Mahindra XUV500 is the company's flagship model and has set several benchmarks in the  Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment of Indian auto market. The XUV500 (pronounced XUV Five-Double O) is Mahindra's most advanced model till date and is meant to take on the likes of segment leader Toyota Innova and Tata Aria. The aggressively priced SUV took the entire market by storm with its futuristic design and premium build. The killer looks, powerful engine performance and impressive features have made the Mahindra XUV500, India's favourite SUV. 

Designed and developed by Mahindra Research Valley Chennai, XUV500 represents the coming-of-age nature of the company. The XUV500 SUV is the most refined Mahindra model and represents the face of the company's upcoming models. Mahindra is also developing a new compact SUV based on the XUV500, which would compete against the Renault Duster and yet-to-be launched Ford EcoSport in the Indian auto market.

Exteriors of Mahindra XUV500

Industry experts have regularly cited XUV500's looks to be the best available for a model at its price point. The front fascia of the SUV boasts of Cheetah inspired lines and leaves an impressive mark on the onlookers. This has given XUV500 the 'Cheetah' nickname and is its most distinguishable aspect. The twin barrel static bending projection headlamps look modish, while the LED stripes on headlamp cluster and parking lights underline the vehicle's uber-cool style statement. The front fascia is complemented by the body coloured radiator grille, which unlike other Mahindra models leaves some space above the bumper. The cheetah's whiskers are embedded nicely on the front honey comb grille, and this kind of design was never seen before in an Indian vehicle.

Mahindra XUV500 has muscular flairs on the wheel arches that describes its fierce styling. Another interesting facet of the SUV is its unique door handles that are believed to be inspired by the paws of a cheetah, which again were seen for the first time in a vehicle. The tail gate of XUV500 is equally stunning as its front end and features long vertical tail lamps having three parallel rows of lighting. The spoiler like roof end incorporates the brake lamp strip and gives a sporty look to this SUV's appearance.

Mahindra XUV500 is available in seven different colour options, namely Satin White, Volcano Black, Moondust Silver, Amazon Green, Tuscan Red, Dolphin Grey and Opulent Purple. The stylish SUV sits confidently on the P 235/65 R17 tubeless radial tyres that have been termed to be perfect for the all terrain drive.

Interiors of Mahindra XUV500

Mahindra XUV500 interior setting is designed in dual tone and premium quality leather upholstery is used everywhere on the vehicle's inside. The dashboard, instrument cluster, inside door handles, gear knob, steering wheel have all been aesthetically designed and underline the vehicle's premium nature. The guiding lights incorporated on the doors are an immensely thoughtful addition, while the steering wheel is both length and rake adjustable, besides having controls for audio, voice recognition and cruise control.

Mahindra has put great efforts in ensuring that its XUV500 model has as many top draw features packed in its package, so that the vehicle is able to compete even against premium SUV models like Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Captiva, amongst others. XUV500 has been equipped with a 3D cluster-in-cluster layout in its twin pod instrumental panel, which include a tachometer and a speedometer. The futuristic speedometer pod provides important vehicle information on tyre pressure, engine temperature and ESR ON/OFF.

The central console of XUV500 resembles that of the Volvo XC60 luxury crossover and boasts of a 6-inch LCD touchscreen infotainment system. This cutting edge interactive setup provides controls to toggle between music and driver information, besides offering controls of many other systems, such as Bluetooth phone pairing switch, ESP ON/OFF, Navigation, lounge lighting, AC controls and Start-Stop activation switch.

The XUV500's DIS (Driver Information System) provides a plethora of different functions, including real time mileage delivered by the vehicle, Navigation, AC mode, Reverse Park Assist System (RPAS) and Tyre Pressure Management, along with music controls. The AC vents are placed along the sides of the central instrument console.

Mahindra XUV500 offers ample headroom and legroom to its occupants. The spacious SUV can seat seven occupants (including the driver) with two in the first row, three in the middle and two in the last row. Further, the seats installed in the XUV500 can be arranged in 8 different manners and have been equipped with the much fawned upon lumbar support to ensure optimum comfort to the driver and occupants travelling in the vehicle. The middle row seats split in 60:40 ratio, while the third row seats split in the 50:50 ratio. The legroom in the third row is slightly tight and less comfortable than the one offered in first and second row seats.

Engine of Mahindra XUV500

Under its hood, the Mahindra XUV500 SUV is powered by a 2.2 litre, 2,179 cc mHawk diesel engine that is popular for its strong power turnout and smooth performance. The 2.2 litre mHawk motor churns out a peak power output of 140 bhp at 3,750 rpm, along with the highest torque delivery of 330 Nm between 1,600 and 2,800 rpm. The oil burner incorporates a Variable Geometry Turbocharger that is based on the cutting edge direct injection technology. The engine assembly is mated to a six-speed manual transmission system and is offered in both 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) and 4-Wheel Drive (4WD) drivetrains.

The Mahindra mHawk engine also uses a Micro Hybrid technology that helps the vehicle in delivering impressive fuel efficiency figures around 12 kmpl in city traffic conditions and close to 14 kmpl on highways. The ARAI certified mileage of the Mahindra XUV500 is 15.1 kmpl.