A review of the Mahindra XUV 500

Mahindra's first attempt at a building a 'premium' SUV was a grand success. Launched in 2011, the XUV 500 filled a very important void in the market. There were no SUVs between 13-20 lacs and Mahindra capitalized on that. Ever since, the XUV 500 has been amongst the bestsellers for Mahindra [Price:12.58 - 18.75 lacs (ex-showroom, Bengaluru)]. It enjoys a unique position in the market even today as there is no direct competition to the XUV 500. I drove one recently and here's what I think of it.

The design of the XUV 500 will not impress everyone. While some people absolutely love it, some people don't. The XUV 500 does come across as a little too aggressive. But, the facelift looks far more mature.The cheap plastic is gone and overall. the car looks much better now.    

The interiors are a big leap when it comes to what we have seen from Mahindra so far. There is a quality feel to everything that you see or touch. While the fit and finish is not as good as a Honda or a Volkswagen, there is no doubt that this is the best Mahindra yet. The dual tone dashboard is colored beige and dark grey. The AC vents look unnecessarily complicated. Someone was given way too much time to design them. Another problem when it comes to the dashboard is the sheer number of buttons and knobs. One does get the feeling that the interior of the XUV 500 is over-designed. That being said, the front seats of the XUV 500 are very good and provide excellent support. The kit is very good too. You get cruise control, daytime running LEDs, Start/Stop button and climate control. Like the design of the car itself, the instrument cluster is blatantly aggressive. But, you never get a sense that you are being overloaded with information. Everything is just where it needs to be.

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One thing of particular interest in the XUV 500 is the backseats. They are huge. Seating 3 people is extremely easy. Unlike most other cars, there is an almost flat floor for the 2nd row passengers. Unfortunately, the 3rd row seats are best suited only for children or extremely small people.

The XUV 500 is powered by a 140 bhp 2.2 litre turbocharged diesel engine. The first thing to know about the engine is that it is not a new engine. The good news is that it is very good nonetheless. As with recent turbocharged Mahindra vehicles, there is no turbo lag. Right from 1400 rpm, there is an abundance of torque. Because of the turbo kicking in so fast, Mahindra need not bother with bigger engines. Because of this, you get good fuel economy too. 11 kmpl in city and 13 kmpl on highway.Driving in city is not as difficult as you would imagine. The clutch is light and there are a variety of aids to help you park.The only problem with the driving experience is cabin insulation which is not great. And this has been a consistent problem with Mahindra. While the mechanics of the cars are very good, the vibrations and the noise inside the car is something that Mahindra should work on. There are a few off road specific features too. Eg: Diff. locks and Hill descend control. 

In conclusion, the Mahindra XUV 500 is easily the most refined Mahindra that you can buy today.

The Good Stuff:

1) Amazing highway and city performance.

2) The 2nd row seats are huge and extremely comfortable

3) A lot of driver aids and a long equipment list.

The Bad Stuff:

1) When all the seats are up, there is no boot space.    

2) Mahindra's electronics are known to go bad

Credits:

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I would like to thank Mr Rajesh at India Garage, Mysore for lending us the car.

Phone:9686203205