Kathmandu

Anil Gurung, former captain of Nepal National Football Team, now plays for Manang Marshyangdi Club. He sets out to test drive Mahindra’s e2o with THT Auto Plus. At the end of his drive, he shares, “It’s a joy to drive this and I had a smooth driving experience with it.” He says its automatic gear transmission caught his attention as soon as he hit ignition. He adds, “For city commute, this car promises to deliver both comfort and pleasure.”

Mahindra’s signature grill upfront, the striking projector headlamp, and the crystal LED tail lamps have added more perfection to its look. This electric car has ample cabin space with length measuring to 350-mm, width 1,575-mm, height 1585-mm and ground clearance of 170-mm. Gurung says, “It looks small from the outside but surprisingly has a lot of space inside and is so smartly designed.” The rear door handles are mounted near the c-pillar just like KUV100. He shares, “Considering the design and cabin space it offers this hatchback stands second to none in the market.”

He says, “My favourite thing about e2o is its interior; the comfort and convenience is also noteworthy. The heated leather wrapped seats looks sleek and feels good.” This car has massively improved its rear space. It has enough space for knee room and headroom for passengers to sit comfortably. It also features one door glove and foot pads. It also offers 135-litre boot space. About the space this hatchback offers, he says, “As this is a city hatchback, the space is adequate for daily use — don’t expect cargo space for the whole weekend.”

The direct drive transmission offers clutch-free drive which translates the mechanical losses to speed zoom with maximum momentum right from the moment you start the car. Enthused about the features of the car, Gurung says, “I especially like the digital cluster with drive-in information that shows everything.” The info board shows speed, range, battery information and the efficiency of driving. With its remote diagnostics through telematics, which is an easy remote keyless entry and remote hatch actuation the car becomes easy to navigate.

For entertainment, it has connectivity through smart phone application; a new and advanced infotainment system including SD card navigation, SD card data and bluetooth speakers. Gurung says, “It has everything possible to make driving fun.” Through infotainment system one can monitor the battery lock system, lock or unlock the doors, and use the AC.

Electric power steering gives an edge to the car. Gurung shares, “A small turning radius of 4.35-m helps you to make quick turns whenever you are stuck in traffic and can be very easy if you have to drive through small alleys of Kathmandu.”

Mahindra’s new e2o offers power of 19KW at 3500-rpm and torque of 70Nm at 1,000-rpm and 91Nm at 2,000-rpm. “This is not much but is enough for city commute,” Gurung adds.

For smart convenience it features easy home charging. The top-end variant of this hatchback has reverse parking camera and a maintenance free lithium-ion battery. It also features revive technology, which helps the car gain extra 5-10-km on mileage when the battery is low. Its hill assist prevent the car from rollback on slopes.

Gurung concludes, “It is smooth to drive which makes it very comfortable and perfect fit for Kathmandu. I would highly recommend this car to those who do not venture to off-road drives and on highways.”

The ‘drive easy charge easy’ will tempt you to say goodbye to long queues outside petrol pumps.