Mahindra XUV 7XO was India’s first important car launch of the year 2026. It is an evolution of the much-loved XUV700, which itself evolved from the XUV500. I drove the Mahindra XUV 7XO Diesel Automatic AWD variant for around 1,500 km across Maharashtra and Karnataka states to experience all the little nuances of this SUV to find out if it really has it all and is the mass market luxury car that you should buy.
Mahindra XUV 7XO 1,500 Km Drive Review
First thing anyone would notice about the XUV 7XO is its design. It has been polarizing since launch and it didn’t blow us away when we first saw it in Jaisalmer. However, some of the new design attributes have grown on me. Especially the new LED headlights and revised front grille. I’ve come to appreciate these two as they have become easy on the eyes. Body cladding is now gloss-black, which I liked as matte ones look dull very early in the lifecycle.
What I don’t dig is the lower half of the bumper. Fog lights and cornering lights are separate, which I loved, but they still look like eyeballs that have come out of the eye socket. Silver skid plate that rises up at both ends looks unnecessarily over-designed. Rear design is safer in comparison and it is identical to XEV 9S, except for rear bumper. 19-inch alloys look nice, but this vehicle needs fatter rubber.
In Karnataka, a person came to me and said “Naavu AX7 L gaadi book madidivi. Mundin tingalu delivery agutte”. He had booked an XUV 7XO AX7L and delivery is next month. He was smiling at the car like a little kid. And a toll operator in Maharashtra liked the car too. Our unit didn’t have Fastag yet and had Red registration plates. She asked “Naveen gaadi aahe kay? Khup chan diste”. She asked if it was a new car and she expressed that she liked it. She let me pass without taking toll money. I didn’t even know toll operators had that option.
Luxurious, Tech-Savvy Interiors
While enthusiasts are nitpicking about design, the general consensus seems to be liking the XUV 7XO and it is the best-selling D Segment monocoque SUV in India. Main reason for that could be interiors more than exteriors. XUV 7XO makes you feel like you’re in a much more expensive luxury car and not a sub Rs 30 lakh rupees (OTR) SUV. Mahindra has gotten rid of the MX trim lineup with XUV 7XO as all variants now get the Adrenox powered triple screen setup.
Dashboard is a familiar unit, which I first experienced in XEV 9e and then in XEV 9S. Only the gear selector on centre console and colour schemes are different. Steering wheel is the same too, but I liked the fact that XUV 7XO gets actual steering mounted buttons and not the touch-based buttons in the EVs. Unlike XEV 9S, XUV 7XO gets a privacy filter for the third passenger screen, which should be mandated, if an OEM is offering a co-driver screen.
XUV 7XO gets a unique triple tone interior with Black, Beige and Chestnut colours. Interior feels airy as majority colours are lighter, but is a little difficult to keep clean. There’s generous soft-touch materials lending a plush and luxurious feel. The only thing not shared with XEV 9S is the sliding second row seats. This interior is more or less identical to XEV 9S and XEV 9e. However, it is a major revolution if we bring XUV700 into the equation.
For starters, XUV 7XO finally gets an auto-dimming IRVM, triple 12.3-inch screens, powered co-driver seat, electric boss mode, ventilated front and rear seats, the 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system pumping 1400W, 540-degree camera with a transparent bonnet view, BYOD rear entertainment solution, 65W fast Type-C ports front and rear, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, sophisticated ambient lighting, second row wireless charging pad, rear sun shades and more over XUV700.
Space, Comfort, Usability
Mahindra XUV 7XO is advertised as a 7-seater SUV, but it is more of a 5+2 as the third row seats are best-suited for children. I tried to squeeze into the third row seats and my 6-foot frame regretted the squatting position. Space for the first-row seats is excellent with well-judged support and cushioning, even on long journeys. I drove 500 km almost non-stop and didn’t feel any major discomfort.
The electric seats with memory function is appreciated and ORVMs dip down a little when you get into reverse mode. Welcome and goodbye function, resolution of cameras, the brilliant audio system, slick and lag free UI on the screens, wireless Android Auto, cooled wireless charger, soft armrests in the centre and door trims along with softly padded steering wheel helped me to have one of the most comfortable long distance commutes. The haptic enabled panel for drive modes and 360-camera view is vastly inconsistent.
Hopping into the second row, I appreciated that there is a rear bench with outside seats getting ventilation. There are rear sun shades, coat hooks, reading lights, rear AC vents, ambient lighting, centre armrest, reclining backrest, the brilliant audio system, BYOD rear entertainment system, 65W Type-C chargers, map pockets and more. With electric boss mode, you can liberate acres of room to properly stretch out.
