The Stylish New XUV500 muscles up

The 2018 Stylish New XUV500 stands out from its predecessors, thanks to completely redesigned front and rear styling.
Jo-Mare Duddy Booysen
The Stylish New Mahindra XUV500 has landed in South Africa, with a fresh new design and a host of new comfort features.

Mahindra has also added two new models that are sure to prove popular. The XUV500 W6 Automatic offers a lower entry point for buyers in search of an automatic SUV, while the new XUV500 W10 range-topper offers a new level of luxury and specifications.

“The Stylish New XUV500 flagship represents the best of Mahindra’s SUV expertise. It is both capable and comfortable, feature rich and affordable and is styled to attract attention. The new model, with its completely redesigned front and rear styling, and additional features are sure to attract the attention of existing owners and SUV enthusiasts alike,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.

First launched in South Africa in 2012, the XUV500 quickly gained popularity among SUV buyers for its combination of style, creature comforts, three-row seating space and an affordable price. It grew further in popularity when Mahindra introduced additional features and upgrades in 2015.

Striking new design

The 2018 Stylish New XUV500 stands out from its predecessors, thanks to completely redesigned front and rear styling.

Viewed from the front, the Stylish New XUV500 features a brand-new grille, which reinterprets the marque’s well-known 7-slot design with sharp-cut chrome highlights and a larger chrome surround.

The chrome grille surrounds morph into new light-strip daytime running lights at the top of the redesigned headlamps, before flowing vertically down to new fog lamps. The fog lamps, in turn, form part of a redesigned lower bumper, which has been squared off around a lower air intake and now has a silver lower bash plate.

The visual updates continue along the side of the XUV500, where Mahindra’s designers have added additional chrome detailing at the lower edges of the doors and redesigned the D-pillar applique.

The most dramatic part of Mahindra’s redesign of the Stylish New XUV500 is visible at the rear, where a new tailgate, new combination taillights and a larger roof-mounted rear spoiler present a completely new visual signature.

The new angular taillights are split horizontally into two units on each side and replace the previous vertical units. The new lights allowed designers to reimage the rear tail gate, which now features a wider and more prominent number plate enclosure with chrome detailing and integrated reverse camera (on certain models) and new rear reflectors, which follow the diagonal lines created by the taillights.

Completing the dramatic new rear design, is a new rear bumper with blacked-out bottom scuff section and dual tail pipes.

“We are very happy with the major redesign of the Stylish New XUV500. It creates a brand-new visual signature for our flagship model, without losing any of the XUV character that our customers have come to love,” says Gupta. “We are also proud to say that the interior keeps the promise made by the exterior with a major increase in specifications and comfort features.”

Feature rich interiors

The Stylish New XUV500 is equipped with an infotainment system, with air conditioning controls or a full climate control system, depending on the model grade. On W8 and W10 variants, this infotainment system also includes a full turn-by-turn satellite navigation system with voice prompts as standard.

The infotainment system is connected to a powerful new audio system from the specialists Arkamys. The system also offers USB connectivity, with picture and video viewing functionality on the W8 and W10 variants, Bluetooth hands-free cellphone connectivity and an iPod and AUX connection.

Mahindra’s designers further added new chrome detailing, which includes illuminated chrome scuff plates, vertical chrome inserts on the centre console and detailing on the air vents and steering wheel. Also new is the sunroof and a push-button Start/Stop system in the Automatic W10 variants.

Like before, the Stylish New XUV500 has one of the longest standard-feature lists in its segment. All variants offer electric windows and side mirrors, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel with electric power assistance, remote boot lid opening, follow-me-home and lead-me-to-vehicle headlamp functionality and foldable second and third row seats.

The W6, W8 and W10 models have alloy wheels, cruise control with a multi-functional steering wheel, a conversation mirror (deleted on the W10 with sunroof), reach adjustment to the steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights, puddle lamps and fully automatic temperature control (FATC). In addition, the W6-grade features premium cloth upholstery. The W6 variant is now available with automatic transmission. The W8 and W10 models are also equipped with a 7” full colour infotainment system with voice commands.

The top-spec W10 adds the electrically adjustable driver’s seat, while the W8 and W10 has mobile charging points in the front two rows and reading lamps for all three rows of seats, ice-blue lounge lighting, Tyre-tronics tyre pressure and temperature sensors on all tyres, foldable side mirrors and a reverse camera with dynamic assist.

Superior Performance

The 2018 upgrade on the Stylish New XUV500 is more than just skin deep. Mahindra engineers have refined its reliable and highly popular mHawk 2.2 turbodiesel engine with its fifth-generation turbocharger. The mHawk-engine delivers 103 kW and 330 Nm of torque.

In addition, Mahindra has revised the suspension – which it designed in partnership with Lotus – to offer greater comfort and improved handling. The suspension upgrade and additional noise damping on the 2018 model has led to a dramatic drop in the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) inside the cabin.

Uncompromised safety

All versions of the new XUV500 feature two airbags, while the W8 and W10 offers seat and curtain airbags for a total of six airbags. All models also have ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution on all four disc brakes, additional side-impact beams and crumple zones for crash protection.

On the W6 models and above, Mahindra has also added Hill Hold and Hill Descent Control and electronic stability programme (ESP) with rollover mitigation.

More features, more value

“The Stylish New XUV500 has always been known as one of the best value-for-money premium SUVs in the South African market. We believe the new design, additional specifications and more refinement will further enhance the XUV500’s value offering,” says Gupta.

Mahindra will introduce the Stylish New XUV500 with a full five-year / 150 000 km standard warranty and five-year / 100 000 km service plan. All XUV500 owners will also receive Roadside Assistance for the full five years of the vehicle’s warranty and service plan. - Quickpic

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Republikein 2024-04-20

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