December 2022 - Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: Mahindra recently updated the prices of the XUV700. This update of the Mahindra XUV700 7-seat diesel Variants Explained includes updated recommendations after the price change.

Also Read: Mahindra XUV700 5-Seat Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Mahindra XUV700 5-Seat Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Mahindra XUV700 7-seat diesel are:

• A rare D-segment, 7-seat SUV with a diesel-manual and diesel-automatic powertrain options
• 4-wheel drive available in top 2 variants
• Tremendous road presence of a large SUV
• The turbo diesel engine offers plenty of torque, which is comparable with that of a diesel engine
• ADAS features available in mid-spec AX7 variant seems reasonably priced
• Incremental cost for the 4WD seems reasonable
• Nominal premium of Rs. 60,000 - 70,000 for the diesel powertrain

The Mahindra XUV700 7-seat diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No captain seat or separate seat option in second row
• No exterior visual differentiation for 7-seat XUV700 buyers; the Hector-Hector Plus, Harrier-Safari and Creta-Alcazar twins offer adequate exterior visual differentiation to 3-row SUV buyers
• Ventilated seats not available
• Ground clearance and fuel efficiency figures aren’t available and may be below segment standards
• Rs. 1.16 - 1.36 lakh premium for the diesel engine over the petrol is too high - Addressed by Mahindra with December price update

What Is The Price Of Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel Variants?

The Mahindra XUV700 7-seat diesel is available with manual transmission in 4 variants — AX3,  AX5, AX7 and AX7 Luxury. The prices of XUV700 7-seat diesel-manual range between Rs. 16.80 lakh and Rs. 22.0 lakh. The automatic transmission is available in the AX5 and higher variants for an additional Rs. 1.70 - 1.75 lakh. The XUV700 diesel-automatic 2WD range costs between Rs. 19.84 lakh and goes up to Rs. 23.70 lakh (ex-showroom).

The AX7 and AX7 Luxury variants are also available with 4-wheel drive for an additional Rs. 1.25 - 1.40 lakh over the comparable variants with 2WD automatic. The top 2 variants with the 4WD cost Rs. 23.24 lakh and Rs. 24.95 lakh.

Compared to the petrol variants, the 7-seat XUV700 diesel variants cost about Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000 more. Considering the nominal price gap between the petrol and engines, it’s fairly safe to buy the diesel engine over the petrol. Not only do Mahindra have tremendous expertise in making diesel engines, the diesel engine also makes 40 to 70Nm more torque than the XUV700 turbo petrol. So, you can expect even better drivability and reliability with the XUV700 diesel. While the exact mileage figures aren’t available yet, with the diesel engine, you’ll definitely get better mileage and a longer tank range too.

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Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel AX3 - Base Model Features

The base AX3 variant of the 2022 Mahindra XUV700 7-seater diesel is available with a 2.2L turbo diesel engine and a 6-speed manual transmission for Rs. 16.53 lakh (ex-showroom). This trim doesn’t get an automatic transmission.

The most notable features of the XUV700 7-seat AX3 are:

• Halogen reflector headlamps
• LED DRLs
• Flush door handles
• Rear disc brakes
• LED tail lamps
• 10.25-inch colour LCD instrument cluster
• Remote central locking
• Rear defogger, washer, wiper
• Steering-mounted controls
• 2nd and 3rd row AC vents
• Split 2nd and 3rd row seat backs
• 1st and 2nd row armrests
• 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• 17-inch wheels with wheel covers

Mahindra XUV700 AX3 variant doesn’t have some important features like:

• LED headlamps
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear camera
• Cruise control

The AX3 variant seems reasonably loaded but the higher AX5 variant more than justifies the incremental asking price for the features it adds. So, we’ll suggest getting the AX5 variant instead of the AX3.

Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel AX3 vs AX5 Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XUV700 7-seat AX5 variant costs Rs. 17.84 lakh with the diesel-manual and Rs. 19.56 lakh with the diesel-automatic. The AX5 diesel-manual is Rs. 1.31 lakh more expensive than the AX3 variant. The XUV700 AX5 7-seat diesel-automatic is Rs. 1.72 lakh more expensive than the AX5 diesel-manual.

For this additional price, this variant adds the following notable features:

• LED reflector headlamps
• 2x curtain airbags
• Panoramic sunroof
• 17-inch machined alloy wheels
• Electronic stability control
• Drive modes

This variant doesn’t get a few important features like:

• Cruise control
• Auto AC
• Telescopic steering
• Thorax side airbags
• Passive keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear camera
• Power folding mirrors

While the AX5 doesn’t add too many must-have features, it adds some high-value features to better justify the value-for-money than the lower AX3 variant. So, if you want these features, then the AX5 is a far better value-for-money option than the AX3. This recommendation is valid for diesel-manual as well as diesel automatic buyers.

Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel AX5 vs AX7 Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XUV700 7-seater AX7 variant also gets the same 2.2L turbo diesel engine with 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission options. The AX7 diesel-manual variant costs Rs. 19.86 lakh, while the diesel-automatic costs Rs. 21.58 lakh. The AX7 is about Rs. 2.02 lakh more expensive than the lower AX5 variant.

