[Singh09]

Hello everyone this is my first ownership review on T-BHP. And it’s coming after completing 1,00,000 kms on the ODO. Please bear with me as I am not a perfectionist in putting this together but will give my best.

DRACO Meaning: It's a Latin form of Greek Drakon, meaning "dragon." It is also the name of a constellation.

PROLOGUE:
So, How all this started? Let’s go back to 2012, I was in U.S.A working with Target after completing my MBA and my last visit to India was in Jan 2009. Now I was planning to come back for good and wanted to gift my parents a nice ride. So I started to search for a suitable car according the requirements I had in my mind. Initially the budget was 8-11 Lac and I told my younger brother to select some good options and do the TD. After going through some TD’s everyone liked Verna and we booked Verna SX initially. But fate had something else for us, for some reason we postponed our plan and cancelled our booking. After 3-4 months we were again in the market and this time my budget was 15 Lac so we had more options to look at. I decided to go for a SUV with that budget instead of a sedan. SUV’s that were falling in that range and were Scorpio, Safari/Storme and XUV 500.
My choice was Storme as I was a big fan of Safari. I told my brother to test ride all three with dad. Nobody liked Scorpio as it was not comfortable and lacked in almost every aspect when compared to XUV and my parents felt that the ride was too bouncy and shaky. Everyone liked XUV far better than the storme and I personally felt that it was more VFM and had more safety equipment and as we all know it does come loaded with features.

Booking:
Well the dealer experience in our case was very good and the sales rep was a decent guy and used to follow up regularly. We booked the car on 12th Nov and delivery was taken on 26th November 2012. The same sales rep became the RM and all my services have been done under his supervision after that at the same dealership.

Dealer Experience:
My dad and bro reached the dealership by 2:30 PM. Our XUV 5OO was all ready and standing right in front for delivery and then the delivery process took place followed by the Pooja . They gave us a box of chocolate and the dealer took a picture while we received our XUV and we were given that picture in a photo frame. My parents and brother were on their way back to home by 5:30 PM. Yes it took a lot of time, as there was some problem with the Bank’s system so the money transfer took a lot of time and then paperwork, billing etc. The dealer gave a 5 Liter coupon as well.

Overall a very good dealership experience at Sterling Motor Co. and I would have definitely recommend this dealer to prospect buyers of Mahindra around or in NCR area but for some reason the dealership was closed last month. Overall I would rate them 9/10.

What everyone liked:
Well to begin with I would say the never ending list of features.
6 Inch colour infotainment System
Steering mounted controls
Navigation System , auto wipers,
TPMS
Stylish Speedometer console
Phone charging outlet for all 3 rows
Safety features like Airbags (front and rear), Disc brakes, ABS, EDB, ESP Hill Hold and descent.
AC vents for all the rows
Good amount of space with first row seats pushed all the way back
Overall a VFM

Dislikes:
With all rows up there is no boot space left
Last row leg room is not ample for adults
Plastic quality is not bad but could have been better

Engine/Driveability: Honestly speaking it’s been a great pleasure driving this beast. The way this beast behaves on highways at high speeds and the maneuverability it shows while changing lanes may it be slow or high speeds, is just awesome. The pleasure of driving this beast just grows on you slowly. The 2.2L M-hawk engine pumping out 140 horses of power and 330 NM of torque provides really good performance and the pickup is what I love about this beast. Get used to the gear change pattern and you will get connected to the beast.

Gearbox:: Talking about the gearbox, 1st gear it a little bit notchy sometimes but better than compared when it was a brand new. , 1st gear is bit short so I like to put 2nd and then move onto 3rd when driving in normal Delhi traffic. But the good part is you leave the car in 1st and it will get moving without using any acceleration. Now talking about highway driving this monster can go like 150 kmph in 4th gear, now you can imagine what 5th and 6th will do. Though, that’s not my driving style I usually like to drive around 110-120 kmph on the highways.

Braking: The braking is spot on as the disc brakes all around makes braking capability of this vehicle really good. Also ABS, EBD and ESP add more value to the braking system in a panic situation. Yes the pedal travel time is something which will need a new driver to get use to. And I have nothing to complain about the brakes so far. I have had few close calls and the beast performed very well.

