[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

City rating = 8.5 / 10. Highway rating = 4 / 10.

Thanks for the detailed feedback, GTO!

I cancelled my booking based on a gut feeling after the price announcement, but everytime I saw the XUV3OO in orange - my heart skipped a beat and wondered if I made a wrong decision in cancelling it off - seemed just like the perfect sub-4m package in many respects, except bootspace and VFM.

But THIS is nothing but a blunder from Mahindra. There is simply no way I (or anyone else) could have tested this with a normal test drive with the showroom car! Can't emphasise more the value that Team-Bhp brings to the table.

I hope it's something wrong with the test car though - just a hope, though brain says otherwise.

Originally Posted by vb-san

One example below - a shootout which was a like whodunit movie, with the suspense already revealed in the first frame itself.

FYI - The Car&Bike channel has done the maximum sponsored videos for XUV3OO till date. So I wouldn't have expected anything less.

[ToothyPetrohead]

Mod Note : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum. We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further. Request to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by GTO

Guys, since some of you were really interested in the XUV300 yesterday, I've put up a short review at this link. Do check it out. In one word = AVOID.

That's interesting. I didn't get a chance to TD the car. But, I too came away with the same conclusion for entirely different reasons. The interiors felt no more spacious than any other B segment hatch, and the boot isn't impressive either. This cramped interior feeling was reinforced when I immediately sat in a Marazzo which was standing right beside the XUV300. The difference was like night and day. Then I heard that the petrol is a 3 pot unit. Case closed in my head.

No point in plonking down 14 big ones for the mini XUV while the more accomplished Marazzo is within reach of the same money. Just waiting for the BS6 compliances to kick in.

[HarshGtR]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Thanks for the detailed feedback, GTO!

I cancelled my booking based on a gut feeling after the price announcement, but everytime I saw the XUV3OO in orange - my heart skipped a beat and wondered if I made a wrong decision in cancelling it off - seemed just like the perfect sub-4m package in many respects, except bootspace and VFM.

Exactly. Due to all YouTubers saying it'll be priced very aggressively, my family had considered XUV300 as our second car after Figo as we experienced the car at a dealership in Nashik before its launch. And the orange color looks too good on this vehicle. Just look at this beauty:

But I was more disappointed and sad on Valentine's Day to hear the price than not having any girlfriend. Anyway, not going to trust in any YouTuber ever again.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by GTO

As good as the car is under 100 kmph, it is TERRIBLE over 100 kmph. It's behaviour at 120 kmph is SCARY. I cannot think of any car that I've driven in the last 3 or 4 years with expressway manners poorer than the XUV300. For one, the XUV300 is damn skittish.

Woah, how did they manage to mess it up so bad? I would have thought the Tivoli was a sorted product, and since they didn't fiddle with the wheelbase (2600mm - same as Tivoli) the handling should have been similar, if not the same. They must have tested it extensively, wonder how this wasn't caught in such tests?

[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm surprised this car has even been approved for sale by Mahindra's team as it is too unstable + unpredictable at highway speeds. As things stand today, I cannot recommend the XUV300 to anyone. The suspension is completely unsorted & Mahindra needs to fix this ASAP. We're getting the diesel in the coming week and I will drive that to check if there was any defect in our test car (I doubt it as this is a brand new media car that is otherwise functioning perfectly).

Well there was an Autocar video in which the driver even clocked some 160 kmph on salt-pans in GJ. After reading through your feedback on highway and high speed manners, I guess the Autocar driver is blessed with a pair of titanium.

[sdaityari]

My opinion on paid media reviews is that they generally praise the car so much at the beginning that you tend to ignore the shortcomings that they carefully sandwich in between. Classic case of confirmation bias, if you ask me.

I booked the Nissan Kicks in December only to cancel it on the day the first car arrived at the dealership for display. The lowest seating position is just abysmal even for a 5'10" guy like me. Interestingly, many reviews mentioned this, but presented it as a positive commanding position. Truth is, it left minimal headroom and it was obvious I would hit the roof at bumps even in the city.

I hope for Mahindra's sake that it's a fault of the particular vehicle, but it doesn't seem like that is the case.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by pavi

Still it was too surprising to know the multiple personality disorder of XUV3OO suspension tuning. In almost all the reviews, the suspension tuning is praised like never before for a Mahindra. Looks like XUV3OO is well adapted for Kerala conditions as our maximum highway speed limit is 90kmph .

As GTO pointed out, the media cars were tested in Goa where it's difficult to do 100+ speeds consistently.

Having said that I expect the diesel variant to fare better in high speed stability, given the heavier engine and stiffer springs.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by jaaz

Did you check the Tyre pressure on the on-board TPMS?

