Mahindra XUV500 all wheel drive 2012 review
Mahindra XUV500 is the key car of the Indian brand Mahindra. Until the end of 2011, the company produced cars and tractors for the domestic Indian market and exported them to other countries.
But now he proudly states that the XUV500 was built for global markets but will also be sold in India. Mahindra has been assembling tractors at its Brisbane plant since 2005. In 2007, it started importing Pik-Up, a diesel tractor designed for the rural market and trade.
Mahindra currently has 25 dealerships with a target of 50 by the end of 2012. The company is currently negotiating with potential franchisees in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and is already represented by tractor/pickup dealers in the rural eastern states.
Value
Exit prices start at $26,990 for $2WD and $32,990 for all-wheel drive. Vehicles are strictly defined in terms of equipment that can usually be found on other manufacturers' option lists.
Some of the standard features include automatic temperature control in three seat zones, high-tech multimedia, sat nav screen, tire pressure monitoring, smart rain and light sensors, reverse parking assist, charging points in all three rows of seats, remote entry keyless. , leather seats and hidden interior lighting. Mahindra comes with a three-year, 100,000 km warranty.
Technologies
Two options are available: 2WD and AWD. Both have Mahindra's own 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. At this stage, only manual transmission and XUV500 are available. The 2.2-liter turbodiesel develops 103 kW at 3750 rpm and 330 Nm of torque from 1600 to 2800 rpm.
safety
Despite all its active and passive safety equipment, it is only rated a four star ANCAP safety rating, the loss of the coveted fifth star being the result of problems with the car deforming from a severe frontal impact.
“These are two of our most important issues that we will address first,” said Makesh Kaskar, business manager for Mahindra Australia. "The automatic transmission is between 18 months and two years away, while engineers hope to raise the XUV500's rating to five stars."
The safety package is impressive: six airbags, stability control, ABS brakes, EBD, rollover protection, hill hold, hill descent control and disc brakes. A reversing camera is an option, as is a tow bar and tow bar. While the bling and goodies are impressive, it's not all rosy.
Design
The XUV500's exterior design won't be to everyone's taste, especially the rear end, where a non-functional wheel arch interferes with window space.
The marketing gurus at Mahindra tell us that the design of the XUV500 was inspired by a cheetah in a stance ready to jump. The grille represents the fangs of an animal, the bulging wheel arches the shoulders and hips, and the doorknobs are the paws of a cheetah.
Interior fit and finish leaves room for improvement with variable gaps at the door-to-dash junctions and on the dashboard itself. Like the exterior, the interior can be polarized. It seems that the designers tried to make the interior luxurious with the help of contrasting plastic and leather of different colors. This is a busy place.
Driving
The B-pillar drops from the windshield to the shifter in a highly reflective, high-gloss wood effect that creates glare and distracts the driver. We also heard a rattling noise when driving over uneven road surfaces.
The third-row seats easily fold down almost to the floor, as does the second row, creating a large cargo area. The second row is split 60/40, and the third row is really kid-friendly, but might take a couple of adults in a pinch for short trips.
A full-size light alloy spare wheel is located under the trunk and uses a folding system typical of all-wheel drive vehicles. The driving position is similar to that of a true four-wheel drive car - high, straight and providing excellent visibility from under the hood. The front seats are comfortable, with manual height adjustment and lumbar support.
The steering wheel is height adjustable. The instrument binnacle looks almost retro, accentuated by chrome circles around the dials. We found that engine torque is seamlessly utilized from low rpm where it counts in second, third and fourth gears. The fifth and sixth are quite high, saving fuel on the highway. At 100 km/h, the XUV500 moves in sixth gear at a lazy 2000 rpm.
The suspension is soft and will not appeal to those who like to drive. Mahindra's all-wheel drive system automatically transfers torque between the front and rear wheels at variable speed depending on traction demand. There is a lock button that manually turns on the four-wheel drive. There is no low bed transfer case. We didn't have a 2WD XUV500 to test at media launch.
