Mahindra
has pulled off a coup of sorts with the kind of features and pricing it
is offering for its new SUV, the XUV500. The features in the top-end
XUV500 are found in SUVs that cost nearly twice as much in India. Here
is why the XUV500 is unmatched among SUVs on the value-for-money
proposition.
The base W6 model is priced at Rs. 10.8 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, and even at that price the vehicle is loaded with features. And then there are the other two variants – the XUV500 W8 priced at Rs. 11.95 lakh and the XUV500 W8 AWD (all-wheel drive) priced at Rs. 12.88 lakh, which take the features list even further.
So what are the features that the XUV500 offers at these price points
that competing MUVs, SUVs and crossovers such as the Toyota Innova,
Tata Aria, Ford Endeavour and even the Toyota Fortuner can’t match up
to?
The base XUV500 W6 offers two airbags and ABS with all-round disc brakes. It’s most immediate rival, the Toyota Innova offers a disc-drum brake configuration on all models, while ABS and airbags are available on the Innova VX variant only which is priced at Rs. 12.51 lakh, about Rs. 1.7 lakhs more than the XUV500 W6.
The Tata Aria offers similar features only on its Pleasure variant
that’s priced at Rs. 12.61 lakh. Going further up the value chain, the
Ford Endeavour 4×2 offers similar safety features at a price point of
Rs. 17.04 lakh, while the Toyota Fortuner offers this at Rs. 20.14 lakh.
The Tata Aria is the only other vehicle among these four that offers
all-round disc brakes.
LED parking lamps and static bending lights (that are activated to see around corners) are not offered on any of the other vehicles, while projector headlamps are offered on the Aria and Fortuner as well.
Chiller box is another unique feature to keep your drinks cold (the Aria has a chilled glove box). GPS navigation and touchscreen infotainment system are present on the W8 variants, while the W6 has a touchscreen audio system.
Rain-sensing wipers, light-sensing automatic headlamps, follow-me home headlamps are some of the other features unique to the XUV500 at this price point, while only the Tata Aria Prestige and Pride variants offer these features. The Fortuner lacks these features, while the Ford Endeavour 4×4 variant priced at Rs. 19.7 lakh (about Rs. 7 lakh more) offers a navigation and DVD system.
And then there are other features offered at a lower price point compared to the competition such as leather seats and alloy wheels.
The Toyota Innova is sadly underpowered at just 102 bhp from its 2.4 litre engine compared to the XUV500, while the Endeavour and Fortuner, of course, deliver better power from bigger engines. The Endeavour’s 3-litre engine puts out 156 bhp, and the Toyota Fortuner puts out 169 bhp.
However, among all these vehicles, only the XUV500 has a six-speed manual transmission which helps in better mileage of 15.1 kmpl because of a taller overdrive gear. The rest are all five-speed manuals. The only other SUV in the vicinity with a six-speed box and better mileage figures (17.36 kmpl) is the Skoda Yeti priced at Rs. 15.5 lakh.
The base W6 model is priced at Rs. 10.8 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, and even at that price the vehicle is loaded with features. And then there are the other two variants – the XUV500 W8 priced at Rs. 11.95 lakh and the XUV500 W8 AWD (all-wheel drive) priced at Rs. 12.88 lakh, which take the features list even further.
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Safety features
If you look at the safety feature list on the XUV500 W8 variants, it beats the Toyota Innova, Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner hands down, with its configuration of six airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), hill-hold control and hill-descent control. The Tata Aria 4×4 Pride offers some of these features at Rs. 15.84 lakh, at least Rs. 3 lakh more than the most expensive XUV500.The base XUV500 W6 offers two airbags and ABS with all-round disc brakes. It’s most immediate rival, the Toyota Innova offers a disc-drum brake configuration on all models, while ABS and airbags are available on the Innova VX variant only which is priced at Rs. 12.51 lakh, about Rs. 1.7 lakhs more than the XUV500 W6.
Photo:
Driving aids and convenience features
The XUV500 offers a long list of convenience and comfort features. The base variant has quite a bit to offer as well, such as an integrated CD system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and steering audio controls, cruise control and voice command for stereo. The Tata Aria Pride is the only other vehicle to offer cruise control, while the Innova, Endeavour and Fortuner don’t. Parking sensors aren’t present on the Endeavour, while the Fortuner, Innova VX and Aria (all variants) offer them.LED parking lamps and static bending lights (that are activated to see around corners) are not offered on any of the other vehicles, while projector headlamps are offered on the Aria and Fortuner as well.
Gizmos and gadgets
When it comes to other gadgetry, the XUV500 again beats all its competitors comfortably. Features such as tyretronics (which monitors tyre pressure in all wheels) are not present in any of the other vehicles (other than its stablemate Scorpio).Chiller box is another unique feature to keep your drinks cold (the Aria has a chilled glove box). GPS navigation and touchscreen infotainment system are present on the W8 variants, while the W6 has a touchscreen audio system.
