The 2018 Mahindra XUV500 has been spotted on test
sporting a new grille. The spy pictures shared by Motor Vikatan of the upcoming
facelift do not reveal much in terms of the changes that will be made to the
exterior.
The design of the grille is quite different from
what we have seen from Mahindra so far. This may or may not be the XUV500
facelift’s final production-ready form, however. The camouflage ensures that
most of the changes remain hidden. Unlike previous spy shots, this particular
test mule is shod with the same alloy wheels as the current model.
The instrument console backlight, centre console,
and the steering wheel seen in one of the spy pictures are identical to the
ones in the current model.
Mahindra will the launch the 2018 XUV500 with an
updated 2.2 l mHawk diesel engine retuned to produce 170 hp and close to 400 Nm
of torque. Also on the cards is a new petrol variant, which according to
reports, will be a 2.2 L unit based on the same engine block as that of the 2.2
L mHawk diesel engine. The motor will produce 140 hp and 320 Nm of torque.
According to a recent report, the 2018 Mahindra
XUV500 will be launched early next year. An Auto Expo debut in February could
also be on the cards. The event is scheduled to kick off on Feb 7, 2018 for the
media.