Centurion, July 1, 2022: The first units of the Mahindra XUV700, the company’s authentic flagship SUV, have arrived in South Africa. The vehicle was showcased alongside the Scorpio-N at a unique global event, which was hosted simultaneously in India, South Africa and Nepal.
The new Mahindra XUV700 steps into the highly competitive and growing market for medium-sized luxury SUVs with a host of technological innovations, powerful engines and a stunning new design in its favour. It is expected to land on showroom floors in the fourth quarter of the year.
“The XUV700 is one of the most anticipated offerings from Mahindra that is sure to hit the sweet spot with South African customers. It marks the beginning of the next generation of sophisticated and authentic Mahindra SUVs that will offer an adrenaline rush like never before,” says Sachin Arolkar, Head of International Operations, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited.
A new visual identity
The all-new XUV700 is designed to offer a stunning and unique visual signature in a market filled with generic SUVs and to proudly display the new Mahindra “Twin Peaks” logo.
From the outside, the new model incorporates distinctive design elements such as accentuated wheel arches, a strong wedge-shaped body with large windows and big, sculpted lights.
“Our Twin Peaks logo signals that Mahindra is ready for the future and that it will continue to innovate and create products for a global audience that is hungry for modern vehicles that offer luxury and durability and which are within reach of people of all walks of life,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
A technological masterpiece
The XUV700 will arrive in South Africa with a host of futuristic technologies that are designed to make it stand out and delight both the driver and passengers.
The innovation starts in the engine compartment, where the XUV700 offers the choice of next-generation turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines. The line-up has been extremely well accepted in India, where there is a 20-month waiting list for the XUV700.
The engine range includes a new 2.0 litre mSTALLION GDi turbo-petrol engine with 147 kW and 380 Nm of torque and a brand-new 2.2 litre CRDe turbodiesel mHAWK engine with up to 136 kW and a powerful 450 Nm of torque.
The XUV700 delivers its power to the front or all-four wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
Inside the cabin, there is modern technology at every touchpoint.
Mahindra’s team of engineers and technology specialists has created a “sci-fi tech” cockpit with several innovative features. These include a new Superscreen that combines two 10.25” high-definition screens into one for an immersive display of vehicle and entertainment information.
Safe, safer, XUV700
The new Mahindra XUV700 arrives in South Africa as the new flag bearer for the Global New Car Assessment Programme’s Safest Drives initiative.
Designed with a unique tubular ring structure and high-tensile steel for the greatest structural integrity, the XUV700 received a full five-star safety rating for adult occupants and four stars for child safety. It also received the GNCAP Safer Choice Award as the safest car GNCAP ever tested. It takes this title from its sibling, the sporty and compact XUV300, which was the previous safest car ever tested.
While the final specification of the XUV700 is still to be confirmed for the South African market, the list of safety features includes systems such as Front Collision Warning, Driver Drowsiness Detection, up to 7 airbags and Automatic Emergency Braking.
Proven durability
While the XUV700 is still very new to the global market, it has already proven its durability and reliability credentials.
In India, the XUV700 set several new Indian National Records in a 24-hour Speed Endurance Challenge where different versions of the diesel and petrol engine XUV700 models all covered over 4 000 kilometres in 24 hours. In doing this, the XUV700 broke the previous endurance record by over 1 000 kilometres, with no mechanical issues or breakages.
Applauded and awarded
The XUV700 is the reigning Indian Car of the Year at the Autocar Awards. It holds over 14 Car of the Year and Category Awards in various Indian vehicle competitions, making it one of the most-awarded new model launches in the history of the Indian new vehicle market.
Says Rajesh: “The XUV700 is the rightful flagbearer of our new logo and affirms the underlying Mahindra brand’s promise of quality, reliability, durability and luxury. We cannot wait to showcase the entire South African model range in the third quarter of 2022.”
