Item: 2012 Mahindra W8 XUV500
Rating: 1.5

Quiet 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine
Spacious interior

Suspension lacks compliance and body control
Vague steering
Poor interior fit and finish
Flat seats lack support
Long-throw manual transmission has rubbery feel
Vague steering and kickback over bumps
Stop-start system lacks refinement

Review: Mahindra W8.I XUV500 (2012-16)

Overview

Released in June 2012, the Mahindra W8 Series I (W8.I XUV500 was a seven-seat SUV, available in rear- and all-wheel drive models. Manufactured at Mahindra’s Chakan & Nashik plant in India, the XUV500 was powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that was mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Drivetrain

The 2.2-litre ‘mHawk’ turbo-diesel engine had idle stop technology, enabling it to shut down when the vehicle was stationary to conserve fuel. Furthermore, the all-wheel drive models had a low-ratio transfer box and an interactive torque management system that automatically switched from two- to four-wheel drive (and vice versa).

Mahindra W8 XUV500 specifications
	Drive	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
XUV500	FWD, AWD	2.2-litre turbo-diesel I4	6sp man.	103 kW at 3750 rpm	330 Nm at 1600-2800 rpm

Dimensions and suspension

With its monocoque chassis, the Mahindra XUV500 was 4585 mm long, 1890 mm wide, 1785 mm tall and had a 2700 mm long wheelbase; ground clearance was 172 mm. Furthermore, the XUV500 had MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mahindra XUV500 included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for all three rows of seats), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

The all-wheel drive models were also fitted with a hill descent control function.

ANCAP crash testing

In ANCAP crash testing , the all-wheel drive Mahindra XUV500 received a four star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 26 out of 37. In the offset crash test, the passenger compartment lost structural integrity and protection from serious leg injury was poor for the driver due to excessive rearward movement of the brake pedal. In the side impact, a default score of 16 (out of 16) was applied.

Features

Standard features for the Mahindra XUV500 included 17-inch alloy wheels, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3-compatibility, auxiliary inputs (USB/iPod), Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming with voice recognition, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, satellite navigation with touch screen, power adjustable front seats, leather seats, front and rear fog lights, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, 60/40 split and flat folding second row seats and 50/50 split and flat folding third row seats, DVD player, a multi-function steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors (with folding function), a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, tinted windows, ambient lighting, roof rails, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer and an immobiliser.