Mahindra has started testing a base variant of the XUV5OO in India which skips on a lot of equipment. It might be aimed at emerging markets which the carmaker plans to enter.
Mahindra has always been known for the SUVs and tractors they make. They have been the pioneers in two fields in the Indian market and have tasted success in both the domains. A few years ago, they launched a global SUV known as the XUV5OO. Although it had its fair share of niggles due to amount of tech wizardry the car had, the Indian carmaker made sure all of those were ironed out. Over the years, they have launched a low price variant of the SUV in India to make it more affordable and the strategy has worked well, increasing the sales numbers of the popular vehicle.
The Indian automotive sales have been like a roller coaster going up and down since the past couple of years. This has prompted many car manufacturers to look at exporting cars in order to completely utilise their manufacturing capacity. Mahindra is also looking at increasing the export numbers of the XUV5OO. The manufacturer has started testing a base version of the SUV in left hand drive guise (spotted by MotorBeam reader Dr. Balamurali RB on the NH4 near Hiriyur, Karnataka) which skimps on many features. The vehicle could be in consideration for other emerging markets where there is a scope of good sales. To keep prices in such countries low, skipping on some equipment is the easiest option.
The Mahindra XUV5OO on test doesn’t get alloy wheels and gets normal steel rims which look odd on the vehicle since it doesn’t receive wheels caps either. Most of the electronic features such as the infotainment system, TPMS and the likes are likely to be skipped or downsized to make the vehicle less complicated, making it easier to repair and handle. However, mechanically it will remain the same in all likelihood. The Indian market too is supposed to get a facelift of the popular vehicle and the launch is set for next week.
