Team-BHP - Mahindra XUV700 Review

Those who are not happy with the review being not as exhaustive as before, the drive was a rather short one compared to what t-bhp usually gets. The review was on a test track - this just can't help replicate a lot of real-time scenarios and hence those may not have been recorded.

We sometimes also see late evening / night pics which details the performance of lights, overall ambiance inside etc - those have been not added as well.

I believe we had a major uproar during the launch of XUV 500 with members waiting for the review without booking the vehicle and then the bookings closing due to high demand etc.

We should be happy that atleast this review reasonably allows anyone to decide booking the car without being on the fence - detailed review may be made available before the launch/ delivery or so (2 more months).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 5128046)

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for a crisp review. I see you had TDed Harrier & Safari as well. Any comparisons with these on different parameters?

Engine, Ride, Handling, Interior quality etc

With Pratap's move into Mahindra and after seeing what Tata were able to do with the Harrrier/Safari, I was expecting a little more from the design department of Mahindra. That curve over the rear wheel arch and the design of the windows towards the C/D pillar is too much like the XUV500. It's not a bad thing as such and would have been happy if it was named XUV500 but as XUV700, I was hoping they would do better. One can argue that Safari looks very similar to Harrier, but the Harrier was very handsome to begin with unlike the XUV500 which looked good but could not blow minds.

Nailed it from a price, engine, handling perspective though as per the review.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arjun Bharadwaj (Post 5128657)

the Harrier was very handsome to begin with unlike the XUV500 which looked good but could not blow minds.

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The XUV500 actually blew minds upon its launch and the bookings were so huge that they had to temporarily stop bookings and use a lottery system to allot vehicles. The 'very handsome' Harrier struggled to cross 1,000 units per month in the first year of its launch. Only after a power bump, pano sunroof and AT it managed to reach 2000-2500 units per month, but still nowhere near XUV500's peak monthly sales (4000-4500)

Pratap Bose joined very late. Just a month before the launch of XUV700. So he could not have done any design changes even if he wished or if he was competent enough.

I find Pratap Bose overrated. The new Mahindra logo is just passable in my opinion. I find Nexon to be quirkier than any of Mahindra's design fiascos (with the exception of KUV100)

Great review without a doubt, but missing some of the “soul” that the older ones had. Lot of copy/paste maybe? Still the attention to detail in photographs is commendable. Looking forward to the complete review once you get the car in Mumbai.

My initial impressions are that this is a car worth taking a risk on. I didn’t like the looks of the XUV500, and still wouldn’t think of one despite my eyes getting used to them on the road. This however isn’t offensive except in the distorted initial leaked photographs.

Component quality might be an issue, but AFAIK Mahindra has been much better than some others in handling warranty claims and proactive recalls. They’ve also improved more than some. Long warranty mandatory though, as advised by TBHP.

The XUV700 appears to be worth the risk.

The Tata twins are going to see a marked drop in sales.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Skoda VW to gauge the market response to a 15-20Lakh car with a 2L turbo-petrol engine. I’m sure the 30+Lakh market will be far less sensitive to low FE.

Edit: Come to think of it, Mahindra is going for the kill straddling the entire segment from the top of compact SUVs to the lower end of the big boys with this one car. Good job Mahindra!

Superb, crisp review indeed...!!! Thanks. We will be waiting for an exhaustive drive review especially Diesel AT/MT. I have few quick Questions to the Mods. Appreciate your response

- Did you spot any AX5 variants ? Mainly interested in interiors and equipment list
- Does the AX3 and AX5 come in Diesel AT variants ?
- Does the AX3 and AX5 get to have AWD and Optional pack ?
- Any tentative dates to announce the variants, pricing ?

No product is ever perfect and XUV700 may still have some room for improvement in certain non critical areas but boy oh boy have they delivered on the critical elements and how. It scores heavily on safety(active and passive), Build, engines (both Petrol and Diesel), transmission options, Ride and handling, technology and a huge feature list.

After team bhp review it's crystal clear the car delivers on it's promises and more. Any other product in the segment, just below the segment and just above the segment is starting to look enormously expensive when you look at the pricing of XUV700.

We got ADAS Level 1 with this car in an expected price bracket of < 20 lacs and today MG showed the Astor with ADAS Level 2 and AI. Given their history of pricing the cars, MG would well be in the same price bracket.

Now since M&M is targeting both CSUV and Mid SUV category, they got some tech competition!

Anyways, as a customer, now, don’t we have some choices for Active and Passive Safety! I am loving this month’s launches :thumbs up

Excellent and very timely review. The car has taken the VFM proposition to a whole new level. For all purposes, this seems like a much much-improved version of XUV500, correcting its issues with the generational change of the drivetrain and gizmos.

I definitely need a break from Team-BHP for a while.

I don't need to buy any car. This car is tempting me like the mythological Apsaras used to distract the Rishis.

An excellent review done in such a short time which will be updated with relevant and important information down the line. I skipped watching any YouTube videos on the same before reading the one definitive review on our forum and I was not disappointed. Many members have pointed out some missing features which should have been included like:

Ventilated Seats
Auto IRVM
Front Parking Sensors
Hydraulic Struts for the Bonnet
Powered Tailgate (Though not as high up on the list for me)

I fully agree because such features are becoming more and more commonplace these days and Mahindra should have added them. I feel that Mahindra is either saving those for a higher variant, perhaps AX9 or for a facelift down the line. Because if they give everything from the start, then what else would they add to the facelift :coldsweat Anyway, I do not have insider info on the same so its all mere speculation on my part. However, aside from those omissions, I am loving the car :loveit

Our family has also been planning to sell our now 5 year old Innova for a while and the launch of the Mahindra XUV 7OO makes it easier to convince them to rush the sale of the same. Yes, there will definitely be gremlins in the new Mahindra car but with Mahindra's proactive attitude to resolving issues (examples of which can be given by XUV 5OO owners), I feel that purchasing from the first few batches of manufacturing would be okay. But then again, I'm scared of having to visit the service center every now and then in the first year of purchase due to niggles especially with COVID-19 refusing to die out.

Anyway, long story short, I am in two minds on whether to go ahead and purchase the first batch of XUV 7OOs that come from the plant or to wait till next year for the niggles to be resolved (but by then, the incredible price might not be available). Would love it if members could advise me on the same.

I also found this video useful - It's almost an hour long but quite informative so sharing with our members here:

XUV 700 Drive Impressions | Petrol & Diesel | Gagan Choudhary

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanjunair5 (Post 5128696)

I am curious why no reviews have mentioned fuel efficiency from the MID. I am sure a car as sophisticated as this would have the feature. Have Mahindra put a restriction on it?

I have the same doubts, In one of the reviews of petrol variant it was visible in the MID, it was showing 4.5 Kmpl . Maybe mahindra has asked the reviewers to keep a wrap on it :sadface

I've found 2 videos that present the details of the AX3 variant, which will undoubtedly be in high demand.