10 years ago, Mahindra launched the XUV 500, an SUV which was the first of its kind at the time, loaded with features that weren’t common and never heard before in a car of its type.
It had a powerful mhawk engine under the hood and the design was not the one we were used to witnessing from an Indian manufacturer, the pricing was awesome and the impact it created in the market was not witnessed in a long long time.
That was the Kind of SUV the XUV 500 was, but after almost 10 years of ruling the segment it had to pass the torch to the next one and the next torchbearer is here, its name is the XUV 700.
From the design, features, engine, and price it’s targeting the same or even larger impact that was created by the XUV 500 at its time, it’s trying to do the same thing but in its own unique way.
The Hype around it has been at an all-time high since the images of the test mule were disclosed, people had already started making assumptions about it and whether it will be yet another successful product by Mahindra.
Well, with all the things the Xuv 700 is offering, there is no denying the fact that it has the potential to be the next superstar of its segment.
Now, starting with its design, the first thing your attention will fall onto is the badge, it’s not the normal Mahindra badge we are used to seeing, it’s a completely new badge, and don’t be surprised it’s not something that’s specific to the xuv 700, it will be making its appearance on numerous Mahindra models in the future, overall it does look cool.
The overall silhouette and the curves will remind you of the XUV 500, it's predecessor.
It has brought in many of the first features in the segment such as an infotainment system with built-in Alexa, you can just use voice commands to open things like the sunroof.
Even the sound system in the xuv 700 is top-notch. A 12 speaker Adrenox system with 3d surround technology, listening to music and podcasts in the xuv 700 will surely hit differently.
Mahindra has done things in this car that I can’t get my mind revolving around them because I have never seen a car getting features like these in under 15 lakhs, it just seems impossible but Mahindra is quite famous for making the impossible possible.
Most of the functions in the car can be operated through the screen and the interior overall as is a mix of buttons and screens, just the way I like it.
In terms of quality Mahindra has tried their best to provide the best quality they can under 15 lakhs, some hard plastics can be spotted in the car but the other features and quirks balance it out for me.
Talking about the magnificent powerhouse that is propelling this thing is a turbocharged mstallion petrol engine with 200 ps of power and 380 nm of torque, if you go for the diesel you get the turbocharged mhawk diesel engine with 185 ps of power and 420 nm of torque with the manual and 450 nm of torque with the automatic.
The numbers speak for themselves, it doesn’t get crazier than this. These numbers result in the xuv 700 taking just 4.6 seconds from 0 to 60 kmph which btw is the best in its class and if you find an open road long enough, something like the natrax then you can go up to speeds of 200kmph, and as far as I know, if the xuv 700 actually reaches this speed then it might be the first Indian SUV to do so.
There are 3 driving modes in the xuv 700, zip, zap, zoom, they might sound funny but the name perfectly suits the function they perform.
In zip mode, the car makes it very comfortable for you to drive it in the city. In zap mode, you will feel an extra boost of power and in zoom mode, all the torque will redirect itself to launching the car also there is a custom mode in which you can change the settings to your liking.
Mahindra has always been known for making some of the safest cars in the market regardless of the segment, and they have done the same with the XUV 700, it’s one of the safest cars you can buy in the price range.
It’s equipped with safety systems like the Advance Driver Assistance System. It will ease up your driving focus a bit, that’s for sure. There are also features like Overspeed alerts, so if you ever go above a certain speed, you will be reminded.
And in case you fall asleep when surrounded by all these comfortable features, the driver’s assistance system will alert you.
Packing the safety of the xuv700 are the 7 airbags, Dynamic stability control or DSC will monitor the moment of your car especially around the corners, and will try to make your ride as smooth and safe as possible.
Now Mahindra wants its customers to have a lot of choices, thus they have kept many things optional, for example, you can get the xuv 700 in a 5-seater or a 7-seater configuration. Also, you can choose if you want the All-wheel drive version or not.
The roof rails on the XUV 700 do add to the visual ruggedness of the SUV, but god knows if those roof rails are even functional or not, but overall the XUV 700 is definitely going to be a head-turner as the design has a good presence.
Now let’s talk about some competition that the XUV 700 has to face, the 1st competitor is the Tata Safari. In terms of the design and size, they are both very similar, they both are continuing the legacy of their predecessor.
In terms of practicality they stand on the same ground but when we start going into the features, the Xuv 700 emerges as the clear winner as a list of features is very long on the XUV 700.
Even in terms of safety the Xuv 700 is providing features that were unheard of, so I won’t be surprised if the xuv 700 surpasses these SUVs in terms of sales numbers and fan base.
The other competitor is the mg hector plus which needless is talking about, isn’t ahead of the xuv 700 in terms of anything.
Talking about the pricing, at 12 lakhs ex-showroom, there couldn’t be a more value for money SUV than this in the market. It’s got the looks, the features, the safety, the pricing, what more can a consumer possibly ask for.
The base variant of the Xuv 700 might not be as cool as the upper variants as the screen will be smaller and it will be missing out on features that Mahindra is proud of, but for people who want a premium looking car and don’t have a high budget can definitely settle for it, it’s a good car.
For folks who want to buy this car asap, I will recommend you to wait for the 1st and the 2nd slot to be cleared out, so that if there are any issues in the car, they will be resolved by the launch of the 3rd slot.
So, everyone, that will be all for this time, I trust you liked this one, if you did then do share it with your friends and do consider subscribing to Motordrift for more such content in the future.
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