Photography: Vaibhav Dhanawade
When introduced back in 2021, the Mahindra XUV700 turned out to be a segment disruptor with its styling, performance and more importantly, a host of segment-first features. Since then, the competition has caught up and to counter that, the Indian carmaker has updated its flagship SUV for 2024. Are the updates enough to make the XUV700 a worthy prospect? Let’s dive in.
Interestingly Mahindra isn’t calling this a facelift, but rather an update for the XUV700, which in my opinion is the right approach, given the lack of significant visual changes. The MY2024 Mahindra XUV700 introduces a new paint shade called Napoli Black, available across all variants. Additionally, the AX7 variants now get an additional dual-tone paint option. The AX7 variants also get a blacked-out grille, roof rails, trim and alloy wheels. That’s about it for the exterior updates and that’s fine since the XUV700 looks fresh even today.
The black theme continues on the inside as well, with the air vents and centre console surrounds featuring a dark chrome theme. The cabin is finished in a two-tone cream and black upholstery with soft-touch materials in most places which add a premium feel. The cabin has good fit and finish levels and in some places, is better than the competition. That said, the shiny black plastic panels are prone to scratching. The front seats are now ventilated and controls for them can be accessed through the infotainment screen. The SUV remembers the seat ventilation setting and resets back to it when the vehicle is switched on again. Even the ORVMs, like the seats, get three memory settings. Interestingly, it misses out on an auto-dimming IRVM, which the XUV400 Pro gets.
A significant update are the captain seats for the middle row, exclusive to the AX7 and the AX7L variants. This reduces the seating capacity from a 7-seater to a 6-seater but you can always opt for the bench seat. The captain seats offer a good amount of bolstering, under-thigh support, and get individual armrests. While they don’t slide forward or aft, they do recline and if you need additional legroom, you can slide the front passenger seat using the manual toggle on the side. The middle row seats are placed higher, which reduces the rear headroom a bit but also offers a better view of the road, thereby reducing the tendency of motion sickness. The seats miss out on ventilation and window sun shades both of which are offered by the competition. The rear passengers also get a Type-C charging port while the front gets two Type-A ports and a wireless charging pad.
Mahindra has updated its ADRENOX-connected car tech suite which offers 13 additional features in addition to the existing 70 functions. The new additions include prognosis functions, which assist users with updates and alerts regarding upcoming car service needs. Alert configuration has been a part of the ADRENOX system, wherein users can enable features such as Geofence, Route Deviation, Time Fence, Vehicle Start/Stop, etc. However, the additional features now include a personalised voice note that the XUV700 can play as a greeting every time the ignition is turned on. You can also set a personalised greeting for overspeeding, wherein a loved one’s voice note can be used as a reminder to slow down. It can be set to trigger between 60kmph and 200kmph. Similar to Google Lens, Mahindra has even introduced M Lens, which works from the ADRENOX app and uses the phone camera to scan the warning lights in the car and identify and diagnose the problem. It even gives you instructions to solve basic error codes such as traction control turned off and how to turn it on. The addition of a toll diary is particularly useful for planning road trips where the app calculates toll cost for the trip. It even gets an Ask Mahindra concierge service, which we found to be quite prompt.
The safety suite features seven airbags, ABS, ESP, driver drowsiness detection, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist, making it one of the safest SUV offerings in the country, with a Global NCAP 5-star rating for overall protection.
The XUV700 continues to offer two powertrains: a 2-litre turbo-petrol producing 200PS and 360Nm or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel which either produces 155PS and 360Nm or 185PS and 450Nm (420Nm for MT)depending on the variant you chose. We drove the more powerful variant of the diesel engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain is refined, delivering enough torque to haul a full house without breaking a sweat. Reaching triple-digit speeds is easy, thanks to the linear torque delivery and seamless upshifts. It features manual control over the automatic transmission, accessible via the gear lever, but lacks paddle shifters. The three driving modes—Zip, Zap, and Zoom—alter the throttle response and steering weight. While the steering in Zip mode is extremely light, making it effortless to drive in the city, Zap and Zoom modes increase its weight. But even in the heaviest setting in Zoom, the steering could do with more feedback. The XUV700 also gets an additional individual mode where the steering, throttle response, climate control and the theme for the instrument cluster and infotainment screen can be changed to your preference.
In terms of the ride, the XUV700 shines with its suspension setup, which absorbs pretty much everything that Indian roads have to offer. Potholes, speed breakers, and undulations are all soaked up without any harshness filtering into the cabin. It does exhibit some body roll when tackling corners at high speeds, but the vertical movement at higher speeds is well controlled. Overall, the XUV700 is very easy to drive in the city and doubles up as a comfortable mile muncher at highway speeds.
The 2024 Mahindra XUV700 is priced between Rs 13.99 lakh and Rs 23.99 lakh for the AX7L diesel AWD. While competitors might have created a narrow gap with extra offerings, the XUV700 is still a formidable contender even after three years and is a worthy alternative if you are looking for a three-row SUV.
