Mahindra XUV 500: Chrome craze

The upgraded Mahindra & Mahindra XUV 5OO has a lot going for it - from better colour coordination inside to improved fuel efficiency

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In 2011, Mahindra & Mahindra changed the sports utility vehicle market in India by launching the XUV 5OO, the first monocoque SUV made by an Indian car manufacturer. Slotted just above the Rs 10-lakh mark, it remained unchallenged for a long time. And then the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport, both compact SUVs, hit the dealerships and within no time the Indian car maker found the XUV's sales figures severely dented. Still, the XUV was the fastest SUV to cross the 100,000 mark in units sold, which is a pretty big deal. Two years ago, the burly vehicle received a nip-and-tuck, but the changes were of such minor nature that if you had blinked your eyes, they would have evaded your attention.

In the cut-throat Indian car industry, you cannot remain complacent, so Mahindra had to give the XUV a more prominent facelift and refresh its look. The result is the 2015 XUV. While the new XUV's silhouette remains more or less the same, Mahindra has decided to bathe the muscular car in as much chrome as possible. Indians, of course, do love chrome, but I thought the company overdid it a bit this time. But then appreciating the appearance of a car is a personal exercise, so I won't cavil about it.

The XUV's new toned-down front grille has chrome strips and it has large swept-back headlamps with a twin-pod cluster with a sinuous LED projector cutting between the lights. Mahindra has replaced the bead-like LED lamps with a single LED strip. This small change makes the car look premium. The fog lamps have been redesigned to look like a boomerang, and, of course, have got a chrome finish.

The new XUV may have lost its imposing looks, but it remains muscular. Its beefy wheel arches are like bulging biceps and the bonnet is brawnier with flared sides. The side profile is similar to the outgoing model, but the windowsill has, what else, chrome lining. There is no change at the rear apart from a chrome bar above the number plate.

The XUV has always had a feature-loaded cabin. But what didn't go well, again in my opinion, were the black-purple interiors. Thankfully, the incongruous black-purple scheme has given way to black-beige common sense, which also manages to camouflage the quality of the plastics. The instrument cluster retains the twin pods, but now has icy blue lighting instead of red. Even the cabin ambience light is icy blue, chosen apparently for its soothing effect. The infotainment system's screen has grown to 7 inches and has a much better touch response and can be controlled via your phone after downloading the Blue Sense app. The upgraded MapmyIndia navigation maps appear in 3D.

The car is now equipped with a rear-parking camera and the driver's seat comes with a new 6-way power adjuster. Just when I thought Mahindra was done with the chrome craze, I see it adorning the music system and steering wheel. However, I have no reason to complaint about the chrome pedals - they look quite sporty.

The XUV continues to be powered by the tried and tested 140 bhp, 2.2-litre mHawk engine. Mahindra says the engine's drive ratio has been worked upon, but there is only one way to find out if there is any substantial improvement.

I press the start button, which is another new feature, and the engine wakes up smoothly. The refinement is quite commendable. I step on the pedal and this two-and-a-half tonne machine pull away without demur. It actually feels like you are driving a sedan rather than a burly SUV. The drive is at the test track at Mahindra's Chakan plant, so I cannot really push the car. But I do notice that the suspensions have been tweaked, resulting in the XUV being more confident around the corners with no noticeable roll. On the little undulations I came across, the car provides a cushioned ride. Being monocoque bodied, the XUV does not have the typical bouncy ride that many SUVs do. On a flat macadam road, it is all smooth sailing for the XUV.

The new XUV still remains a value-for-money purchase, priced as it is between Rs 11.2 lakh and Rs 15.99 lakh. It is loaded with impressive features such as Brake Energy Regeneration, new upgraded ESP 9, better cabin colour combination, loads of chrome touches inside and outside, improved handling qualities, newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels and a sun roof. More important, it has improved fuel efficiency, which has gone up from 15.1 kpl earlier to 16 kpl now. What Mahindra might have overlooked is an automatic gearbox option. Apart from that, the XUV is a great buy.

MAHINDRA XUV 5OO
Engine: 2,179 cc
Power:140 bhp @ 3,750 rpm
Torque: 330 Nm @ 1,600-2,800 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel economy: 16 kpl (ARAI figures)
Price: Rs 11.2-15.99 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

Arup Das is features editor at AutoX