Damn good question. Just went down & checked it. Nothing so off the scale that it should cause such imbalance. Heck, 2 PSI here & there is a given in any car on our roads, given the condition of the equipment at petrol pumps.

Originally Posted by Waspune

Having said that I expect the diesel variant to fare better in high speed stability, given the heavier engine and stiffer springs.

The dynamics difference between the petrol & diesel variant of any car is 5% at best.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

They must have tested it extensively, wonder how this wasn't caught in such tests?

I'm wondering too. Let's see if our next test car is as bad. If yes, this is just irresponsible. When the rear stepped out yesterday at ~70 kmph in the middle of a curve, I was able to catch it. Would a layman driver be able to do the same? We all know the answer to that.

[CoolFire]

Originally Posted by Waspune

As GTO pointed out, the media cars were tested in Goa where it's difficult to do 100+ speeds consistently.

Any good review driver ought to push the vehicle to see behaviour under extreme conditions, much more than a customer test drive. Fair enough if they couldn't do it in Goa, but they should have given the caveat in their reviews. Anyway suits them and all the more reason for us to trust ONLY Team BHP reviews .

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm frankly shocked at how they've goofed up with the XUV300

I'm in VVC Motors, Hyderabad right now, came to pick up my XUV5OO after the 5000KM service.

I see 3 Technical Service Bulletins on XUV3OO - one about the ICE software, one about the headlamp control software, and the third, which is why I'm here - is about the rear shock absorber. I couldn't read much, but this TSB is asking the rear shock absorber assembly to be replaced, in both petrol and diesel cars.

I couldn't read any other details like date or reference #. I couldn't even read the symptom or reason. Thought it's worthy for BHPians to know that there's a TSB for rear shocks, and maybe find out what it's all about

[Arjun Reddy]

Thanks GTO, that was timely. Good you did not wait for the full official review to be up. This will surely help a lot of prospective buyers who were in a hurry to buy this car.

The test drive route is normally set around the showroom and a lot of bookings are done with a 5 minute drive:

Why a 4/10 rating for the highway? Unsafe should get a Zero in my opinion.


Is it the chassis set up or will a better tuned suspension do the job?

I remember the famous boat on our highways, the first gen fluidic Verna.

How would you compare it to that car ?

Mahindra seems to have taken the audible speed alerts seriously?:

[McLaren Rulez]

GTO, why do you suspect your test car was free of defects? Surely, if it performed that badly, it's much more likely that you had a defective piece (not great for Mahindra QC but still...) than any other possibility, no?

[GTO]

Took her out for dinner last evening. Is really smooth, user-friendly & refined in the city. Family was impressed. Interiors are more Hyundai-level than Mahindra.

Too bad about her disastrous high-speed dynamics though. Mahindra read my posts and reached out last night. They think it might be a defect with this test car and are going to send us the diesel today, along with another petrol later. I'm unable to step away from my desk on week days so will be able to drive them only on the weekend.

If at all there is something wrong with this test car, I have asked them to specify what it is.

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

I see 3 Technical Service Bulletins on XUV3OO - one about the ICE software, one about the headlamp control software, and the third, which is why I'm here - is about the rear shock absorber. I couldn't read much, but this TSB is asking the rear shock absorber assembly to be replaced, in both petrol and diesel cars.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Is it the chassis set up or will a better tuned suspension do the job?

I remember the famous boat on our highways, the first gen fluidic Verna.

How would you compare it to that car ?:

It's the suspension tuning. Funny you mention that Verna. When I was explaining the high-speed behaviour to the gang at the Team-BHP meet, that's exactly the car I referred to.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

GTO, why do you suspect your test car was free of defects? Surely, if it performed that badly, it's much more likely that you had a defective piece (not great for Mahindra QC but still...) than any other possibility, no?

Possible, yes. But with today's extremely precise manufacturing processes, lemons are becoming increasingly rarer. In fact, I cannot remember any media car we got that was defective (at least not in the last 3 - 4 years).

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Possible, yes. But with today's extremely precise manufacturing processes, lemons are becoming increasingly rarer. In fact, I cannot remember any media car we got that was defective (at least not in the last 3 - 4 years).

Thanks GTO. Hoping it is defective. It would be a shame if not. Such a nice car and Mahindra has been doing such a great job of late.

Anyways even if the suspension is not calibrated well, ( surprised that Mahindra let it slip), Mahindra is more than capable of sorting this out quickly.

The only issue is for the cars that are already sold.

A recall will be ideal, but a suspension calibration at the factory will be much better than just replacing parts at the dealer level.

Anyways let's not jump the gun. Will wait out for your diesel inputs next weekend.