Mahindra XUV500 W11 Review — How ‘Plush & New’ Is It?

Now, Mahindra has updated the XUV500 for 2018 and has been dubbed as the ‘Plush New XUV500'. It's a major change for the SUV since the last facelift was launched back in 2015. The Indian automaker's flagship vehicle get cosmetic updates on the outside, inside as well as under the hood for the very first time.

Design & Style

At the front, the first noticeable change is the is the big single piece grille that has a chrome garnishing on the top and bottom. Moreover, the grille also features chrome pellets which make the front-end look more appealing.

The headlights have been updated too and now feature a cornering light as well. The ‘S'-shaped LED DRLs are no more and have been replaced by a simple strip at the top. The chrome in the fog lamp housing has been reshaped and besides that, the rest of the bumper remains unchanged.

The sides practically remain unchanged. However, the new dual-tone 18-inch (235/60) alloy wheels look really smart and go well with the overall size of the car. There are chrome inlays present on the side as well as on the roof rails of the XUV500.

The major changes are at the rear and the completely different tailgate has a new roof spoiler integrated onto it. The taillights are now bigger and wrap around the rear quarter. Overall the exterior changes look good and give the XUV500 a premium look.

The Cockpit

The interiors of the SUV are all black and most of it comprise of leather portions having a good feel to them. The overall fit and finish of the dashboard are very premium. The centre console gets a new Piano Black finish with brushed-silver highlights. Plastics on the dash and door sills now have a nice feel to them.

However, the quality of the switches on the console could have been better. The steering-mounted controls are easy to use and help keep the driver's focus on the road. The instrument cluster remains the same semi-digital unit.

Stereo & Infotainment

The infotainment system on the new Mahindra XUV500 is a 7.0-inch touchscreen unit with USB, Bluetooth connectivity and Android Auto (no Apple CarPlay). Audio quality from the six-speaker system is good but not the best in the segment.

Practicality, Comfort & Boot Space

The seats of the facelifted XUV500 are covered in a quilted tan-leather upholstery which look really upmarket.They are not very comfortable to sit on as you can feel the hardness on your back, very distinctly. At the front, only the driver's side gets the electrically-adjustable seats.

The second row is flat and more comfortable to sit on during long tours. The transmission tunnel does not come in the way of the centre passenger and the rear AC vents have been shifted to the B-pillar for the same reason. However, the third row is best left for children

In terms of practicality, the SUV has got bottle and cup holders from the front to the back. Moreover, it has a lot of storage spaces to keep most kinds of stuff. There is a cubby hole right in the centre of the dashboard and one cooled glovebox right behind the gear lever (acts as an armrest when shut).

When it comes to the boot, sadly, the XUV500 does not have much carrying capacity. However, if you fold the third row down (which can be done easily by pulling a lever), there will be a lot of space to accommodate enough bags for a long road trip.

The Plush New XUV500 also gets a panoramic sunroof for the very first time. Though not an important feature for the Indian market, the sunroof allows the passengers sitting inside to enjoy the weather on a rainy day.

Engine, Performance & Driving Impressions

Powering the new XUV500 is a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine. Power figures have gone up from 140bhp to 155bhp and now the torque peaks in at 360Nm rather than 330Nm. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox (six-speed manual is also available) and transmits the power to all the wheels (AWD).

The variable geometry turbocharger is electronically controlled whereas the earlier one was vacuum controlled. The engine's response low down on the rev range has improved and the boost from the turbo comes in as early as around 1,400rpm; building nicely from 1,800rpm. This engine pulls very strongly till 4,000rpm and falls short of breath beyond it.

The suspension setup has been done right but good amounts of body roll are still present in typical SUV fashion. We felt that the steering is a bit heavy to turn at low speeds too. In the city, the SUV just glided over potholes and broken tarmacs with minimal effort.

If you corner the XUV500 too hard, it tends to oversteer a lot, which is not a good thing. Though there is a lot of engine noise inside the cabin when the revs build up, the feel from behind the wheel is quite good.

Specifications Overview Table

Variants, Mileage & Colours

The Mahindra XUV500 is available in six different variants: W5, W7, W9, W11, W11(O); plus a petrol-powered ‘G' trim. Colour choices include Opulent Purple, Lake Side Brown, Pearl White, Mystic Copper, Moondust Silver, Crimson Red and Volcano Black.

The latest Mahindra XUV500 returned us a mileage of around 9.5km/l in the city and 13.2km/l on the highway. On brimming the 70-litre fuel tank, the SUV can go up to around 700 kilometres, depending on the way one drives.

Safety & Key Features

The facelifted XUV500 comes loaded with plenty of safety and driving aids such as six airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), side impact beams, crumple zones for crash protection, Hill Descent Control and an all-wheel-drive lock system.

Mahindra has also managed to get a SmartWatch connectivity feature as well. Through this, you can access all the information about your XUV500, on your watch, through a dedicated app.

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Warranty

The 2018 Mahindra XUV500 gets a warranty of three years or 1,00,000kms. Moreover, Mahindra offers an extended warranty on all variants with which owners can get an extended warranty of four years or 1,20,000kms and five years or 1,50,000kms.

Competitors

The XUV500 goes against the likes of the Tata Hexa, Hyundai Creta, Innova Crysta and the lower variants of the Jeep Compass.

Fact Check

Promeet Ghosh Thinks!

The XUV is a seven-year-old vehicle and it needed an update because of the growing number of SUV buyers in the country. Mahindra has really done a great job by tweaking all the three: exteriors, interiors and the engine and the XUV500 W11 AT comes at a price tag of Rs 19,26,000 lakh ex-showroom, which is not on the cheap side. Besides the small drawbacks such as plastic quality and engine noise, the flagship product from Mahindra will keep on dominating the Indian SUV market just like always.