Mahindra has just confirmed that the next-gen XUV500 will see its market launch in early-2021. The new SUV comes with completely new styling, much more features and even a petrol engine for the first time.
Mahindra has been testing the next-gen XUV500 for quite some time now and we have reported you with several spy images over time as well. It was previously expected that the next-gen XUV500 would see its market launch by mid-2020. Mahindra has however now confirmed that the next-gen XUV500 will debut in the market sometime early next year, most likely by March 2021. For now, the current-gen XUV500 will receive its BS6 update and will soldier on until the new SUV arrives.
Mahindra showed off the Funster convertible SUV concept at the Auto Expo 2020 and it essentially previews the design of the next-gen XUV500. The new SUV is expected to have similar body panels with a more squarish design and a more upright nose. The door panels are expected to be flatter and the SUV will have Mahindra’s family grille with slightly smaller headlamps. The SUV will also get Mahindra’s new signature vertically-placed LED DRLs.
The next-gen XUV500 will also lose out on its distinctive ‘cheetah claw’ door handles. Instead, it will be featuring flush-fitting door handles like the ones we see in Land Rovers and Teslas. Whether it will be power operated or if it’ll be a lever-type arrangement is still unknown. In any case, flush-fitting door handles on the XUV500 will be a very unique offering in its segment. It not only enhances the looks of the SUV, but also helps with aerodynamic efficiency.
The interiors of the next-gen XUV500 will also resemble the one seen on the Funster concept. It will get a fully-digital instrument cluster at least in the higher variants, and a second large screen, for infotainment duties, will be positioned next to it. Just like the current SUV, the second-gen XUV500 is expected to come with a 3-row layout.
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Under the hood, the next-gen XUV500 will be powered by a BS6-compliant, 180hp, 2.2-litre diesel engine that is in fact likely to be introduced first on the current-gen XUV500. The current-gen XUV500 produces 155 bhp from a 2.2L diesel engine as well and that’s then a significant bump in power. Gearbox choices are between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic, as on the outgoing model. Also, the next-gen Mahindra XUV500 will also be receiving a new petrol heart in the from of a 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine. The engine has been developed by Mahindra in-house and it produces a very healthy 190bhp and 380Nm of torque.
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There will be also be a Ford derivative of the next-gen XUV500 that will launch a little later. While the SUV will be sharing its powertrains and underpinnings with the XUV500, it will not be a mere badge-engineering exercise. The Ford SUV will come with its own distinctive styling, new interiors, a slightly improved chassis, and its ride and handling will be true to Ford’s DNA. The SUV will be built alongside the next-gen XUV500 at Mahindra’s Chakan plant.
