Comparison: VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6

Recently, the Vietnamese EV maker VinFast has entered the Indian market, pinning high hopes on its first car, the VinFast VF6. Like other Asian brands, VinFast has loaded the VinFast VF6 with plenty of upmarket features at affordable prices to attract Indian buyers. However, the Indian mega car brand, Mahindra, cracked the same code and launched a radical electric car, Mahindra BE 6, that competes in the same segment as the VinFast VF6. Like the VF6, the BE 6 is packed with a lot of upmarket features; however, it is slightly higher priced. So, between the VinFast VF6 and the Mahindra BE 6, which one should you pick? To answer this question, in this article on VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6, we compare the two on decisive grounds and find out which one suits your needs better.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Dimensions & Design

The Mahindra BE 6 is 130 mm longer, 73 mm wider, and 12 mm taller, and has a 45 mm longer wheelbase compared to the VinFast VF6. Even in terms of boot space, the BE 6 offers you more than the VF6. As for cabin space, due to its thickness, the BE 6 is slightly less spacious than the VF6. However, the BE6’s thickness provides it with greater structural strength.

Design will be a decisive factor in choosing between the VinFast VF6 and the Mahindra BE6. The case with the Mahindra BE 6 is that it has been designed to look like a car from the future. Its imposing face features a blacked-out grille section, which looks like a wide, aggressive smile. Moreover, there is a functional air duct on the forward-tilted bonnet, which improves its aerodynamics. The side profile highlights a sharp, sporty coupe SUV profile with sharp cuts and creases; it looks like a car that has been designed to go as fast as possible. Its entire silhouette has an in-your-face dynamic appeal, which is certain to turn many heads on the road.

Meanwhile, the VinFast VF6 looks calmer but futuristic. With a crossover design, the VF6 is an attractive coupe SUV, a design which is a rare sight on Indian roads. At the front end, it sports the signature VinFast face – two LED DRLs across the width of the bonnet, slightly dipping at the nose to look like a ‘V’. The headlamp cluster is placed lower down on the bumper, which also has a honeycomb-patterned air dam to add an element of aggressiveness. The VF6 rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, and thanks to the sloping bonnet and roofline, clean panels, and raked rear windshield, the Vietnamese coupe SUV almost looks like a Maruti Baleno from the side angle. At the rear, the VF6 has long horizontal LED tail lamps that look captivating and simulate the design of front DRLs. Whereas, because of the stepped tailgate and chunky bumper, the VF6 exudes a sporty vibe.

The VinFast VF6 is more spacious than the Mahindra BE6; however, the Mahindra BE 6 looks more eye-catching than the VinFast VF6.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Battery & Range

Not only is the Mahindra BE 6 more powerful than the VinFast VF6, but it also delivers more range. Moreover, with an ability to sprint from 0 to 100 km/hr in 6.7 seconds, the BE 6 is one of the fastest mass-market electric cars in India. Since the BE 6 is designed for sporty performance, its suspension is slightly stiffer, especially in comparison to that of the VF6. Therefore, the VF6 delivers slightly better ride quality. All in all, it is the Mahindra BE 6, which takes the powertrain competition in its bag.

The Mahindra BE delivers a longer range than the VinFast VF6, but slightly poorer ride quality, since it has been built for electrifying performance.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Features & Comfort

On the inside, both VinFast VF6 and Mahindra BE 6 are extremely attention-grabbing, but in different ways. The VF6 interior looks minimalist, much like any Chinese car. Its large 12.9-inch touchscreen is oriented towards the driver, a smart move by the Vietnamese carmaker, as the driver needs the touchscreen infotainment more than the front passenger. There are some toggle switches under the touchscreen for a few controls, while most controls are in the touchscreen, including the drive selection, which can make things harder for the driver. Moreover, the VF6 has a clean layered dashboard, which looks neater and cleaner than that of all other cars in India. Because it does not feature an instrument cluster, it also gives the driver a better view of the road ahead. Instead of the instrument cluster, the VF6 features a head-up display that projects the essential instrumentation information on the windshield, while the same information can be accessed on the right corner of the touchscreen infotainment system.

Meanwhile, like the exterior, the interior of the Mahindra BE 6 is radically designed. Essentially, it has been designed to make you feel like you are driving a fighter jet. To create such an interior, the Indian carmaker has given the BE 6 a curved halo-like trim around the driver’s seat that looks like a cockpit simulation. Moreover, there is an aircraft-style drive selector, a roof-mounted toggle switch, a squarish two-spoke steering wheel, and a magnetic holder on the centre console for the stylish key. Meanwhile, the steeply raked windscreen and rather low-placed dashboard offer fantastic frontal visibility. 

Things are not as enjoyable for the rear passengers in the BE 6. While there is ample knee room, the headroom is limited due to the low roofline, and thick door pads reduce shoulder room for passengers, making it less comfortable for three adults in comparison to the VF6.

As far as features are concerned, while both VinFast VF6 and Mahindra BE 6 offer a lot of features to make your journeys convenient and comfortable, the BE 6 is more feature-packed and entertaining than the VF6. Both VF6 and BE 6 offer large infotainment systems, a glass roof, ventilated seats, and more. However, the BE 6 offers some key advantages over the VF6, such as a true-blue digital infotainment cluster, more settings for drive modes, ambient lighting for the glass roof, auto-parking, a powered tail gate, a 5-camera video recorder that works like a dashcam, and ‘Groove-Me’ mode, which enables the SUV to be turned into a disco, as the ambient lights and exterior lights illuminate in sync with the music played on the car’s 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with Dolby Atmos.

On the inside, both VinFast VF6 and Mahindra BE 6 feel premium and futuristic, but in different ways. Meanwhile, the Mahindra BE is designed to look and feel sportier and is more feature-loaded.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Safety Features

Both VinFast VF6 and Mahindra BE 6 are heavily built SUVs. In fact, the VF6 is nearly as heavy as the BE 6. However, the BE 6 has been certified by the Bharat NCAP with a full 5-star rating and has become one of the safest cars in India. In terms of safety features, both VinFast VF6 and Mahindra BE 6 are well-equipped, and both feature a Level-2 ADAS safety suite in their top variants.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Price comparison

Pricing is where the VinFast VF6 gets a great edge over the Mahindra BE 6. The Vietnamese SUV is significantly more affordable than the Indian SUV. For the package of space, features, driving range, features, and safety that the VF6 offers, it comes across as a better value-for-money product than the Mahindra BE6.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: Which one should you buy

There is no doubt that the Vietnamese carmaker has given the Indian masses a great product in the form of the VinFast VF6. As far as value is concerned, there is no better car than the VF6 in its segment. It looks modern and good-looking on the outside, feels futuristic on the inside, offers a host of premium features at lesser prices than other cars, and has a driving range which is enough for your driving needs within the urban landscape. 

However, the Mahindra BE 6 can do inter-city driving, and this is one of its key advantages over the VinFast VF6. With a real-world driving range of over 500 km, the BE 6 will keep you worry-free if you decide to take it 500 km from the city. Moreover, the BE 6 offers a lot more features than the VF6. All this comes at a significantly higher price than that of the VF 6, especially in the top variants.

A key point to note here is that lower variants of the Mahindra BE 6, which deliver a claimed range of 557 km and a real-world range of over 450 km, can be a good option for you if you decide to stretch your budget by around Rs 3 lakh over the VinFast VF6. However, if you need your car mostly for day-to-day driving in the city, the VF6 seems like a wiser option to go for.

VinFast VF6 vs Mahindra BE 6: FAQs