Mahindra has introduced a new base variant the W3 for the XUV500 which is priced at Rs 12.22 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The new trim was earlier available as the XUV500 W4, which was discontinued when the model received a facelift in April, 2018.

Visually, the XUV500 W3 features a host of changes on the inside and out, when compared to the higher trims. The exteriors have been stripped of all the black body cladding and chrome inserts. The front end looks similar to the higher variants with the main difference being that the headlights no longer have LED DRLs, there are no fog lights and the chrome from the grille has been replaced with a grey finish. Coming to the side, the W3 rides on a set of 17-inch steel wheels without any hub-caps and the black accents on the pillars have also been removed. Around the back, the XUV500 W3 does not come with a wiper and washer.

On the inside, the XUV500 W3 gets all-black interiors and does not get soft-touch materials; but it does get black Jacquard fabric upholstery. Unlike the W5 variant, the W3 doesn’t get any audio system. The rest of the cabin sports the same layout as all the other variants.

Feature-wise, the XUV500 W3 gets projector headlights, engine start-stop (mild-hybrid system), power windows for front and rear seats, electrically adjustable ORVMs (although not power folding), central locking, and front and rear air conditioning. The W3 also gets dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard, although it misses out on the rear parking sensors. However, the rear parking sensors and speed alert systems will make their way to the car before the next phase of safety norms kick in on July 1, 2019, since these features will then become mandatory.

Mechanically, the XUV500 W3 comes with the same 2.2-litre, four-cylinder m-Hawk diesel engine which is tuned to produce 155hp and 360Nm of torque. The engine will be paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Speaking about the launch, Veejay Ram Nakra, chief of sales and marketing, automotive division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, "The XUV500 pioneered the creation of the premium SUV segment and set new benchmarks with its head-turning design, and unmatched package of hi-tech features and thrilling performance. Today the launch of the W3 version makes the vehicle much more accessible to a wider range of customers. With its excellent value proposition, I am confident that this new variant will resonate with a whole new set of our customers”.