2018 Mahindra XUV500 Facelift To Be Launched On April 18

Mahindra is gearing up to launch the XUV500 facelift in India on April 18, 2018. The latest iteration of the SUV is set to receive a new face, a new tail and a refreshed cabin. So let’s dive into the changes, shall we?

Starting at the front, the sub-Rs 20 lakh flagship SUV is set to receive a new grille and reprofiled headlamps as seen in the spy shots here. The new grille gets a thick chrome surround with 24 chrome studs that look similar to the faux diamond studs seen on the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Yes, the iconic seven slats have been replaced with a darker mesh pattern that lends the SUV a more aggressive look. And although the headlamps retain the same outline as before, the LED DRLs have been repositioned to the top of the unit to look like an extension of the grille. The dual-barrel setup has been retained while the chrome detailing on the inside has been overhauled. The bumper looks different as well and higher variants are expected to get a dual-tone faux skid plate too.

At the rear, the vertical tail lamps have been replaced by smaller triangular units that sit below the rear windscreen but continue to wrap around the tail. It also gets a restyled tailgate that now sports chrome accents just above the licence plate enclosure. The tailgate spoiler with the LED high-mount stop lamp seems to be new as well.

On the inside, the 2018 XUV500 is expected to feature tan-coloured leather seats with quilted cross-stitching. This should certainly make the interior of the refreshed SUV a lot more airy. The all-black dashboard, on the other hand, is expected to be wrapped in a soft-touch material. The updated infotainment system will now get a smartwatch app under Mahindra’s BlueSense banner as well.

The XUV500 facelift is expected to be launched in a total of five diesel and a sole petrol variant. Higher-spec diesel variants will get the upgraded 2.2-litre diesel engine that now produces 157PS of power and 360Nm of peak torque. The upgrades include a new turbocharger and a new ‘eVGT’ technology that works according to the ECU signals and throttle input. We’ll get you more details of it when we get behind the wheel of the refreshed SUV. Mahindra says the upgraded engine has an ARAI-tested fuel efficiency figure of 15.4kmpl. We’ll, of course, put that to the test as well in a thorough road test. Other variants are expected to retain the older version of the engine that puts out 141PS and 330Nm. The diesel variants will get a choice of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed auto ‘box.

Mahindra updated the XUV500 with a petrol motor in December 2017 and we expect it to be retained with the facelift. The 2.2-litre petrol motor produces similar power (141PS) and torque (320Nm) figures as the older diesel engine. It is only available with the top-spec variant and packs a 6-speed Aisin-sourced automatic gearbox as standard.

Mahindra is yet to release the prices of the refreshed XUV500, but we expect it to cost around Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 over the version it replaces.

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