Ford Puma vs Mahindra XUV500

What's the difference?

VS
Ford Puma
Ford Puma

$17,950 - $25,450

2021 price

Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra XUV500

2018 price

Summary

2021 Ford Puma
2018 Mahindra XUV500
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 3, 1.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
5.3L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

7
Dislikes
  • Dreary dashboard presentation
  • No cheaper base-grade or manual options
  • Requires 95 RON premium unleaded petrol

  • Underwhelming safety
  • Steering that requires plenty of guesswork
  • Cheap-feeling interior
2021 Ford Puma Summary

S FAR as makeovers go, Hollywood has nothing on the transformation of Ford's small SUV.

Based on the Fiesta supermini only sold here in sizzling ST form, but using a stretched and widened version of its platform with heavily reworked underpinnings, the strikingly styled Puma is as charming – beguiling even – as its EcoSport predecessor was awkward. And we're talking about capabilities that are more than merely skin deep here.

We're not alone in our admiration – one respected UK publication awarded the Ford a 'car of the year' gong – and after nearly a month with our range-topping ST-Line V (for Vignale), we can understand why.

But the German-engineered, Romanian-made Puma is also a complicated proposition in Australia that requires some context, because it is certainly not for everyone.

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2018 Mahindra XUV500 Summary

Just in case attacking Australia's crowded SUV market with a virtually unheard of Indian brand wasn't a high enough hurdle to leap over, Mahindra had made its task even harder - think a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible - by launching its XUV500 SUV here with a diesel engine (which nobody wanted) and a manual gearbox (which few could even remember how to use). 

Fortunately, it fixed one of those issues late in 2016, finally adding an automatic transmission to the line-up. And now, at long last, it's fixed the other.

This, then, is the petrol-powered XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date. 

For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too. 

So, should the mainstream SUV players be looking over their shoulders?

Spoiler alert: no.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Ford Puma 2018 Mahindra XUV500

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