolled out to existing BE 6 and XEV 9S owners from January 2027 via OTA updates. 

So, what’s the verdict? Well, I have driven xBhp’s BE 6 a lot. The new one feels quite similar. The TEQ updates are a welcome addition, of course. So is the Drift Mode on the Launch Edition. Also, the sheer number of variants and the addition of BaaS variants will open up the BE 6 to a wider range of people. The BE 6 has always been a little different from the usual electric SUV, and these new versions seem determined to push that idea even further: a fun electric car that is as usable as it is playful. As always, drive hard, drive safe, and always wear your seatbelts.