Want affordable luxury? Meet the Mahindra XUV700 Black Edition

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Let’s set the scene…

You can tell a lot about a town, or a suburb, by its cars. Today we're on High Street, Armadale, in Melbourne's high society south-east, and Audis are as common as Toyota Corollas.

BMW X5s, Porsche Macans and Cayennes are each a dime a dozen, while it's on this prestige shopping strip you could expect to spot a Rolls-Royce Cullinan – the most luxurious SUV of all. 

RELATED: Visit Drive’s Mahindra XUV700 Showroom

Parked kerbside in blacks, silvers and whites, with the occasional dark blue or red, their owners could be perusing one of the many luxury brand fashion stores on this famed Melbourne street, from Assembly to Elka Collective, perhaps flexing platinum Amexes and flashing their Cartier.

The thought of pulling over for a look has entered our minds, as well. That's because the car we're driving today, while it costs just $43,990 drive-away, is making us feel a million bucks. 

The design of the Mahindra XUV700 Black Edition

For less than the price of your typical Hublot, the Mahindra XUV700 (pronounced "seven double-oh") fits into this high-end streetscape with confidence, and a little bit of cheek. Designed by Pratap Bose, Chief Design and Creative Officer at Mahindra, this model is called the Black Edition and takes inspiration from brands such as Volvo (with its recent XC90 Black Edition).

There's an air of exclusiveness about this Indian-built SUV and not just because of its inky Napoli Black exterior, blacked-out 18-inch wheels, or stealthy, blacked-out front grille. That's because the new flagship Black Edition comes with a handful of features that make its owners feel just that little bit more special compared to your typical XUV700. 

This is a spectacular interior for the price. Sunlight floods the cabin through the expansive glass roof – stretching almost the full length of the car –while the suave black upholstery feels expensive to the touch. There's the unmistakable soft waxiness of real leather on the steering wheel and gear shifter, while dual 10.25-inch, beautifully bright screens span from behind the steering wheel to the centre of the dash, adding a sense of technology to this otherwise smartly-appointed place. Pop your phone into a wireless phone charger and it instantly, and wirelessly, syncs to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. 

New cars are meant to surprise and delight, and the XUV700 Black Edition is a joy to explore – if for no reason than discovering its extensive list of standard equipment, unheard of on rival, entry-level SUVs that cost about the same as this range-topping model. Hit unlock and the flush door handles – which give the XUV700 a cleaner look when locked, and aid aerodynamics on the move – gently pop out, as they would on a Range Rover. 

From the driver’s seat

Once you're in the driver's seat, the seat itself will electrically motor forward to your normal driving position, making it easier to get in and out. Its storable memory settings – a game-changer if you regularly share the car with someone else – go a step further in the Black Edition, too, storing settings for the electric rear-vision mirrors. When you live with a car every day, it's the little things like this that make all the difference. 

The front seats themselves are heated, meaning a Mahindra designer must have once visited this same street in Melbourne, in about July. But then they must have jetted up to Cairns as well, given the front seats are air-conditioned – a must for a hot Aussie day. 

And on first glance, you might think the XUV700 is a five-seater, but in fact you can fit seven people into this SUV. The entire back seat folds forward with just one touch, making it easy to access the third row. There are even air-conditioning vents back there – a generous touch. 

Then there's the sound system. Not that long ago, you were lucky to get four speakers in an equivalently priced vehicle, but the XUV700 Black Edition has no fewer than 12. With its rich bass and crisp highs, this first-class Sony-supplied system sounds as if pinched from a car three times the cost. 

The driving experience

The technology in this car runs much deeper than some fancy screens and stereos, too. There's a 360-degree surround-view parking camera – giving you an unfair advantage squeezing into tiny spots – while the XUV700 has a full, advanced driver assist system including adaptive, radar-based cruise control and semi-autonomous Smart Pilot Assist. There's also the most advanced active safety technology around, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist. 

It's one thing to look the part, but you also need to act the part. And the XUV700 drives the way it looks. Thanks partly to the independent rear suspension, the ride quality is as good as the best this segment has to offer, while the refinement overall is very pleasing. The six-speed automatic transmission is smooth-shifting, while the direct-injected 2.0-litre turbocharged engine has plenty of urge. 

The history of Mahindra

Of course, Mahindra is a brand that seems so new, but it has the runs on the board. As well as being able to make you potentially the world's best and most advanced tractor, Mahindra has produced SUVs going back to 1947. In Australia today, there are 75 Mahindra dealers – and more coming – meaning this Indian brand is here to stay. 

While it's one thing to make a car feel luxurious, the most important task of any luxury good is to be reliable. While the Simpson Desert doesn't conjure the same image quite like super-yachts bobbing around Monaco's marina, it was here Mahindra proved to Australians its reliability mettle, with a near-stock Scorpio SUV setting a new record for the "fastest crossing by a production vehicle of the Simpson Desert" in 2023. 

Every new Mahindra sold comes with a seven-year, 150,000km warranty and seven years of roadside assistance – further cementing this brand's willingness to put its reliability money where its mouth is. 

But also to democratise luxury. Back on High Street in Armadale, it strikes us that Mahindra is doing to cars what has happened to our clothes, houses and holidays. Until accessible luxury brands took the world by storm, sophisticated fashion, expansive kitchens and great escapes were reserved for the privileged few. The same could be said about what we parked in our driveway. Until now. 

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