Mahindra XUV700 Review: The Perfect Family SUV, Almost

With the 2024 updates bringing new features, colours and a new seating layout, the XUV700 has become a more complete family SUV than ever before

The Mahindra XUV700 has always been a great family SUV, with its premium looks and cabin experience, bucketloads of features, and plenty of powertrain options. With prices ranging between Rs 13.99 lakh and Rs 26.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it is the perfect rival to the facelifted Tata Safari, Harrier and Toyota Innova Hycross.

But while the two Tata rivals recently received thorough facelifts, the XUV700 hasn’t got any update in nearly 2.5 years, until now, that is, as new features, a new seating layout, and a new theme have been added to the XUV700’s package. But are those changes incremental enough for you to still consider it as your family’s next SUV? We’re gonna find out exactly that in this road test review.

Key

The XUV700 gets the same rectangular key with silver inserts as before, which has a nice weight to it. Upon unlocking the car, the flush door handles come out automatically, which is a nice touch. If you don't feel like taking out the key from your pocket, you can simply tap on the driver side flush door handle's request sensor to unlock it. However, this feature is not available on the passenger side door.

For variants which do not get these motorised opening door handles, you will have to push them for them to flip out. Honestly, these feel better and easier to use. You can also remotely lock/unlock the car through the connected car tech features.

Design

The design of the Mahindra XUV700 is still the same, save for the addition of a new all-black colour theme that you see in the pictures. This Napoli Black exterior colour was available before, but now it's offered across all variants. This shade is complemented by the black elements on its grille and alloy wheels, which give the car a mean look. 

The side design is clean and it sits on 18-inch alloy wheels. While these look appropriate on this car, the competition does offer larger 19-inch alloys.

The rear design remains unchanged, but Mahindra hasn't changed the greyish-silver insert on its lower bumper, providing a nice contrast to its overall all-black look. Its LED DRL setup, dynamic turn indicators, and arrow-shaped LED taillights look premium with the all-black combo, especially at night. And if the all-black theme doesn't suit you, you now have the option for Midnight Black, Everest White, Dazzling Silver, Electric Blue, and Red Rage dual-tone shades with a Napoli Black roof.

Boot space

Opening the XUV700's boot is quite easy as its tailgate isn't too heavy. However, there's no powered option here. In the 6- and 7-seater variants, space is a bit limited when the third row is up and is good enough only for duffle or office bags.

The good news is that you can fold the third row, which offers a 50-50 split, and they fold flat. You can easily fit a weekend’s worth of luggage and more for your family here.

Interior

The cabin experience of the XUV700 has always been premium and that still is the case. The same is confirmed even before you enter the cabin, as the driver's seat moves back to allow for easy entry as soon as you open the door.

There aren't any major changes in the cabin of the 2024 XUV700. The overall design remains the same, clean and smooth. There is no all-black theme here and it still uses the same multi-color theme here.

The quality of materials is good, with soft-touch leatherette material on the central panel, which you'll also find on the door pads and central armrest. The steering wheel is wrapped in leatherette but the quality of its buttons could have been slightly better.

The upper panel of the dashboard is hard plastic, but it's been given a smooth finish, so it doesn't feel cheap. You still get your electric seat adjustment controls on the door panels, which are much easier to find and operate than when they are placed lower down on the side of the seats.

Piano Black elements have been used on the central console, and while the layout of the AC controls is clean, their feel and finish could have been better. The dials and buttons around the gear lever also look a bit basic and may be difficult to keep scratch-free due to the Piano Black panel.

Another thing difficult to maintain would be the seat upholstery, given the light colour used. But then this light colour does bring an airy feel to the cabin, and with the sunroof open, that feeling amplifies even more.

But maintenance apart, they're quite comfortable. The support is good and the cushioning is comfortable. Finding the perfect driving position is easy as well, because of the electrically adjustable seats and the tilt and telescopic steering wheel. But surprisingly, the telescopic adjustment is only offered in its top-spec AX7L trim.

