While Mahindra has been hanging around the fringes of the New Zealand car market for a while with its slightly odd-looking light commercial vehicles, the Indian manufacturer first made a concerted push into the local market in 2016 with the launch of petrol version of its massively more refined and modern XUV500 SUV.
While the XUV500 was a massive leap forward compared to Mahindra's other local offerings, it was still pretty rough around the edges. But it had a serious trump card to play - it was very cheap, with the 2WD model starting at just $36,990 and the AWD model topping the range at $39,990.
Fast forward a few years and several things have happened - Mahindra parted ways with its local distributor (Japanese used car importer powerhouse, Nichibo) and restarted with a new one, while there was also that period of time we all spent locked in out homes watching Tiger King and baking banana bread that ruined more than a few plans and constrained supply...
But now Mahindra is having another push into the New Zealand market, this time spearheaded by the XUV500's successor - the XUV700.
Like the XUV500, the 700 is a mid-size petrol-powered SUV that carries a distinctive Mahindra look (the exaggerated hips that pinch the rear windows at the C-pillar and the large 'waterfall' style grille), but that is about where the similarities end, as the XUV700 punches up the quality and refinement to a significant degree.
From the outside, the XUV700 is handsome enough, if a tad generic looking, SUV with an interesting blend modern features - particularly the C shaped LED lights and aggressively angular taillights - and traditional Mahindra styling cues.
On the inside, the XUV700 is every bit a modern SUV, with a slick and aesthetically clean interior that is dominated by two 10.25 screens under a single unbroken pane of glass that sweeps from behind the steering wheel - where the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster screen sits - across to the middle of the dash where the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is located.
But fear not touchscreen haters - there are buttons too, with all the HVAC controls being physical. While the gear shifter is a bit oddly tall and upright-looking, the overall look and feel of the interior is otherwise nicely judged and of an impressively high quality.
The XUV700 comes to New Zealand in three guises: the AX5, an entry level 5-seater, the AX7, a mid-spec 7-seater and the AX7L, a top-spec 7-seater, all powered by the same 149kW/380Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Impressively, despite the massive leap in quality and intervening years between the 700 and 500, Mahindra has kept pricing at the same levels, with the AX5 starting the range at $36,990, and the two AX7 models stepping up to $40,990 and $43,990 respectively, although a circa-$2000 Clean Car fee and on-road costs do have to be applied to all models.
Digging deeper into the specs, you can the sharp entry price on the AX5 has come at price - namely its rather bare-bones safety and driver assist offerings, most worryingly the lack of automatic emergency braking, which is really something that should be mandatory on everything these days. This is probably why we only got to sample the AX7L at the launch and why the AX5 won't be sold in Australia...
The AX5 comes standard with such niceties as the big twin 10.25-inch screens with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (not wireless) and a six-speaker audio system, LED headlights and DRLs, 17-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof, but misses out on all the good safety and driver assist tech, making do with only the basic stuff; 6 airbags, traction and stability systems, brake force distribution, brake assist and post collision braking, and standard cruise control.
You have to step up to the AX7 models to get the advanced driver assists systems, such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, automatic headlights with high-beam assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system and the aforementioned AEB system.
The AX7 also ups the bling, with larger 18-inch alloy wheels, artificial leather upholstery and a leather steering wheel and gear shifter, while adding quality of life features like a 6-way power adjustable driver's seat, push button start, rain sensing wipers and dual zone climate control.
The AX7L expands on this with a premium 3D audio system with 12 speakers, blind spot monitoring, an electronic park brake, wireless phone charging, a stop and go function on the adaptive cruise control, a 360 degree camera and "continuous digital video recording" (ie; an in-built dash cam), as well as adding two features that should really be standard on all models: a telescopic steering column and driver's knee airbag.
All XUV700 models also come standard with an impressive 5 year/150,000km warranty and 5 years of roadside assist.
Mahindra say the XUV700 scores 5 Stars in NCAP testing, but this is under the Global NCAP system, which sounds grand and all-encompassing, but only covers India and Africa, unlike the more familiar Euro NCAP or Australian ANCP programmes we are more used to seeing quoted here. How this translates is unclear, as while the NCAP testing regimes use the same protocols, there are differing standards around the various global markets.
For the launch of the XUV700, Mahindra did something different and launched the mid-size SUV at a race track - Hampton Downs Motorsport park, to be precise.
Now, there are usually two reasons to launch a car at a race track: to show off its sparkling dynamics or hide the less impressive aspects of its on-road behaviour. After all, if you want to show a car that has a harsh ride and annoying driver assists in the best light possible, then a super smooth track with nothing in the way of road markings is ideal...
However, this certainly seemed to be a case of the former, as the XUV700 is impressively agile and composed for an SUV. Body roll was impressively controlled for a tall vehicle and the steering was accurate and precise, if a little light. The 2.0-litre engine was impressively refined and powerful enough to pull it easily out of corners, while also ticking up 150km/h+ speeds on Hampton Downs main straight...
The XUV700 was impressively quiet and refined on the track, and a number intentionally-awkward lines through corners to trigger driver assists displayed nothing more than a few quiet chimes. The seats were comfortable and supportive and, while the leather upholstery was of the artificial variety, it was extremely nice quality and quite convincing.
But it still remains to be seen how well the XUV700 handles our coarse chip seal roads and carelessly cambered corners. Emissions and economy remains a question too - while we obviously couldn't draw any conclusions after thrashing them around a race track and Mahindra refrains from making any obvious claims, the RightCar website lists the AX7L's consumption at 9.2L/100km, which makes for CO2 emissions of 213g/km, with neither being exactly great for the segment.
While the lack of modern safety systems may be a concern on the AX5, the AX7 is likely to be the volume seller anyway, offering up impressive quality, refinement, equipment levels and seven seats for its sub-$50k pricing.
MAHINDRA XUV700
ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four
POWER: 149kW/380Nm
GEARBOX: 6-speed automatic, FWD
0-100KM/H: n/a
CONSUMPTION: 9.2l/100km, CO2 213g/km
PRICE: $36,990 to $43,990
