We get into a quick conversation with Mahindra’s Pratap Bose, post the launch of XUV 700
Q: The all-new Mahindra XUV 700 is just out. It looks fabulous and quite unconventional for a Mahindra. There are many novelties including the new Mahindra logo. What do you find the most desirable in this vehicle, as a designer?
Well, the front fascia is among my personal favourites. I particularly love the way the grille, headlamps, and LED DRLs are designed. Also, the sequential indicators have a very promising visual appeal. We have also given this product a mixed range of colours for now- you get both subtle shades and flashy shades (like the Blue that you see here). We intend to appeal to a wider audience with this palette- to those who want to take it lightly and those who wish to flaunt the flair, alike.
My other favourite bit is the cabin. As you should have already experienced, the XUV 700’s cabin has an evident touch of modernity to it. The clean tile layout of the screens and the dash have been inspired by ‘outer space’. We wanted the XUV’s cabin to give you a sci-fi feel, right from the moment you step in. These are my favourite bits about this car, as a designer.
Q: Mahindra has just gotten a new visual identity- a new logo and a revamped colour palette for the dealerships. We already know the story behind the logo. What does the new corporate colour palette signify?
Well, the revised palette of our dealer network has Charcoal as its primary colour and has pronounced Red accents. We intend to convey our evolution through the shade of Black. Mahindra as a brand is evolving. Our products are evolving, outreach is evolving, designs are evolving and the identity as such is evolving. We aspire to provide an equally classy, premium buying and ownership experience to the customers, like our products.
The Black in the new palette is intended to denote this sense of Class/ ‘premium-ness’, whereas the Red accent is meant to signify the dynamism and youthful nature of our products, and on a more important note, draw a better connection with the Mahindra that you’ve all known in the past. If you might remember, Red has been a part of Mahindra’s corporate identity for a long time. We have had it on the ‘Road Ahead’ logo, with which, Mahindra as a brand had achieved many notable milestones. We thus consider these Red accents as subtle expressions of our rich heritage.
Q: Hints at the future of Mahindra designs? How far would the MADE contribute to shaping the brand’s design-future?
Well, the MADE (acronym for Mahindra Advanced Design Europe) is located in Coventry, UK. Coventry, as you might already know, is a hot spot for automotive designs. Many auto giants have their design facilities running there. Such a strategic placement of our design studio gives us multiple advantages including increased exposure. We get access to many global talents and people with high skill levels. MADE will be working together with the Mahindra design studio in Mumbai and Turin-based Pininfarina (as and when the need be), to craft designs with an extreme focus on period relevance. We will be creating our versions of the most contemporary SUV designs of any given time-span. You will see how good these can get, in our future lineup.
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