Mahindra Xylo facelift launched with prices starting at Rs. 7.37 lakh!

Today, Mahindra launched the Xylo facelift version with prices ranging between Rs. 7.37 lakh and Rs. 10.25 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

The Xylo facelift, apart from some design changes also gets a 2.2-litre mHawk engine from the Scorpio while the 2.5-litre mEagle and 2.5-litre mDI engines will be also be on offer.

The top-end variant gets new features such as cruise control, voice control system, laptop chargers etc. Mahindra has also improved the rear suspension, provided antiroll bars at the front & rear and has given a new 5-speed transmission.

Variants and Prices

The Xylo facelift is now offered in five variants: the D2, D4, E4, E8 and E9. The D2 and D4 get side facing seats instead of the conventional third row. The D2 and D4 are powered by mDI engines while the E4 and E8 get a mEagle engine. The mHawk engine powers the top-end E9 variant.

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The Xylo facelift comes with redesigned front grille with blacked out vertical slats and redesigned front bumper with wide fog lamps housing. The refreshed head lamps look sharper than the earlier model.

The side profile reveals the new side footstep, pronounced wheel arches with new rims, sporty roof rail and blackened pillars. At the rear, the tail lamp cluster gets clear lens treatment and claddings on the sides of the bumper. Overall, the exterior changes makes the new Xylo look mature and promising.

The new Xylo gets two-tone interiors with walnut brown wood inserts on dashboard and door panels besides more bits of chrome. The top-end E9 variant also gets leather upholstery. The E9 also features dual airbags, ABS, cruise control, stability control, Bluetooth connectivity, dual air-conditioning, voice command activation system and steering mounted audio controls. The Voice command activation system allows the owner to say commands for unlocking doors, switching on headlamps and wipers, opening fuel lid.

As speculated earlier, the Xylo E9 variant gets the 2-.2-litre mHawk engine that already powers the Scorpio. This engine puts out 120 bhp of power and 290 Nm of torque.

The E4 and E8 variants of Xylo is powered by the 2.5-litre mEagle that puts out 112 bhp of power while the D2 and D4 variants are powered by the 2.5-itre mDI that puts out 95 bhp of power. The mHawk engine has 8 bhp more power and 30 Nm more torque than the 2.5 litre mEagle engine of the current Xylo. All the engines are mated to a new 5-speed manual transmission. With improved rear suspension and anti-roll bars, the Xylo facelift will likely handle better than the outgoing model. The new gearbox can also be expected to improve the drivability of the Xylo.

New Xylo vs. New Innova

The Xylo facelift will directly compete with the 2012 Toyota Innova, launched at the Delhi Auto Expo last month. Price-wise, the Xylo facelift starts at Rs. 7.37 lakh, which is Rs. 1.50 lakh cheaper than the Innova base variant that costs Rs. 8.87 lakh. Similarly, the Xylo E8 is Rs. 1.15 lakh cheaper than the Innova GX while the Xylo E9 is roughly Rs. 3 lakh cheaper than the Innova VX.

Features wise, the new Xylo has an edge over the Innova for it offers cruise control and Voice Activation technology, not found in the Innova. Further, Xylo is more spacious than the Innova, especially in terms of legroom and headroom.

Performance-wise, the Xylo E9 with its mHawk engine puts out more power (20 bhp) and more torque (90 Nm) than the Innova.

With the mHawk engine and features like cruise control in the top-end variant, the Xylo will be a threat to Innova, for sure.

New Xylo vs. Tavera Neo 3

Chevrolet launched the Tavera Neo 3 on February 7^th with a price range of Rs. 8.25 lakh – 10.25 lakh which is close to the new Xylo priced in the range of Rs. 7.37 lakh – 10.25 lakh.

Though the top-end variants of Tavera Neo 3 and Xylo E9 have same price, the E9 packs more safety features such as the dual front airbags, ABS and comfort features such as cruise control and Voice Activation technology not offered in the Tavera Neo 3.

The Tavera Neo 3 has more seating capacity (10 seats) and handles better than the Xylo at high speeds. However, only a proper road test will reveal which MPV drives and handles better.

Performance wise, the Xylo’s mHawk engine puts out more power (15 bhp) and more torque (26.3 Nm) than the Tavera’s 2.0-litre TCDi motor. Hence, the Xylo may perform slightly better than the Tavera.

Overall, the Xylo looks more contemporary and slightly upmarket when compared with the Tavera Neo 3.

Conclusion

Mahindra launched the Xylo in 2009 and this is the first time, the company has given the facelift. So far, the company has sold 90,000 Xylo and holds a market share of 27% in the MPV segment. The new Xylo will most likely attract more customers as it comes with more features and a powerful engine when compared with the segment leader, Toyota Innova.