AUSTRALIA is only the third market to get Indian car-maker Mahindra’s first proper passenger vehicle – after India and South Africa – as the world’s fastest-growing car market makes inroads into developed countries.

The Mahindra XUV500 was created and developed entirely in India, which is quite an accomplishment, and comes to Australia as a highly equipped and more affordable option to South Korean-built rivals, while claiming superior build quality and safety than the cheaper Great Wall X240.

However, our first local drive of the big seven-seater proved there is still much work to be done before it can be taken as a serious rival to the likes of the Holden Captiva 7, which is not much more expensive and comes with an auto.