Mahindra XUV700 to become more affordable; Here’s how

Mahindra has been struggling to meet the super aggressive demand for the XUV700, with the SUV commanding a waiting period that is stretching up to 8 to 10 months. The higher-spec AX5 and AX7 variants of the SUV are the most in-demand variants, which come with a range of new-gen features. However, unable to meet the demand due to the shortage of semiconductors, Mahindra will bring the AX7 variant without the ADAS as per CarBlogIndia.

Mahindra has been unable to deliver the vehicle to even some of those customers who booked the SUV on the very first day of the commencement of bookings. The main reason cited behind this issue is the global shortage of semiconductor chips. The XUV700 has already gained an immense amount of popularity throughout India. The new midsize SUV from Mahindra has already garnered a large number of bookings, which currently stand at 70,000. That’s a massively impressive number because the XUV700 was launched in India only a month ago.

Reducing the waiting period

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To reduce the booking backlogs and waiting periods, Mahindra is working on a couple of solutions. Apart from slowly ramping up the production, Mahindra is also working on an iteration of the AX7 variant without the autonomous driving assistance system (ADAS). This news has been confirmed by a few sources from dealer-level, who have said that the company is planning to launch the top-spec AX7 variant without ADAS features in all the possible configurations of petrol-manual, petrol-automatic, diesel-manual and diesel-automatic. This variant will be named AX7 Smart and will miss out on the ADAS features to rely less on semiconductor chips.

The ADAS functions require a few sensors and chips for functioning, which adds to the cost of the vehicle. So, if Mahindra brings in the AX7 Smart to the market, expect it to be priced lower than the regular AX7. This move will be beneficial for those customers who have booked the AX7 variant but can live without the ADAS features and be happy with the lower cost of the vehicle.

No official word on the change

There is no official word from Mahindra’s head office regarding this variant. However, if this news is true, Mahindra might start contacting the customers who have booked the AX7 variant for this new variant and try in reducing the booking backlogs as much as possible.

Currently, the AX7 variant of the Mahindra XUV700 is available in four powertrain combinations. Firstly, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is offered with both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox options and makes 200 PS of power and 380 Nm of torque. Then comes the diesel engine, which produces 185 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque with the 6-speed manual and 185 PS of power and 450 Nm of torque with the 6-speed automatic.

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