[Venkatesh]

Team Mahindra has confirmed that the current Mahindra XUV500 will be discontinued temporarily once the Mahindra XUV700 is launched.



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[DriveOnceMore]

So does this mean Safari will continue to have a free run in near future too.

XUV 500 is too old to stand against Safari and now XUV700 will be priced well above it, taking it to different segment altogether.


Seems that Mahindra lost control while developing this model and made something different in terms of product positioning and renaming it is just way of accepting that.

[S15]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Team Mahindra has confirmed that the current Mahindra XUV500 will be discontinued temporarily once the Mahindra XUV700 is launched.

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I dont really know whether to be happy or sad with this tweet.

One one hand, I was thinking of going in for an XUV500, with rumours that they will co-exist. So its a great escape for me.

On the other, this social media handling is, perhaps, one of the biggest jokes I've ever heard.
I mean which company announces their products will be discontinued in the future. If I were a Mahindra dealer, I'd be fuming.

[ruzbehxyz]

The XUV7OO will defintely be in the 22-30 lakh price category.
The S. Rexton also failed because of the pricing. So I think people will prefere the top model of XUV5OO than the XUV7OO as most people in the 20 lakh price bracket are mainly looking for a SUV feel and 7 seats. The XU5OO satisfies both.

[knrn]

Mahindra lost an excellent plot to pin a win against everything competitive.

Back in 2012 when it was launched, the xuv500 was a success. Reason- a nice vfm package at an affordable price. Ok a few niggles aside but mechanically engine wise it was a good vehicle. No wonder that some of the most legendary threads on team bhp with the highest traffic were also on the xuv500. I mean look at the threads by jravi, mpksuhas, sdp, abirnale, mudhailaipatti, turbanator, tanveer. These people were happy customers.

Now mahindra has simply ditched this price point vantage. The 15-20 lac segment has no entrant except the harrier and safari twins and they are much improved versions.
Introducing the xuv700 at above the 20 lac barrier puts it against the compass- another victim of pricing policy ( personal opinion- it should have been in the 15-22 lac otr limit- no other car would have sold in the segment) and innova crysta- another overpriced car. Now someone who spends above 2 million is going to look at peace of mind ownership. And everyone wants value for buck. I mean a 2 million plus vehicle should stand apart. I wish success upon the xuv700 but looking at the speculations it is now beyond my means. Indian mentality is more like of a vfm and brand perception types. This is the reason why seltos and creta are flying off the shelves also harrier but something like the scross or the Alturas - a very vfm option is struggling. Had the updated vehicle been in the same price range as the harrier- we would have seen some healthy competition. Now mahindra simply seems to have left the party room entirely to Tata and heading for the higher floor.

But then who am I to complain or rant against the strategic marketing plans of a multimillion conglomerate.

[motorworks]

I can think of some scenarios which led to this whole naming fiasco:-

1) Mahindra adds features left and right to the new upcoming XUV500, finds out late in the development cycle that they are not going to be able to price it in the same territory as the current Gen.

2) And in parallel Mahindra is also developing the next Gen Scorpio, which too might have ended up being more expensive than what they planned.

And in the meanwhile they see Tata naming the harrier 7 seater as Safari in the last minute. So now Mahindra gets an idea, let the new Scorpio sort of take on the Safari, they were anyway traditional rivals in the last decade. Hence my guess is that the Scorpio will be priced somewhere around the Harrier territory, with the trump card being 2 extra seats and probably AWD. Mahindra is kind of hoping to take on both the Harrier and the Safari with the Scorpio. And then, they pitch the XUV700 as a far superior product to all of these cars, and pricing it just a tad premium over the Safari.

They see how the market responds and then decide if they really need some thing in between the Scorpio and the XUV700. In my opinion, there is no way that the XUV700 is a Fortuner rival. Its surely going to be between the 20-30 lakh category. This whole naming game is being done to accommodate the Scorpio and also to to undermine the Safari.

[MCR]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Team Mahindra has confirmed that the current Mahindra XUV500 will be discontinued temporarily once the Mahindra XUV700 is launched.

A little birdie tells me that the updated Scorpio might be renamed and launched as XUV500 early next year

[Venkatesh]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Team Mahindra has confirmed that the current Mahindra XUV500 will be discontinued temporarily once the Mahindra XUV700 is launched.

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Link

XUV500 nameplate could return as the two-row iteration of the three-row Mahindra XUV700.

It’s fair to assume that, as with its W201 predecessor, the W601 will also be offered in a 5-seat configuration at a lower price point. Ten years ago, it might have been prudent to just market these as lower variants of the XUV500, but as is the trend these days, two- and three-row derivatives of the same car use different model names altogether. It’s why Tata has the Harrier and the Safari, and Hyundai has the Creta and the Alcazar, and it’s also why we think the XUV500 name may be quietly being kept on the down-low for the two-row version of the W601.