Besides these options, the AX7 variant also gets 4-wheel drive option, which is exclusively available with the 7-seat XUV700 diesel-automatic. It costs Rs. 1.40 lakh more as the AX7 4WD carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 22.98 lakh.

The AX7 variant gets the following additional features over the AX5:

• Leather upholstery
• Larger 18-inch machined alloy wheels
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Rear camera
• 2x front side thorax airbags
• 6-way power driver seat
• Driver seat with memory and welcome function
• Auto wipers
• 2-zone auto AC
• Cruise control (Manual only)
• Electronic parking brake (4WD only)

Additionally, it gets the following ADAS (advanced driver assistance features):

• Adaptive cruise control (Automatic only)
• Partial highway self driving (Automatic only)
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keep assist
• Auto emergency braking
• Forward collision warning
• Traffic sign recognition

Despite the addition of so many high-value features, you might still miss some feature like:

• Telescopic steering
• Passive keyless entry
• Ventilated seats

If you leave the ADAS features aside, the AX7’s feature list doesn’t justify the premium. But when you factor in the active safety features, which come with the ADAS, then the incremental asking price starts to make sense. You see, if the automatic emergency braking or collision warning saves you from an accident even once, then it has paid back for itself in that one instance alone. So, if you are even remotely interested in the ADAS features, then you should definitely make the jump to the AX7 variant. This is also our top recommendation for diesel XUV700 7-seater buyers.

For buyers considering the diesel-automatic, the Rs. 1.70 lakh price jump seems unjustifiable in one glance. However, the adaptive cruise control and partial highway self-driving features somewhat make the price gap digestible. For automatic buyers also, the AX7 variant is our top recommendation.

Similarly, for 4WD-automatic buyers also, the AX7 is our top recommendation.

Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel AX7 vs AX7 Luxury Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The top-spec AX7 Luxury variant of the Mahindra XUV700 7-seater diesel is also available with all 3 drivetrain options. The AX7 Luxury diesel-manual costs Rs. 21.66 lakh, the diesel-automatic costs Rs. 23.41 lakh and these prices are about Rs. 1.81 lakh more than the lower AX7 variant. With the 4WD, the AX7 Luxury costs Rs. 24.58 lakh, which is Rs. 1.60 lakh more than the AX7 4WD variant.

For the additional cost over the lower trim, this variant adds the following notable features:

• Driver knee airbag
• 360-degree camera
• 6 more speakers
• Telescopic steering
• Adaptive cruise control for traffic with stop-and-go function
• Passive keyless entry
• Power deployed door handles
• Wireless phone charging
• Electronic parking brake
• Blind spot monitoring
• Sweeping LED indicators
• Electronic parking brake (2WD also)

Unfortunately, even the top variant doesn’t offer ventilated seats option for front and second row seats, which is an essential feature for a car of this class. The AX7 Luxury variant does not add enough must-have features and it doesn’t justify the incremental asking price either. So, we’ll suggest buying the AX7 variant only as the AX7 Luxury seems like an expensive upgrade with all powertrain options.

Which Variant Of The 2022 Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel Should You Buy?

For Mahindra XUV700 7-seater diesel-manual buyers, the AX7 is an easy choice as it offers high-value ADAS features, which are rare for a car in this price range. This recommendation is valid for the 7-seat XUV700 diesel buyers whether you’re interested in manual, automatic or 4-wheel drive. The AX5 is suitable only for buyers who want less electronics in their car and don’t want the ADAS features at all.

For the diesel-automatic and 4WD buyers also, the AX7 earns our top recommendation. The AX7 Luxury trim neither adds enough must-have features nor does it justify the incremental asking price over the AX7 variant.

Please note that you should buy the 4-wheel drive variant if you intend to use the car in mud, slush, sand or snow. For regular city use, the cheaper and simpler 2-wheel drive model will work satisfactorily. Mahindra have priced the 4WD quite well and if you are interested in this feature, then you’re getting a good value with the 4WD upgrade.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel?

Compared to other 3-row diesel SUVs, the Mahindra XUV700 7-seater’s turbo diesel engine has the best performance figures. Its 185PS power and 420 - 450Nm torque output embarrasses the competitors like the Alcazar, Safari and Hector Plus, which make 250 - 350Nm torque. Just like its rivals, the XUV700 7-seater also has manual as well as automatic transmission options. Hector Plus is the only one without a diesel-automatic option. However, unlike other D-segment SUVs, the XUV700’s mileage figures are still a secret. We’re not expecting stellar performance in this area, either. If they were worth bragging about, Mahindra would have revealed the figures already. As we have seen in the past with other Mahindra vehicles, they don’t seem to have an expertise in extracting great fuel efficiency from their engines.

*Estimated

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator India

What Are The Dimensions Of The 2022 Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat?

The 7-seater Mahindra XUV700 is quite a large car and the widest among 3-row SUVs, but it’s a wee-bit shorter than the MG Hector Plus, which is 25mm longer and about as tall as the XUV. The XUV700 has a 2750mm wheelbase, which is on par for the segment. We can’t comment on the ground clearance and boot space of the XUV700 as these details are not available at the moment. Just like the fuel efficiency figures, we expect these to be below par for the segment.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The 2022 Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat?

The 2022 XUV700 7-seater is available in the following 5 colour options:

• White
• Silver
• Black
• Red
• Purple

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.