Ride Quality: This is one point which has both the aspects good and bad. The stiffer suspension results in stable ride, less body roll and makes lane changing piece of cake at both high and slow speeds. But when you go over a pothole you can feel the undulations and the jerks. But other than this I have no issues with the suspension. It looks like they have tweaked the suspension in the new XUV according to the reviews.

Stability: Well this is something I really like about this beast. It’s really stable and very well planted on high speeds. It gives you the confidence to change lanes on high speeds and makes cornering easy according to the size of this vehicle. This is one thing I have become a fan for XUV. The stiff suspension and the monocoque design with 17 inch tires, provide you a compose stability on the roads, turns or when you want to change lanes at high speeds. I mean I have cut /changed lanes at 130-140 km/h (Note: Just for reference and not to promote high speeds) and I didn’t feel as if I am driving a SUV

Design/Space/Comfort: I like the overall design of the car and the interior design is also very well laid out. But there is definitely scope for improvement in the interior quality such as the dashboard. The dashboard has started showing signs of usage from one or two places. Also the silver lining on the hand rest has the silver paint peeling. Same thing goes for the grab handle on the driver side door, besides that nothing else to complain. All the buttons on the steering and the middle console are easy to reach and all the features given are really convenient especially the phone and audio controls on the steering. Hill Hold and descent are very helpful and used them couple of times on my trip to Mt Abu, Kambalgarh fort , Mussoorie etc.

Space is present in abundance in the first and second row and the reclining second row seats are a plus on long drives. Lot of storage space, each row gets water bottle holder. The only drawback is that there is no boot space with all rows up. But personally I have never faced that issue so far in 1,00,000 kms. We made a trip to Delhi-Udaipur-Delhi and there were 6 people and luggage for almost 10-11 people in the car. There was another car(ritz) but my cousin had a big bass tube fitted in his boot. So all the luggage was set in our XUV. I used one seat in the last row for sitting and folded the other seat and managed to put all the luggage there. But if you are travelling 5 people than with the last row down you have ample of space

Seats are pretty much comfortable as well. The reclining feature of the second row seats is a plus point for the rear passengers during a long drive and the decent thigh support makes it comfortable for you to do long journeys and the reclining middle row adds the fun to it. I or anyone else who has sat in the car has never complained me of nausea. Infact DRACO has gained a lot of appreciation for this

FE: I drive100% with AC on even in the winters, though the temperature is set on the higher side in winters. I can’t drive with windows rolled down because I am very prone to dust allergy and it keep s the interiors clean as well. So my highest in 17.8 KMPL and lowest is I guess 10 Kmpl. Normal FE in Delhi traffic hovers around 12-13 kmpl and on highways it goes upto 15 kmpl.

Major replacements/issues/Breakdowns:
- In the initial 5000 kms I got the famous brake grinding noise which was taken care by M&M for free of cost.
- Clutch went kaput at 84,000 kms but I was able to drive 70-75 kms and reach the dealership. Culprit was leak in the master save cylinder. Rs. 13198 (Clutch Master Cylinder, Tube Hydraulic Clutch, Slave Cylinder replaced).
- Tyres were changed at 65,000 kms. Bought 3 new tyres and used the spare tire which was never used before. Rs. 23,000
- Front Disc Plates were changed at 80,000 kms –Rs. 12948 (Front Disc plates and brake pads replaced).
- Front Brake Pads @ 48365 Km – Rs. 5032

Road Trips:
Delhi-Udaipur-Delhi
Gurgaon-Jaipur-Gurgaon
Delhi-Udaipur-Mt. Abu-Jodhpur-Delhi
Gurgaon-Delhi-Katra(Vaishno Devi)-Delhi-Gurgaon
Moradabad-Delhi-Manali-Delhi-Moradabad
Delhi-Moradabad-Delhi (Countless times)
Delhi-Ramnagar(Jim Corbett)-Delhi (Countless times)
Delhi-Nanital-Delhi – Thrice

Accessories:
Rear Guard
Door Side Strips
Stock speakers upgraded to Kicker components
Low beam upgraded to HID (4300 Kelvin – HOCOST)
Mats
Sun visors

Service Costs:
- First service – 5065 KM – RS. 2820
- Second Service – 10003 KM – Rs. 2225
- Third Service – 20432 KM – Rs. 5759
- Fourth Service – 29053 KM – Rs. 8933
- Fifth Service – 40413 KM – Rs. 12530
- Sixth Service – 50746 KM – Rs. 12900
- Seventh Service – 60690 KM – Rs. 10219
- Eight Service – 70181 KM – Rs. 8265
- Ninth Service – 81633 KM – Rs.14300
- Tenth Service – 89331 KM – Rs. 1418 (Rear Brake pads changed)

Now let the pics do the talking..

