XUV 500 75,000 KM LONG TERM REVIEW

XUV 500 75,000 KM LONG TERM REVIEW

The Mahindra XUV 500, when launched, re-defined the Indian Automotive industry. Driving the first generation XUV 500 for over 4 years and 75,000 KM now I can confidently comment about the vehicle. Starting with the design, it has aged gracefully and I still find the XUV 500 first gen. to be one of the best-designed cars on Indian roads. It may be overdone in parts, like a lot of textures and colors on the interiors, but overall the design is a well-balanced package. The performance of the XUV 500 has not taken a toll in all these. Regularly scheduled maintenance, which is not on the cheaper side, has proved that the mHawk diesel can be your daily workhorse and survive abuse. I have done multiple Himachal trips and one Ladakh and Spiti trip, and the car was like new just after routine service. Being a monocoque one might be worried that it may not handle rough terrain, but the chassis has proved to be strong and coupled with the suspension it can take on rough roads with ease. My car is still running on the stock clutch and the stock tires, it shows that even after more than normal driving, in terms of distances and terrain, if you maintain the car it will be reliable. The infotainment system and the technology in the first gen model can still make some 2019 cars to shame. navigation, TPMS, Warnings, Voice command, cruise control, hill hold function, Auto wipers, and headlamps are some of the features that have to held up well and are still a luxury in the today's car market. Overall the XUV 500, Especially for the price, is a value for money package. Apart from some expected Mahindra quality issues, panel gaps, service issues regarding cost and part availability the XUV 500 has proved to be a very good car.