- Mahindra & Mahindra sold 2,770 units of XUV500 in May
- Jeep India managed to find only 1,518 Compass customers
- Mahindra XUV500 piped Jeep Compass in April as well
Mahindra & Mahindra's XUV500 was the default choice for many planning to buy an SUV in the price range of Rs 13 lakh to Rs 18 lakh. With the launch of Jeep Compass in July 2017, the customer interest moved slightly away from XUV500. Understanding the situation, Mahindra gave a makeover to XUV500 in April and that seems to have done the trick.
Emerging sales numbers indicates that the 2018 Mahindra XUV500 found 2,770 takers in the month of May. Jeep India, on the other hand, managed to find only 1,518 customers for Compass, reports Cartoq. The 2018 XUV500 has made an instant impact as this is the second time that the Mahindra SUV is beating Jeep Compass in sales in a row.
In April, Mahindra had sold 2,995 units of XUV500 while Jeep retailed only 1,908. The difference is more than 1,000 units in April while the gap widens in May by 1,252 units. That also tells us that it will not be a one-off sales spike for Mahindra XUV500.
2018 Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra had launched the 2018 XUV500 at a starting price of Rs 12.36 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru) and it is about Rs 30,000 cheaper than the outgoing model's starting price. In the latest avatar, the SUV gets a new wider grille with chrome inserts, fog lamps featuring a refreshing new chrome bezel, an all-new split tail-lamps, tailgate and a new spoiler. The 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels make the SUV sporty while premium tan and black theme quilted leather seats, soft-touch leather dashboard, door trims and a new piano-black centre console add a premium feel inside the cabin.
The new XUV 500 has also received a power boost. It continues to be powered by the same 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that now develops 155hp of power at 3,750rpm and 360Nm of torque at 1,750-2,800rpm. The new XUV500 also gets 2.2-liter petrol mill mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep India's comeback plan
Jeep India is also gearing up to add freshness to the Compass range with the launch of the Trailhawk edition, which will intensify the competition. The new variant will be the range-topper and will be the most off-road focused version of the compact SUV. Bookings are already underway for the Compass Trailhawk and launch is expected in July.