Introducing DRACO







Still make heads turn when the parking lights are on. Love this led's.

Some Exterior shots









Got 2 keys

First Row

Second row and the leg space is in abundance. Which car beats that in this segment?

lugagge space with last row down is like, just put anything you want.

When required you can use one seat in the last row and put luggage on the other side. used this combo lot of times.

leg space for the third row is suitable for kids, even for people with short heights.

With all seats up that's the only space available in the name of boot space.

That' s where you lower the spare tire from.

Tools and jack are put together very nicely.

Boot light and the small cabin there contains the safety triangle.

Steering with controls on both the sides.



Ignition switch with iluminated red ring

Switches to adjust the headlights, open the fuel door and to adjust the brightness for the instrment cluster and the HU.

Waterfall design for the central console is just perfect and everything is in reach

Gear lever, nice and well placed cup holders with handbrake

All three pedals placed nicely and don't feel cramped and the dead pedal is plus during long rides


Driver door with all controls

[Singh09]

The Day DRACO got STUCK
This incident happened way back in June 2013. I had gone to my Nanu's place in Faridabad as we had to attend a wedding. We reached there on 13th noon and the wedding was on 14th night. On 14th morning I left to Delhi with my brother and cousins for some shopping and stuff. The weather was very clear when we left but soon it started pouring really hard and we had already reached Delhi. When we came back in the evening I saw that there was lot of water where my car was parked and secondly we had to go back to Delhi to attend a function in the night. Also the place where the car was parked had nothing but mud and grass.
Usually there is lot of parking space but they had a new house under construction hence we had to park all the cars on the open ground next to their house.
So I sat in the car and put the reverse gear and started to pull out my XUV from the water and BANG when I almost reached the solid surface my front left wheel got stuck in the mud as the entire area under the wheel just went down. I did try taking it out in 1st and reverse gears but was not lucky and the tires were spinning at that spot only.
So after giving it a try for couple if times I just stopped and stepped out of the car and let it be there because it would have made the tire go more inside the mud.
So I had to leave the car in the same position as I had to go for the wedding.

DAY 2: RESCUE OPERATION
Step 1: I gathered all the labor working there and tried pushing the car but all efforts gone in vain.

Step 2: I called couple of crane services but to my luck every number I dialed said they have no cranes free at the moment. . Finally we got a tractor to pull out the vehicle. Meanwhile I had also called Mahindra breakdown service and they told me that I will have to wait as there are couple of breakdowns and it will take atleast 1-2 hours and I said ok and they put my complain in the queue and updated their breakdown team.

After 5 minutes the tractor guy showed up and I felt bit relieved that now DRACO will be out of the mud pool but my happiness didn't last long enough. We arranged a rope and tied it to the tractor and my XUV. The tractor guy started the tractor and I took the driving seat of my XUV. In the first attempt to pull the XUV the tractor couldn't do it since his wheels kept on spinning. And the surface was bit inclined due to which his tractor got bit tilted from the rear because of the surface and the guy turned off his tractor to see if the rope was hooked up properly and when he crancked his tractor, it won’t start. Why because the guy didn’t had enough diesel in the tank and since the tractor was standing bit tilted from the back side the diesel in his tank came to one corner hence the tractor didn’t start as the diesel couldn't get to the engine. All this took another 30 mins.
So we get him 1 litre of diesel and he puts that in the tank and voilla tractor starts and I being bit relived that now the beast will be out BUT then the guy says that let me pull it from the front. And I was like NO, you will get your tractor stuck in the mud. He said "Siji ye to kheto main bhi na phasey hai" (it does not get stuck in the farm fields so how come it will get stuck here). I told him that this is different kind of mud as compared to the mud in fields (chikni mitti) but he didn't listen AND..



