New 2013 Mahindra XUV500 review, test drive

With the XUV500, Mahindra has put design at the forefront to make an emphatic styling statement. There’s no doubt the Mahindra XUV500 does turn heads; it’s got a muscular stance, strong road presence and looks every bit a proper luxury SUV.

Dominating the front-end styling is a traditional Mahindra seven-slat grille flanked by a pair of projector headlamps that widen their spread at parking speeds and work as cornering lights on tighter corners. Daytime-running LEDs are part of the standard kit too. We especially like the rising window line and the blacked-out B-, C- and D-pillars which give the Mahindra XUV500 a very modern look.

However, we feel the Mahindra designers went overboard with the detailing. The faux air vents just below the headlights are too fussy and the oversized wheel arches are out of sync with the rest of the design and also make the wheels look small. This is further accentuated by the bulge in the beltline above the rear wheel arch. The rear tail-light also feels a bit overdone with fussy detailing on the lens.Underpinning the XUV500 is a monocoque chassis, a first for M&M that nicely balances stiffness and weight within a long wheelbase. The 4x4 XUV500, which weighs 1865kg and is on par with the smaller Scorpio, could have been lighter. But M&M didn’t want to compromise on chassis stiffness of the SUV, especially since the very generous 2700mm wheelbase subjects it to greater torsional loads. Weight has also been kept in check with the inclusion of elements like a plastic fuel tank and plastic fenders, and the use of high-tensile steel for over 30 percent of the body structure.

The Mahindra XUV500 is equipped with MacPherson struts up front and a luxury car-like multi-link rear suspension. It does not come with hardcore 4x4 vehicle kit like a low-range transfer case, but you do get hill-descent control and hill hold on top-end variants and a differential lock on the AWD model for limited off-road use.What is truly impressive is the manner in which Mahindra has packaged all the mechanicals to achieve a flat floor, making good use of passenger room. In terms of safety, the Indian SUV gets dual airbags as standard across the range with the top models additionally featuring ESP, rollover mitigation and curtain airbags. The new W4 SUV variant gets a more basic infotainment system with four speakers and CD and MP3 compatibility, and no monochrome display screen as seen on the W6 variant of the XUV500. It misses out on kit like rain-sensing wipers, automatic cornering headlamps, front fog lamps, telescopic steering adjustment, automatic climate control, powered wing mirrors, cruise control and steering-mounted controls. However, you still get features like projector headlamps, LED parking lamps, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, disc brakes all round, dual-tone interiors, tilt adjustable steering, six-way adjustable driver’s seat, remote central locking and a price that now makes this version a direct competitor to the Renault Duster.