Mahindra XUV500 Posts Massive 6600% YoY Sales Growth

The Mahindra XUV500 is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable 7-seat SUV. Launching in 2011, it was the first vehicle from the automaker to be built on a monocoque platform. Even though it is close to a decade old, its attractive design, spacious interior and eye-catching prices keep it ever popular. The 7-seat sub-Rs 25 lakh SUV segment is currently seeing rapid growth with new entrants like the Tata Safari and the MG Hector Plus. Mahindra is developing an all-new model as well, and they have confirmed that the new XUV700 is launching around July 2021. As for the current XUV500, reports suggest that 603 units of the SUV were sold in the month of March 2021.

Compared to March 2020, the Mahindra XUV500 had a 6600% YoY sales growth as the automaker had only sold 9 units in that period. This was because as the automaker was transitioning from BS-IV to BS-VI, it offered massive discounts on its SUVs which cleared the majority of the BS-IV vehicle inventory by January and February itself. Furthermore, as India went on a nationwide lockdown in March 2020, many potential buyers were left waiting for the updated BS-VI models to arrive.

Mahindra has just announced that the new-generation XUV700 is coming soon, and the current XUV500 will be ‘temporarily’ discontinued. Speculations suggest that the XUV500 nameplate could return for a 5-seater version of the new XUV700. Mahindra’s next-generation 7-seater SUV will be underpinned by the new monocoque W601 global platform. The new SUV is expected to be a significant improvement over the current XUV500 in ride and handling, interior design, creature comforts, and features. In fact, going by the XUV700’s spy shots, the centrepiece of the interior will be new dual-floating displays for the infotainment system and instrument cluster.

The Mahindra XUV700 is expected to get uprated versions of the powertrains that debuted on the second-generation Thar. This means the 2-litre turbo may get around 190 PS of peak power and 350 Nm torque while the 2.2-litre diesel may churn out peak power and torque close to 190 PS and 400 Nm, respectively. Transmission options should be a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic. Mahindra has also confirmed the option of an AWD system for the XUV700. Upon launch, the new Mahindra XUV700 will compete with the likes of the MG Hector Plus, Hyundai Creta Alcazar, and the Tata Safari.

Prices for the Mahindra XUV500 currently start from Rs 15.13 lakh for the base W7 trim, going up to Rs 19.56 lakh for the flagship XUV500 W11 Option AT variant. The SUV is powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel unit that pumps out 155 PS and 360 Nm of peak power and torque figures, respectively. Transmission options are a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.