Do you know how many variants we have among the XUV700, Hector, and Harrier? Let me pause while you guess.
75. 75! And guess what, I haven’t even talked about Safari and Hector Plus Yet. With those included, the number shoots up to 115 variants. Crazy right! So if you’re looking for a big SUV for yourself, it can seriously be a daunting task to pick the right variant and model. Read on to pick out the single most value-for-money model and variant among the options I just mentioned above.
The Mahindra XUV AX5 is powerful, feature-packed, and premium. So if you are fishing for the most bang for your buck, this right here is pound-for-pound the most value-for-money model and variant you can buy in its class. Let’s see why.
To be clear we are not talking about the smaller SUVs like the Seltos or Kushaq here. But guess what? It does offer a very viable alternative. A mid-spec version of a bigger, bolder, brawnier, more powerful, more spacious SUV, if you consider it as an alternative.
Why is the XUV700 AX5 the best?
Here’s my rationale for picking out the XUV700, as the model comes before the variants. Body before the clothes, if you will. Of the three options, I believe that the XUV700 is the most well-engineered, most powerful, most well-put together, most dynamically able, most well-finished, and dimensionally the most well-proportioned vehicle of the lot.
The Mahindra as the base product aces its rivals. Its engines are the most powerful and refined in the class. The XUV 700 engine is incomparably more powerful than the other two, dishing out 37 PS and 137 Nm more than the Hector in petrol guise, and 15 PS and 70 Nm more in the diesel guise than than both Hector and Harrier. It also offers the most number of engine and transmission options.
The XUV 700 also has the longest wheelbase, which translates to most cabin space. In terms of absolute length and height too, it’s smaller than the Hector only by a measly 4 mm and 5 mm. It is taller and longer than the Harrier, and just slightly narrower than the Harrier.
With a GNCAP 5-star rating, it’s one of the safest cars out there. It’s arguably the best in terms of active safety and is the most comfortable too across a variety of speeds.
To sum it up, I chose the XUV 700 as the product itself is tough to fault. Well engineered, well finished, robust, loaded with tech & features, proven track record with very high audience acceptance. Class-leading performance and safety.
The result of several shootouts and comparisons between the three models make it amply clear that the XUV is indeed the most well-rounded of the triad. You can also have this car as a 5 or 7-seater, based on your requirements.
With that out of the way, Let’s have look into why I chose the AX5 variant. I wanted to pick a variant that had most of the must-have features a modern consumer would need while leaving out variants with features that a price-conscious customer can do without.
Key Features Explained
On the outside, the AX5 looks nice, premium, and like a top-spec car. You get 17-inch diamond cut alloys, flush fitting smart door handles, LED DRLs and follow-me-home LED Clear view headlamps along with fog lamps and cornering function. You also get sequential front LED turn indicators and Arrow-Head LED Tail lamps.
On the inside, the AX5 looks plush and premium, with the most notable premium feature being the massive panoramic sunroof, what Mahindra likes calling the Skyroof. It’s one of the most in-demand features and one of the reasons why I chose this variant. Later, we’ll also compare the variants from Hector and Harrier with panoramic sunroofs with the AX5 to put things in perspective.
Adding a lot to the premium feel of the AX5 variants are the twin connected 10.25 inch infotainment and driver display units which come equipped with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay. It also gets Alexa built in the system for super responsive voice clommands, and of course a hi-res reversing camera. You get on board navigation, and Adrenox with 75 plus connected car features. There’s a nice sounding six speaker audio on offer with sound staging too.
Apart from its premium feel, the XUV 700 feels airy and spacious too. You’ll get a 50:50 split reclinable third row in the seven seater variant and a one touch tumble for the 60:40 split second row in the seven seater variant. The third row gets dedicated AC vents. You’ll get a central front armrest with storage, bottle holders in all doors, adjustable headrests on both rows, USB A and C sockets in both rows, electric mirrors, and map lamps for the second row. The engines also come equipped with MicroHybrid Technology. You also get drive modes and cruise control.
Safety
Coming to safety, it’s common knowledge that the XUV 700 is a GNCAP 5 star rated machine, with its solid construction. The AX5 version gets curtain airbags for all rows along with the twin front airbags, latest gen electronics and ESP, Speed Sensitive door locks, ISOFIX child seat mounts and personalized safety alerts.
That’s a ton of features for a sticker price of 17.69 lakh for the petrol manual version of the AX5. Sure you’ll miss out on some goodies when you compare it with the AX7, but you’ll also save a whopping 3.6 lakh ex showroom over the higher variant.
XUV700 AX5 vs Harrier sv Hector
Let’s also compare with the equivalent variants, that’s the base variants that offer a panoramic sunroof of Hector and Harrier. But before we weigh the features, we need to remember what I said at the outset. The XUV700 is a superior base car. It has the class leading powertrains and is arguably the best engineered machine of the lot.
That said, the AX5 5-seater version of the XUV 700 has an ex-showroom price of Rs 17.69 lakh. In comparison, the Harrier Pure Plus S Manual retails for two lakhs extra. Sure, the Hector is a diesel, but even the 7-seater version of the diesel AX5 is still about Rs 1.40 lakh cheaper.
The Hector Select Pro Manual 1.5 petrol retails for 17.3 lakh ex-showroom, a difference of about 40 thousand. Though it gets only 2 airbags and doesn’t even have an NCAP rating. It also misses out on diamond-cut alloys.
I know some of you have concerns about the delivery time of the XUV700, but the good news is that after the production ramp up the waiting period has come down, and the maximum wait time at this point for the AX5 variant is about 8 weeks. Less than two months, which to me sounds pretty decent.
Of course all cars have their pros and cons, like, the Harrier looks great and the Hector’s chrome studded grille attracts many. So those for whom money is not a concern can always go for the model and variants of their choice. But for those who are looking for the most balanced buy between 15 to 20 lakh rupees, the Mahindra XUV 700 AX5 is the model and variant of choice in my humble opinion.