The Mahindra Xylo was launched way back in 2009 as an attempt to take on the hugely popular Toyota Innova. It was a good first effort from a company that traditionally made tough UVs and SUVs. In a bid to give it a better chance in the MPV market, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) gave the Xylo a facelift in 2012. The Xylo has now been updated once again with a greater focus on improving the dynamics of this large MPV.
Reworked suspension, recalibrated dampers, and beefy anti-roll bar are aimed at making the Xylo more responsive to direction changes and controlling body roll. At the rear, stiffer coil springs are used to minimise the pitching and bobbing the previous Xylo was known for. And, to reduce the impact or the harsh thud when the suspension bottoms out on rough roads, polyurethane bump-stops have been used.
But just how much of an improvement have all these changes made? We drove the new Xylo on narrow village roads and the highway as well and found it to be much more pliant and stable at all speeds. The low-speed ride, which was quite comfortable, is now even better. There’s a sea change in the driving dynamics and handling. But the tall Xylo still does not quite match up to some of its well-known competitors when it comes to stability and handling. Moving to the inside, the Xylo’s roomy cabin gets a new beige dashboard and a new instrument cluster, but that’s about it. Space is still its strongest point as it can pack in more people than the average MPV. On the exteriors, there is an addition of a chrome bar on top of the grille and one on the tailgate, and there are new decals running down the sides as well. These minor cosmetic changes don’t do much to enhance the looks. Mahindra has begun work on an all-new Xylo that will debut in the latter part of 2016. Till then, the current Xylo is expected to soldier on in the highly competitive MPV market.
