Photography: Akshay Jadhav
I’ve always believed that the birth of a new automobile is a special moment. Once a vehicle goes into serial production and on sale it all feels very routine, but the completion of a new vehicle’s development process will always feel special, especially for the engineering team behind it. I’ve always seen the joy on the faces of the engineers when they see us ride or drive the automobiles they’ve spent years developing and also the excitement with which they await our feedback. As journalists and enthusiasts, it’s also a joy for us and a privilege even, to drive a new automobile before the rest of the world! That said, few things match the excitement of getting to drive something that’s out of the ordinary and yet to even go into production, like the Pravaig Interceptor.
Pravaig commenced operations a decade ago and is the brainchild of Dhaval Khullar and Siddharth Bagri, the CTO and CEO respectively, while Ram Divedi is the CSO. Pravaig announced its foray into the Indian automobile space as an EV maker just a couple of years ago but the thought was seeded back in 2010 and the founders were quick to realise that EVs are the future and the way to go. It isn’t very often that we all try to break free from the shackles of convention, do we? But when we do, results are usually very interesting. And the Pravaig Interceptor is the result of an attempt to create something different and be able to stand out, especially given that EVs have been quick to become mainstream in India as well, not just globally.
With no internal combustion engines or related design restrictions holding them back, EVs have given manufacturers a freehand to come up with innovations and breakthroughs in design, technology and more. This, besides allowing them to step away from tradition and innovate like we’ve never seen before as end users. The Pravaig Interceptor fits this description – a year ago when it was showcased as the Veer it drew attention, not just from around the country, but the world too. And the biggest reason behind this is the fact that there’s nothing like the Interceptor out there in the EV space today.
The Interceptor you see on these pages – which I drove across varied terrains – has been subjected to a battery of extreme tests to ensure it is the most unique and capable EV as a full-sized, go-anywhere automobile. We’ve also seen the Defy that was also showcased last year and at the Auto Expo as Pravaig’s flagship. It is a full-sized premium electric SUV with ridiculously high levels of customisation options and some really high-end materials. Pravaig will, for the first time in the world, also let you spec the Defy with a high end audio system from French acoustics brand Devialet. Google it to read up about the brand!
Now, think of the Interceptor as its stripped-out version and an EV that’s far more hardcore than you can imagine. While its primary positioning will be as a vehicle for the armed forces, the Interceptor will also be made available for private buyers. So in a way, it would be the equivalent of the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy used by the Indian army. Or, for private owners, something they will be able to use inside tea estates, mines, farms and more. What’s worth noting is that while Pravaig may be a ‘start-up’ going by the textbook definition of the word, Pravaig Dynamics, as it is called officially, has made huge strides in battery technology over the past decade and supplies battery packs on a large scale to clients abroad, in private and defence sectors. And while the Defy may be categorised as a conventional EV, the Interceptor is anything but that, a result of Pravaig’s wish to stand out.
And as an automobile, the Interceptor does stand out. Pictures may not convey it but it is nearly as big as the current Range Rover! At 4,940mm long it is just 100mm shorter than the Range Rover and nearly 200mm longer than the Defender 110 (without a spare wheel). At 1,950mm it is nearly 2 metres wide while ground clearance is a staggering 280mm. I’m sure you didn’t see these numbers coming! Of course, Pravaig will offer customised versions based on customer demands, meaning you could choose to have it with doors, without doors, with half doors (for use in national parks), with a removable roof and so on.
When I’d seen it at the Auto Expo in camo colours, the Interceptor looked distinctive but seeing it wrapped in matte black at Pravaig’s factory the Interceptor had a different vibe, looking like one of the cars from the Mad Max movies! Pravaig’s approach towards building cars is also different, with engineering being at the core. The ideology is to ensure the vehicles tick the right boxes from an engineering standpoint because it’s the driving experience and the capabilities that matter the most to the brand. For instance, a lot of emphasis was laid on perfecting the suspension setup and offering a package that sets benchmarks, ensuring performance is quick despite the size and also have the lowest centre of gravity as compared to any production SUV currently.
