With the recent facelift, the Mahindra XUV 7XO continues to be a great option to consider if you are in the market for a 7-seater SUV. It is available in 6 variants: AX, AX3, AX5, AX7, AX7T and AX7L, and continues to be the only 7-seater SUV in its class to offer you the option of an all-wheel drivetrain (diesel AT only).

However, if the top-spec variant is too expensive for you, and the entry-level variants feel a little basic in terms of how the car looks and feels, then the mid-spec AX5 and AX7 variants might provide you with the right balance. And with only Rs 96,000 between the two variants, which one should you put your money on?

Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 vs AX7: Price

• Prices for the AX5 of the Mahindra XUV 7XO range from Rs 17.52 lakh to Rs 19.44 lakh (ex-showroom).

• Mahindra retails the AX7 variant from Rs 18.48 lakh to Rs 20.40 lakh (ex-showroom).

• The AX7 variant carries a steady premium of Rs 96,000 over all the corresponding powertrains of the AX5 variant.

Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 vs AX7: Design

Design-wise, the AX3 and AX5 variants of the Mahindra XUV 7XO are hard to differentiate with just one distinctive styling element between the two.

Front

Both the variants get an LED-lighting setup at the front with LED bi-projector headlights that look like ice cubes, flanked by split C-shaped LED DRLs. Separating the two headlights is a thick grille that sports slightly angled vertical slats with the Mahindra logo sitting right in the middle.

The bumper looks sculpted with a triangular housing where the fog lights go in the higher variants. Here, you just get a dummy outline, along with a silver skid plate on the lower end.

Side

A quick glance here is enough to identify the difference between the two variants as they sit on different sized wheels with different designs. The AX5 variant sits on 17-inch steel wheels with black covers, while the AX7 variant gets dual-tone 18-inch alloy wheels. Understandably, the alloy wheels look more premium, but it's not like the wheel covers of the AX5 variant look basic or boring by any means.

The rest of the elements, including the indicators on the ORVMs, flush door handles and roof rails are common.

Rear

There are no differences in design at the rear. Both the variants make use of big chunky LED tail lights, which get an interesting honeycomb-like pattern detailing within that adds some style over the outgoing model. Here too, the lights are connected, not by an LED panel, but by a piano black strip.

The bumper design is minimalistic for an SUV this big, with a mesh design, C-shaped outlines and a silver skid plate for some contrast.

Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 vs AX7: Colour Options

Mahindra offers the XUV 7XO in 7 colour options:

• Ruby Velvet

• Nebula Blue

• Galaxy Grey

• Stealth Black

• Desert Myst

• Midnight Black

• Everest White

All these 7 monotone exterior colours are available to be specced with both the variants, but only the AX7 gets the option of a Stealth Black dual-tone roof with the Midnight Black, Desert Myst, Galaxy Grey, and Everest White shades.

Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 vs AX7: Interior

The difference between the AX5 variant in the interior is pretty evident as soon as you get inside the AX7 variant. While the overall styling and layout of the dashboard with the triple-screen setup remains the same, elements within it now look more premium, and feel more premium to touch.

For starters, instead of Mahindra's regular 3-spoke steering wheel, the AX7 variant borrows the new two-spoke steering wheel that debuted on the XEV 9e and BE6. Even the seats have been upgraded as they get a dual-tone leatherette wrap and the soft touch material can also be found on the steering wheel, gear lever and front sliding armrest.

You can read about all the details of the Mahindra XUV 7XO's AX5 variant here.

So while there is an obvious visual difference, the AX7's features list has even more upgrades. Let's take a look:

Mahindra XUV 7XO AX5 vs AX7: Features

For a mid-spec variant, the AX5 covers every basic functional feature you would need for a no-compromise daily use experience. However, the AX7 builds on that package by offering some feel-good features that offer you better convenience.

Firstly, the driver's life has been made better, and if you have multiple drivers in the family, the addition of a 6-way powered driver seat with memory function, and memory and auto-dipping function in the ORVM will be a great feature to have.

Features like a manual bose mode, bring your own device (BYOD) mounts, and 65W type-C charging ports at the rear improve the second row experience. The rest of the new features of the AX7 variant include dual-zone climate control, an air purifier with an AQI display, rain-sensing wipers, remote cooling, extra connected car tech features and automatic headlights.