2018 Mahindra XUV700 Showcased At Auto Expo, Rebadged Rexton

Mahindra has showcased the India-bound Rexton as 2018 Mahindra XUV700 at the ongoing Auto Expo.

Entering the market in October 2012 with the third-gen Rexton, SsangYong failed to make as strong an impact as its parent company Mahindra would have liked. However, the Tivoli maker has decided to have another go at it and has showcased the 2018 SsangYong Rexton at the ongoing Auto Expo. This time around, the 7-seater SUV will be launched in the latter half of this year under Mahindra brand name instead of SsangYong. The car will be positioned above the XUV500 and is likely to be named the Mahindra XUV700.

With an expected starting price of Rs. 24 lakhs (ex-showroom), the XUV700 is likely to undercut its prime rivals including the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour by a considerable margin. However, Mahindra hasn’t sold a vehicle this expensive in the country till now and thus the market response remains unpredictable. The car was unveiled at 2017 Seoul Motor Show and has an imposing design based on the LIV-2 concept showcased a couple of years back. Prominent design highlights include body cladding, skid plates, alloy wheels, projector headlamps and LED tail lamps.

On the inside, Mahindra has made considerable improvements with thoughtful use of soft-touch plastics, piano black bits and brushed aluminium touches. All seats come draped in Nappa leather upholstery while the steering wheel is a chunky unit with thumb contours. Apart from auto headlamps, auto wipers and a touchscreen infotainment unit, the car also comes with a powered tailgate and a modern instrument console. The automaker has made prominent changes inside out to bring the SUV in line with rest of the cars from Mahindra.

Sitting taut on a new Quad Frame chassis, the Mahindra XUV700 gets a 2.2-litre e-XDi220 engine under the hood. The oil-burner puts out 187 HP of power and 420 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a 7-speed automatic gearbox sourced from Mercedes-Benz and a selectable four-wheel-drive system. Although the SUV will be largely assembled in India, some body panels and powertrain components will be imported directly from Korea.

2018 Mahindra XUV700

– Mahindra showcased SsangYong Rexton showcased at Auto Expo as XUV700
– Likely to be launched in second half of 2018
– 2018 XUV700 is fourth-gen Rexton model with new Quad Frame chassis
– Price expected to start from Rs. 24 lakhs (ex-showroom)