Mahindra XUV700 Facelift – What to Expect? » MotorOctane

When launched in 2013, the XUV500 was an instant hit. It showed Mahindra’s all-new approach for SUVs. Before the XUV500, Mahindra’s SUV range lacked an outright premium SUV. The Quanto, Thar, Xylo, Bolero and the Scorpio couldn’t be classified as premium. The Scorpio SLX, which was one of the premium SUVs in the late 2000s, now felt outdated. With the XUV500, Mahindra decided to offer all the features. With sturdy build quality, plush leather seats and a decent-sized touchscreen, this was Mahindra’s highest-quality product in India yet.

The XUV500 was the best-selling Mahindra car after the Bolero. The XUV500 was one of the first premium midsize SUVs in the market. It gave rise to Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Alcazar, Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass and many others. Officially, it was classified as a 7-seater, but the last two seats were hopeless with abysmal leg and headroom. Furthermore, the boot space was tragic with all seats in place. The XUV500 was essentially a luxurious 5-seater, and people adored it.

It received facelifts in 2015 and 2018. The facelifts included minor design tweaks and improvements to an already stacked feature list. But when Mahindra decided to give the XUV500 a new look with a redesigned logo, it ceased XUV500 production and launched the XUV700. However, do not get misguided by the uncanny resemblance between the two. The XUV700 is based on an entirely new platform. The XUV700 maintained a similar width and ground clearance, but was 110 mm longer and had a 50 mm longer wheelbase.

Mahindra is now planning to give the XUV700 its first major revision. Mahindra recently filed for the XUV 7XO trademark, suggesting the XUV700 nomenclature is about to change, as with the XUV300 (now known as XUV 3XO). Here is all you need to know about the XUV700’s update.

Exterior Changes

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A fleet of camouflaged XUV700s was spotted testing recently.. It maintained a similar design language to the XUV700, with tweaks to the front and rear bumpers, as well as the headlights and taillights. The vehicle’s overall posture will remain the same. The 18″ alloys on the XUV700 look undersized, and Mahindra may bring 19″ alloys, with fresher designs, to the new XUV700.

Mahindra has also planned to launch an electric XUV700, called XEV 9s, and its prototype could resemble the XUV700. It would join Mahindra’s all-electric XEV lineup. The XEV 9s is set for launch later this year. It is yet to be known what the distinct aesthetic differences will be between the XEV 9s and the revised XUV 700.

Interior Updates

The outgoing XUV700 comes with a dazzling cockpit. When unveiled, the twin-screen layout was a revelation. It was one of the few SUVs under 30 lakhs to offer such a setup. More manufacturers are trying to utilise such technology in their cars, like the upcoming Tata Sierra.

With the XUV 700, Mahindra will look to one-up this cockpit configuration by adding another screen, as in the XEV 9E. To match such an advanced cabin, Mahindra will plan to load it up with features. The XUV700 misses out on luxuries like an Auto-dimming IRVM and powered front-passenger seats, and Mahindra would like to change that with the updated version.

The XUV700 scored an impressive 5 5-stars in Global NCAP tests, despite only having two airbags as standard. Manufacturers, like Maruti Suzuki, have decided to make six airbags standard, and Mahindra might make similar changes with the XUV700 facelift.

Powertrain options

Mahindra use similar engine options for the XUV700 and the Scorpio N. A 2.0L turbo-petrol and a 2.2L turbo-diesel are the range to choose from. The petrol makes 200 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque, while the diesel engine comes with two different tunes. Lower models get an engine capable of 150 horsepower and 360 Nm torque. Higher variants get a 30-horsepower boost. The differentiation does not end here. If you choose to get the diesel as an automatic, you get a 30 Nm advantage over the manual.

Read more: Mahindra XUV700 – All variant details

The mHawk and mStallion engines have been dependable, and Mahindra won’t be changing the ICE configurations. However, Mahindra have plans to experiment with ICE alternatives. Reportedly, a hybrid technology is under development behind the scenes alongside the XEV 9S. Mahindra seems to have taken inspiration from the Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder.

Rivals

The mid-sized SUV segment is fiercely competitive, with each manufacturer hungry to gain a significant share. Kia Seltos, Tata Safari, Tata Harrier, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyrdyer, MG Hector, Hyundai Creta and Hyundai Alcazar are some of the names that compete with the 700.

This battle will get tougher for Mahindra with the upcoming Tata Sierra and facelifts for the Hector, Seltos and Creta. Each of these names provides a thorough feature list and guarantees utmost safety, and the facelift will need to be innovative to gain an edge over its rivals.

Read more: 5 Reasons Why Tata Sierra Could Be The NEW BEST-SELLER!

Expected Launch And Pricing

Mahindra has planned to launch the XEV 9S on 27 November. Speculations suggest that the XUV700 facelift may hit the Indian market in the early months of 2026, with its hybrid variant arriving later that year. The next couple of months are going to be thrilling for the segment and its customers, with many potential releases and facelifts.

The XUV700 range starts at 16 lakh rupees and can exceed 30 lakh rupees for the AX7 Variant. A minor price hike of about 25,000 rupees is to be expected for the already steeply priced 700. 9s pricing is suspected to start from 23 lakhs and top out at 33 lakhs.

Read More: Planning To Buy Mahindra XUV700? Wait!