Good news! If you were planning to put your money down for a new Mahindra XUV500, you will now get even more bang for your buck. The company has confirmed that its 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system has been upgraded to support smartphone linking via Android Auto. The infotainment system continues to boast of a built-in GPS navigation system, audio/video playback via USB, Bluetooth connectivity, hands-free calling, iPod connectivity and a picture viewer.

Additionally, it now gets industry-first features like Connected Apps and Ecosense. The former enables the use of apps such as Gaana, Cricket Live, Zomato, Book My Show and others installed in the infotainment system itself, irrespective of their availability in the mobile phone of the user. Ecosense, on the other hand, is a feature that helps with economical driving. It gives scores to the driver based on his driving style and keeps displaying the Ecoscore out of 100. This assists the driver in knowing the exact area where he/she needs to adapt his/her driving in order to reduce fuel consumption.

That’s not all, the butch SUV also gets a first-in-class Emergency Call service and a one-touch lane indicator has been introduced as well. The XUV500 will also be available in the new Lake-Side Brown shade with black leather seats and black dashboard.

The new features are available on all variants of the XUV500, except the base W4 grade. Starting from the W6 variant, it costs Rs.13.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). It is currently unclear whether existing customers can get their XUV500’s infotainment system upgraded to the latest spec.

The Mahindra XUV500 is a great overall package. While it comes loaded with features, it also has a capable powertrain underneath. It is currently available with either a 1.99-litre diesel or a 2.2-litre diesel engine. Both the engines are tuned to pump out 140PS/330Nm. Similarly, customers can either opt for a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission with both the engine options. Apart from the cubic capacity, the only difference between the two engine options is that the 2.2-litre is also offered with all-wheel-drive system and the smaller engine isn’t. Prices for the XUV500 start at Rs.12.44 lakh for the base W4 variant and go all the way to Rs.18.56 lakh for the top-spec W10 AWD AT (both prices, ex-showroom Mumbai).

Source: CarDekho