Mahindra XUV700 And Plastic Tailgates: Mythbusting | Safety? Cost? Grades?

At the first drive of the Mahindra XUV700, we learnt the SUV uses a plastic tailgate. Of course, the word ‘plastic’ is rarely associated with something positive so rumours about quality, cost-cutting and crash safety competence spread quickly. So we decided to understand the matter with more depth by speaking to experts in the business to separate fact from fiction. In this video, we take a look at the finer details of thermoplastic tailgates and panels as a technology, explore why many car manufacturers now use them and discuss the pros and cons. The XUV700 itself is off to a strong start with bookings for the first batch of 50,000 cars already snatched up. In fact, the first set of 25,000 cars sold at the introductory pricing found takers in under an hour. Subsequently, prices for the SUV have also been increased by around Rs 50,000. Delivery timelines, however, will vary based on the location/variant/configuration chosen and while the cars have been blocked, owing to ongoing component shortages, deliveries may still take a while. With prices ranging between Rs 12L and Rs 23L, the XUV700 is available with petrol and diesel engines offered with both, manual and automatic transmissions. The diesel is also available with all-wheel drive and the SUV is sold with 5- and 7-seater configurations. XUV700: https://www.zigwheels.com/newcars/Mahindra/xuv700