Mahindra Xylo

History

The project, which initially had the codename of Ingenio, was announced by the company in 2006 and was designed to compete in the Indian market with both the Toyota Innova and the Chevrolet Tavera. The project cost Mahindra around Rs 550 crore. Production started in the Nashik plant in December 2008.

Launched in India in early 2009, the Xylo started off well with an initial flurry of sales. However, since then sales have slowly declined, and it is widely believed that sales have not lived up to Mahindra's expectations. The Xylo was loosely based on the Mahindra Scorpio's ladder frame chassis. This chassis was modified to take account of the Xylo's longer wheelbase and higher refinement requirements. The Xylo was launched with a number of seating configurations, including two up front, and two benches [8 seats], or two up front, middle row captain seats and a rear bench [7 seats].

Initially 4×4 variants of the Xylo were also planned, and various test mules had been spotted undergoing trials. However, to date Mahindra has not launched any 4×4 variants of the Xylo. This is perhaps due to the company fearing cannibalisation of its Scorpio's sales, as well as a reluctance to invest further in development costs of an underperforming model.

In 2012 the Xylo was comprehensively updated. New gearboxes and the modern M-Hawk turbo diesel 2.2L engine were introduced to higher variants. Other changes included revised suspension tuning, a restyled front end, smoked rear lights, blacked out B-, C- and D-pillars, and leather interiors for the top spec H9 model. These changes greatly improved the Xylo, both in terms of refinement, handling, and looks, all of which had been criticized in the press and by owners alike. Xylo sales crossed the 100,000 mark in June 2012. In late 2013 minor [and some would say unsightly] cosmetic revisions were again made to the domestic Indian version of the Xylo, including side body decals and a bonnet chrome strip.

The crash safety performance of the Mahindra Xylo is unknown, as it has not been subjected to any crash tests by a safety advocacy organisation, such as Global NCAP. Certain variants of the Xylo do come equipped with dual front airbags and ABS with EBD. It is unclear whether the Xylo is equipped with other features such as seat belt pre-tensioners and side door impact beams. The Xylo also lacks 3 point seat belts for the centre rear passenger seats, and Electronic Stability Control [ESC] is not offered on any variants. It is hoped that a later revision of the Xylo will include these vital modern safety aids.

The Xylo is sold in select international markets, including South Africa, Colombia, and certain South Asian and North African countries.

Mahindra Quanto

The Mahindra Quanto was launched in September 2012 as a shortened version of the Xylo. It shares the Xylo's front end, doors and wheelbase. However, the rear overhang is dramatically shortened to bring the total length under 4m, which has certain retail tax benefits in the domestic Indian market. The Quanto seats five in-cabin, with two extra jump seats in the rear. It is powered by a three-cylinder engine for the Indian domestic market. The Quanto is sold in various international makets, including South Africa, with the 4 cylinder 2.2L M-Hawk diesel engine.

Mahindra Genio

The Mahindra Xylo's Ingenio platform also spawned the Genio range of pick up trucks. The Genio shares its front end styling, doors, and interior with the Xylo. It is available in single cab and double cab variants, with a range of engines and body styles, depending on the market it is sold in. Apart from India, the Genio is also sold in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 4×4 versions of the Genio Ute are sold in Australia and New Zealand.