The Mahindra XUV700 is finally here in its production-ready form. It is the successor to the XUV500 and an adroit rival to the Tata Safari and the Hyundai Alcazar. Launched and available in two versions – MX and AX, the XUV700 is offered with a starting price of Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and you can read more about it here. The AX7 is at the peak of the XUV700’s variant hierarchy and is yet to be launched. We take a closer look at it.

Visually, the Mahindra XUV700 does look like a new generation model while retaining the signature elements from the outgoing XUV500. It does have a masculine and dominating stance one would expect from a car of this size in this segment.

Up front, the XUV700 gets a new face with a large front grille finished in gloss black and the vertical chrome struts further give it a modern and distinct look. The new Twin Peaks brand logo is affixed neatly at the centre. However, the highlight of the fascia are the LED headlamp units with integrated dual C-shaped DRLs that stretches down to the bumper. The bumper has a minimal clean design that houses fog lamps and a silver skid plate at the bottom.

One can inadvertently be puzzled by the side profile of the 700 to that of the XUV500. However, look closely and you will notice the new flush-fitting door handles, the plastic cladding on the wheel arches and the new 18-inch alloy wheels (17-inch for lower variants) with a multi-spoke design. The sharp cuts and creases from the side body have also been toned down for a more elegant and crisp look.

The posterior gets the new wraparound split LED tail lamps that narrow down towards the centre. A new roof spoiler, tailgate-mounted number plate recess, rear wiper, and a silver faux plate give it a stylish and neoteric appeal.

The cabin of this top-spec AX7 trim gets a black and beige theme with horizontally stacked dual 12.3-inch screens that are powered by the brand’s AdrenoX technology. The digital instrument cluster is commanded by the new leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted controls. Further, it gets dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, push start/stop button, an air purifier, and a 12-speaker sound system from Sony.

Taking more about the 12.3-inch infotainment system, it gets wireless Apple Play and Android Auto connectivity, navigation, and built-in Alexa voice assist. The front seats get six-way electrically adjustable settings with memory function and a retract feature to ease ingress. Also, over 60 connected car features can be accessed through AdenoX Connect mobile application.

This version is a seven-seat model that gets a bench-type seat for the second row. The notable change for the rear passengers are the repositioned aircon vents that are now placed behind the driver’s armrest, a USB Type-C port, and an armrest with cupholders.

Moving to the third row, the occupants will be fairly satisfied with features like aircon vents, headrests, dedicated cup holders, and a three-point seat belt.

The XUV700 also debuts ADAS in the three-row SUV segment with features like adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, lane keep assist, high beam assist, automatic emergency braking, and driver drowsiness detection. That’s not all. The list of passive safety features includes seven airbags, an electronic stability program, and many more.

Currently, the XUV700 can only be had in the manual versions of the MX Petrol, MX Diesel, AX3 Petrol, and AX5 Petrol with a five-seat configuration. The six/seven-seat models along with automatic transmissions will be inducted soon.

Under the bulged bonnet, the XUV700 is plonked with two engines. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine churns out 197bhp and 380Nm of peak torque. The 2.2-litre turbo diesel unit can be had in two states of tune. While the higher specs will have a tuned output of 182bhp and peak torque of 420Nm (for manual variants) and 450Nm (automatic variants), the lower specs will put out a modest 153bhp and 360Nm torque. A six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission are standard for both the guise along with an option of an all-wheel-drive setup.