So the mission "Rescue XUV" all of a sudden turned into "Rescue Tractor". Took us 30 mins or so to get the tractor out and as soon as it was out I just told the driver to leave as he had already pissed us all.

But as soon as the tractor left a Scorpio shows and one of the guy came out of the car and said "Sir did you call the Mahindra Road Side Assistance and I was like YES. So they went to the spot and took 5 minutes to analyse and decide how they will do it. They came well prepared with some kind of hooks and an iron chain. It took around 7-8 attempts. They also had to remove the mud, dig it and put some stones quite a few times. All and all it took another 60 – 90 minutes for the these people to pull my XUV out.

They made around 5 attempts and the hook on which the chain was tied to on the Scorpio broke and they had to dig some mud and put few rocks as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khi_...f2ND2w&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCsE...MQg-Zay7f2ND2w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ex...MQg-Zay7f2ND2w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYRM...MQg-Zay7f2ND2w

FINALLY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_5C...MQg-Zay7f2ND2w

Went startight to the Mahindra Service Center and got the car washed and cleaned from inside. And they did a very good job as always. Got everything checked and all was fine.




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[Singh09]

Yu can connect and charge your phone here. Also this space comes very handywhile charging your phone.



Though this space is useful for keeping toll receipts and change in long trips but the wooden finish on the top sometimes is very irritating as it eflects sunrays butonly when the sun is at a particular angel. But in the new version this problem is solved.

Storage space and cooled compartment under the center armrest.



The small cooling compartment keeps small water bottles cool for your trips. Nice to have feature.

Utilizing the boot space at its best.

Random pic from our trip to Udaipur

Lights are pretty bright and have a long throw. I have upgraded my low beams to HID's (HOCOST 4300 Kelvin)


Issues:
1. Both the front power windows have develop a similar problem recently and both of them get stuck while going up. I have to give a little push and then they go all the way up. I think the machine needs to get replaced or maybe some greasing will work.
2. On cold start belt makes noise and after a minute or so the noise stops. Anyways the belt will be changed in the next service which is due now. Besides that nothing to report. Will update once the 1,00,000 km service is done.
3. Both the ORVM's have started to act in a similar way like the power windows and open/close very slowly. I had a word with my RM and he said that they might need some cleaning plus greasing.

Rest I'll update more on this guys once I get my car serviced next week.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Long-Term Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Singh09]

Finally I was able to take out some time off the busy schedule and got the 1,00,000 km service done on 7th. Since it was a major service I wanted the service centre to look into each and every thing throughly and check the entire car and make sure everything was okay as I have a long trip coming right after Diwali. All my services were done at Sterling Motors, Faridabad but that dealership was closed down few months ago (don't know the reason) so this time I got it done at Sterling Motors, Gurgaon. My RM Mr. Sanjay, very nice and curteous person. He listened to all my complaints very patiently and explained each and every thing very nicely after the service was done.

I had reported the following issues at the time of servicing:
1. There was a noise coming from the engine compartment during the cold start and sometimes when the engine was live and car was idle. It looked like something is loose because as I used to give a little bit of throttle the noise used to disappear.
2. Both the ORVM’s were working very slowly (they used to open and close really slowly), Infact the left ORVM stopped working automatically.
3. Belt was making sound during the cold starts, which was anyways due for a replacement.
4. Both the front power windows were not working properly. They were getting a little bit moody, they go up whenever they wanted and sometimes I actually had to push the glass to close it.
5. Little bit of door rattling noise from the back.
6. Sometimes the AC used to give a foul smell as if something died right in the vents.

Solutions:
1. There were few bearings which were done, so they got replaced and the noise is gone.
2. Some oiling and greasing was done and now both the ORVM’s are working properly.
3. Belt was changed as a part of 1,00,000 km service schedule.
4. Both the power windows machine needs to be replaced. Will be changed next week.
5. Some greasing and adjustments were done and the noises are gone.
6. AC filter was replaced which was anyways due for replacement hence no more foul smell.

