Test driving the new Mahindra XUV700 – A big leap forward

The Mahindra XUV700 has arrived and is ready to go on sale in the country in the next few weeks.

Available in three specifications, this new model will be replacing the XUV500 and it improves upon its predecessor in just about every way.

TopAuto recently had the opportunity to check out the Indian carmaker’s new vehicle, and see what the top-of-the-line AX7 L has going for it.

Premium quality

The first thing you’ll notice about the new Mahindra is that it is one good-looking vehicle, sporting the brand’s new Twin Peaks logo between a pair of U-shaped LED headlamps that really stand out once the sun goes down.

Likewise, the rear is styled with a set of “arrowhead” reverse lamps, and the black wheel arches and 18-inch alloys go a long way toward making the side profile of the car stand out.

Additionally, one of the more distinctive features of the XUV700 is its door handles, which are completely flush when the car is locked, and emerge in the form of a single pull-able bar when opened.

However, it’s when you open the doors that you really get a sense of the new vehicle’s premium sensibilities.

Entering the Mahindra, you’ll be greeted by a stylish two-tone black and white interior with leather upholstery and no less than seven seats.

Every one of these seats feels great to sit in, but the real standout is actually the two at the very back of the vehicle.

With many seven-seater SUVs, these seats can be somewhat cramped and less comfortable to sit in than the other five, but this is not the case in the 700.

Sitting in the rear bench with one other adult, rather than being packed like sardines, there was a good 20 or more centimeters separating us, and each side had its own cupholder, space to rest an arm, speaker, and even an air vent for the climate control.

The rest of the interior is equally spacious, and at least part of this can be attributed to the sunroof which brings in a reasonable amount of light without making things too bright.

For the electronically-adjustable driver’s seat, another quirk of the XUV is that the buttons are located in the door rather than on the side of the chair, which ends up making them far more accessible and easier to use.

The real highlight of the interior, though, may be the large dual-screen that dominates the dashboard, consisting of two 10-inch HD monitors – one for the digital driver display, and one for the infotainment.

The majority of the car’s functions are handled through this touchscreen, as the centre console otherwise consists of two components – a button and dial system for controlling the dual-zone climate control, and a slick set of toggle switches for essentials like the hazards.

The infotainment centre, meanwhile, supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which made connecting to the 12-speaker Sony sound system a breeze, and the resulting tunes were of appreciable quality.

As for the driver screen, it maintains a visually-pleasing aesthetic and provides all the information you’d want, but its best party tricks have to do with the SUV’s assistance features, of which there are many.

The AX7 comes with a number of aids including lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control with automatic braking, but the standout is how Mahindra has implemented its blind-spot monitoring.

The XUV700 has cameras on either side which are aimed at the vehicle’s blind spots, and whenever the indicator is turned on, the feed from that side’s camera is beamed directly into the driver’s display.

It’s a fantastic addition that makes checking your blind spot and mirrors far more seamless.

Smooth driving

Every version of the new Mahindra comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and this is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Its power ceiling works out to 149kW and 380Nm, which is substantial increase over the 103kW and 330Nm found in the XUV500, and it shows.

“Smooth” is the first word that comes to mind when driving the XUV700, as the engine doesn’t make a lot of noise while doing everything that is being asked of it.

The throttle and gearbox are responsive enough, and you don’t get a sense that the car you are driving actually has seven seats and measures nearly 4.7-metres long.

A slight issue with this is that the steering is quite light, which you become aware of when tackling a sharper corner in what is still a large SUV, but overall the Mahindra handled itself nicely when taking it at a reasonable pace through the mountain roads outside of Cape Town.

A brief outing on a dirt track showed that the suspension holds up fairly well, too, and while it’s not on the same level as dedicated off-road SUVs, the 700 in any case maintained a reasonable level of comfort over bumps.

Overall impressions

There’s a lot to like about the new Mahindra, and it gets even better when you see the pricing.

Impressively, for a car that improves on its predecessor in so many ways, the XUV700 starts at R474,999, meaning it is actually cheaper than the top-spec XUV500, which has an asking price of R488,999.

While the mid and top-end AX7 models may increase this to R524,999 and R559,999, respectively, it nonetheless represents incredible value for money as a mid-range SUV.

Mahindra XUV700 AX7 L