MAHINDRA XUV 700 VS TATA SAFARI,WHICH IS BETTER?

Launched in 2021, Mahindra XUV 700 and Tata Safari have come to dominate the Indian SUV market, with not much separating them. Today, we bring you a detailed comparison between the SUV flagship models by Mahindra and Tata.

DIMENSIONS

	MAHINDRA XUV 700	TATA HARRIER
Length (mm)	4695	4661
Width (mm)	1890	1894
Height (mm)	1755	1786
Wheelbase (mm)	2750	2741
Ground Clearance (mm)		205

The XUV700 doesn’t quite have the same road presence as the Safari. This is true even though the Safari (4,661×1,894×1,786mm) has a wheelbase that is 2,741mm longer than that of the 700 (4,695×1,890×1,755mm), which is the longer SUV overall (4,695×1,890×1,755mm). It might be because to the Safari’s larger height or a little higher leading edge on the hood that it performs better.

ENGINE

Apart from having a higher displacement 2.2-liter diesel engine with more power (185PS vs 170PS) and torque (450Nm vs 350Nm) than the Safari, the 700 has an advantage over it on paper. The engine is also a little bit quieter and smoother, though it says more about the Safari’s engine that it does this. Again, the Safari’s slightly gruffer engine tone contributes to its more fervently SUV-like feel, which one could easily get acclimated to, but there’s no disputing the 700 seems more upscale and less vivacious. Although it feels like the Safari’s gearbox (a Hyundai unit) might just have the edge in intuitiveness when selecting gears at lower speeds, with marginally quicker downshifts when an overtake calls for it, it is difficult to find fault with either, or the 6-speed torque converter automatics in either. To keep up with city traffic, both of these SUVs shift up around the 2,000rpm level, and strangely, roll-on performance was nearly equal. The 700 has an advantage over the Safari in terms of overall performance, clocking in at 9.3 seconds as opposed to 11.6 seconds for the 0-100kmph dash!

	MAHINDRA XUV 700	TATA SAFARI
Engine	1997 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	1956 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC
Engine Type	2.0 Turbo Petrol With Direct Injection (TGDi)	2.0 L Kryotec
Fuel Type	Petrol	Diesel
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	197 bhp @ 5000 rpm	168 bhp @ 3750 rpm
Max Torque (Nm@rpm)	380 Nm @ 1750 rpm	350 Nm @ 1750 rpm

FEATURES

The 700 pulls out an advantage here, with seven airbags (curtain airbags extend to the third row) to the Safari’s six, apart from all the ADAS tech, which includes forward collision warning/avoidance, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. Only the 700 carries a GNCAP rating, of an impressive 5 stars.

EXTERIOR

But the Safari’s built-in roof rails are a welcome touch. It would seem that the wheels also have an impact because the alloy wheels on the Safari look more solid and chunky and the 235/60-18 tyres better fill out the wheel wells. For an SUV of this size, the polished/painted spokes on the comparable-sized alloy wheels on the 700 may be a little too thin and stylish-looking. Additionally, the 700’s LED tail lights are noticeable at night when viewed from the rear, but the split LED light signature on the Safari is clearly a Land Rover, with its position high up. Speaking of lighting, the 700 has a huge advantage in its LED headlights and auto booster tech; these lights are amongst the very best we’ve ever driven with, in turning night to day! The Safari’s halogen projectors are adept by themselves but aren’t in the same league when it comes to throw and reach.

INTERIOR

A cursory comparison of the interiors of these two SUVs shows that, aside from seeming more SUV-like, the 700 feels more modern and airy because to all the technology and lighter colours, while the Safari feels more roomy across all the rows of seating. Particularly when a sizable dash is laid out in front of you and you actually sink into the roomy seats. Another significant distinction is that only the Safari offers second-row captain seats, which are significantly more comfortable than the 700’s bench-style seats. The 700 especially stands out thanks to its full-digital instrumentation screens that span half of the dash and touchscreen infotainment system that takes design cues from Mercedes.

As an experience, the 700 delivers one that feels like it could be a segment above, with near-everything thought of – even the sunshades can be extended for better coverage! That assessment stands largely true, if not for some of the plastics somewhat letting it down, especially in the door handle area, and on the lower dash. It also felt like the seats had a bit too much lumbar support for me. Climbing into the Safari after feels like you’ve got into an older SUV, which is fair. But to the Safari’s credit it doesn’t feel bad, just different. It’s more old-school, what with the tiny touchscreen infotainment system (wired CarPlay glitched on us as well), smaller ana-digi instrumentation and the like.