Mahidra XUV500 to go on sale in Australia from end of June 2012; Scores 4 Stars in ANCAP safety tests

By the end of this month, Mahindra will begin exporting its flagship crossover, the XUV500, to Australia. But before that, the XUV500 must first clear the stringent safety rating tests that all vehicles being sold in Australia must confirm to. The Mahindra XUV500 has successfully managed to do just that and has earned 4 stars out of a maximum of five, in the ANCAP safety test. The seven seater version of the XUV500 was tested by the Australian authorities. Also, this isn’t the first time that a Mahindra vehicle has been tested by the ANCAP safety testers.

2012 Mahindra XUV500 Crossover in ANCAP Safety Test

The Mahindra Pick Up is another vehicle that the brand sells in Australia and the pick up could only manage 2 stars last year, which has now improved to 3 stars after Mahindra made the utility vehicle more safe by incorporating many changes. Coming back to the Mahindra XUV500 crossover, the crossover’s safety rating is quite creditable considering that many established brands like the Jeep Compass, the Grand Cherokee and the Mini Countryman also come with a 4 star rating. The XUV500 sold in Australia is quite similar to the Indian version with 6 airbags, ABS and electric stability control being the main safety features.

The Mahindra XUV500 has earned a score of 26 points out of a maximum score of 37 for the ANCAP test. The XUV500 performed best in the side impact test by scoring 16 points out of a maximum of 16. However, the SUV could manage only 10 points out of 16 in the frontal offset crash test. The Mahindra XUV500 that will be sold in Australia will be very similar to what is sold in India, and this includes the engine and transmission. The engine is the 2.2 Liter common rail turbo diesel unit that produces a peak power of 140 Bhp and a peak torque of 330 Nm.

This engine is mated to a 6 speed manual transmission, which transmits power to the front wheels or all four wheels of the XUV500, depending on the variant chosen. The 2012 Mahindra XUV500 comes in two variants for the domestic market, with the option of 5 and 7 seat layouts. Also, the XUV500 is loaded in terms of equipment and features. Apart from Australia, Mahindra has plans of exporting the XUV500 to many more markets across the world. The automaker has just increased its monthly production to 4,000 units to cope with the big domestic demand. In the next few months, this number will be increased to 5,000 units per month as exports increase.

Via CarAdvice