The Mahindra XUV500 has received an unannounced variant rejig which sees discontinuation of all petrol variants and the fully loaded diesel automatic AWD variant. The surviving variants have received price hike ranging from INR 1,000 to 8,000.
The variant rejig comes towards the end of the current model’s lifespan. The discontinuation clearly indicates that demand for diesel automatic AWD and petrol variants has been week.
This trend is likely to have an influence on the next gen XUV500’s powertrain lineup. It is possible that we may see a down-sized turbocharged petrol engine making almost as much power as the current one with slightly less torque output.
For reference, the Mahindra XUV500’s 2.2-liter petrol motor developed 140 hp and 320 Nm of torque. It was available exclusively with 6-speed automatic transmission. The diesel motor is also a 2.2-liter unit which is good for 155 hp and 360 Nm of torque.
Both 6-speed MT and AT are offer. Standard variants send the torque to front wheels but customers can also opt for AWD system which is now offered only with MT. No other changes are made to the premium crossover SUV which now faces stiff competition from the likes of MG Hector and Kia Seltos.
Mahindra is in advanced stages of developing the popular XUV500’s successor which was recently spotted testing in public for the first time. Likely to be based on the improved platform of the existing car, the new gen XUV500 would feature significant styling changes, all-new interior and new powertrain range.
More importantly, the next gen Mahindra XUV500’s platform will also serve as a base to a new Ford SUV. Mahindra’s version is expected to be ready sometime next year and its Ford sibling would follow a few months down the line. The next gen model is reported to be powered by a 2.0-liter diesel engine with better performance figures.
Competition to the 2020 Mahindra XUV500 will come from the Tata Buzzard (Harrier 7 Seater), MG Hector, Kia Seltos, and next gen Hyundai Creta. Mahindra would be hoping that the next iteration of its popular crossover would help it break the ongoing slump in sales.