Things done during the service:
1. Oil Filter replaced
2. Brake Oil replaced
3. Fuel Filter replaced
4. AC Filter (2) replaced
5. Engine Oil replaced
6. Air Filter replaced
7. Tensioner Automatic replaced
8. Idler Pulley replaced
9. Timing belt replaced

Total Damage done: Rs. 15,3147 /-

Issue caught during Service:
While changing the timing belt and related components they came across a bolt which was slipping (it was the one where the idler is fixed I guess) so the RM called me and explained the situation and after listening to him I told him to replace it or do whatever is required to keep the engine like it is supposed to be. So they took out the bolt and sent it for threading but still they were not satisfied because it was still not 100%functional hence they sent the pulley for threading (chudi kasney ke liye, in pure mechanical terms) and once the part was back, they put it in and voila everything worked fine. So all this process took an entire day, but it was worth it since it ‘s better then getting stranded in middle of a trip. So overall it took them 2 days to give my vehicle back. Although the service part was done day before but this issue took another day.

They checked the susension and everything looked good so far so they didn't change anything but my RM told me that next service will require couple of things to be changed like bar bushes, rear arms etc and the total expense would be around 10K for that. But I might get them chaged in a couple of months or whenever time allows. So for anyone who is looking to get the 100K service done and assuming that you get your suspension as well, you are looking at an expense of approx25k.

Copy of Bill attached.

[Singh09]

The ODO has crossed 108000 kms so far and the beast is doing fine. Just did a long trip over the weekend. Moradabad - Delhi - Greater Noida - Gurgaon - Bhiwadi - Saharanpur Dehradun - Saharanpur -Moradabad, approx 1000 kms. OVerall FE received was 13.5 kmpl which include Highway, city and rural roads.

Also got the rear disc plates changed before the trip. Got the pads from M&M and got them replaced by one of our old mechanic who is also a tenanent in one of our property from last 10 years and a very renowned mechanic in the city. It was a really quick job done neatly by him.

Total Damage:
Rear Disc Plates: 4612/-
Labor Charge: 0/- (Guy did't took anything despite of me asking him several times).
Fender Cladding: 192/- (A bike scuffed my fender few days ago which took the fender clading off the bumper).

Fender cladding that came off.





Price tag on the box says Rs 2306/- but the bill says Rs. 3603/- (before tax), Probably the difference is the dealers margin. But I don't care because personally I think that 3600 for a set of disc plates for this size of vehicle is not that bad.





Front fender cladding.











That's how my itineary looked on the google maps.

[Singh09]

DRACO has crossed another milestone and the ODO has surpased the 1,10,000 kms mark. Also I got the 110k service done last to last week and the total damage was Rs. 28,500 /-

In my last servie 1,00,000 km I got the timing belt and other stuff replaced with oil and filters and kept the suspension for the next service after discussing it with the Service Manager.

So this service had a lot of things that were replaced as the front suspension required some work after comleting 110k which for me is fine. Also there was a minor leak in the Front RH shocker so the following things were changed:

1. Front Shocker (RH). Rest all were good and didn't needed any repair or special attention.
2. Shocker Mount.
3. Ball Joints Outer Kit both RH and LH
4. Both the Steering Valves
5. Bush kit Front Lower Control Arm
6. Assembly Link Stablizer Bar(RH)
7. Stablizer Bar bushes - Front
8. Air Filter
9. AC Filter (2).

These were the major changes that were done. Rest I have attached the bill for the detail report.

After getting the service done made a trip to Ramnagar - Mukhteshwar and back to Moradabad which was a really nice trip with friends and a small getaway from the Soaring hot weather. We actually had to take quilts and did a born fire in the night.

Now while I was returning back home there was a patch which was really bad and I guess something hit on the right hand side by the front tire in the inner side. I didn't stop as it was dark and kept driving until I reached a place with lot of shops and people around. I checked with my mobile light but couldn't see anything wrong. Reached home safely and went straight to bed. Next morning I started getting some noise by the driver side tyre while turning the steering. I stopped and checked the tire and I could see some grease on the inner side of the tyre, alloy, and all over. Heart almost half depressed to see the condition and Mind straight away raised a question on the fitness of the axle boot, took the car to our mechanic he straight away put the car on lift and after 2-3 minutes of inspection he was like "Sir iska to axle boot leak ho gaya". Luckily that was the only part that went kaput.

