Any lingering impression that it’s a blokes world out there on the bitumen - as it definitely was 30 years ago - is quickly dispelled by a look at the large volume of research that shows who’s really the boss behind the wheel these days.

The number of women holding driving licences in the United States overtook men recently, and Canada and Australia aren’t far behind.

Nearly half of the new cars on Australian roads have been bought by women, but more significant is that they have had a big hand in 82 percent of all new-car buying decisions.

Car manufacturers ignore this powerful market bloc at their peril, and many have gone to great lengths to make their cars and sales pitches female-friendly.

That doesn’t mean just giving a car a cutesy name and a range of pretty colours.

“Most women today enjoy driving as much as men ... 68 per cent of women say they couldn’t survive without their car, compared to 60 per cent of men,” social analyst David Chalke says.

“They also value many of the same attributes in a car as men.”

And what they overwhelmingly want, according to the latest Australian car sales figures, is a SUV.

Small, medium and large SUVs took out three of the top five positions in the sales-by-volume list (the other two spots were taken by utes).

Medium and large SUVs took two of the top five positions expressed as sales growth in percentage terms (the other three were people movers, sports cars and medium-sized vans).

What all this means is that the most popular passenger vehicles in Australia are SUVs, and the people choosing to buy them are for the most part women.

With this in mind we put market newcomer, the Mahindra XUV 5OO, to the sternest of tests - three women with vastly different lifestyles and requirements put it through its paces.

Here’s what they had to say:

Debbie, Grandmother

Debbie has her hands full being actively involved in the lives of her 10 grandchildren, so she is an expert when it comes to assessing a car’s suitability to handle some precious cargo.

“The Mahindra is the ideal car for me. It allows me to take at least half my grandchildren with me when I go out with them,” she said.

She particularly loves the leather seats. “They are perfect if I have a child is sick in the car because they are so easy to clean.”

Debbie said she was impressed with the car’s practicality. “It offers so many useful features.”

It’s the little things that can make a big difference. The door handles, for instance, are “fantastic”.

“Everyone seat has a cup holder, which is great because every child wants a drink when you take them out,” she said.

“And there’s air-conditioning for every section of the car, which prevents a lot of arguments.”

Debbie was very impressed with the locking system, an important consideration when you have a car full of prying little fingers.

“It’s great that you can’t open the doors while the ignition is on,” she said.

Ferrying kids around in bulk means interior space and ease of access are major factors in the comfort of all concerned.

“I do love it that the back seats are easy to pull down and I can have two kids in the back and still have plenty of room for groceries,” said Debbie.

When it came time for Debbie to hand the Mahindra back, she was devastated.

“Overall I’d give this car a 10 out of 10 and I don’t want to give it back. I’d like to keep it for a very long time!”

Would she buy one? “Definitely. I don’t think you could find a SUV that is better value for money.”

Hayley, Small-business owner

When we asked Hayley to test-drive the Mahindra, the timing was perfect.

“I’ve been considering upgrading to an SUV from the small hatch I’ve been driving for the past five years,” she said, “So having the Mahindra for the weekend was a good opportunity for me.”

Hayley runs a salon in Brisbane and has a busy city lifestyle, and she was impressed with how the Mahindra handled itself in the urban jungle. But there was one aspect in particular she found useful because of her job.

“I really liked the sporty feel that the leather seats gave to the car, but more importantly they are so easy to wipe clean,” Hayley said. “For me that’s quite important because I get a spray tan every week and my hatch really smells of spray tan!”

Driving and parking in the city can be exasperating, but Hayley was impressed with how easy the Mahindra made it for her.

“The power steering was great but most of all I liked the rear cameras because I park in a lot of tight spaces,” she said. “It wasn’t just the warning beeps and the video showing me what was behind me but also it tells you the distance in centimetres how far away you are from hitting something.”

Research has shown that one of the reasons women like driving SUVs is the that higher seating position allows for a much greater field of vision. It makes them feel safer.

That was Hayley’s experience while trying the Mahindra, having driven for years in the smaller car.

“It just made me feel more confident on the road,” she said.

Like Debbie, she wasn’t happy when the test ended. “It was sad to give it back.”

And the verdict? “Probably the best point for me is that it fitted my lifestyle in the city,” she said.

Tenielle, Working mum

When you are busy trying to juggle a career with the demands of a young family, the last thing you want is a car that adds to your workload.

For Tenielle and countless working mothers like her, easy is what you crave. Having enough space for kids, their friends and all the stuff that goes with them like bikes and balls and school bags is essential, not a luxury.

You also want a car that is a pleasure to drive because you are going to be spending a lot of time in it doing school runs, grocery shopping trips and all the other myriad journeys that go hand-in-hand with family life.

Easy is what Tenielle got when she took the Mahindra for a spin.

“I’m a mother of two boys, and I have a busy schedule every single week,” said Tenielle.

“Driving the Mahindra helped me balance those hectic work and life requirements.”

She was particularly impressed with the drop-down mirror that allowed her to see what was happening in the back seats even while she was driving.

“It was great. I could pop Toby into the back seat and the mirror dropped down so I could see his smiling face for the whole journey,” said Tenielle.

“I like that I can keep an eye on him while going from A to B.”

Tenielle was surprised at how easy the Mahindra was to drive.

“I initially had concerns over its size,” she said, “But they disappeared quickly.

“It has a great turning circle, it was super easy to reverse and it was lovely to drive.”

How would she sum up the Mahindra’s performance?

“It makes driving super simple.”