A rival to Indian carmaker Mahindra’s Toyota RAV4 and Nissan X-Trail family SUVs will hit Australian showrooms next month, with prices expected to start at around $40,000.
He Mahindra XUV700 – a family-sized Toyota RAV4 SUV from Indian automaker Mahindra – will go on sale on June 15, 2023 with a gasoline engine and seven seats.
Final pricing and specs have yet to be confirmed, but the seven-seat midsize SUV is estimated to be priced around $40,000.
Australia will initially get two highly specific variants of the midsize SUV, the AX7 and AX7L.
Both XUV700 models are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine manufacturing 149kW and 380Nm. A six-speed automatic transmission from the Japanese company Aisin sends drive exclusively to the front wheels.
Australia is missing out on the 2.2-litre turbodiesel four-wheel drive variant available in other markets, though Mahindra says it remains under consideration for local showrooms.
Unlike the new Mahindra Scorpio launched in Australia in April, which is not equipped with any advanced safety technology, the XUV700 will come with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems.
Autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and six airbags covering all three rows will be standard on models delivered in Australia.
But a blind spot monitor, which is available on similarly priced base trims of the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and other competitors, is only available on the top-end AX7L in New Zealand, in the form of a camera.
There’s no mention of rear cross-traffic alert technology on any model, which alerts drivers to oncoming obstacles when the vehicle is backing out of a driveway or parking lot.
The AX7L is also equipped with an additional knee airbag, bringing the total to seven.
However, there is no central airbag between the front seats, a feature that many automakers have used to pass the independent safety tests necessary to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
While the final specifications of the Australian XUV700s have yet to be confirmed, Drive received a New Zealand dealer brochure for the new mid-size SUV at a preview of the vehicle in India, suggesting that locally delivered variants will be similarly equipped.
Buyers can choose from five colors in New Zealand: Everest White, Midnight Black, Dazzling Silver, Red Rage and Electric Blue, a palette likely to be reflected in Australia.
White leatherette-look seat trim has been confirmed for Australia, the only color to be available locally.
The most prominent specifications for the two-car range in New Zealand are as follows:
2023 Mahindra XUV700 AX7 Expected Features, Based on New Zealand Model:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Dusk-sensing LED headlights with auto high beam
- LED daytime running lights
- push button start
- Windshield wiper with rain sensor
- panoramic sunroof
- Seat upholstery in imitation synthetic leather in white
- Six-way power adjustable driver’s seat with memory function
- Infotainment system with 10.25-inch touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Six-speaker audio system
- Dual zone air conditioning
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
- Rear camera
- Autonomous emergency braking
- lane departure warning
- lane keep assist
- adaptive cruise control
- Tire pressure monitoring
- forward collision warning
- six airbags
Expected to add 2023 Mahindra XUV700 AX7L, based on New Zealand model (over AX7)
- Wireless smartphone charging
- Sony 12-speaker sound system
- adaptive cruise control with stop and go function
- 360 degree surround view camera
- blind spot vision camera
- Knee airbag (for a total count of seven airbags)
- Smart electric door handles
- electronic parking brake
- lighted vanity mirror
Final specifications and prices for the 2023 Mahindra XUV700 will be announced on June 15. Stay tuned to Drive for more information closer to the local release.
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