Mahindra XUV 700 gets 25,000 bookings in 57 minutes, equaling 6-mth output

Mahindra XUV700 clocked 25,000 bookings in its first 57 minutes on Thursday, Mahindra and Mahindra said, terming it an “unprecedented milestone in the Indian automotive industry”.

The 25,000 units of the recently launched model is equivalent to up to six months of production, depending on the variant. It also makes the XUV700 the first four-wheeler in India to hit this milestone, the company claimed.

With prices starting from Rs 1,249,000 to Rs 2,299,000, the XUV500 replacement is available in five trims, multiple variants (petrol, diesel, automatic and manual transmission) and five- and seven-seater configurations. While the five-seater model rivals mid-size SUVs such as Creta and Seltos, the seven-seater model competes with the Tata Safari, Toyota Innova and MG Hector and Hector Plus.

“While we anticipated the traffic and prepared our system with added server capacity, the overwhelming response could have regrettably led to a slow user experience by some of our customers,” said Veejay Nakra, CEO, Automotive Division, M&M.

The XUV700, which will replace the XUV500, has also received more than 260,000 inquiries since its name was revealed, M&M said.

India sold 523,012 units of SUVs in the first five months of the ongoing fiscal, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).The body type now accounts for 36 per cent of the total PV sales, up from a fourth a year ago. The booking of 25,000 units of the XUV700 model is almost 20 per cent of the monthly industry volumes of the SUVs. “Many would have booked the model simply due to the uncertainties related to the delivery. The shortage of semiconductor has only deepened in the recent past. A long waiting period may prompt buyers to cancel bookings,” said an analyst.

The Mumbai-headquartered firm will now recommence the bookings from 10 am on Friday.