Mahindra XUV500 Crossover Facelift Revealed

The facelifted version of the Mahindra XUV500 crossover has been put into production and has been spotted at the company stockyard, a clear indicator that the launch could be just a few days or weeks away. The luxury crossover was launched in 2011, and ever since has seen constant improvements being rolled out. However, the facelift is the first instance of Mahindra making a major invention in the XUV500’s life cycle, by giving it a mid career makeover. A D-Segment sedan killer, the facelifted XUV500 is a hotly anticipated SUV for this year. An automatic variant is also said to be in the works.

For now though, let’s focus on what’s new on the facelifted Mahindra crossover. Indian car buyers love dollops of chrome on their rides and who better than Mahindra to understand this. So, the XUV500 gets plenty of chrome, from the fog lamp surrounds to the grille adornments. The headlamps are new, with a daytime running LED tube getting integrated into the design, while a honeycomb mesh now finds its way into the front grille. A particularly nice touch is the XUV500 etching inside the headlamp nacelle. The front bumper and bonnet have been reprofiled while the flanks of the car show a new alloy wheel design. At the rear though, things remain largely unchanged.

On the inside, the crossover gains various new bits on the dashboard, mainly with customer feedback taken into consideration. The center console is redesigned and the screen for the infotainment interface seems larger. The instrument cluster hood is now integrated into the dashboard, a measure ostensibly taken to prevent rattles. While these are visible changes on the facelifted XUV500, it’s highly likely that Mahindra has also focused its energies on refinements under the skin as well. Details of these changes are likely to be revealed in the run up to the launch, which will happen very soon.

The 2.2 liter mHawk turbo diesel engine with 140 Bhp-330 Nm on tap, and a six speed manual transmission are likely to be retained, while the front wheel and all wheel drive layouts will also continue. A 6 speed automatic transmission for the XUV500 has been under development, and it remains to be seen when Mahindra adds this crucial feature to this crossover. Also on the anvil is a hybrid system, which if launched within 2015 could make the XUV500 the first diesel hybrid car in the country. The diesel hybrid variant was showcased at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, replete with production plans in the offing.

Spyshots courtesy Team-BHP