Rain-sensing wipers, light-sensing automatic headlamps, follow-me home headlamps are some of the other features unique to the XUV500 at this price point, while only the Tata Aria Prestige and Pride variants offer these features. The Fortuner lacks these features, while the Ford Endeavour 4×4 variant priced at Rs. 19.7 lakh (about Rs. 7 lakh more) offers a navigation and DVD system.
And then there are other features offered at a lower price point compared to the competition such as leather seats and alloy wheels.
Performance
On the power and performance specs as well it holds its own against the other four vehicles. The XUV500 has a 2.2 litre diesel engine that puts out 140 bhp of power and 330 Nm of torque. The Tata Aria has similar specifications.The Toyota Innova is sadly underpowered at just 102 bhp from its 2.4 litre engine compared to the XUV500, while the Endeavour and Fortuner, of course, deliver better power from bigger engines. The Endeavour’s 3-litre engine puts out 156 bhp, and the Toyota Fortuner puts out 169 bhp.
However, among all these vehicles, only the XUV500 has a six-speed manual transmission which helps in better mileage of 15.1 kmpl because of a taller overdrive gear. The rest are all five-speed manuals. The only other SUV in the vicinity with a six-speed box and better mileage figures (17.36 kmpl) is the Skoda Yeti priced at Rs. 15.5 lakh.
In summary
All in all, this makes the XUV500 a great value for money crossover vehicle, with its aggressive looks, long feature list and good power specifications. We expect Mahindra dealers to remain rather busy in the next few months.XUV500 vs Aria vs Endeavour vs Fortuner comparison
| SUV | Mahindra XUV500 W8 AWD | Tata Aria Pride 4x4 | Ford Endeavour 4x4 AT | Toyota Fortuner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (ex-Delhi) | Rs. 12.88 lakh | Rs. 15.84 lakh | Rs. 19.78 lakh | Rs. 20.14 lakh |
| Fuel Type | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Claimed Mileage | 15.1 kmpl | 13 kmpl | 11 kmpl | 13 kmpl |
| Fuel capacity (Litres) | 70 litres | 60 litres | 71 litres | 80 litres |
| Length (mm) | 4585 mm | 4780 mm | 5060 mm | 4695 mm |
| Width (mm) | 1890 mm | 1895 mm | 1788 mm | 1840 mm |
| Height (mm) | 1785 mm | 1789 mm | 1826 mm | 1850 mm |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2700 mm | 2850 mm | 2860 mm | 2750 mm |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 190 mm | 185 mm | 210 mm | 221 mm |
| Seating capacity | 7-seater | 7-seater | 7-seater | 7-seater |
| Engine CC | 2179 cc | 2179 cc | 2953 cc | 2982 cc |
| No. of cylinders | 4-cylinder, common-rail diesel | 4-cylinder, common-rail diesel | 4-cylinder, common-rail diesel | 4-cylinder, common-rail diesel |
| Power (BHP @ rpm) | 140 bhp @ 3750 rpm | 138 bhp @ 4000 rpm | 155 bhp @ 3200 rpm | 169 bhp @ 3600 rpm |
| Torque (Nm @ rpm) | 330 Nm @ 1600-2800 rpm | 320 Nm @ 1750-2700 rpm | 380 Nm @ 2500 rpm | 343 Nm @ 1400-3400 rpm |
| Gear box | 6-speed manual | 5-speed manual | 5-speed automatic | 5-speed manual |
| Drive type | Four-wheel drive (on-demand) | Four-wheel drive (on demand) | Four-wheel drive (part-time) | Four-wheel drive (full-time) |
| Tyre size | 235/65 R17 (alloys) | 235/65 R17 (alloys) | 245/70 R16 (alloys) | 265/65 R17 (alloys) |
| Kerb weight (in Kgs) | 1950 Kg | 2220 Kg | 2014 Kg | 1955 Kg |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brakes | Front disc/rear disc | Front disc/rear disc | Front disc/rear drum | Front disc/rear drum |
| Fog lamps Front | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fog lamps Rear | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Door Mirrors | Electric folding and adjust | Electric folding and adjust | Electric folding and adjust | Electric adjust |
| Air bags | Six | Six | Four | Two |
| Air conditioning | Climate control | Climate control | Manual HVAC | Climate control |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tilt Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Telescopic Steering | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| AC Rear Vents | Yes (all-3 rows with blower control) | Yes (all-3 rows with blower control) | Yes (all-3 rows with blower control) | Yes (all-3 rows with blower control) |
| Height adjust seats | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-info display | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Tachometer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPod docks (USB) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Music system | AM/FM/DVD/USB/Aux/ color touch | AM/FM/CD/USB/Aux-in | AM/FM/DVD/USB/Aux-in/Touch | AM/FM/CD changer/Aux |
| Bluetooth phone | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| GPS Navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Steering audio controls | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Keyless entry | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parking sensors | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Cruise control | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| ESP | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Static bending lights | Yes | No | No | No |
| Follow-me home lights | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Upholstery | Leather | Leather | Leather | Leather |
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