When Mahindra unveiled the XUV500 a few years ago, they introduced a vehicle that was not only modern but also one that was indigenously developed and manufactured, a real ‘Make in India’ story. It offered segment firsts unheard of in its price range. Other SUVs were beginning to feel dated and the XUV added some much needed flavour to the segment and appealed to a large audience. The flagship Mahindra has been a bestseller ever since, selling more units than similarly priced sedans even. But it’s been around for four years now and competition seems to be catching up, a good time for an update then.
The outgoing XUV is an interesting design – it is a head turner but then there were these few elements that we felt was overdone. The updated model now gets a facelift. It does give the SUV some added appeal but let us look at it in detail. The headlamps are new and feature a different cluster, an S shaped LED guide light splits the projector and halogen sections and gone is the simple light strip. The family grille is very much present but has been tweaked and is finished with gloss black and chrome elements.
INTERIOR
Step inside, and you’ll notice a more lively and airy cabin. That’s because, the previous black/purple and walnut/beige interior has now been replaced by a black and beige theme. The quality of materials used is better too and the fit has improved. The backlit colour everywhere has changed from red to a more soothing light blue. There are added features too, the infotainment screen is now a larger seven-inch touchscreen and uses a new interface that also gets a reverse camera output with parking guides that adapt to steering input. Stereo features are also better integrated and there are a few added functions. Keyless entry and go is also added, the push start button is positioned on the centre console ahead of the gear lever. There’s a sunroof and a six-way adjustable power driver’s seat too, which we are guessing are offered as standard in the top variants.
EXTERIOR
The sides don’t receive any major changes, only the wheels are new and look a lot more elegant than before. There’s chrome too in the form of a window trim that runs along the entire glass area while the unique door handles get a slightly revised design. The mirrors look the same but now feature puddle lamps under them, a useful addition in our opinion. The back doesn’t see any change in design either. Only the boot garnish that I felt was quite small earlier is now sized well and flows better with the surrounding lines. The metallic orange XUV you see here is a new hue option.
Wheels on roads 