Mahindra and Mahindra, a homegrown utility maker is all geared up to launch the new 2018 model of Mahindra XUV500 in the country on April 18, 2018. The new XUV500 has already started arriving at the dealerships ahead of its official launch. Also, several Mahindra dealerships have started taking pre-orders for the new XUV500 before the launch. Moreover, country’s leading SUV maker will be launching at least 4 products this year in the country. The updated XUV500 will sport not only cosmetic updates and feature upgrades but also updates engine options. To proffer more insight about the new XUV500, we list down top 5 things you should know about the SUV. See More: Mahindra XUV500 Facelift 2018 India Launch Confirmed on April 18; Expected Price, Features, Specifications & Images

1. Exterior: On the exterior front, the new 2018 Mahindra XUV500 comes with a redesigned chrome finished grille which has been tweaked for more rugged appeal. The front profile of the SUV is highlighted by new LED projector headlights with LED DRLs. The rugged appearance of the SUV is highlighted by front and rear skid plates. At the rear, the SUV gets restyled bumper and a chrome stripe and an all-new triangular tail lights.

2. Engine: The new model of the SUV will be seen in both petrol and diesel avatars. The petrol engine is a 2.2-litre mHawk unit tuned to make 140hp @ 4500 rpm with peak torque of 320Nm. On the other hand, the diesel unit is a 2.2-litre mHawk140 engine tuned to make 155hp / 360Nm of power figures for the top-end variants while makes 140hp/330Nm for the lower variants. The transmission duties will be carried out by a 6-speed manual gearbox with eVGT technology for diesel engine along with 6-speed AT for petrol. See Also: New Mahindra XUV500 Facelift: Price in India, Launch Date, Images, Interior, Features & Review

3. Interior & Features: Inside the cabin, the new XUV500 will be upgraded with new interiors giving a premium look overall. The SUV will be seen with piano black finish with centre console getting aluminium inserts and 7-seating layout. On the feature front, the SUV will get start-stop button, panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, dual-front airbags, ABS with EBS, rear camera, parking sensors, hill descent control and more.

4. Variants: The new 2018 Mahindra XUV500 will be seen in 5 diesel and a single petrol variants - W5 (Manual), W7 (Manual and AT), W9 (Manual, AT and AWD) and W11 (Manual, AT and AWD). Read Also: Mahindra To Launch Second Generation Rexton In India; To Compete With Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner

5. Price & Competition: As far as the prices are concerned, the all-new Mahindra XUV500 SUV is expected to sport a slight increase in price. We speculate that SUV could be priced in the bracket of Rs. 13 lakh to Rs. 18.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The SUV competes against the likes of Tata Hexa, Toyota Innova Crysta, Jeep Compass and others.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2018 12:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).