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[TrackDay]

The strategy could be to let the Scorpio mantle take up the place of the old XUV 500, since it's main competitor the new Safari is now in a different price bracket and space. This way the Scorpio and Safari will battle like before. The new XUV 500 or 700 will climb up the ladder and be the new halo product it seems. Not a bad strategy if you ask me.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by MCR

A little birdie tells me that the updated Scorpio might be renamed and launched as XUV500 early next year

Personally I feel thats not a great idea. Scorpio has its own brand identity & following and they should retain that niche even if it means internal cross shopping. To me, a good product spread might be:

1. an all new Scorpio,
2. a 5 seater all new 2021 iteration of XUV called 5OO which takes the Creta / Harrier head on and high tech variants can touch safari;
3. 3 row 7OO that straddles safari and a little beyond. The 2nd top most AWD can sit a bit above thhe safari and the gizmo laden top end can sit maybe closer to 29 - 30L on road.

The Thar serves as a niche lifestyle vehicle sitting in the ballpark of Scorpio and below.

The 3 options above (not counting Thar would carpet bomb the 16-30L on road price range with a wide array of products and variants.

[aansh singhania]

Originally Posted by motorworks

I can think of some scenarios which led to this whole naming fiasco...

This is exactly what I have speculating since the gravitas was named the safari and you couldn't have put it better. The name change of xuv 500 to xuv 700 just confirms my speculations.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by MCR

A little birdie tells me that the updated Scorpio might be renamed and launched as XUV500 early next year

No chance. All said and done, brand "Scorpio" is much more powerful than brand "XUV500" today.

Brand "XUV500" might continue, but no way that the current car will. It's too old & outdated. They will definitely use the XUV500 brand for a shorter variant of the XUV700. Maybe like a Harrier vs Safari situation?

[WorkingGuru]

One could get a well built 2.2L 150PS 400nm Hexa for just ~16L OTR for the decently spec'd mid variant, ~17.5L for the AT. This served as competition to even the "premium MPV" Crysta whose price started from ~17.5 (MT) to 19L (AT) OTR back then.

Still, many people chose Creta/Seltos in that same price range (for the product quality, versatility & brand perception), leaving a void into any further developments in that segment. Now, Indian market is really left without any options for 7-seater with large displacement MUVs in the 15-18L bracket, as it did just 3 years ago.

So, not just Mahindra, all new launches are seeking this pricing path having seen the sky high prices of Crysta & Safari, and buyers not having any decent option for a 7 seater has lent them the idea to re-position the MUV replacement (especially brands that buyers anticipate would make a good product), into a higher segment.

Mahindra probably have limited production capacity too (apart from the semiconductor shortage), so IMO that is another incentive to pitch for an optimistic price.

[VKumar]

I see a lot of sense in this naming. When I observed the addition of memory seats in the XUV test mules, right then itself I was quite sure that Mahindra is trying to fit it somewhere in the void that lies between the 23-35 lac bracket. Where the Safari ends, all you have is Innova from 23 to 35 lac, and when the price band there, is enjoying the volumes higher than even 15k (20-45 lac) per month, Mahindra is simply trying to claim a part of the pie for themselves too.

Don't forget, the captain of the ship is now a guy from finance background, margins will matter more now.

Naming it XUV 7OO (Of course, must be an older plan); Mahindra can probably do what Hyundai just did with Alcazar - one product - wide coverage.

What this vehicle offers:

• Space - Check
• Features - Double Check
• Power - Check
• Brand support - Check

Effectively, they have a product in hand, which, if priced well; will make everyone right from higher trims of Harrier and Safari, to the big boys, make to feel the heat. Exactly what XUV5OO did when it was launched. Right from Safari to Fortuner, all the prospect buyers sat and took a notice. If Mahindra prices it well, they can really cause a disruption with this product.

Coming to Scorpio, it is not 'Mahindra Scorpio' - it is 'Scorpio' by Mahindra. It is very important for them to keep this moniker alive; Scorpio and Bolero re their actual cash cows, they are going to keep them well alive. Scorpio is the name, which can make many people to simply visit the dealership to check it out. Scorpio is undergoing a complete transformation after more than 20 years and a dream run this long can't be brought to an end all of a sudden. Scorpio will stay, XUV5OO can take a break for sure.

But yes, if 7OO is the seven seater, then 5OO can be the 5 seater, just like what Harrier and Safari are!

[400notout]

Originally Posted by motorworks

They see how the market responds and then decide if they really need some thing in between the Scorpio and the XUV700. In my opinion, there is no way that the XUV700 is a Fortuner rival. Its surely going to be between the 20-30 lakh category. This whole naming game is being done to accommodate the Scorpio and also to to undermine the Safari.

Plus one! I couldn't have expressed this better. The new Scorpio takes on both the Harrier and Safari. The XUV700 will sit above the Safari going against the Compass.

I just hope for the actual XUV500 they don't do a Quanto on the XUV700 to make a 5 seater out of it. But i do feel this is a last moment decision considering the current market trends.