[djpeesh]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Decided to utilize today's time in TUV.
Changes made,
1. Redesigned Bumper
2. Added Body Cladding
3. Grill Design
4. Headlamps
5. Fog Lamps
6 .Painted the pillars and Roof Black.
7. Black Alloys Wheels

Attachment 1415177

iamahunter, I'm going to send Anand Mahindra your coordinates and ask him to hire you pronto to lead their directionless design team

[Behemoth]

I had a quick 10 min Test Drive of the TUV300 and got a chance to analyse the car a bit.
First reaction on the White Car which they have in most showrooms - hated it. It looks much better in other colours like Red and Silver.

Positives:
-Is quite large (size for price) and people who want a big vehicle (externally) will be happy.
- The seating position is really high and actually like an SUV
- Interiors are decent with the black and beige theme with the silver inserts.
- Seat comfort is decent with firm seats
- Middle seat legroom is good for a less than 4 m car!

Negatives:
- Has a very bumpy ride - suspension is not at all refined and you can feel practically every bump and even in the steering which rebounds when it goes through a pot hole
- The Engine Noise is too crude and very LOUD. You will hear the engine grunting and growling right inside the cabin
- The Engine lacks steam and is not at all eager to run or perform. You need to keep it within 1800-3000 rpm to get any performance. Beyond 3000rpm it doesn't matter how much you press the accelerator.
- The Last row seats are too miniscule and more like a tick in the box and to punish the person who has to sit there. Not even kids will be comfortable.
- The Plastics, though much better than earlier, still are quite hard and creaky - even the new test car was creaking from everywhere.
- The front hood is really high and flat and looks awkward
- The way the rear ends abruptly looks very weird and the tail gate is still too Quanto-ish.
- The gear shift is extremely notchy and long throw like old style jeeps
- The Clutch, while being soft has a fair bit of throwback

Overall, a disappointing package from Mahindra and the bad ride quality and the engine noise absolutely killed the fun for me. If anyone is looking to buy a car in the 8-11 Lacs range, they would be much better off with the Ecosport instead.

Regards,
Behemoth

[Arindam_Nayek]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Decided to utilize today's time in TUV.
Changes made,
1. Redesigned Bumper
2. Added Body Cladding
3. Grill Design
4. Headlamps
5. Fog Lamps
6 .Painted the pillars and Roof Black.
7. Black Alloys Wheels

Attachment 1415177

@iamahunter: You have got an amazing gift. Though I didn't quite like the front grill but rest looks stunning.

Hi Everyone, Wanted to check if someone in our group had booked the TUV 300. It has been quite some days from Launch but yet to see a single vehicle on the road.

Did the delivery of the pre-booked vehicles start ?

[KD007]

The comments on love it or hate it looks are understandable however bi-polar reviews on NVH, ride quality, third row seats, interior quality, engine performance etc. is confusing & surprising

It will be nice to know what vehicle one has in mind while judging the new vehicle or if it is a stand alone assessment just of the new car.

Anyways, respecting all views and comments, guess the final verdict will be by Tbhp Official review

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by KD007

The comments on love it or hate it looks are understandable however bi-polar reviews on NVH, ride quality, third row seats, interior quality, engine performance etc. is confusing & surprising

Yep, those who already drive a 3 cylinder engine, would find the NVH levels refined, because very less noise enters into the cabin. This of course, in comparison to other Diesel cars which have 3 cylinder engine. e.g - If you compare the noise to a Celerio Diesel (A 2 cyl engine), TUV300 would be refined, because Celerio is noisier.
However, if the comparison is to the likes of Innova, Ertiga etc, which run on 4 cylinders, the NVH levels are a little more. The complaints such as vibrations at idle RPM, noisy interiors are due to that.
In any case, if you are interested in this car or any compact SUV, please take a Test drive for yourself, before coming to any conclusion.

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by KD007

The comments on love it or hate it looks are understandable however bi-polar reviews on NVH, ride quality, third row seats, interior quality, engine performance etc. is confusing & surprising

Anyways, respecting all views and comments, guess the final verdict will be by Tbhp Official review

Or you can take a TD yourself, and form your own opinions

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

- The Last row seats are too miniscule and more like a tick in the box and to punish the person who has to sit there. Not even kids will be comfortable.

