Update – New gen Mahindra XUV500 SUV’s legroom and boot space have been detailed for the first time
Earlier today, we had reported about Mahindra XUV500 getting spied on test in the city of Mumbai. Now, another set of spy shots of 2021 Mahindra XUV500 has emerged, which detail the interiors of the SUV like never before.
The spy shots give us a closer look at the front seats layout, dashboard, rear seats, passenger comforts in 2nd row, 3rd row seats are split 50-50 and are seen folded flat. Interiors are seen finished in beige and black. It also has panoramic sunroof. Most likely this is the top of the line variant. Take a look at the spy video below.
Spied mostly on the highways around Chennai, where Mahindra Research Valley is located, the new 2021 Mahindra XUV500 is now entering final rounds of road testing – as launch nears. The upcoming SUV has now been spied in Mumbai, by automotive enthusiast Rane Darshan, who shared the spy shots on Rushlane Spylane Facebook Group.
The latest test mule spied, is wearing MH15 number plates, which is from Nashik, where one of the Mahindra car plant and design center is located. It is to be noted that the current XUV500 is manufactured at the company’s plant in Pune.
Production Ready
Though completely covered in camouflage, this particular Mahindra XUV500 test mule is near production ready. Headlights, LED DRLs, tail lights, alloys, beige coloured interiors – all in production ready form; can be noticed in the spy shots.
Under the hood, the 2021 XUV500 shall come along with 2 engine options. In all likelihood, these would be a 2 litre turbo mStallion GDi 4 cylinder petrol motor and a 2.2 litre mHawk diesel engine. These are same options which are on offer with new Thar. On board XUV500, these engines are going to deliver more power and torque. Like current XUV, we expect multiple combinations on the powertrain front, which would include MT/AT and 2WD/AWD.
Advanced Electronic Features
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Mahindra was testing some advance level electronic equipment on the 2021 XUV500. These included a radar system, eyelid tracking tech and autonomous braking. Another feature which was reportedly getting tested was a 3D panoramic vision feature which would help the driver while reversing the car. A multi zone climate control was also expected which could been controlled via a synced smart-phone.
Traffic in a city like Mumbai, is perfect for testing such features. Though all these features are being tested for XUV500, not all will make it to the production version. Even then, new XUV500 is expected to set new standards in technology and features for the segment.
To be honest, it isn’t surprising that the advanced features like radar and autonomous braking will not make it to the final production spec car. These features have been relatively unheard of in the Rs 15-20 lakh SUV segment. While Mahindra is known to feature load its vehicle, (especially the XUV 500), these still could have led to some major price tag increase, which would have worked out to be counter productive for the Indian OEM.
However, it would be good to have features like a 3D panoramic vision and a smart multi-zone climate control system. These are relatively practical and would be a good party trick which the future owners would like the flaunt.
Competition and Launch
Upon launch, the XUV500 will be competing with cars like Tata Harrier (upcoming Gravitas too), Jeep Compass, MG Hector, Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. We expect Mahindra to launch a long list of trims, which shall keep the pricing well spread across INR 13-21 lakhs.
As far as launch is concerned, it is expected that the second generation XUV 500 shall go on sale sometime in H1 2021 and there is a good chance that Mahindra will do a product unveil sometime in Q1’2021. Reports also suggest that Mahindra might continue to sell both, the current gen XUV 500 and the new generation XUV 500 together for some time. Many other OEMs too have deployed this strategy as it helps to keep the entry-level pricing in the category at the lower side.
