2021 Mahindra XUV500 Spotted Testing Alongside Old XUV500, MG Hector

It’s no longer a secret that Mahindra is gearing up for the launches of two important SUVs for India – the next-gen XUV500 and Scorpio. Had it not been for the global Covid-19 pandemic, we might have seen one of the full-fledged SUVs to hit the showrooms by now. While spy shots of the upcoming Mahindra cars have surfaced online numerous times now, here are the latest spy pictures of the 2021 Mahindra XUV500, showing the new SUV on its running trials alongside the old XUV500 model and Hector. The new-gen Mahindra XUV500 is expected to go on sale in India by April this year.

The spy images of the new-gen XUV500 was captured on the foothills of the Himalayas where we find the Mahindra car running side by side with the MG Hector and the older-gen XUV500 model. Despite being heavily concealed, we safely assume the test mule to be the production-ready version of the new-gen XUV500 and it must have reached its final phase of testing.

Mahindra XUV500 vs Old XUV500 Testing

From the look of it, the upcoming Mahindra XUV500 will see an increase in terms of size compared to the previous-gen model, which translates into a larger interior space with bigger legroom for the passengers. The home-grown carmaker benchmarks the all-new XUV500 against the existing model to collect the data points regarding how much has been enhanced in the new-gen SUV.

Mahindra XUV500 vs MG Hector Testing

With the MG Hector running alongside, the Mahindra XUV500 has been tested for its driving performance in different conditions, thereby determining where the XUV500 is lagging behind its rival. These test results can be very useful for Mahindra’s experts to make the necessary adjustments in the upcoming XUV500 model.

High Altitude and Cold Weather Testing

High altitude and cold weather testing are very common sights for new cars in its development stage. Automakers often opt for mountain testing to examine the engine’s ability to burn fuel in low levels of oxygen, the car’s ride and handling along with many other attributes.

The new-gen Mahindra XUV500 will likely employ two engine options under the hood – a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel and a 2.0-litre mStallion turbo-petrol engine unit. Both the mills can be mated to either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AT option. The same powertrain system is offered in the 2020 Mahindra Thar but the power output will be tuned to a higher state in the XUV model.