Used Mahindra XUV500 (2018) review


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This, then, is the petrol-powered used XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date.
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For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too.
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Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

Make no mistake, this Mahindra kills the competition on price. The best part? All the Mahindra prices are drive-away prices.
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Go for the W6, and you can expect 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats, air-con with vents (powered by a second compressor) in the second and third row, cornering headlights with DRLs, front and rear fog lights, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a 6.0-inch multimedia screen linked with a six-speaker stereo.
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Spring for the W8, and you'll add leather seats, a reversing camera, tyre-pressure monitoring and a bigger, 7.0-inch screen with standard sat-nav.
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Is there anything interesting about its design?

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There's no getting away from the fact the Mahindra XUV500 for sale looks like it's doing its best with a design philosophy hatched a generation or two ago. Vintage.
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Its best angle by far is when viewed straight on, where the piano-black grille, dual bonnet bulges and complicated (read: a little weird) headlight clusters all add some road presence to Mahindra's only SUV.
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A side-on viewing, however, is less satisfying, where a combination of strangely placed and super-sharp body creases (including one over the rear wheel arch, which adds a Harbour Bridge-style crescent to the otherwise-straight window line) and serious rear overhang give the XUV500 an inescapable awkwardness.
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Inside, expect a vast collection of rock-hard (though nicely patterned) plastics, with the ambience rescued somewhat by the clean-looking and vertical central control unit, which is home to the media screen and air-con controls.
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Ready for some hashtag real talk? There are better-looking and better-feeling seven-seat SUVs out there. But there aren't many that start at R335,000 drive-away. And I think that's Mahindra's point.
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How practical is the space inside?

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Pretty damn practical, actually, regardless of whether you want to carry people or cargo. Carrying both at the same time, however, is tricky.
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But let's start with people. There is a huge amount of room in the third row of the XUV500, a space with enough head and legroom to put plenty of its competition to shame.
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Thanks to second-row seatbacks that fold flat, before the entire seat lifts up and pushes forward, climbing into seats six and seven isn't too big a drama, either.
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We rarely say this about seven-seat cars, but at 175cm, I'd feel plenty comfortable back there on a long drive. There are two air vents in the third row, too, along with bottle storage and side-seat storage for thin items.
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The space in the middle row is ample as well, and you'll find three ISOFIX attachment points, one for each of the three seats. There's also a door pocket in each rear door and storage nets on the rear of the two front seats. A pull-down divider that separates the back seat is home to two cupholders, matching the two for front seat riders.
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The only downside to all this people-lugging happiness is that, with the third row of seats in place, there is absolutely no room for luggage. Mahindra doesn't quote a litre storage figure when seven are seated (mostly because it would probably be embarrassing to write "one litre"), but trust us, you'll be lucky to squeeze a soft backpack in the boot with all seats in place.
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Things improve considerably when you drop the third row of seats, though, which unlocks 702 litres of storage, and that number climbs to 1512 litres with the second and third row folded down.
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What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?

There's a diesel engine currently available, but the clock is ticking - Mahindra expects it to be phased out within six months. But the big news here is the new petrol engine, a turbocharged 2.2-litre unit good for 103kW/320Nm. It's paired exclusively with an Aisin-developed six-speed automatic transmission and will send its power to the front or all four wheels.
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How much fuel does it consume?

Local numbers are yet to be confirmed, but after an admittedly vigorous local test, the on-board computers were reading 13+ litres per 100km. All XUV500's are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank.
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What's it like to drive?

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About as old school as rocking a pair of button-up tracksuit pants with a Run-DMC cassette stuffed into your Walkman.
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On a straight and unchallenging road, there's stuff to like about the petrol-powered XUV500. The engine, while gruff under heavy acceleration, doesn't feel too wheezy when you're not asking a great deal of it, and nor is the cabin overly loud at suburban speeds. It's a comfortable space for driver and passengers, too, and the gearbox performed seamlessly on our short test drive.
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What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?

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Expect dual front, front-side and curtain airbags (though the latter don't extend to the third row of seats), along with rear parking sensors and ESP. Stepping up to the W8 trim adds a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines. The XUV500 was awarded a four-star (out of five) ANCAP assessment when tested in 2012.
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What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?

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All XUV500s are covered by a five year/100,000km warranty (though the final two years apply only to the drivetrain), along with five years of complimentary roadside assistance.
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The XUV500 is also covered by Mahindra's capped-price servicing program for the first three years of ownership and will require servicing every six months or 10,000km.
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Verdict

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This petrol-powered and well-priced XUV500 W6 might mark Mahindra's most convincing effort at cracking the congested SUV market.
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It's certainly cheap (especially the used models at Group 1 Mahindra), the ownership credentials stack up and it's a very comfortable way to transport seven people.
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Article from: https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/mahindra-xuv500-67807