I got into the last row seat and the sales advisor also got in to show the space on offer. I'm 5'11 and the SA was probably 5'9 and with both of us seated the space seemed quite sufficient for short drives. Different strokes for different folks.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I got into the last row seat and the sales advisor also got in to show the space on offer. I'm 5'11 and the SA was probably 5'9 and with both of us seated the space seemed quite sufficient for short drives. Different strokes for different folks.

Thanks neil.jericho - while we are a small family (just the better half and I, our daughter having married & settled abroad) we have two active boxers who have made our 10 year old Scorpio their private domain & enjoy travelling with us on our trips. Your views (and those of many of our fellow members) gives me hope that with the rear seats removed and the middle row seat-back folded down, we may have space for our pets in the TUV300, when we decide to get one.

[Behemoth]

Well you could say I am biased by the cars that I currently have (Laura and Yeti) but in reality I am comparing the TUV to the cars I have recently test driven in the past few weeks - the Ecosport as well as the Creta. Each person has their own opinion and with Team Bhp we can share it openly. I hope that you also enjoy your TUV if you have already booked it.

[Arindam_Nayek]

Originally Posted by shashanka

we have two active boxers who have made our 10 year old Scorpio their private domain & enjoy travelling with us on our trips. Your views (and those of many of our fellow members) gives me hope that with the rear seats removed and the middle row seat-back folded down, we may have space for our pets in the TUV300, when we decide to get one.

Hi Shashanka, with the limited knowledge I have I can assure you that your pets will be at ease. The space might not be as big as an Innova though but TUV should have the maximum space which can be afforded in a Sub 4 Meter Vehicle.
My experience with Boxers, a football ground might looks less for them. They just want to play the punch

Why don't you get a test drive vehicle to your home, fold everything and give it a try ? It will be worth as my German Shepherd never used to board my Uncle's Omni but he loved the Bolero.

[snan]

Originally Posted by djpeesh

iamahunter, I'm going to send Anand Mahindra your coordinates and ask him to hire you pronto to lead their directionless design team

Could not agree more. As someone who have spent some time with the new Range Rover Sport, I can safely say this is almost as good as that - atleast in looks :-)

[bhp4putuval]

Hi,

I took the TD of T8 today. Actually, it was my friend who wants to buy TUV 300, he is a fan of Bolero, like me. He started the TD from the showroom. After a km drive, I took over.

My friend is a regular user of Toyota Etios Liva (20 kms per day, 5 days a week and 20 km weekend drive). His plan to take the TD was to upgrade his vehicle from Hatchback to SUV. I drive Tata Vista, but I use two wheeler to office, so i am happy with Tata. But I will be planning to upgrade to SUV, should I decide to part with my car.

Personally, we both were let down by this vehicle (My first Mahindra TD vehicle) for some of the reason give below. Here are my views:

• Lag in 1st and 2nd gear on a small slope (wondering what will be the state on a big slope if the vehicle stops). I work near an area that has a big slope and which is very crowded in the evening due to heavy bumper to bumper traffic. In the evening, the traffic is the most while climbing the slope upward.
  
• Ambassador style horn - in the middle, and far from the steering wheel. I had to apply the brakes when an auto came in front of me. I did not hear the horn after pressing the horn because there was no horn near my right side. The right side was a non-functional area and the horn was in the middle of the steering wheel. I am not sure if it is the case for all mahindra vehicles.
  
• I did not understand the purpose of displaying a big digit in the center of the console that indicates the gear in which the car is moving. It could have been better utilized to display some other indicator.
  
• When I read about the gear stick vibration by other members, I kept looking at the gear stick for vibration. The vibration is not that visible, but since I knew about it, I watched it closely, and I found the gear vibrating a little. Also I have a habit of keeping my left hand on the gear stick in city limits. When i did the same in the TD, I felt the vibrations emanating from within onto my palm center.
  
