Mahindra’s flagship SUV has been launched with a variety of industry-first features. The new XUV500 is aimed at catering to the tech-savvy customers of today and seems to be armed to the teeth in that respect.
The new car comes equipped with a variety of features that are currently being rolled out in most modern vehicles in addition to some industry-first features designed specifically for the Indian customer. However, these features are available only from the W6 variant onwards.
Android Auto is a mobile application that is now common in most entry-level premium cars. It connects your phone to the car and displays selected information like messaging, calls, music and maps. In addition to this, Mahindra aim to score big with the introduction of ‘Connected Apps’. This enables the driver to reap the benefits of apps like Gaana, Cricket Live, Zomato, BookMyShow and others on the infotainment system. While it is not mandatory that the user needs to have these particular apps on his phone, it does have to be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot to function. It displays information that is specifically tailored for Indian users.
Another useful feature that is making an appearance for the first time is ‘Ecosense’. It is a technology that monitors the driving style of the user and provides instantaneous and average scores out of 100 based on various parameters like speed, gear selection, acceleration, idling, clutch override and aggressive breaking. This data can be accessed via the infotainment system, Bluesense app or the ‘With You Hamesha’ website and can be shared on social media.
Mahindra have also equipped the car with a one-touch lane change indicator. Further supplementing the safety department, they have also added ‘Emergency Call’. This feature automatically calls the emergency services in the event of an accident i.e. on deployment of the airbags. It also sends text alerts to a couple of pre-set mobile numbers through a paired phone.
Changes have not been limited to the interior of the car, as Mahindra have launched a new Lake-Side Brown colour with premium black interiors. This colour option is limited to the W10 variant only. The new XUV500 is priced from Rs 13.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Navi Mumbai) for the W6 variant.
Story: Joshua Varghese
