Apple CarPlay will be the latest update that the Mahindra XUV500 will receive soon

Mahindra has been constantly updating the XUV500 luxury crossover and the latest update was the addition of a new, entry level W3 variant that made the XUV500 cheaper than the Tata Harrier. By the end of this month, the flagship Mahindra vehicle will get another update, but this time around the update will involve the higher variants. Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity option will be added to the higher variants of the Mahindra XUV500 on the 31st of May. With this, the vehicle will have both the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity for its touchscreen infotainment system. Android and Apple iOS are the two most popular smartphone operating systems in the market presently.

The addition of Apple CarPlay to the XUV500’s infotainment system will allow users of iPhones to mirror their phones to the infotainment system. A variety of functions such as navigation, messaging, app access and calling will be available with CarPlay. What has to be noted is the fact that Mahindra plans to offer the Apple CarPlay interface only on the top-end W11 (O) variant of the XUV500, which is surprising considering the fact that Android Auto is available on multiple XUV variants, W7 upwards.

The Mahindra XUV500 sold in India gets 12 variants in total: 11 in diesel and 1 in petrol. While there are 5 diesel automatic variants on offer, the rest are diesel-manual variants. The petrol engined XUV500 gets a single, automatic gearbox equipped front wheel driven variant while the diesel variants offer both front wheel drive and all wheel drive options.

The Mahindra XUV500’s diesel engine is a 2.2 liter-4 cylinder, turbocharged unit with 154 Bhp of peak power and 360 Nm of peak torque. This engine gets 6 speed manual and torque converter automatic options, and supports both front wheel drive and all wheel drive layouts. The petrol powered XUV500 gets a 2.2 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged unit with 140 Bhp-320 Nm on tap. The petrol motor gets a 6 speed torque converter automatic as standard and is available only in front wheel drive trim. The XUV500 got a major facelift last year, and is at the fag end of its lifecycle. Introduced in 2011, the XUV500 has been the best seller in its segment for years. Now though, the likes of the Jeep Compass and the latest upstart – the Tata Harrier – are putting pressure on XUV500 sales. Mahindra is working on an all-new XUV500. The second generation model is likely to debut next year. It’s expected to share its platform with the latest Ssangyong Korando.

The second generation Mahindra XUV500 will get Bharat Stage 6 compliant, turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. A major design revamp is also on the cards for Mahindra’s first monocoque SUV, which will continue to use a monocoque layout but could grow in size. Expect a slew of new features, better refinement levels all around, improved handling and ride quality, and better fuel efficiency from the all-new model. a