Mahindra XUV500 vs Force One
The Force One Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) was launched three months back but only now it is trickling into showrooms and that time gap will decide the fate of the One because in that period Mahindra came out with the XUV500, which has garnered record bookings and stolen the thunder from the Force SUV.
The Mercedes-Benz-sourced powerplant and gearbox, size and features are the trump cards on the Force One but the XUV500, priced Rs 11.9lakh for the W8 model, which is Rs 1.3 lakh than the Force One, is much better equipped.
Photo Credit: Pricemasterz.com/cars/mahindra-xuv500-price-in-india-photos-and-full-specificaition
The Mahindra SUV also makes more power and torque than the Force One and when it comes to design it is more contemporary and Mahindra has years of experience manufacturing sports utility vehicles. Has the Force One lost this battle even before it has started? Read on to find out which of these two brawny SUVs comes out on top.
Comparison between XUV500 vs Force One
Design
The Force One has a body on frame chassis and this surely helps it in having better ride characteristics than the XUV500, which has a monocoque layout. Drive over a bad road and instantly the difference between the two vehicles is obvious. In the One, the passengers will feel completely oblivious from what is going on under the tyres, while the XUV500 goes over rough surfaces like a cat on a hot tin roof. There is lot of vertical moment and passengers are tossed around a bit, which is uncomfortable.
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The other good thing about the On is that it has a rear-wheel drive setup and this makes it easier to drive and manage at high speeds. On the other hand the XUV, being a front-wheel-drive SUV, gets affected by road imperfections and afflicted by torque steer when driven off the tarmac. So, when you are driving at ton up speeds, you have to concentrate more in a XUV than when you are driving the One.
Engine & Gearbox
The Mercedes-Benz engine under the hood of the Force One is also more responsive and quieter than its counterpart on the Mahindra XUV500. Torque is available on the One from as low as 1000rpm and all the way till 4000rpm, while on the XUV500 there is a bit of lag before the turbocharger spools up and comes up to speed, but it doesn’t affect the performance that much because the XUV is faster to 100kmph than the Force One by one second.
Photo Credit: Mahindra-xuv500.org
The XUV is also lighter than the One by 75 kg. But in every day driving conditions, the One requires less gear changes and this is good because the gearbox on the One, despite being a Mercedes-Benz-supplied G32 unit, needs an effort to move the gearshift stick and has long throws.
The gearbox on the XUV is also not very good either. The shift is notchy and getting the gearbox into the second gear takes lot of effort and if it doesn’t slot properly, the gearshift lever jumps out of the gear. The clutches on both the SUVs are heavy but the one on the One can be modulated easily and is progressive compared to the XUV.
In the city the short 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear in combination with the torquey nature of the engine means the Force One is as fuel efficient as the XUV but take the vehicles on to the highway and the difference is obvious. The XUV500′s tall 6th gear makes it more fuel efficient than the Force One by quite a margin, while the One has five gears and this makes the engine strain more at higher speeds and it impacts the fuel economy adversely.
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Interior
When it comes to the interiors there is no competition. The XUV’s cabin looks much more contemporary in comparison to the Force One’s. The modern design of the dashboard, the hooded instrument cluster and the graphic display make the cabin of the XUV look special despite the quality being not up to the mark.
Photo Credit: Apnigaari.com/Force_cars/forceonesuv.jsp
The Force One has a dashboard which looks a generation old and there is lot of cheap plastics on display and it isn’t anywhere as appealing as the XUV’s.
The Mahindra SUV is also very well equipped with features like anti-lock braking system along with electronic brake distribution, no less than 6 airbags, climate control system, satellite navigation, voice commands and hill descent system.
Photo Credit: Fundoocar.com/car-news/second-phase-booking-of-new-m-and-m-suv-from-25th-jan-to-3rd-feb.html
The seats on the XUV are also more comfortable and though there might not be much luggage space with the third row in place, the middle row has more than enough leg room and support compared to the flat seats on the One.
Sum Up
The Mahindra XUV500 wins this competition hands down and the Force One doesn’t even come close. Where the Force One excels is the way it rides, and has a more responsive powerplant while third row is more spacious, but compared to the XUV500 it looks very dated.
Overall, the XUV is couple of generations more modern than the One and even though it costs more, it is worth every extra penny you pay for it.
