The XUV 500 has been Mahindra’s flagship offering in the Nepalese market since its first introduction in 2011 and has been doing well so far. This was Mahindra’s initial step into the luxury SUV market and the XUV 500 was a very well acclaimed vehicle by the customers with picking up popularity and numerous awards from the get-go in its life. However, as we know, there is no time to be content with what you have as all the manufacturers are working very hard to gain the edge over one another and try to sway customers to their side. So, this time around, Mahindra XUV has gone through some changes to make it even more appealing than before. This refresh is more pronounced than the minor facelift it got a few years prior. There is a great deal of things in the refreshed third generation of the XUV 500 this year, so, we take a look into what the progressions are for the 2018 model, the XUV 500 Plush.

EXTERIOR

The front end of the vehicle has experienced a modest yet a recognizable refresh. The grille still has the signature 6 slates however, they are made more distinctive with chrome studs and is bigger than what it used to be. The other change is in the front lamp, the LED DRLs return to being a single straight stripe like the original XUV but this time around, instead of being at the base of the front lamp, it’s positioned at the top. Moving to the sides, there isn’t a lot of a change here apart from the new 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. The back is where the most changes have occurred; gone are those long taillights which are replaced by triangular units. These do seem somewhat strange since we are so used to seeing those long taillights but it gradually blends with the look and starts to grow on you. The rooftop spoiler is more pronounced than before to give it a significantly sportier look. The XUV 500 Plush comes with a sunroof which is a nice option. The vehicle is as beefy as it used to be and has quite a strong road presence. The Outside Rear View Mirror has puddle lamps that project the XUV 500 logo on the floor to illuminate the floor to make sure that you don’t step into a puddle or anything else while getting in or out of the vehicle.

INTERIOR

The interior has been revamped to give it more of an upmarket feel and it is quite welcoming. The seats are wrapped in tan brown leather with quilted stitching design and look very elegant with the new design. It is as good to sit on as it looks; there is plenty of cushioning to make it comfortable while holding you in place. The driver side seat is electronically adjustable so not only does it look plush and luxurious but has these additional features that make it more practical too. The 2nd and the 3rd row seats have the same quilted design as well. The middle row seats have good leg room and headroom with all the passengers feeling comfortable. The 3rd row is also big enough for a normal sized adult and is decently comfortable. The dash board is pretty much unchanged as it has the same layout from the previous generation. The blue lounge lighting on the front is carried over to this generation which gives it a cool look. The infotainment screen has some nice features such as a tire pressure monitor and KMs to empty display. The tire pressure monitor checks if all the four wheels are properly inflated or not. If it is then it will display ok if not then it will signal that the air pressure is not correct. The display has a nice animation to it where a XUV 500 drives into the screen to display the information; that’s a really nice touch as it shows the attention to detail that Mahindra have put into. The sunroof adds to the premium feature list with it adding airiness to the cabin with natural lights. Another premium feature is the cool box that is installed into the storage compartment under the center armrest. You can put food or drinks that you want to cool while driving the XUV 500 Plush.

PERFORMANCE

On this update, the diesel mHawk 2.2 engine has been tweaked as well. The previous engine was producing 140 HP and 330 Nm of torque and after the update the mHawk engine is producing 155 HP @ 3750 RPM and 360 Nm of torque from 1750 – 2800 RPM. The engine has a good pull in the low RPM range but once you push the RPM into the higher range, the turbo would kick in and you can feel the surge in power as the motor starts to build speed rapidly. The engine felt smooth without a lot of vibrations and the engine sound hardly made its way into the cabin. The XUV 500 is available in both the 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains, so you have the option to choose which drive train is more suitable for your driving purpose. There is no switch to turn the 4×4 system on and off; the electronics automatically turn it on when there is the need for it and at other times it’s turned off to get better fuel economy. The 6-speed gearbox is very smooth and easy to operate as well.

HANDLING AND COMFORT

The XUV 500 has always had a monocoque chassis from the very beginning and the chassis has helped the XUV 500 to boast the handling characteristics that it has. The fast and agile movement is quite surprising considering the size of the vehicle. The fact that the chassis and the body is made out a single unit makes it lighter and more rigid. The steering is very accurate and the vehicle is fast to follow the direction. As mentioned above, the seats were really comfortable and the suspensions have been tuned to absorb the uneven surfaces with ease. The combination of these two make for a very stable and comfortable drive. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with rollover mitigation makes sure that the vehicle doesn’t go out of track while making direction changes in higher speeds.

VERDICT

The XUV 500 is a very good option for people looking in its category with a lot of features and relatively cheaper price compared to its rivals. The new updated XUV 500 makes an even stronger case for itself now and will definitely attract more customers. The increase in the performance shows that Mahindra is not only focused towards the aesthetics and is looking into developing the performance of their vehicles too. The XUV 500 starts from Rs. 61,80,000/- for the W5 Front Wheel Drive (FWD) to Rs. 84,95,000/- for the W11 All Wheel Drive (AWD) variant. The better looking, performing and feeling XUV 500 is definitely a vehicle to try while shopping for a mid-sized SUV. performing and feeling XUV 500 is definitely a Vehicle to try while shopping for mid-sized SUVs.