Mahindra has launched the XUV500 facelift at prices starting from Rs 12.32 lakh for the diesel variant and Rs 15.43 lakh for the petrol variant (all prices, ex-showroom, Mumbai). The company’s flagship SUV will be available in five diesel variants – W5, W7, W9, and W11 (that also comes with an options pack) – and a petrol variant, G AT. 

The XUV500 has not only received changes on the outside, but has also been updated in terms of the interiors and the engine.

Up front, it gets a new grille that’s larger in size as compared to the previous model and has a studded pattern with chrome inserts, flanked by halogen projector headlamps with integrated horizontal LED daytime running lamps (DRLs). The vertically stacked tail-lamps on the earlier model have been replaced with wraparound triangular units. The tailgate has been redesigned as well, with some changes made to the chrome surrounds above the number plate. The only change to the side profile is the addition of a chrome strip on the door sill.

Coming to the interiors, the car gets tan-coloured seats with quilted stitching, complemented by a black dashboard that now gets soft-touch elements and brushed aluminium inserts on the centre console, gear knob and steering wheel.

The facelift also gets a slight upgrade to the power and torque figures, with the engine now tweaked to produce 15hp and 30Nm more than other trims. The 2.2-litre mHawk engine now produces 155hp and 360Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic transmission and an AWD system are also on offer. The ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of the diesel powertrain is 15.4kpl.

The car will also be offered with a petrol engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The petrol engine produces 140hp and 320Nm of torque. The facelift also gets 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels on the top-end variant as an optional extra, while the lower variants get 17-inch wheels.

The infotainment system is now paired with an Arkamys sound system, which has resulted in the repositioning of the tweeters from the dashboard to the A-pillars. The existing Bluesense app now also gets smartwatch compatibility. The car is equipped with safety features like six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP with rollover mitigation, hill hold and hill descent control among others.

The Mahindra XUV500 will compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Tata Hexa and the Jeep Compass in the Indian market. The company will also be introducing a Rexton-based SUV with Mahindra badging later this year, which, due to its higher pricing, will replace the XUV500 as the flagship SUV in Mahindra’s line-up.