The Indian automaker is known for the range of SUVs under its umbrella which comes in all shapes and sizes and their obsession with the letter “O”. One of the premium offerings from Mahindra & Mahindra, their 2018 Mahindra XUV 500 New Model was recently spotted testing and would reveal certain details of what to expect from it.
Mahindra saw a great success story in the Mahindra XUV 500 and pertaining to limited production capacity, the MUV was initially launched in limited states and limited numbers. Even this couldn’t deter their loyal customers and people flooded Mahindra’s dealerships leading to a waiting period of about 6 months. Initially launched in 2011, the XUV 500 has seen mild makeovers but Mahindra is working hard to deliver a more refined product in early 2018.
As seen in the spy shots, the 2018 Mahindra XUV 500 New Model will sport a new grille design and although it is hard to notice any changes under the camouflage, the rear section does look sleeker and tidier. The test mule was running on current version’s alloy wheels and the colour and brightness of the backlit console look identical to the current model. This, however, may not be the final guise of the 2018 version and the company might simply be testing various engine versions of the same. The test mule sported identical body, pillars, bumpers and alloy wheels as the current production model and one can assume that this might simply be testing the updated engine.
Under the hood, of the 2018 Mahindra XUV 500 New Model will be an updated version of the 2.2-litre mHawk engine returned to produce 170 bhp of peak power and 400 Nm of torque. The current version of the MUV already has a pretty decent engine in terms of power delivery and refinement and with this update, the XUV 500 will be more powerful than ever.
Mahindra will also launch a new 2.2-litre petrol engine which will be based on a similar architecture to that of its diesel counterpart and will churn out 140 bhp and 320 Nm of torque.
Expect the XUV 500 facelift to be released early next year and most probably at the 2018 auto expo. The event starts on February 7th, 2018 for the press.
The current XUV 500 retails for INR 11.73 lakh for the W4 variant to INR 17.52 lakh for the W10 variant. In its most premium setup, the XUV 500 hosts a 2.2-litre mHawk engine that churns out 140 bhp and 330 Nm of torque and comes loaded with features unmatchable to even the vehicles, a segment higher.
Image credits- Motor Vikatan