Second row

The biggest change comes in the second row of the XUV700, where you now have the option for captain seats. Getting in here might take some effort as the car is a bit tall, but once you're seated, these seats offer more comfort and support than the front seats

The base is wide and provides good support even to people with larger frames. There's ample headroom, knee room, and footroom as well. Like all captain seats, you get dedicated armrests, but unlike in the Innova Crysta, you can't adjust it to stay at your desired height.

There’s also a boss mode option, but it’s manual, so you’ll have to make the effort of moving the seats yourself. To keep the occupants cooled, you do get AC vents, but there’s no blower control for it. 

Third row

Access to the third row is restricted to just one option, because the captain seats are wider than usual. As a result, there’s no space to jump directly to the third row. You have to get down, fold and tumble the left side seats, which is easy, and then get into the last row. But once you’re in there, it’ll be more than apparent that this row is good only for small children. 

Firstly, you can’t move the second row seats and can only adjust the recline angles. Adults can be accommodated here, but they won’t be the happiest due to the lack of knee and foot room. Even the headroom will feel restricted for taller passengers, so it isn’t the ideal row to be in, especially for long-distance journeys.

For comfort, you get dedicated AC vents along with a control knob here, so third-row passengers won't have any complaints about temperature control. But they might complain about the plastics used, which feels hard and scratchy. There's no soft-touch material here, so the experience feels a bit cheap.

Practicality

The XUV700 continues to be a very practical SUV. In the front row, there's space for a 1-litre bottle in the door pockets, and behind that, there's space for storing small items. Two cup holders are provided in the middle, and under the central armrest, there's a cooled storage compartment where you can keep your drinks cooled. You get two USB charging ports, and there's also a wireless charging pad and a dedicated slot for your phone.

The glovebox size is decent, and there's a dedicated slot in it for storing the car documents, which frees up space in the glove compartment itself. 

In the second row, you also get door pockets and a section below the AC vents for storing your phone. Seat pockets are good enough for magazines or documents, and in the 5- and 7-seater variants, there are two cup holders in the central armrest. You get a Type-C port here for charging.

In the third row, both passengers get dedicated cup holders and a 12 V socket for charging. So the XUV700 more than just ticks the practicality quotient for all the three rows.

Features

With this update, Mahindra has made the XUV700 even more feature-laden. There were a few features that it missed previously, and now some of them have been added here. New additions include front ventilated seats and a segment-first memory function for the ORVMs, though both are limited to the top-spec trims. 

There are also additional features added to its connected car tech, and here's the full list of features:

Features like the seat movement when you open the door, memory function for the ORVMs, and electric flush door handles are features that you see in premium luxury cars. The execution of these features are great in some places and not so great in others. Here are a few positives for the features:

Dual 10.25-inch digital displays: Not only do both the screens look good on the same bezel, the experience of operating them is good as well. The graphics are crisp, the response is good and you can even customise the display modes in the driver display. So you can set it to either be minimalistic or bombard you with information of all kinds. Yes, it does get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Plus points for the in-built navigation, which can be displayed on the driver’s instrument cluster. You have options here too, with a partial screen or full-screen display. The deal would’ve been made even sweeter if it had Google Maps integration.

12-speaker sound system: Crisp and clear, even at higher volumes. In fact, it gets a 3D immersive sound mode, which gives you a proper concert-like feel. If that’s not your thing, you can turn off and use some other setting if you want.

3 memory settings for the driver seats and OVRMs: A pretty handy feature, especially if there are multiple users in the family. Memory setting for the ORVM just makes it all the more better.

While most of the features function as intended, here are a few things that the XUV700 could’ve done better:

Ventilated seats integration: There is no dedicated button to activate seat ventilation. Instead, you have to tap the small icon on the screen, which needs you to navigate with a couple of clicks when using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Not the most ideal integration, especially when driving.

