Mahindra XUV500 facelift review, test drive

What is it like to drive?

In terms of the mechanicals, there’s nothing radically different on the revised XUV. It still runs the same 138bhp 2.2-litre, mHawk engine and buyers still have the option to choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions. The notchy-in-operation six-speed gearbox is the same too, but final gearing has been revised to aid in-town driveability. While we didn’t find a drastic change in the way the XUV drives, it did feel more responsive to throttle inputs in lower gears. What helps here is the clutch that is more progressive and a lot easier to modulate now. Owners will be happy to note, ARAI-tested fuel economy figures are up 0.9kpl to 16kpl. Helping in part here is a ‘smart’ alternator that decouples when it detects the fully charged battery, thus reducing load on the engine.

Improvements have been made to the XUV’s dynamics too. The steering, dampers, springs and anti-roll bars have been optimised while Bosch’s latest ESP system has also been drafted in. While the smooth surface of Mahindra’s Chakan test track wasn’t ideal to pass a definitive judgment on ride quality, we did find a marked reduction in the unnerving nose dive under hard braking and torque steer in heavy acceleration. But before you think otherwise, the XUV is still not perfect in this department. The front-wheel-drive version is prone to understeer and strong steering kickback remains an unresolved issue.