Boot space is limited with all-three rows up, with space to store a couple of backpacks or duffle bags at best. Boot is considerably larger when third row seats are folded flat and then cavernous if you want to fold down the second row as well. There are ample amount of cupholders and the iDrive-like dial to navigate the infotainment screen gets intuitive with time. I wouldn’t recommend adults to use the third row seats, but they’re there if you want.
Powertrains, Performance, Efficiency
Now that MX trim is phased out, the lower state of tune for Diesel engine is gone. Now, all Petrol and Diesel variants get the same power figure, while torque varies a little, depending on the gearbox. The unit I sampled was Diesel AT AWD and it performs the same as XUV700. Which is not a bad thing in any way as performance is plenty with this 2.2L Diesel unit, with around 184 bhp and 450 Nm with the automatic gearbox.
The engine is mostly vibe-free and Mahindra has used high-quality carpets and NVH absorbing materials on the inside, which do a tremendous job to keep occupants cocooned from the engine NVH. If you’re in the second row, this engine is virtually silent and with Petrol engine, this feeling is further compounded. There is some wind whistle at higher speeds around the A Pillars and ORVMs, but is not bothersome too.
XUV 7XO Diesel Auto acceleration is effortless. It is eager to achieve higher speeds quickly. Power delivery is smooth and punchy and gearshifts are predictable and smooth. At times, the gearbox is a little hesitant to downshift with aggressive throttle inputs, but is perfectly alright. There are no paddle shifters and that is alright too. Gear selector is a mechanical unit and has a manual override mode.
I wished Mahindra gave more manual control to owners with respect to gear shifts. In both D or M gear, minimum speeds to shift into 5th gear is 67 km/h and 6th gear is 83 km/h. This affects fuel efficiency as I only managed to extract 14.07 km/l with tank-to-tank method and cluster reading was close. If fuel efficiency is a priority, Diesel Manual is still the obvious choice.
Drive, Dynamics, Comfort
XUV 7XO comes with independent suspension at all four corners along with new Davinci Dampers. So, these are not active or semi-active dampers, but follows a mechanical system which is speed sensitive. So, the damping adapts with different speeds and conditions to give optimum comfort and stability. In our testing, I found that the ride quality is one of the best in this segment and is supremely comfortable.
Bump absorption is XUV 7XO’s forte and it does it so well, one would mistake it for a ladder frame SUV. You can feel the sense of solidity and indestructibility from this setup on broken roads. XUV 7XO takes on bad roads with absolute authority and the suspension does not bottom out even on the worst of conditions. Ground clearance is plenty and I didn’t face any issues even while off-roading to reach my farm house.
High speed mannerisms are not great because there is still a fair deal of vertical movement and then body roll. Mahindra seems to have tuned the suspension differently with different drivetrains. AWD variant seems to be sprung a little softer. Speaking of AWD, it engages automatically and it kicked in only when I was traversing the sandy patch of my farm. Braking is fine, but more bite would be nice.
ADAS suite is one of the most reliable ones I have tried at this price point. Mahindra has been the leader in this regard since XUV700 first launched. It does a good job of tracking obstacles and other road users around and even shows most of them on the instrument cluster. Lane keeping is consistent and predictable and did not shock me in any way. There were a few instances where it braked prematurely. I also used auto high beam feature because there’s more than enough illumination with low beam for me to feel confident at highway speeds.
Should You Buy One?
A few features are still missing in the Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7L trim. However, I have seen the leaked AX9L nomenclature before launch. I wish all the misses are offered in that upcoming top-spec AX9L trim. These misses include a powered tailgate, blindspot alert in ORVMs, all-four one-touch up / down windows, an ottoman for 2nd row occupants, a dedicated blower and a temperature zone for second row occupants, tray tables for 2nd row occupants, a cooled glovebox, maybe self park feature and some more.
Mahindra XUV 7XO stands tall as the vehicle that tries to do it all and offer everything you may or may not need. It is like Mahindra is trying to give you everything now so that you shouldn’t feel lacking in around 10 years of ownership. I didn’t face any reliability issues with electronics during my time and mechanically, it is one of the sweetest packages in this segment. The 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system is simply brilliant, but we wished we had proper infotainment and climate control buttons and conventional window switches.
The interiors are the main selling point of this SUV and it genuinely feels like a luxury car for the masses, something which similarly priced rivals SUVs and MPVs simply cannot match. XUV 7XO is good to drive, but not fun to drive as it is not a driver’s car. Despite the missing features, Mahindra XUV 7XO is our easiest recommendation in the D Segment monocoque SUV space.
