Mahindra XUV700 2023: Australian release date confirmed for seven-seat SUV

Mahindra has confirmed to Chasing Cars that it will launch the XUV700 midsize SUV in Australia this June.

The new model is part of an expansion by the Indian Mahindra brand in 2023 that will also see the Toyota Fortuner-rivalling Scorpio-N debut in April.

Despite being a midsize SUV, the XUV700 offers both six- and seven-seat options globally, similar to the Mitsubishi Outlander and Skoda Kodiaq.

At launch, the XUV will be offered with a front-wheel-drive setup and a yet to be specified petrol engine, though it’s expected to be the 147kW/380Nm, the 2.0-litre turbocharged unit offered in India. 

Mahindra Australia marketing manager James Halliwell told Chasing Cars that unlike its Scorpio-N sibling, which lacks crucial safety features such as AEB, the XUV700 would debut with a full safety suite of driver assistance technology.

“It comes with a full ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) suite in it, including autonomous braking, lane keeping assistance and on top-end variants adaptive cruise control with stop and go,” he said. 

Scorpio-N to be sold with six seats only… for now

The XUV700 will become a crucial entrant in the popular seven-seat field here in Australia and particularly so given that the Scorpio-N will be restricted to six-seats for now.

Halliwell said the seven-seat option will be coming to the Scorpio-N in Australia but parts supply issues were currently holding it back. 

“We’ve got a waiting period with the supplier for those seats for this market. I don’t exactly know how long that’ll be, it could be up to 12 months,” he said.  

For now, Halliwell said the focus was to get the car out on the street and in the hands of customers and the seven-seat option would likely be introduced alongside a future facelift.