• The jump seats were okay for children. There is a small window near the jump seats which is a welcome feature. But I am let down by the divider between the door and the jump seat. Anybody wanting to get into the jump seat has to cross over the divider onto the floor. There is a high chance of somebody tripping over the divider. The divider could have been kept a little small. I agree this big divider can prevent the shopping items from falling over, but a human injury on account of utilizing the jump seats is more.
  
• The seat belt is a little low for me. Reaching across to the seat belt is a pain. I am only 5 feet 7 inch.
  
• I guess this applies only for long distance drives, but the arm rest is not ergonomically aligned with the gear stick. For short armed people, I guess the arm rest will become a block. I had to keep the armrest back to shift gears.
  
• Alloy wheels only in T8. It should have been provided in T6 plus. But yes, this vehicle will look good with alloy wheels only. So there is an additional expense for people buying a lower end vehicle to replace those wheels. I saw CEAT tyres in the showroom vehicle.

But some of the things which bowled me out:

• Dashboard - First time, I see a bright dashboard in Mahindra. I have not got into mahindra for TD, but from all the reviews I show in team-bhp, I liked what I saw in TUV 300.
• Gear stick alignment - Gear stick was midway between the dash board and the middle of the seats. It looks neat and attractive.
• Hand brake alignment - closer to the driver and yet having space to arrange a panel beside it.
• Reverse mirror though small, and me being an indica vista driver (big reverse mirror) was very good for reversing. During TD, I had to stop behind a truck that was taking a U turn, but since it did not have enough space, it had to take a reverse. So accordingly I had to also reverse, but there was an auto right behind me. But just by looking at the mirror, I could manage to reverse without touching the auto for the truck to make a reverse. I think anybody can manage without rear camera in this vehicle.

Being a fan of Bolero, I am happy to see a big improvement in its replacement. But the lag in the first and second gear, I am not sure we would like to invest a big amount on something that fares poorly in the most utilized part of the vehicle, the first 30 km speed. And the fact, that our current vehicles are doing good made us decide to wait for more future releases from Mahindra.

[ambujlal]

Just curious and it may sound like a dumb question
How does the microhybrid technology work? If I switch on the engine in morning and want it to idle for few minutes before taking the vehicle out, would it switch off the engine in 2 secs or do I need to keep the clutch pressed? Basically how does it work?

[bhp4putuval]

Originally Posted by ambujlal

Just curious and it may sound like a dumb question
How does the microhybrid technology work? If I switch on the engine in morning and want it to idle for few minutes before taking the vehicle out, would it switch off the engine in 2 secs or do I need to keep the clutch pressed? Basically how does it work?

As taken from motobeam site ....

The revolutionary new Micro Hybrid technology makes Mahindra’s Scorpio really gentle. On the environment that is. This technology allows it to intelligently switch off the engine when not required. Thus going into standby mode after few seconds of engine idling, ready to spring back to life the moment it’s needed again. This ensures you burn less fuel and reduce emissions. Providing much needed relief to the environment, our lungs and our wallets too.

In a nutshell, the Micro Hybrid technology : –

• Switches off the engine when the Scorpio idles for a preset duration (*2 seconds in Scorpio VLX, 5 seconds in Scorpio M2Di)
• Switches the engine back on, the instant your leg depresses the clutch pedal
• Burns less fuel, thus reducing pollution and helping to conserve the environment

Mahindra deserve credit for taking the lead in implementing Micro Hybrid technology, an innovative and affordable step towards sustainability. We’re sure many will follow in the footsteps of this first Micro Hybrid car in the country.

[sjcherian]

Originally Posted by ambujlal

Just curious and it may sound like a dumb question
How does the microhybrid technology work? If I switch on the engine in morning and want it to idle for few minutes before taking the vehicle out, would it switch off the engine in 2 secs or do I need to keep the clutch pressed? Basically how does it work?

Micro hybrid feature: Put the vehicle in neutral and take foot off the clutch and the vehicle switches off the engine. Press the clutch again and it will start up. For your situation mentioned you will need to either keep clutch pressed or switch off the microhybrid feature.