Words by Shubham Choukse
Adhering to the growing SUV demand in the country, Mahindra has launched the petrol powered XUV500 at Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Earlier launched in the Middle East, including UAE and Qatar, the petrol powered SUV was long due for launch in the country.
Powering the XUV500 is a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder mHawk petrol motor that churns-out 138bhp of power and 320Nm of torque. And unlike the diesel model, it is available with only one transmission option – a 6-speed automatic sourced from AISIN, Japan. Besides the powertrain there are no other mechanical or visual changes.
The petrol powered XUV is only available in G AT variant. Key features on the G AT variant include a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, dual-airbags, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, static-bending headlamps, ESP with roll-over mitigation, fully-automatic temperature control, push-button start and passive keyless entry.
The XUV500 petrol AT has no direct competitor as it is comfortably slotted between the Hyundai Creta and Jeep Compass. However, none of the other SUVs in this segment offer the choice of 7-seats.