Mahindra just revealed the name of their new SUV, it will be called the XUV 700. Earlier the SUV was known by its codename W601. It is slated to launch in Quarter 2 of FY22. Earlier, it was assumed that the W601 will be replacing the current XUV500. However, because the SUV has been christened XUV 700, it means that it will be positioned above the current XUV500. Mahindra also unveiled that they will be temporarily discontinuing the XUV500 once the XUV 700 is launched. The information was shared on Twitter.

The XUV500 was one of the most important SUV from Mahindra after the Scorpio as it sold like hot cakes when it was first launched 10 years back. Discontinuing the XUV500 will leave a large gap in Mahindra’s line-up. There is a possibility that the 2021 Scorpio might take place of the XUV500 but the ‘XUV500’ badge is too big to be voided. It is important to note that the tweet said temporarily discontinuing. So, the XUV500 will be making a comeback, we just do not know in what form.

Manufacturer’s nowadays have started keeping their old vehicles on sale. Honda did it with the 4th generation City, Ford did it with the Fiesta and even Hyundai did it with the i10. So, there is a possibility that the XUV500 returns at a lower price and with fewer variants.

There is also a possibility that Mahindra re-launches the XUV500 as a 5-seater in the Indian market. Many manufacturers are following this trend also. Hyundai has the Creta and the Alcazar which are based on each other. There is the MG Hector and Hector Plus. Even, Tata recently launched the Safari which is a 7-seater version of the Harrier.

Another thing to note is that the XUV500 is now 10 years old. The XUV500 has been upgraded numerous times. It got a better interior with soft-touch materials and it was also updated to comply with the new crash test norms. Mahindra even upgraded the engine of the XUV500 to comply with the stricter BS6 emission norms. But there is only so much that the manufacturer can do before the model starts to look and feel dated in front of the more modern rivals.

The XUV500 was the first SUV from the homegrown manufacturer to have a monocoque chassis with a front-wheel-drive layout. The design of the SUV was inspired by Cheetah and that showed on the SUV. The design was aggressive and people loved the road presence that the XUV500 was able to offer.

It offered many first-in-segment features that no one had heard at that time. Even now the XUV500 is considered to be very well equipped. It was offered as a 7-seater which made it perfect for families. All of this combined offered an immense value for money offering from Mahindra and that was the reason why the XUV500 was such a big hit in the Indian market. It was the XUV500 that caused the birth of the XUV line-up. We saw the XUV300 which is a compact SUV and now Mahindra will be launching the XUV 700 which is expected to be a more premium offering.