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Aiming High

December 6, 2011 by admin

Evolution is inevitable and that is exactly what Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) have proved by launching the XUV500, an SUV that testifies to the company’s high aspirations
I could sense curiosity in the air the moment I drove the XUV500 (the number is pronounced ‘five-double-O’) out of the M&M plant at Chakan, near Pune, and onto the main road.

Every second person on the road kept staring at this new SUV, which, until that moment, had never been seen without its camouflage.

The new XUV500 is a product that clearly shows how far M&M have come in terms of research and development to be able to offer a product with enough potential to become the company’s first true global SUV. Let’s take a closer look.

Styling, Gizmos And Technology
The thought that crossed my mind the moment I had my first dekko at the XUV500 was that it looks contemporary. It has a bold front end with stylish automatic headlamps featuring static bending projector lamps, which provide additional illumination the moment you turn on the indicators at night. The XUV500’s huge wheel arches, bulging front fenders carved out of plastic instead of metal to save weight, the honeycomb-pattern plastic grille that lends a touch of sportiness, its slim and small fog lamps and its tiny little centre grille are touches that will appeal to many, including youngsters. M&M designers have given a new twist to the unmistakably Mahindra grille by splitting it into two at the bottom.

This contemporary design theme also continues on the sides and at the rear, where the true SUV character of the XUV500 can be noticed. A flowing roof-line and a bulging rear fender give a muscular look to the rear and also lend a rugged character to the XUV500. However, the tail-lamps do not seem to be in sync with the overall styling. The designers could have avoided their protruding appearance by designing tail-lamps that followed the natural flow of the D-pillar right into the rear bumper. Barring this, the rear looks quite nice.

As for the interior, the first thing that one notices is the nicely laid-out dashboard. Unique air-con vents, a big and chunky steering wheel, a twin-pod metre console, a six-inch infotainment screen, leather seats and textured dashboard together give a welcome feel. The infotainment screen is a touch unit that displays a variety of information such as tyre pressures and temperature, rear parking sensor info and audio-video controls. It also displays real time fuel consumption and service intervals. A full-fledged navigation system that comes pre-loaded with maps of almost 1,200 cities and covers 1.5 million kilometres is an outstanding feature of this infotainment system.

The XUV500 comes loaded with goodies like automatic wipers, automatic climate control, voice control for music, navigation and the mobile phone, cruise control settings, steering-mounted controls, ambient lighting, a centrally located cool box, tons of storage space and mobile charging points in all three rows – features that are usually seen in high-end luxury SUVs only. Besides these, generous amounts of leg and knee room assure one a comfortable time inside this SUV. The boot space gets enlarged to such an extent after folding down the second and third rows of seats that it can accommodate a normal sized refrigerator.

M&M have also improved on the quality of material used to give the XUV500 a rich, upmarket feel. The cabin can be described as the best from Mahindra to date, though the fit-and-finish may not quite measure up to international standards.

Engine And Performance
The feel-good factor does not stop just with the design of the XUV500. It gets raised further with the power, performance and handling of this SUV. Equipped with M&M’s very own 2.2-litre mHawk engine, the XUV500 gets a heart that has been tuned for power and performance. Its 142 PS of power and 330 Nm of torque are delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed manual ‘box that still needs some attention. The naught-to-100-km/h dart took just 12.8 seconds, which is commendable for a vehicle that weighs 1,750 kg. Furthermore, good low-end power helps this SUV pull nicely even at lower RPM. However, a slight turbo lag is perceptible, though it does not bother much. The hard work put in by the the engineers has paid the desired dividends as the engine is quite impressive in terms of acceleration, roll-on figures and power delivery. A fuel-efficiency figure of 11.0 km per litre (overall) is not bad for an SUV of this size and weight.

Handling And Driveability
When it came to handling we were expecting something similar to the Scorpio or the Xylo. However, the XUV500 surprised us by being the best handling Mahindra so far. The engineers have spent four years in the development of the XUV500 and it shows. They decided to opt for a modern monocoque chassis this time rather than relying on the good old ladder frame. This has worked in favour of the XUV500 for it is much more stable than any other M&M product so far.

The monocoque chassis coupled with a sporty, stiff suspension, set up by Lotus Engineering, endow the XUV500 with almost car-like handling. Show this beast a corner and it will stay on its course without scaring the living daylights out of you. Slight body-roll and a bit of understeer are perceptible, though. However, in the end, it is a good SUV to drive. It’s comfortable, powerful and has an engaging steering that keeps you interested all the time. Bits like ABS-equipped brakes, six airbags and ESP make sure that you stay safe while enjoying the drive.

The Verdict
Surely M&M deserve a pat on their back for coming up with a great product like the XUV500. Gizmos and gadgets, a powerful engine on a monocoque chassis and race-bred suspension – things normally seen in high-end luxury SUVs – are available in the XUV500 for Rs 14.80 lakh (the top-end variant), making it a value-for-money product. A 4X4 model in the near future will add to the number of options available.