Mahindra XUV500 is getting a brand new generation in the coming months while the Jeep Compass receives a facelift later this month
Mahindra & Mahindra posted a total of just over 16,000 unis in the final month of the last calendar year with an appreciable 5.1 per cent Year-on-Year growth. The homegrown manufacturer has the XUV500 as one of its premium SUVs in the domestic market and it competes against the likes of Jeep Compass and Tata Harrier. In contrary, FCA has the Jeep Compass as its sole volume seller and its numbers were not impressive in recent times.
FCA finished in the final fourteenth position in December 2020 amongst the passenger vehicle manufacturers as only 384 units were sold against 742 units during the corresponding period in 2019 with a massive YoY volume decline of 48 per cent. It was attributed to the Jeep Compass. The SUV is getting a substantial facelift towards the end of this year and it was revealed just a while ago.
The XUV500 garnered a total of 750 units in December 2020 as against 1,399 units during the same period twelve months ago with nearly 48 per cent de-growth as the Jeep Compass. The XUV500 has been available for long without any substantial upgrade and finally Mahindra is switching it to the next generation around April or May this year.
The second-gen Mahindra XUV500 is based on a new monocoque construction and gets a host of exterior changes. The design updates are rather evolutionary but the cabin is a major overhaul with the presence of dual screens(one for infotainment and the other for instrumentation), a new dashboard and centre console, in-car connective features and ADAS based safety technologies.
The 2021 Mahindra XUV500 will likely be powered by a more powerful 2.2-litre four-cylinder mHawk diesel engine producing a maximum power output of 180 horsepower while the new 2.0-litre mStallion turbocharged petrol engine debuted in the Mahindra Thar could kick out 190 horsepower and 380 Nm. The powertrain is mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
The updated Jeep Compass, going on sale on January 27, will be offered in Sport, Longitude, Limited, Limited (O) trims. It will boast of features such as 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat with memory function, automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, six airbags, leather seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, hill descent control, panoramic sunroof, a 10.1-inch uConnect touchscreen infotainment system, etc.