360-degree camera and blind view monitor: Both their feed frame rates are slow, and the blind view monitor feels like an afterthought and isn't very helpful at night.

Despite this update, the XUV700 still missed on some features compared to the competition, such as powered passenger seat, ventilated captain seats, powered tailgate, ambient lighting, auto-dimming IRVM, and one-touch power windows for all passengers.

Safety

The safety kit is one of the strong suites of the XUV700. Global NCAP had given it a full 5-star rating and even its kit packs some extensive equipment. 

Apart from the usual airbags and electronic aids, the XUV700 boasts Level-2 ADAS systems comprising a camera and radar-based system, which have been tweaked for Indian driving conditions and work well. Additionally, features like the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist make it an even better highway cruiser. 

Besides, though these features don't feel intrusive, you can still turn them off if you want a few taps of the digital driver’s display. But there's no blind spot detection, which would have been a useful feature, especially for a car this size.

Driving impressions

With both petrol and diesel engines on offer, available with both manual and automatic transmissions, there is no scarcity in terms of the powertrain options available with the XUV700. On test with us was the 185PS 2.2-litre diesel paired with a 6-speed transmission, and these powertrain options won’t let you down in terms of performance.

Noise and vibrations are good for a diesel engine. You’ll feel some vibrations and engine noise inside the cabin upon firing up the engine initially. But once you get going, the vibrations reduce, though some engine noise remains, especially when you push the car. But that is acceptable.

As for the performance, it has loads of torque right from its lower range, so be it in the city, or out on the highway – the overtakes are a breeze. Its transmission is also smooth, and when you need an overtake, it downshifts without any major delay. You even have the option of manually changing gears if you want via the gear lever itself (no paddle shifters).

There are three driving modes here - ZIP, ZAP, and ZOOM, where the steering weight and throttle response change. In ZOOM, which is its sportiest mode, the gearbox holds the gears for longer and the throttle response sharpens up. There's also a custom mode where you can adjust throttle, steering, brakes, and AC settings as per your preference.

In our mixed driving conditions, it gave us a mileage of around 10-12 kmpl, which is acceptable for a car of this size. You can expect better fuel efficiency on the highway, but don't be surprised if you get single digits with the petrol engine.

Ride and Handling

The XUV700 continues to impress with its poised ride and handling manners. Firstly, its steering wheel is light, so manoeuvring it and making U-turns in the city is easy. Then its ride quality is next level. You won't have any complaints whether it's small or big potholes and even rough roads are tackled with ease, thanks to its high ground clearance, which inspires confidence.

The balance and stability on the highway is also praiseworthy, and it won't give your family any reason to complain. But yes, being such a big SUV, there is body roll that creeps in around corners, though that is totally acceptable. But yes, the steering wheel doesn't weigh up much, so it can't be called exciting in the corners, yet it still remains stable there as well.

Verdict

In all fairness, the XUV700 hasn’t changed a lot with this update. A few previously missing features, a new 6-seater layout, and a new all-black theme has been added.

Moreover, if you’re looking to spend a lot of time in the second row or are looking for a comfortable second row for your parents,  you won’t go wrong with that new 6-seater layout. It is accommodating, and will keep you comfortable and safe.

Yes, compared to the competition, there are some small features misses. Having them would’ve improved the cabin experience even further. But still, it's not like you're making any major compromises. The driving experience is also good, which makes it more than just a great chauffeur-driven car. 

So the Mahindra XUV700 still goes strong with its commanding road presence and stylish looks; a spacious and feature-rich cabin, which is even richer now, a really comfortable ride quality, and multiple engine options with powerful performance for all driving conditions, All of these traits make it an even better all-rounder family SUV than it already was before. 

And finally, the icing on the cake is that the waiting times for the SUV have now come down, so if you were contemplating on bringing home an XUV700, you can now do so without any hesitation.