Mahindra has begun road-testing the refreshed XUV500 SUV, which is slated to launch in the coming months. The 2018 XUV500, as seen from the images, is likely to come with new-design alloy wheels and cosmetic tweaks to the grille, and front and rear bumpers.
Mahindra, as reported by us earlier, is working on a more powerful version of the current 2.2-litre diesel motor for the XUV500, which is likely to churn out around 170hp. This upgrade could come with the refreshed model. However, the company will launch the XUV500 G9 petrol AT variant before that and will equip it with a new 2.2-litre motor mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.
The Mahindra XUV500 has been on sale since 2011 and it received a major refresh in 2015. With more powerful engine and updated looks, Mahindra will aim to take on the newer rivals in this space like the Renault Captur, the Jeep Compass and the Tata Hexa.