Homegrown automaker Mahindra and Mahindra are gearing up to launch a premium SUV here by the end of this year. Codenamed the Y400, it will be based on the SsangYong Rexton G4, sold in various markets abroad. This premium SUV is rumoured to be named the XUV700, and was being spied testing on many occasions before.
Mahindra XUV700 could launch at an ex-showroom price of around Rs. 24 lakh, which puts it in the same segment as the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, and Isuzu MU-X 1.
It is no different this time as well, as the car was snapped at the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The XUV700 did not have any camouflage and this gave us a hint of its design. We can see Mahindra’s signature tooth grille, redesigned LED DRL’s and a rugged exterior design.
It will also get a reworked suspension compared to the SsangYong, which will better suit Indian conditions. Mahindra will heavily localise the XUV700 in order to keep costs in check. CKD kits for the vehicle will be supplied from SsangYong’s factory located in South Korea.
Features include an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with GPS, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, ventilated seats and an electric sunroof. Safety is also given importance, with the car having as many as 9 airbags, ABS with EBD, hill lane assist, traction control and an electric parking brake. There has been no word regarding the engine options to be offered on the XUV700.
Mahindra is likely to import the SUV as a Completely Knocked Down Unit (CKD) and assemble at the company plant in Chakan near Pune, to keep the price low.
It is rumoured to be given the same set of engines seen on the Rexton G4. These include a 2.0 litre petrol engine giving 220 bhp of power and 225 Nm of torque along with a 2.2 litre diesel motor which gives 185 bhp of power and 420 Nm of torque. Both these engines are paired to a Mercedes-Benz sourced 7-speed automatic transmission.
We can expect the XUV700 to be priced aggressively in order to give it an edge over its established rivals. These include the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Honda CR-V and the Skoda Kodiaq. The XUV700 will no doubt be Mahindra’s flagship model in its line-up and we expect the vehicle to perform well in its segment.
To read more on SsangYong India, Click here
Also see: Mahindra XUV700 full-size SUV spotted, launch likely in end-2018
Source: Rushlane
