Mahindra XUV500 vs Land Rover Discovery

What's the difference?

This petrol-powered and well-priced XUV500 W6 might mark Mahindra's most convincing effort at cracking Australia's congested SUV market, but we're still not completely convinced.

That said, it's certainly cheap, the ownership credentials stack up and it's a very comfortable way to transport seven people.

The Land Rover Discovery 35th Anniversary Edition drives beautifully, with effortless power and a composed, comfortable ride. It’s elegant and well-equipped for its price, though the technology often frustrates, and it’s not as spacious as some seven-seater rivals. Small quirks in everyday use prevent it from fully standing out in a competitive segment but it does enough to be considered.

There's no getting away from the fact the XUV500 is not the sleekest, prettiest SUV in the pack. But it's not ugly, either. More that it looks like it's doing its best with a design philosophy hatched a generation or two ago.

Its best angle by far is when viewed straight on, where the piano-black grille, dual bonnet bulges and complicated (read: a little weird) headlight clusters all add some road presence to Mahindra's only SUV.

A side-on viewing, however, is less satisfying, where a combination of strangely placed and super-sharp body creases (including one over the rear wheelarch, which adds a Harbour Bridge-style crescent to the otherwise-straight window line) and serious rear overhang give the XUV500 an inescapable awkwardness.

Inside, expect a vast collection of rock-hard (though nicely patterned) plastics, with the ambiance rescued somewhat by the clean-looking and vertical central control unit, which is home to the media screen and air-con controls. 

Ready for some hashtag real talk? There are better-looking and better-feeling seven-seat SUVs out there. But there aren't many that start at $25,990 drive-away. And I think that's Mahindra's point.

The Discovery remains a handsome SUV. It isn’t as boxy or rugged-looking as some of its rivals, but it still carries a quiet confidence and a hint of adventure in its stance. The 35th Anniversary Edition gets a few subtle touches to help it stand out, including 21-inch black alloy wheels, roman-numeral anniversary badging and slim LED lighting signatures that give it a clean, sophisticated look.

Inside, everything feels solid and thoughtfully put together, with soft-touch materials in all the right places. Some of the trim finishes lean a little synthetic, but the leather upholstery is beautifully done and the dual sunroofs bring in plenty of natural light, which helps elevate the cabin ambience.

The 11.4-inch media display takes pride of place on the dash and looks premium, and there are enough physical buttons and dials to satisfy those who like some tactile-functionality. That said, the cabin doesn’t quite deliver that sense of occasion you might expect at this price. It’s nice, it’s just not especially distinctive.

Pretty damn practical, actually, regardless of whether you want to carry people or cargo. Carrying both at the same time, however, is tricky.

But let's start with people. There is a huge amount of room in the third row of the XUV500, a space with enough head and legroom to put plenty of its competition to shame.

Thanks to second-row seat backs that fold flat, before the the entire seat lifts up and pushes forward, climbing into seats six and seven isn't too big a drama, either. 

We rarely say this about seven-seat cars, but at 175cm, I'd feel plenty comfortable back there on a longer drive. There are two air vents in the third row, too, along with bottle storage and side-seat storage for thin items.

All XUV500's are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank. 

The space in the middle row is ample as well, and you'll find three ISOFIX attachment points, one for each of the three seats. There's also a door pocket in each rear door and storage nets on the rear of the two front seats. A pull-down divider that separates the back seat is home to two cupholders, matching the two for front seat riders. 

The only downside to all this people-lugging happiness is that, with the third row of seats in place, there is absolutely no room for luggage. Mahindra doesn't quote a litre storage figure when seven are seated (mostly because it would probably be embarrassing to write "one litre"), but trust us, you'll be lucky to squeeze a soft backpack in the boot with all seats in place.

Things improve considerably when you drop the third row of seats, though, which unlocks 702 litres of storage, and that number climbs to 1512 litres with the second and third row folded down.

The Discovery’s cabin is an interesting mix - at first glance it seems to offer the right balance of space and features, but once you settle in, a few small disconnects between technology and layout become apparent.

Up front is where you want to spend most of your time. The powered seats are well-padded with long bases and excellent lumbar support. There’s plenty of room for tall drivers and passengers and elbow space is generous. The only annoyance is the heated seat function, which is buried behind the menu system and the fiddly climate dials.

