The Car To Save The Planet In : Mahindra's Reva e2o

       

             So it's name ends with an "o". It's an easy guess that it's a Mahindra (every Mahindra branded car's name ends with an "o"). AND when you read "Mahindra", the first thought that enters your mind is a massively large diesel guzzling SUV. But, Mahindra's newest introduction in the Indian market is quite contrary to Mahindra's brand image. The "Reva e2o" is a petite hatchback which makes it easy to zip around in the city. And, it DOES NOT run on diesel. It's an electric. All electric. No hybrid or micro hybrid stuff hear. PURE ELECTRIC.

The e2o costs 6.03 lakhs ON-ROAD MUMBAI. This price is applicable to the Base of the Range model, the T0. Due to this pricing, the e2o enters Hyundai i20 and Maruti Swift territory and that may not make it very appealing.

Exteriors:

The e2o looks amazing when viewed from the front. It's small, compact. Yet, it has stunning looks. The stylish headlamps rounded around the wide grille look really good. The Mahindra logo adorns the grille. However, when i had a look at the e2o for the first time, the front bumper and grille design didn't appeal much to me. But, as time passes, the looks grow on you and you actually begin to like them alot.

This is how the e2o originally took birth. This concept, the Reva NXR was designed by the famous Indian car modification firm DC Design. After years of working on building something practical, the guys at Mahindra achieved the stunning, road ready design of the e2o.

So this is the side view of the Reva e2o. It is visibly tiny. Very tiny. The flared wheel arches add alot of the good looks to the e2o. Note that the e2o is a two door car which seats four. This is a first in a car of this segment and is something which will be liked a lot by teens buying their first car. However, quite a few people may not like the fact that the e2o is a two door.

Another point to be noted is that the e2o's body is not painted. The colour is impregnated into the body panels, thus preventing the e2o's body from getting scratched easily. This is a very clever thought on Mahindra's part.

The e20's rear looks compact. And tiny. And miniscule. And zippy. It's a new design in the Indian market and I guess that it'll go down well. But, it's a design which takes time to get used to. It grows on you.

The Reva e2o's alloy design is striking. It's stylish and is in keeping with the modern theme of the car.

Interiors:

Compared to previous generation Reva cars, this car's interior job is better. By leaps and bounds ! It looks and feels better built and everything is put together really well. Mahindra has added a bit of gloss to the dashboard centre panel which is a design element borrowed straight from it's diesel guzzling cousin, the XUV.

The steering feels chunky and is nice to hold. However, do note that the e2o DOES NOT have a power steering. So this is a major down side when you're driving in the city. Another thing which I noticed in the e2o's steering was that steering mounted controls were sorely missed. Mahindra should've had steering mounted controls especially due to the presence of such a high tech music and entertainment system.

This is the e2o's automatic gear lever. It's well contoured and fits well in the hand. Notice the "B" which stands for boost mode which gives your Reva some extra juice. This is especially useful when overtaking or when you need faster short sprints.  The presence of an automatic gear box in the Reva makes it really easy to drive by people of all ages.

Further, the power window controls are placed in the centre between the Driver and Passenger's seats behind the gear lever. This is similar to the Mahindra Scorpio.

This is the e2o's speedometer combined with the battery, efficiency and gear display. Further, it houses the e2o's odometer. The blue and white colour scheme looks very Tron-esque.

Shown here is the e2o's 6.2 inch entertainment screen. Actually, it does alot more - it displays GPS information, doubles up as a reverse camera display and it also shows you your driving efficiency. So, let's just call it the e2o's "Control Panel". 

Talking about control panels, another interesting feature of the e2o is that it's got an app available on iOS, Android and Blackberry devices using which you can remotely control and view stats of your e2o. Using the app, you can remotely turn on your e2o's airconditioner before entering the car inorder to cool down the car's cabin. The app also shows you your car's available range on that charge. You can also remote lock and unlock your e2o using the app on your phone !

The app is a cool and smart idea on Mahindra's part to add something interesting to the Reva brand image.

Further, Mahindra has teamed up with JBL for the audio system of the e2o. So that's something you may find interesting too.

Under the Hood:

So...um. There's nothing under the hood. Actually there is something - it's a spare wheel. And a brake booster. And the wiper fluid. Not much more.

So the e2o's electric motor is a 3 Phase Induction Motor. It produces a paltry 25 bhp at 3750 RPM. And 5.3 Kgm of torque. These figures can't compete with those of the e2o's petrol counterparts. But again, the e2o is a city car where alot of power isn't needed. 

Final Verdict:

               The Mahindra Reva e2o is a car you'd buy as your 2nd car. Don't expect it to do everything a petrol or diesel car can do - it's not good for highway driving, overtaking or carrying a family of 5 along. Further, the car being a 2 door may not be liked by many because climbing into the rear seats may be tough for adults.

             If you're buying your first car, don't have to ferry around more than 3 people and need a car which is very cheap to run, the e2o is your best bet. But then, be ready to sacrifice quite a few bells and whistles available on the e2o's petroleum run counterparts.

- Naayl Humza,

  14 year old Car Enthusiast .