Mahindra XUV500 2016 Review

Mahindra XUV 500 W8
International launch,
Pune, India

India is not the ideal place to test an SUV. The frenetic pace of the traffic and the relative lack of open-road space means there are few opportunities to focus on the vehicle's merits alone. Distractions are many – and some quite dangerous…

So on the occasion of previewing the XUV500, Mahindra invited a handful of Aussie writers to its test track in Pune. We followed up with some travel time on a local freeway to make a few observations concerning the lightly updated XUV500.

Mahindra has been losing as many as 11 out of every 12 prospective Aussie customers for the XUV500 -- once they learn there’s no automatic option. It's business the brand has resigned themselves to handing over until now. Come May, the XUV finally arrives Down Under with a six-speed Aisin automatic option along with a subtle facelift.

One of the less obvious advantages of the new transmission is that it keeps the engine on the boil longer and more often, reducing turbo lag and helping iron out power delivery. Naturally, the auto will be a boon for urban drivers in Australia, handing drivers the right gear immediately for sudden lane changes and sprinting across intersections with traffic bearing down from either side. And of course, it does away with the long, ponderous shift throws of the manual.

Even during optimal acceleration the XUV's auto changes were very smooth. There's a knack to using the transmission manually: knock the lever left – to the 'M' gate' – and flick a small lever on the knob forward to change up, or back to change down. It's very easy to use once familiar.

Left in manual, the transmission will not kick down; all changes have to be made with the left thumb on the shift lever knob.

Performance for overtaking in the 80-120km/h bracket was not sparkling. The transmission changes up before the engine reaches 4000rpm, and there's a delay while the revs reach that point. It simply felt livelier at lower speeds – engine and road.

Fuel consumption seemed to vary from around 8L/100km in an equal-part mix of freeway and urban driving, to 6.25L/100km on open roads alone. As a semi-educated guess, the fuel consumption in the Aussie urban environment would likely be somewhere around 10L/100km.

Immediately apparent on the test track was the XUV500's steering rack rattle and kickback. It was easily provoked accelerating hard out of a bend, and might be unnerving for some drivers in the wet. The XUV500 is a fairly strong understeerer too, and applying the power exacerbated that push demonstrably.

The brake pedal felt soft underfoot, but the brakes themselves were strong enough. The Bridgestone tyres fitted to the car tested tended to protest under moderate straight-line braking on the track. They were also vocal changing direction.

The XUV500 rode well and was very quiet at open-road speeds. It felt slightly underdamped touring at 100km/h on India's irregular freeway surfaces.

Some wind noise was present at that sort of speed, and the Bridgestone tyres were audible in a high-pitched whine on those same freeways, but not on the sort of coarse-chip bitumen that is a staple of Australian country roads. Overall, the XUV500 should ride quietly on local roads.

Changes to the interior design of the XUV500 are definite improvements. There's a shroud on the dash over the centre fascia and the standard reversing camera display now features interactive guidelines.

In addition, interior dome lights are now LEDs, so if you leave the lights on overnight they won't flatten the battery.

Seats were comfortable and well shaped, although slightly lacking length in the base. The vehicle tested came with adjustable lumbar support for both front seats.

The instruments are a bit fussy and hard to read at a glance, due to the fine, irregular calibrations, in the case of the speedometer. Switchgear for the infotainment system was clustered chiefly in the centre fascia, rather than in the dash or the ends of the wiper/indicator stalks. It's simpler this way, although the controls for the cruise and audio remain in conventional locations on the spokes of the steering wheel.

Key start and an indicator stalk that doesn't feature two-stage (tap for three blinks) operation are signs the XUV500 is behind the main game in a couple of ergonomic design areas. Given indicators are used much less frequently than the horn in the car's home market, that's somewhat understandable!

The plastic trim pieces were fitted with glaringly inconsistent panel gaps in the dash and centre facia – particularly around the glovebox lids (upper and lower), but also under the vents and steering column on the driver's side.

Plastic fit aside, the XUV500 exhibited no rattles during the drive program. The car tested – a W10 flagship model – came with light-coloured leather upholstery, but black will the sole colour option in Australia. It's a hotter colour, but it takes longer to look grubby, Mahindra says.

Paint trim on the inner door handles could wear down quickly, judging by one XUV500 used to ferry journalists around Mumbai. This car had just 73,000km on the speedo, but the silver paint on the door handles was already showing signs of wear and tear, with black plastic showing through. This may have been addressed in the new model, which features a different grey-coloured coating that seems more robust, and a rubber inlay on the inner section of the handle.

The XUV500 will genuinely seat seven adults and climbing in and out of the third-row seat is not a major feat. Even with a sunroof fitted there's abundant headroom for adults in the second row, and kneeroom is commendable too.

While the XUV500 boasts side curtain airbags, the curtains don't protect occupants in the third-row seat. One other shortcoming of the XUV's passenger-friendly packaging is that all seven seats being occupied leaves precious little room for luggage.

Exterior door handles are quite sensible – and also unusual, pulling out from side of the car in a horizontal rather than a vertical plane. This makes sense ergonomically.

Other than the changes described above, the XUV500 remains largely what it has been, a relatively good value proposition for the right type of buyer.

The on-sale date for the revised XUV500 in Australia will be in May, when the importer will reveal full local pricing and specification details.

Initially the upgraded model will launch in W8 trim only, albeit with both auto and manual variants. Later in the year, the XUV500 range is expected to be complemented by the high-spec W10 models – and new petrol-engined variants – although neither are officially confirmed yet.

2015 Mahindra XUV500 W8 pricing and specifications:
Price: Around $35,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 103kW/330Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: TBA
CO2: TBA
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP)

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