It’s only once these boxes were ticked that the team turned towards design, again, intending to keep it functional. With not much room left to wriggle, considering that a lot of the dimensions, seat height, seat positioning etc were fixed already, not to forget the need to meet homologation norms, the design has been kept extremely simple with lots of straight lines. This was also important in terms of ensuring that manufacturing body panels is not tedious or expensive. The curvier and fancier the body panels, the higher the price to get them made! The Interceptor I drove was also equipped with airlift hooks to be lifted by a helicopter, a four-tonne winch, IP-65 rated storage space, a mount for weapons and run-flat tyres! Get the drift?
The interiors are purely functional too but with a premium feel. The dashboard was draped in a camofinished soft-touch fabric while a massive, 15.5-inch touchscreen sits on the dashboard and is a high resolution unit, configurable depending on customer demands. It has not been angled towards the driver intentionally as keeping it flat will ensure minimal changes are needed to the dashboard to keep costs down when there’s an order from a left-hand drive market. In fact Pravaig has recently inked an agreement with Saudi Arabia-based Saudi India Venture Studio to set up a factory in the country, to manufacture and export its vehicles to international markets, that’s some achievement already!
Options also include a ‘Stealth Mode’ that lets you turn all lights off and drive in the dark using only the infrared camera mounted on top, with the infotainment screen functioning as its display, besides thermal imaging. I was even digging the drive mode switches – they look and feel cool, while ensuring lots of space is saved as there is no stick. There’s tonnes of equipment and features that can be configured like TPMS, 360-degree camera with 12 ultrasonic sensors, adaptive lighting and a 77GHz radar to name a few. At the core of it all is a MultiVAC computer system that’s no less than a supercomputer. Six airbags are standard, ensuring the Interceptor also meets safety standards. The closed-door versions can be configured with HEPA air filters too, besides which you can add oxygen supply and opt for a pressurised cabin!
The Interceptor uses the same powertrain as the Defy – a 90.9kWh battery pack and dual electric motors (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors). You get 405PS and 620Nm sent to all four wheels via a permanent all-wheel drive system. A decade’s research in battery technology means Pravaig has ensured batteries deliver optimal performance courtesy an advanced cooling system and its proprietary control algorithms. Operating temperature range is -20 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius! 0-80 percent charging is possible in 30 minutes using fast chargers. I drove the Interceptor on tarmac, gravel, an off-road course inside a stone quarry and even through water. And it’s the performance and handling that impress, right from the word go.
Given its size and heft, I was surprised at how quick acceleration is. There’s a freight train-like feel to the torque delivery and as soon as you step on the throttle, the Interceptor leaps ahead. Top speed has been capped at 210kmph though the stability and planted feel told me 250kmph is easily doable. It would thus be interesting to see a shorter, lighter version of the Interceptor as that would leave many a sportscar behind! Next, it was the suspension that blew my mind away. The efforts gone into perfecting the setup were evident as soon as I went off-road and also into the stone quarry. Approach and departure angles stand at 34 degrees and 30 degrees respectively. I didn’t need to slowdown for any ruts or broken surfaces either as the suspension soaked it all up in a manner that felt almost unreal. This, while making sure the behemoth held its line around corners and even let me have some sideways fun!
My biggest takeaways thus are the Interceptor’s handling and its go-anywhere abilities. I can imagine getting out of some of the trickiest situations – snow, marshlands, sand dunes and more without any trouble. In fact, it’s just mind-boggling as how a socalled ‘start-up’ has created something as capable and that speaks volumes about Pravaig’s focus on engineering and vehicle development. I spent half a day thrashing the Interceptor around and the guys at Pravaig were only smiling!
Not surprising then, the Interceptor was displayed at the G20 conclave in New Delhi and Pravaig has bagged international orders, besides signing the MoU with Saudi to set up its overseas factory. That’s something few can boast of, even before starting deliveries of its cars – expected to begin early next year. Good news is, the Interceptor is ready for orders and Pravaig is in talks with a few clients already, besides which national parks are showing interest, given the zero tailpipe emissions and go-anywhere abilities.
I’ve tested a lot of cars over the past 16 years and even driven a V8-engined F1 car at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France, but almost every time, there’s been a fixed set of expectations. In the case of the Pravaig Interceptor though, I’d walked in blindfolded, not really knowing what to expect. And the fact that it made my jaw drop with its abilities is some proof of how solidly engineered it is. The guys at Pravaig set out to do something different and the Interceptor is the first taste of it. It breaks tradition like few all-new automobiles do and could very well be one of the most capable EVs money can buy!