The middle row highlights the Discovery’s tall-but-narrow proportions. Adult passengers can feel a little cramped side-to-side, though the flat floor gives decent leg and foot room. The third-row surprises with wider seats and deeper footwells than expected, so knees aren’t pressed against chests. Access, however, is more suited to children than adults.

Storage is abundant and thoughtfully positioned. Up front, there are dual glove boxes (one lockable), a hidden cubby behind the climate panel and underneath the sliding cupholders, a tray housing the wireless charging pad (which, in our test car, didn’t work), and the middle console fridge which is a handy touch for keeping snacks or drinks cool on long trips. The middle row gets map pockets, cupholders and bottle storage, while the third-row benefits from hinged cubbies on each wheel arch.

The boot is the standout, offering a massive 1137L when the third row is folded. Its tall and deep shape makes it practical and features like the powered tailgate, adjustable boot-lip height via air suspension, a full-size spare and a 12 volt socket round out its friendly usability.

Access is a simple step-in and step-out scenario thanks to the Discovery’s 'Auto Comfort Access' mode which, when activated, lowers the vehicle when parked. That said, the doors are heavy and need a firm push to latch properly.

Technology is a bit of a mixed bag. The media system is somewhat intuitive once you spend time with it, but newcomers may find the layout confusing. It includes sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, though in our test car, CarPlay occasionally showed music playing without sound but re-pairing my iPhone 15 Pro Max fixed the issue. The dual-use climate dials, which control temperature, fan speed and seat heating, can feel finicky, and one rear door locked itself for four days despite troubleshooting. The rear seat fold controls also worked inconsistently.

On the plus side, amenities like four-zone climate control, multiple air vents per row, and seven USB ports scattered throughout the cabin are thoughtful touches.

Since the launch of the 35th Anniversary Edition, the Discovery line-up has shifted, now trimmed to five diesel-powered grades. Originally based on the Dynamic SE, this special edition is based on the Gemini variant which is second from the top of the range.

Pricing starts from $132,090 MSRP, placing it above key rivals like the Lexus GX 550 Luxury ($112,607) and Toyota LandCruiser Prado VX ($87,400). In other words, it’s priced right in the middle of the family-luxury SUV battlefield.

Inside, you get heated and powered chairs up front with four-way lumbar, plus heated outboard second-row seats. There’s no heated steering wheel or front seat ventilation, which feels like a miss at this price point, but the equipment list remains generous. Standard highlights include an 11.4-inch media screen, satellite navigation, dual sunroofs (one fixed), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a premium Meridian sound system.

Family practicality is well-covered with a hands-free powered tailgate, adjustable load height, full-size spare wheel, 360-degree camera system, five USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two 12-volt sockets and directional vents in every row. You also get seating flexibility and family-friendly safety points: four ISOFIX mounts and five top-tether anchors across the back rows.

The Anniversary Edition builds further with rear privacy glass, a Wi-Fi-enabled media system (with data plan), colour head-up display, power-tilt/fold second-row seating, tow pack (including hitch receiver and tow assist), anniversary badging, black roof rails, centre console 'fridge' and four-zone climate control.

Our test vehicle also features the 'Capability Plus Pack' ($4910), which adds meaningful off-road hardware like a rear differential lock, twin-speed transfer case (high/low range), multi-terrain modes (including 'Grass', 'Gravel', 'Snow', 'Mud-ruts' and 'Rock Crawl') and a wading sensor. Land Rover’s 'All-Terrain Progress Control' (essentially a low-speed, off-road cruise control) is also included.

It offers a well-rounded feature set that keeps it competitive, though a handful of additional premium touches would elevate it to a more commanding position in the segment.

There's a diesel engine currently available, but the clock is ticking - Mahindra expects it to be phased out within six months. But the big news here is the new petrol engine, a turbocharged 2.2-litre unit good for 103kW/320Nm. It's paired exclusively with an Aisin-developed six-speed automatic transmission, and will send it's power to the front or all four wheels.

Mahindra doesn't quote official performance figures, but those engine outputs hardly scream excitement, do they?

The 35th Anniversary Edition runs a hefty 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Together, they produce 257kW and 700Nm. It’s brisk, too, with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.3-seconds, which is impressive for such a large 4WD.

