Mahindra To Bring Back XUV500 Moniker For A Direct Rival To Tata Harrier, MG Hector And Hyundai Creta

The XUV500 will be removed from the Mahindra lineup once the XUV700 is launched, but only temporarily

• New XUV700 to replace the ageing XUV500 as a 7-seater, mid-size SUV offering.

• Carmaker confirms that the XUV500 brand name will be temporarily discontinued.

• It will likely be brought back as a premium 5-seater mid-size SUV to match Harrier and Creta.

• New XUV500 should share its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines with the XUV700.

• A 5-seater XUV500 could arrive by mid-2022 while the XUV700 will replace the outgoing model around July 2021.

Mahindra recently revealed that it will be naming its new 7-seater mid-size SUV, which is going to replace the current XUV500 in its lineup, as the XUV700. We were expecting the upcoming SUV, previously known by the codename W601, to carry forward the XUV500 moniker, but Mahindra has surprised us!

However, this is not the end of the road for the XUV500 name plate. While the XUV700 is the spiritual successor to the ageing SUV, the “XUV500” badge is likely to return as a 5-seater offering to take on the Hyundai Creta and the Tata Harrier. 

The upcoming XUV700 is based on Mahindra’s new W601 monocoque platform and the next XUV500 would likely be underpinned by the same. This 5-seater SUV would be a more direct rival to the likes of the Tata Harrier and MG Hector, and premium compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

As a 5-seater offering, the XUV500 would be smaller than the XUV700 and will likely get a different exterior styling while following the same design language. The XUV700 test mules spied had a tall and flat rear end while the next XUV500 could get a sportier look overall with a shorter rear overhang and sloping roofline. The carmaker is likely to offer the new XUV500 with the same interior design as the XUV700, albeit with a few top-spec premium features left out. It is expected to get the same dashboard design with the central touchscreen infotainment system integrated into the instrument cluster.

Also read: Next-gen Mahindra XUV500 Interior Spied Again, Looks Production-Ready

The 5-seater XUV500 will get the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines as the XUV700, new Scorpio and Thar. Both engines would likely get the choice of 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

With the 7-seater due to launch around July, the 5-seater XUV500 could arrive by mid-2022. It will likely be priced from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom). But if you’re eager for a new Mahindra compact SUV sooner than that, you can look forward to the next-gen Scorpio which is slated to arrive soon after the XUV700.

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