Mahindra is working on XUV 700 which will be positioned above the current XUV 500. It is a 7-seater SUV that will go against Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar and the MG Hector Plus. The SUV is expected to launch around October in the Indian market. The picture that we see below has been clicked in Nashik, Maharashtra. The XUV 700 will be larger and more premium than the current XUV 500.

The SUV that we see in the spy picture is fully camouflaged but we can still make out some design elements. The overall design language is aggressive and the stance looks like it has been lowered slightly when compared to the XUV 500. Up=-front there are 6 vertical slats for the grille.

The headlamps are unique as they should come with an L-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamp. The headlamps and the fog lamps themselves will come with an LED setup. There is also a slim air dam that sits between both the fog lamps. Towards, the sides there are no immediate door handles because Mahindra is using a new type of door handles that sit flush with the bodywork and help in smoothening out airflow.

The alloy wheels are of new design and have 5-spokes and wide haunches over the rear wheel well. This design became an identifiable feature with the XUV 500. There are also roof rails which we expect are only there for cosmetic purposes. There is also a huge panoramic sunroof that will let in a lot of light into the cabin. At the rear, there will be wrap-around horizontal LED tail lamps.

Just like the exterior, the interior is also completely new. It comes with dual-tone black and beige colour combination. The SUV is expected to use soft-touch materials for all the touchpoints to provide a premium experience to the cabin. There are dual horizontal screens mounted on the dashboard.

The central screen is a new generation of the touchscreen infotainment system that will come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The second screen will be the digital instrument cluster for the driver. The lower variants will come with an analogue speedometer and tachometer with a multi-information display derived from the new generation of Scorpio.

Mahindra will be offering a lot of equipment with the XUV 700. It will come with electric adjustment for the driver seat, multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, voice commands, connected car technology, multi-zone climate control and much more. There are also rumours of it coming with autonomous driving technology.

Mahindra will be offering the XUV 700 with two engine options. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with direct injection will produce around 190 PS and 380 Nm. Whereas the diesel engine is being tested in three states of tune. There is 180 bhp, 190 bhp and 210 bhp. The 210 bhp configuration produces 450 Nm of torque and is expected to be reserved for the top-end variant or some future facelift. This engine is also expected to do duty on the upcoming XUV 900 Coupe which has been greenlit by the manufacturer. For the XUV 700, the engine is expected to produce 180 bhp and 380 Nm of peak torque. Both the engines will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.