Mahindra XUV500 emerged as a revelation back in 2011 and took the Indian auto market by storm. The company’s maiden crossover had people waiting for several months. Such was the demand for the SUV that Mahindra had to resort to lottery system to allocate cars for customers who have paid the booking amount without even knowing the final price.
Roughly seven years and quite a few updates later, the XUV500 is inching closer to the end of its lifecycle but the development of its replacement is already underway. The next-generation Mahindra XUV500 is currently in the works with a launch deadline of 2020.
The upcoming safety and emission regulations has made the company opt for a practically all-new product instead of bringing extensive improvements to the existing model. The 2020 Mahindra XUV500 will be underpinned by a new monocoque platform which is expected to be lighter, stiffer, and more versatile. Information we have so far suggests that the next generation model would be noticeably larger than its predecessor with considerably roomier third row of seats.
In terms of styling, the 2020 Mahindra XUV500 is expected to adopt a fresh design theme with significant inputs from Pininfarina. While the current SUV’s styling is generally well liked and sporty, it could do with some sophistication and elegance, and that is where the Italian design firm could make a difference.
The all-new XUV500 will ditch the 2.2-liter turbo-diesel engine in favor of a new BS-VI compliant 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel unit which is estimated to have around 180 hp on tap (around 25 hp more than the current motor). A petrol engine option is also a strong possibility. Both manual and automatic transmissions will be on offer.
Expect the car to move upmarket, meaning there would be a lot of feature additions. Mahindra’s North American Technical Center is expected to play a vital role in the SUV’s development.
The 2020 Mahindra XUV500 will compete with the likes of next-gen Hyundai Creta which will also have a 7-seat variant, Tata Harrier 7-seater (will use a new nameplate), new MG SUV, and so on.
