The dash that houses a long central console is the one that grabs the attention of the person entering the SUV. On the central console, there is a 6-inch touchscreen monochrome/color display on the top besides audio controls and the AC controls below it.
There are four AC vents on the front dash, two on the sides of the central console and one on either side. The steering wheel of the Mahindra XUV 500 is a mix of sporty looks and functionality. Its one half is a steering wheel and the other half is a remote control to the audio so that numbers keep shuffling while the SUV growls on-road and off-road. It also has cruise control buttons on it. Placed just behind the steering wheel is the sporty twin-pod shaped instrument cluster that combines, looks and functionality.
The interior is clad in beautiful two-tone shade with fabric/leather upholstery. Besides, the cabin is lighted to set the mood. There are also background lights that highlight the door handles. The internal rear view mirror has manual night view feature. Just above the internal rear view mirror there is sunglass holder box along with another small box for keeping some essentials. The dash also has a spacious glove box that can even accommodate a small laptop in it. The interior plastic quality is good and it is at par with the global standard that the Mahindra XUV 500 vouches.
Interior Comfort
Interior comfort starts with the agile nature of the XUV 500 that is further complemented by the mHawk engine that gives a low NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) . Besides the new SUV has a seating for 7 people but the last row acts as a boot in a folded state. The front seats are ergonomically designed and have lumbar support. The driver seat is 8-way adjustable including height adjustment feature. The front seats have height adjustable seat belts in the front row.
There is a cool box between the front seats. There are also two cup holders between the gear knob and the cool box. The door handles have background lights and are highlighted so that these are accessible even in dark. Besides, the room lamp has the same shade lighting. Mahindra XUV 500 also has a sunglass holder just above the internal review mirror besides a conversation mirror just above it so that the driver can talk to the rear passengers without turning his head. The glove box in the dash is also spacious and even a laptop can be stored in it.
The central console is the key area where the comfort enhancements are controlled. It is well within the comfortable reach of the driver and houses a 6-inch color display with voice activated module that displays information regarding the navigation, music being played and some other information. There is also a music system on the central control with DVD player. The music system can be connected to an iPOD with the help of a USB port besides the Bluetooth connectivity for phone . The console also has AC controls. The air conditioner has fully automatic temperature control with dual HVAC . The central console also has a glove box on its top.
The leather clad, ergonomically designed tilt and telescopic adjustable steering has various controls on it including Cruise, audio, phone & voice command switches. In order to quickly open the driver side window screen, there is a driver side express down button. The tail gate is remote operated and locking and unlocking the SUV 500 is far easier with the flip key with remote central locking. The ORVMs are electrically foldable and adjustable. Mahindra XUV 500 takes care of all the three rows well with reading lamps for the all the three rows along with mobile charging points .
In order to avoid sunrays disrupting the vision through the front windscreen there is a tinted solar reflecting glassused in it. The rear windscreen has a wash and wipe feature besides a rear demister for better visibility. If it is SUV it is bound to access bad weather as well and for it, Mahindra XUV 500 has rain sensing wipers.
There are also array of lamps including Puddle lamps, Entry assist lamp, Door ajar lamps, Camping lamps on the XUV 500. There is also an umbrella holder in Mahindra XUV 500.
Interior Measurements
The engine has Micro Hybrid technology in place making it more fuel efficient than other Mahindra SUVs in India. The engine performs well on road and off the road equally and with the All-Wheel drive option, the XUV 500 is capable of challenging any terrain. A two-wheel drive model is also available on Mahindra XUV 500.
The suspension system is designed on the basis of a monocoque design and all the four wheels have independent suspension to give the occupants an untiring comfort and so that even the larger potholes on Indian roads do not worry XUV 500. The front has a McPherson type with anti-roll bar and the rear suspension is a Multilink type with anti-roll bar.
Handling the Mahindra XUV 500 is far easier that any of Mahindra’s SUVs. It has a turning radius of only 5.6m and with a high torque at low rpm engine, it works well in the city and with 140bhp power it runs well on the highways as well. The powerful engine also enables the 2450 Kg SUV to move around in an agile manner. In addition to an effective bothdisc braking system, the XUV 500 also has Anti-lock Braking system that ensures that the car brakes do not lock even in times of panic braking. There is also an Electronic Stability Program that keeps Mahindra XUV 500 on track even on curvy turns. Furthermore, XUV 500 also has Hill Hold and Hill Descent control making it suitable even for hilly areas. With the ESP in it, climbing or descending from a hill is no uphill task for XUV 500.
There are a lot of safety features on Mahindra XUV 500 that makes it almost invincible. The foremost is the monocoque design that has not only made the cabin more spacious but safe as well. Besides, there are dual airbags both for the driver and the front passenger . I addition to it there are also side & curtain airbags along with side impact beams to keep the occupants safe from side impacts. There is robust crumple zone to protect the car and the passengers from a crash. Tubeless tyres ensure that the SUV can handle any terrain. Furthermore, all disc brakes with ABS, EBD ensure efficient braking of the SUV .
For the XUV 500 big size is not a minus at times of parking thanks to the Intellipark system installed in it that helps park the vehicle with ease even in cramped parking lots. Furthermore, in order to ensure full visibility through the windscreen, the XUV 500 has smart wipers that wipe clean the windscreen whenever there is water on the screen or if there is rain. The headlamps too on Mahindra XUV 500 are intelligent and these turn on whenever it is dark or of the car enters a tunnel or a dark space.
In order to keep the SUV safe from unwanted visitors or thieves, XUV 500 has digital immobilizer that ensures that it starts only with a genuine key . So, contrary to sleepless nights of Mahindra Bolero users, XUV 500 owners can have sound sleep as it protects itself from thieves.
Mahindra XUV 500 steering has stereo (on the left) and cruise controls (on the right) mounted on it.
The XUV 500 comes with CD/MP3 player on the base variant and there is a DVD Player on the W8 and W8 4WD. An iPod can also be connected to the music system. Volume control of the music system is also there on the steering. The car comes with integrated four speakers , one on each door apart from two tweeters on the dashboard.