Camouflaged Mahindra XUV 500 spied on test; facelift, petrol, automatic or hybrid?

Mahindra's luxury SUV, the XUV 500, was spotted testing in a disguised avatar on the outskirts of Chennai, where the carmaker has a manufacturing facility. This could be the XUV 500 automatic variant, or the petrol version, or a facelift, or even the hybrid vehicle that was showcased at the Auto Expo in 2014.

Looking at the fascia, the camouflaged area hints that there will be some changes to the grille - a tweaked front bumper and a revised bonnet. The silhouette of the SUV remains the same but the vehicle will be equipped with restyled five-spoke alloy wheels. Though the tail lamps are the same, the tailgate might be revised with a different grille over the registration plate.

The revisions will extend over to the cabin as well. The camouflage on the dashboard hints that the interior will also be revised. Mahindra might make use of better quality materials on the inside to increase the luxury and plush factor. They might also equip the car with the latest features and technologies like that of the new Scorpio.

The XUV 500 is speculated to be powered by either a new petrol engine that Mahindra is developing or the same 140bhp 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine, but mated to an automatic gearbox. Mahindra might use the same six-speed gearbox from the recently launched SsangYong Tivoli compact SUV. The probabilities of this test mule being a hybrid version can't also be ruled out.

It is too early to comment on what this test mule is, but with the introduction of this new XUV 500, we can surely expect Mahindra to better the sales of the SUV that is already doing decent monthly sales.

Image Source: Motor Vikatan