New Mahindra XUV700 SUV 4×4 is in Leh, Ladakh – For off road, extreme testing

The new 7 seater luxury SUV from Mahindra, which is expected to be named XUV700 upon launch, has been spied testing in the tough terrains of Leh, Ladakh. Here the car is being tested for 4×4 capabilities, especially in harsh weather conditions.

Closely resembling the exterior design of the SsangYong Rexton, the new Mahindra XUV700 gets a chrome slat front grille, new head and tail lamps with LED DRLs and distinctive bumpers as are also seen on the Rexton. It sits on new alloy wheels enhancing its sporty appeal. It measures 4,850mm in length, 1,960mm in width and 1,800mm in height. It gets ground clearance of 224mm and its 2,865mm long wheelbase will related to added interior space.

Interiors of the 2018 Mahindra XUV700 are both spacious and luxury oriented. It is seen in premium cognac brown leather upholstery with soft touch plastics, an 8” touchscreen infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.1” display for passengers at the rear, an electric sun roof, automatic climate controls and mood lighting.

Safety features include 9 airbags, electric parking brake, rear windscreen defogger and hill descent control. It also receives speed sensitive steering wheel, active roll over protection and immobilizer along with ABS and EBD which will be offered as standard.

Mahindra XUV700 will be powered by a 2.2 liter turbocharged diesel engine offering 187 bhp power at 4,000 rpm and 420 Nm torque at 1,600-2,600 rpm, mated to a 7 speed automatic gearbox. It is expected to be priced from Rs 20 lakhs for its base variant, going up to Rs 25 lakhs for the top end model. It will compete with the Toyota Fortuner upon launch in the country.

At the Mahindra AGM recently, the car was officially revealed to investors, vendors and dealers. Being the most expensive Mahindra till date, the car maker will setup exclusive space inside their existing dealership which will specially cater to the customers of the XUV700. Something on the lines of how Maruti has created Nexa. More details are to be revealed soon.