Mahindra XUV 500

The interiors have been done up very well and you definitely get a sense of luxury when you open the doors and see the beautiful colors. The dashboard has been designed very well and looks modern with lots of buttons and tech. the ergonomics are quite nice since the car seems to be the perfect size. The instrument cluster looks nice but the display could have been a little bit better. There is lots of room for the front and middle row passengers, but the third row occupants will definitely have to squeeze in hard. The seats can also be rearranged in case you need to carry heavy loads.

The XUV500 comes with the mhawk engine borrowed from the Scorpio but the engine as well as the gearbox and other parts of the car have been tweaked for greater performance. Power figures stand at 140bhp and 330Nm of torque, which is very impressive indeed. The engine seems well engineered just like in the Scorpio, but the addition of the 6-speed manual transmission make it all the more better.

The turbo does take some time to kick in and the car does seem to have a little bit of lag compared to other diesel SUVs. However once the turbocharger kicks in your acceleration is very strong and linear. You need to get past 1800rpm to feel the car pull forward with power. On the highway the ar performs very well and is very stable, plus overtaking is effortless. The gear changes are also very nice and smooth and the addition of a sixth gear is good if you are cruising. The car uses a new suspension setup and the ride quality is very decent and the best for any Mahindra car. Another best, is the way the car handles, it is in fact quite brilliant thanks to its low weight, medium height and great steering response. It is also a decent off-roader thanks its tyres and engine power. The car also has all disc brakes so the braking power is also very effective.

The XUV500 gives a decent fuel economy of 12kmpl, thanks its light weight.

The XUV500 comes with some awesome features for an entry level premium SUV. You get power steering with mounted controls, power windows and air conditioning with automatic temperature control. New age features include a touch-screen infotainment system, an audio system, GPS navigation, Driver information system , vice commands, remote keyless entry, cruise control and a cool box in the centre armrest. These are very impressive features.

The car also comes with new age safety features such as 6 airbags, Hill hold and decent control, ABD with ESP and EBD.

The overall quality is quite good but again the use of cheap plastics had to be used if the car is priced very competitively. The interiors are in that sense decent but could have been better. Initially the XUV500 did have some electrical issues, but most have been sorted out, and it must be mentioned that a car with these many features will surely have expensive operating and servicing costs. However it is still quite a remarkable car and well built to be a reliable machine. The engine is well refines and the mechanical components are very tough.

Such a car that has SUV characteristics, and has a powerful engine with loads of safety features and new age technology certainly deserves some praise for its pricing. It is priced perfectly for what you are being offered. It’s a win-win situation, and that is why the car has had tremendous sales success.

This is a great package; it’s perfect for the city and for the highway and it can even go off-road. The car looks very attractive and macho; it’s got great space, decent efficiency and great power. If you are looking for a modern SUV that fits in a tight budget, the XUV500 is a great choice.