The Mahindra XUV700 has become the undisputed benchmark in India’s D-segment SUV market. Launched to massive acclaim, the XUV700 is more than just a successor to the XUV500; it is a technological and engineering masterpiece that combines ferocious performance with a segment-leading safety package.
The 2025 model year continues this legacy, maintaining the XUV700’s powerful engine options, highly advanced features, and its pioneering Global NCAP 5-star safety rating. This comprehensive 1500-word review breaks down the SUV’s current pricing structure, delves into its potent engines, analyzes the sophisticated interior, and provides a real-world assessment of its driving dynamics and value proposition.
Price in India and Variant Structure
The Mahindra XUV700 follows a simple yet flexible variant strategy, broadly divided into two series: the feature-loaded AX series and the budget-conscious MX series, offering both 5-seater and 7-seater configurations.
Ex-Showroom Price Range (India, December 2025)
The XUV700 maintains a wide price bracket, ensuring accessibility for customers upgrading from C-segment SUVs while still competing with premium alternatives in its top trims.
| Variant Series | Starting Price (Approx.) | Top-End Price (Approx.) | Key Differentiator |
| MX Series (Base) | ₹14.05 Lakh | ₹17.65 Lakh | Core features, 5-seater option, MT only. |
| AX Series (Advanced) | ₹17.80 Lakh | ₹27.05 Lakh (AX7 L AT AWD) | ADAS, Luxury Features, Automatic, AWD options. |
Variant Recommendations
- Best Value for Money (VFM): AX5: This variant provides the sweet spot, including the Dual $10.25\text{-inch}$ integrated screens, Skyroof (Panoramic Sunroof), LED lighting, and 17-inch alloys. It’s the perfect blend of tech and price.
- The Full Flagship Experience: AX7 L: The ‘L’ stands for Luxury, adding essential features like Level 2 ADAS, the premium Sony 3D Sound System, Continuous Digital Video Recording (DVR), Knee Airbag, and the best upholstery.
Engine Options and Transmission Lineup
The XUV700 is offered with two class-leading, high-displacement engines—a powerful Turbo-Petrol and a torquey Turbo-Diesel—each paired with robust transmission options.
1. The mStallion Turbo-Petrol
This engine is one of the most powerful petrol units in the segment, offering genuine performance.
- Specifications: $1997\text{ cc}$, 4-cylinder, $200\text{ PS}$ Power, $380\text{ Nm}$ Torque.
- Transmissions: 6-speed Manual (MT) or 6-speed Torque Converter Automatic (AT).
- Character: The engine is exceptionally refined and delivers a linear, powerful surge of acceleration. The $200\text{ PS}$ ensures the large SUV feels light-footed and responsive, particularly on the highway. The 6-speed AT is smooth and quick, making it the preferred choice for city driving and spirited bursts.
2. The mHawk Turbo-Diesel
The diesel engine provides the high torque necessary for heavy load hauling and long-distance cruising.
- Specifications: $2184\text{ cc}$, 4-cylinder, $185\text{ PS}$ Power, $420\text{ Nm}$ Torque (MT) / $450\text{ Nm}$ Torque (AT).
- Transmissions: 6-speed Manual (MT) or 6-speed Torque Converter Automatic (AT).
- Character: The $450\text{ Nm}$ of torque (in the AT variants) is class-leading and ensures incredible responsiveness across the rev band. It’s remarkably refined for a diesel, and the $450\text{ Nm}$ paired with the AT and All-Wheel Drive (AWD) option makes the XUV700 an unparalleled long-distance, all-weather cruiser.
- Drive Modes (Diesel AT Only): Zip, Zap, Zoom, and Custom—which alter steering feel and throttle response for different driving conditions.
Mileage Test and Fuel Efficiency
Given the high power output of both engines, the XUV700 is not designed primarily for segment-leading efficiency. However, both engines return respectable mileage figures due to sophisticated tuning and large fuel tanks.
Real-World Mileage Figures (Approx.)
| Engine Type | Transmission | ARAI Claimed (Estimated) | Real-World City (Approx.) | Real-World Highway (Approx.) |
| mStallion Petrol | Automatic (AT) | $13 \text{ kmpl}$ | $7-8 \text{ kmpl}$ | $10-12 \text{ kmpl}$ |
| mHawk Diesel | Automatic (AT) | $16 \text{ kmpl}$ | $10-11 \text{ kmpl}$ | $14-16 \text{ kmpl}$ |
- Mileage Test Insights: The diesel engine is undeniably the choice for buyers concerned with fuel economy and minimizing running costs, providing highly competitive figures for an SUV of this size and power. The turbo-petrol, while thirsty in the city, rewards the driver with massive performance.
Interior Features and Cabin Quality
The interior of the XUV700 is a monumental leap forward for Mahindra, focusing on premium materials, cutting-edge technology, and unmatched comfort.
The Dual-Screen Digital Cockpit
The dashboard is dominated by the Widescreen Cockpit, featuring two integrated $10.25\text{-inch}$ HD screens housed under a single glass panel—one for the infotainment system (AdrenoX) and one for the digital driver display. This layout is visually stunning and functionally superb.
