Paralympian Deepa Malik gets a custom-built Mahindra XUV700

A few months ago, Paralympian Deepa Malik posted a tweet saying that she loves driving big SUVs but getting in and out is a challenge for her because she has to use a special seat. She tagged Mahindra, MG Motor and Tata Motors and said that she would buy their SUV if it will come with a special seat. Anand Mahindra replied to Deepa’s tweet and agreed to build an XUV700 with a special seat. Now, Deepa has shared the pictures of her new special XUV700 that is currently being developed.

The SUV is being developed at Mahindra Research Valley and Deepa Malik visited the facility to see the ongoing work. In the picture, we can see an XUV700 with a special seat. The seat is developed by TrueAssis Tech who are already installing such seats in other Mahindra’s vehicles. Deepa Malik is also the voice behind MG Astor’s personal AI assistant.

Mahindra XUV700

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The XUV700 already seems like a huge success for Mahindra. The manufacturer has received 65,000 bookings in just two weeks. The bookings of the XUV700 were started on October 7th and the deliveries of the petrol variants of the XUV700 will start from October 30th and deliveries of diesel XUVs will start from the last week of November. The delivery timelines can change because of the global shortage of semiconductors that world is facing.

Engine and gearbox

The XUV700 is offered with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine. The mStallion petrol engine is turbocharged and comes with direct injection. It produces 200 PS of max power and 380 Nm of peak torque. The mStallion diesel engine is offered in two states of tune. In the MX trim, the engine produces 155 PS of max power and 360 Nm whereas in AX trim the engine puts out 185 PS of max power and 420 Nm.

Both the engines are offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The MX trim is only offered with a manual gearbox and if you opt for the automatic transmission with a diesel engine, the torque output is increased to 450 Nm.

Both the engines produce class-leading power figures in the segment. This makes the XUV700, the most powerful SUV in the segment. Mahindra claims that the XUV700 with the petrol engine can hit 60 kmph in 5 seconds and has a top speed of more than 200 kmph.

The diesel engine also comes with drive modes, namely Zip, Zap, Zoom and Custom. There is also an all-wheel-drive system offered with the diesel engine. It is not a proper 4×4 system that we get on the Thar. Instead, it is made for soft roading and will be helpful in case the SUV loses traction. For instance, icy and muddy situations.

Prices and competitors

The prices of the XUV700 are very attractive. It starts from Rs. 12.49 lakhs ex-showroom and go all the way up to Rs. 22.99 lakhs ex-showroom. The XUV700 competes against the Tata Safari, Jeep Compass Hyundai Alcazar and MG Hector Plus.

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