Towing is rated at 3.5 tonnes and wading depth sits at 900mm, reinforcing its credentials as a proper adventure vehicle. Our test vehicle also features the 'Capability Plus Pack', which brings low-range gearing, rear differential lock and multiple terrain modes.

Not too bad for something that looks more like a school-run luxury SUV than some of its rivals.

Local numbers are yet to be confirmed, but after an admittedly vigorous local test, the on-board computers was reading 13+ litres per 100km. All XUV500's are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank.  

The 35th Anniversary Edition has a claimed combined fuel figure of 7.8L/100km, and with its 89-litre tank you’re looking at a theoretical driving range of around 1141km. In the real world, I saw 9.0L/100km - that’s with one longer highway run mixed into a week of school runs and suburban errands.

It’s a touch thirstier than I’d hoped given I wasn’t towing or carrying heavy gear, but it still sits comfortably within expectations for this segment and size of vehicle.

About as old school as rocking a pair of button-up tracksuit pants with a Run-DMC cassette stuffed into your Walkman.

On a straight and unchallenging road, there's stuff to like about the petrol-powered XUV500. The engine, while gruff under heavy acceleration, doesn't feel too wheezy when you're not asking a great deal of it, and nor is the cabin overly loud at suburban speeds. It's a comfortable space for driver and passengers, too, and the gearbox performed seamlessly on our short test drive.

But that's about where the good news ends. There's an unshakeable agricultural feel to the way this Mahindra SUV goes about its business, and nowhere is that more obvious than through the steering wheel, which has only a vague and difficult relationship with the the front tyres, making it seriously tricky to approach twisting roads with anything approaching confidence.

The steering is slow and cumbersome - light when you first begin turning the wheel, with a ton of weight appearing by surprise midway through the cornering process - and it has a tendency to fight back should the front wheels find a bump or corrugation in the road, too. 

The body lolls about when challenged, too, and the tyres are quick to give up their grip on tighter corners. All of which would give it a certain retro charm if it wasn't so very new, and I must admit I was cackling maniacally on some of the more twisting roads.

But it's simply not a car I could live with.

Power delivery in the Discovery feels effortless, with none of the laggy, heavy character you can get from some big diesels. It responds quickly when you need it to, whether you're merging into traffic or overtaking and always feels like it has plenty left in reserve.

Ride comfort is excellent. The adaptive suspension absorbs bumps and settles the body confidently through corners without feeling floaty or wallowy. Steering has a reassuring weight to it - not too light, not too heavy - which helps the Discovery feel sure-footed and composed on the road.

The cabin is impressively quiet, making it easy to chat with passengers across all three rows and reducing fatigue on longer drives. Visibility is generally strong and the high seating position gives a good command of the road. The only drawback is the middle-row headrest, which blocks the rear view. A digital rear-view mirror would be a helpful addition, especially when the car’s full.

Despite its size, the Discovery is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre, with a fairly forgiving 12.7-metre turning circle. Parking is straightforward thanks to a clear 360-degree camera system, although the display itself could be larger. Even in tight shopping centre car parks it never feels unwieldy.

The new Discovery hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet and is unrated but it does come with a large suite of safety features and eight airbags which is good to see on a large 4WD.

Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, driver attention monitor, lane keeping aid, rear collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, speed limit warning, intelligent seatbelt warning, powered child locks, front/rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera system.

The adaptive cruise control is well-calibrated as it slows smoothly behind traffic and confidently builds speed again once the lane clears, without the hesitation some systems have. The only safety feature which is intrusive is the speed limit warning and unfortunately you have to slough though some menus to mute it.

There are four ISOFIX and five top-tether anchor points spread across the rear rows, which should delight families.

All XUV500s are covered by a five year/100,000km warranty (though the final two years apply only to the drivetrain), along with five years of complimentary roadside assistance.

The XUV500 is also covered by Mahindra's capped-price servicing program for the first three years of ownership, and will require servicing every six months or 10,000km.

The Discovery 35th Anniversary Edition is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is fairly standard for vehicles in the luxury SUV segment. However, it's worth noting the Nissan Patrol is offered with a 10-year (conditional) warranty.

Land Rover offers a pre-paid, five-year service plan for around $3500, which is cheaper than paying for each service individually. Service intervals are well spaced at every 12 months or 20,400 km, whichever comes first. There are approximately 71 authorised Land Rover centres across Australia, so even if you live regionally, you should be able to service your Discovery fairly easily.