Jayco Hawk vs Mahindra XUV700

What's the difference?

In light of the large volume of dirt-road-friendly camper-trailers being seen on bush tracks of late you’d be safe in assuming that they are the flavor of the month.

Sure, lots of people buy into the idea of the off-road-camping lifestyle and may get a surprise when faced with the reality of it, but the number of those who swiftly grow to love the camper-trailer way, far out-weigh the number of those who don’t.

We took a Hawk Outback into the bush to check it out.

There are around 30 different models fighting for your attention in Australia’s medium SUV segment. More than double that if you include premium options. In other words, there’s overwhelming choice.

Some of the most popular options include Toyota’s RAV4, the Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander, with a bunch of Chinese brands climbing up the charts.

But have you ever considered a Mahindra? The Indian carmaker has been operating in Australia for close to 20 years and the product line-up has improved considerably.

Case in point, the MY25 Mahindra XUV700. A replacement for the unloved XUV500, it’s just come in for a refresh adding new interior trim and tech features and it’s still affordable.

But is it worth taking a chance on the up-and-coming brand? Read on to find out.