Mahindra XUV700 priced for Oz

MAHINDRA has announced aggressive introductory national drive-away pricing for its all-new XUV700 midsize seven-seat SUV.

The Indian company has launched its new model with two trim grades available – AX7 at $36,990 drive-away, and AX7L at $39,990 drive-away – and the turbocharged petrol family crossover undercuts all major players when it comes to pricing, and also comes offered with a competitive warranty and ownership program. 

Two key rivals called out by Mahindra Australia as three-row rivals to the XUV700 include the Mitsubishi Outlander ES 2WD (from $38,740) and Nissan X-Trail ST AWD (from $39,790), while the LDV D90 – a size above but priced aggressively from $38,990 drive-away – also fights in the same space.

Mahindra’s president of automotive, Veejay Nakra, said the XUV 700 gives Australian SUV customers a world-class option from the brand.

“The introduction of the XUV700 in Australia marks a significant step for the Mahindra brand here. We are thrilled to bring our global flagship SUV to the highly competitive Australian market, and we strongly feel that with its exceptional combination of style, comfort, safety and performance, the XUV700 will attract a strong customer base,” he said.

“The XUV700 has been engineered to cater to global markets and given its sensational success in the Indian market, we are confident that customers in Australia too will appreciate its class-leading attributes, advanced features, modern technology, and global safety standards.”

Powering the XUV700 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 149kW of power and 380Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission sourced from Aisin.

Those outputs outclass the likes of the above rivals handsomely, though there is no all-wheel drive version available, and no diesel engine at launch. The brand has indicated that it may add a diesel version with all-wheel drive, while a five-seater model is also likely.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption for the new model, no matter the grade, is 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres, and it can run on 91RON regular unleaded fuel, which is unusual for a turbo-petrol engine in this sort of application.

Standard equipment for both grades include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, daytime running lights and taillights, a 1300mm long glass sunroof, synthetic leather trim, and two 10.25-inch screens – one for multimedia and the other a driver info display.

Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard with USB connectivity (no wireless smartphone mirroring as yet) and both grades have an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings and auto ingress-egress adjustment (comfort entry). Dual-zone climate control and air vents for all three rows are standard too, while the third row also scores a fan controller.

Opting for the AX7L adds a few curious items such as reach adjustment for the steering wheel and a driver’s knee airbag, while other items added to that grade include an electronic park brake, Stop & Go functionality for the adaptive cruise control, a 12-speaker Sony stereo with subwoofer, and a blind-spot view monitor that displays a camera feed on the driver info screen.

There is no traditional blind spot monitoring system or rear-cross traffic alert. 

Unlike the Scorpio model that launched less than two months ago, the XUV700 has an array of active safety technology included, such as radar-based, adaptive, cruise, control, lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance, speed sign recognition and auto high beam headlights. 

The entry model comes as standard with a reversing camera, while the top spec version has a surround view camera system with 3D animation view.

Mahindra is currently in discussions with ANCAP regarding a safety rating for the new model, which has achieved a Global NCAP score of five stars for adult occupants and four stars for child occupants – despite the fact the model tested was not fitted with front side or curtain airbags, which all versions sold in Australia are fitted with as standard.

Indeed, the brand has stated that this model is first in its segment with full third-row airbag coverage.

The brand is backing its new-generation products with a seven-year/150,000km warranty and there is seven years of roadside assistance included as well. Servicing intervals are every 12 months/10,000km.

Mahindra will also launch a range of optional accessories, but the brand doesn’t have any options boxes to tick.

The company does not charge extra for different paint colours either, so buyers have the choice of Everest White, Midnight Black, Dazzling Silver, Red Rage or Electric Blue at no extra cost. 

Our first Australian drive review of the new Mahindra XUV700 will be live soon.

2023 Mahindra XUV700 pricing*:

*National drive-away price.