- AdrenoX: Mahindra’s custom-developed operating system is quick, responsive, and handles features like built-in Amazon Alexa integration, navigation, and customizable themes flawlessly.
- Premium Audio: The Sony 3D Surround Sound System (12 speakers + subwoofer) on the AX7 L variant provides a rich, immersive audio experience unmatched in this segment.
Comfort and Luxury
The XUV700 pampers its occupants with features previously reserved for luxury brands:
- Skyroof (Panoramic Sunroof): Massive and electrically operated, making the cabin feel exceptionally airy.
- Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control: Ensures personalized comfort for front occupants.
- Powered Driver Seat: With Memory Function (saves up to three driver settings) and a power-adjustable lumbar support.
- Smart Door Handles: Flush-fitting door handles pop out electrically when needed, a futuristic and premium touch.
- Seating: The 7-seater configuration provides usable third-row space, and the second row offers excellent legroom and dedicated AC vents.
Safety Rating and Advanced Systems
Safety is the XUV700’s strongest claim to fame. It set the benchmark for Indian-made vehicles.
Global NCAP 5-Star Rating
The Mahindra XUV700 achieved a phenomenal 5-Star Global NCAP safety rating for adult occupant protection and a strong 4-Star rating for child occupant protection, cementing its reputation as one of the safest cars in India.
Standard and Core Safety Features
- Airbags: 6 or 7 Airbags (including a Knee Airbag on the AX7 L variant).
- Standard Safety: ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hill Hold Control (HHC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), ISOFIX child seat anchors.
- All-Wheel Disc Brakes: On all four wheels across all variants, ensuring excellent stopping power.
Level 2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)
The AX7 L variant includes a radar and camera-based Level 2 ADAS suite—a game-changing feature in this price segment:
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): Automatically adjusts speed to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead.
- Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR): Reads and displays speed limits and other road signs.
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Can autonomously brake to prevent or mitigate frontal collisions.
- Lane Keep Assist (LKA) & Lane Departure Warning (LDW): Actively assists in keeping the vehicle centered in its lane on marked roads.
- Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM): Provides an essential visual feed of blind spots during lane changes.
Real Driving Performance and Handling Review
Driving the XUV700 is a surprisingly refined and confidence-inspiring experience, defying the typical expectations of a large, high-riding SUV.
Performance: Effortless Power
Both the $200\text{ PS}$ petrol and the $185\text{ PS}$ diesel engines provide exhilarating performance. The XUV700 feels genuinely rapid, especially the diesel AT variant with its $450\text{ Nm}$ torque, which dismisses long highway stretches with ease. The power delivery is smooth, and the $0\text{-to-}100 \text{ km/h}$ dash times rival performance sedans.
Ride Quality
Mahindra has tuned the suspension (Frequency Selective Damping – FSD) masterfully.
- Low Speed: The ride is slightly firm but absorbs city bumps and rough patches well, keeping most road imperfections away from the cabin.
- High Speed: This is where the FSD shines. The ride becomes incredibly flat and stable at high speeds, minimizing the vertical movement typical of large SUVs. This composure makes the XUV700 one of the most comfortable long-distance cruisers in its class.
Handling and Dynamics
Despite its size, the XUV700 handles surprisingly well. The steering is light and effortless in the city but gains a good, responsive weight at highway speeds. While there is minor body roll when aggressively cornering (expected for an SUV of this height), the overall dynamic stability is excellent, giving the driver immense confidence.
The AWD option (available with the Diesel AT) further enhances stability in slippery conditions and provides added capability on mild off-road trails, though the XUV700 is primarily a soft-roader.
Read more : Tata Nexon
Full Specifications Summary
| Specification | Detail |
| Engine (Petrol) | $2.0\text{L}$ mStallion Turbo-Petrol ($200\text{ PS} / 380\text{ Nm}$) |
| Engine (Diesel) | $2.2\text{L}$ mHawk Turbo-Diesel ($185\text{ PS} / 450\text{ Nm}$) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | $4695\text{mm} \text{ x } 1890\text{mm} \text{ x } 1755\text{mm}$ |
| Wheelbase | $2750\text{ mm}$ |
| Ground Clearance (Unladen) | $200\text{ mm}$ (Estimated) |
| Seating Options | 5-seater and 7-seater |
| Safety Rating | 5-Star Global NCAP (Adult Protection) |
| Standard Safety | ESP, ABS, 6 Airbags (AX series), All-Wheel Discs |
| Key Features | Dual $10.25\text{-inch}$ Screens, Panoramic Sunroof, Level 2 ADAS (AX7 L) |
Final Verdict: The Flagship King
The Mahindra XUV700 2025 remains the undisputed choice for the Indian buyer looking for a true, no-compromise flagship SUV under $₹30 \text{ Lakh}$. It successfully merges the thrill of high performance with the peace of mind offered by the best safety technology in the segment.
Who Should Buy This?
Buyers prioritizing safety, technology, high engine performance (especially the Diesel AT/AWD combination), and long-distance comfort. The XUV700 offers a genuine premium experience at a highly competitive price point.
Final Conclusion: The XUV700 is more than just a family SUV; it’s a statement of performance and technological advancement. It is the gold standard that every competitor must strive to meet.
