2020 Mahindra XUV500 To Get Flush Door Handles

New design language may ditch cheetah-style elements

• Second-gen Mahindra XUV500 spied testing in India.

• Seen with new door handles that sit flush into the doors instead of distinct ‘claw’ or regular pull-type handles.

• New XUV500 to retain its distinct proportions with a more upright stance.

• Mahindra to power new XUV500 with newly developed 2.0-litre BS6 petrol and diesel engines.

• Expect new XUV500 to borrow features and styling cues from Ssangyong Korando.

The next-gen Mahindra XUV500 was spied testing for the first time in September 2019. While covered in camouflage, certain design elements of the SUV’s new styling were still apparent. Among those changes were the door handles, which now seem to sit flush into the door panel—a design often seen on more premium models.

Mahindra claimed the XUV500’s styling has been inspired by the cheetah and it has retained some of those elements even in the most recent facelift. The distinct, vertically aligned door handles are one such element—sometimes called the ‘cheetah claw’ handles. However, the spied next-gen model suggests Mahindra will be ditching the ‘claw’ handles for slender, horizontal handles that sit flat into the door when not needed. This design is often used for improving the car’s overall aerodynamic efficiency while also adding a premium touch.

In terms of overall proportions, the new-generation model is still recognisable as the XUV500. Mahindra appears to have gone for an evolutionary design change instead of a revolutionary one. It’s more upright in its stance and will feature the Mahindra seven-slat grille. However, the headlights on this test mule suggest it is still a pre-production model.

Like the last two Mahindra SUVs—the XUV300 and the Alturas G4— expect the new XUV500 to also be related to a Korean cousin. In this case, that would be the Ssangyong Korando. While the top-hat may differ, expect the interiors and comforts to have a lot in common with the latest Korando. Mahindra is likely to offer features such as dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, fully digital instrument cluster, ventilated seats, and a powered tailgate on the 2020 XUV500 SUV.

Mahindra is expected to power the new XUV500 with its newly developed BS6-compliant 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines. The current-gen model is only available with a 2.2-litre diesel as the carmaker recently removed the petrol variant from the list. Mahindra still offers an automatic variant and an all-wheel-drive variant for the diesel-powered XUV500. The new-gen model is likely to offer the same with the new BS6 engine.

The next-gen Mahindra XUV500 doesn’t have an official reveal date as of now but the carmaker is expected to launch it sometime in 2020. It is currently priced between Rs 12.31 lakh and Rs 18.52 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and rivals the likes of the Tata Harrier and MG Hector while also facing competition from smaller, premium SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

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