Next day went to the M&M service center which is 18 kms from our home and got the boot which costed Rs. 940/-. Came back and gave the boot to our mechanic only to hear that the service center guy gave me the wrong boot. I told him to give the RH wheel side boot and he gave me gear side boot. Went back again and got the boot replaced and had to pay Rs. 440/- extra since the wheel side boot was Rs. 1380/-. Took the pic of the boot and sent it to our guy and he confirmed that it was the right boot this time. Paid the remaining amount and returned back home and gave the boot to our mechanic. It took him One and half hour to open, replace and fix the boot properly. After all the pain and hardwork DRACO is back in action now and ready for its next trip.



New Boot.





Service Bill

[Sridutt]

Nice track. Any updates? And have you tried the new gen XUV? would appreciate a comparison by you.

[sumitdongerkery]

That's a brilliant detailed ownership compilation. I am also a proud owner of white W8 XUV 500 which has completed 6 yrs on 25th Dec with 116500 kms on odo. I can relate to most of the points you have made. My bridge stones were replaced with 84k on odo. It still had some life in it but I had a long trip lined up so proactively changed it. My clutch was proactively replaced at 1.04k kms since I intend to retain this car for another 2 yrs at least. Just to summarise, ownership till date has been seamless. Although I had my own apprehensions when I shifted from my earlier Octavia to XUV 500, experience till date has been very good. It has its own share of niggles but support from M&M makes the experience much better

Cheers!

[Singh09]

Originally Posted by Sridutt

Nice track. Any updates? And have you tried the new gen XUV? would appreciate a comparison by you.

Thank you buddy, Nothing much to update except that DRACO met with an small unfortunate accident but now everything is back to normal.
I have not tried the new gen XUV but will be doing that pretty soon, maybe next week when I go to Delhi. Will certainly put up my opinion once I drive it.

Originally Posted by sumitdongerkery

That's a brilliant detailed ownership compilation. I am also a proud owner of white W8 XUV 500 which has completed 6 yrs on 25th Dec with 116500 kms on odo. I can relate to most of the points you have made. My bridge stones were replaced with 84k on odo. It still had some life in it but I had a long trip lined up so proactively changed it. My clutch was proactively replaced at 1.04k kms since I intend to retain this car for another 2 yrs at least. Just to summarise, ownership till date has been seamless. Although I had my own apprehensions when I shifted from my earlier Octavia to XUV 500, experience till date has been very good. It has its own share of niggles but support from M&M makes the experience much better

Cheers!

Thank you buddy. My XUV completed it's 6 years on 29th November and the ODO stands at 1,17,xxx Kms as of now. Have lot of small and big trips coming in the next 2 months.
I am under the dilemma whether to change my XUV next year or keep it for one more year. So far DRACO is not troubling me and it's been a pleasent journey so far.

[Singh09]

Sup guys,
It's been a while since I updated this thread. DRACO has completed another milestone and has crossed 1,20,000 kms on the ODO. I got the scheduled service done (1,20,000 km) back in February at United Automobiles at Faridabad. There were no major issues reported just the scheduled service. Things changed/replaced were:
1. Oil Filter
2. Air Filter
3. Brake Fluid Changed
4. AC Filter 2 replaced
5. Engine oil changed
6. Fuel Filter
7. EGR Cleaning

Total Damage: Rs. 15,308/-.

Things that need attention are the left side front shocker and tyres. Will update once I get these things replaced.

Service Bill Attached

[Singh09]

Since DRACO has done a good job and been a good beast till now, never left me stranded, no major niggles, take me anywhere attitude and push me to my limits and still being stable..A true companion so far..I thought of gifting him with a dash cam.

After going through the dash cam thread so many times, days aahh months, I finally bought one. So I'll try to give as much details as I can.

Product: XIAOMI 70MAI Dash Cam (EU Version)
From Where: www.banggood.in
Cost: Rs 2661.78/-

One night I was just casually checking dash cam prices and I came across this one on banggood and seeing the price I just didn't think too much and just ordered it right away. Since I am new to dash cams and clearly not a techie I just wanted to get my hands on a cheaper one first and learn how things work before getting something expensive. And since I have lot of cousins back in US and my younger brother in Canada it will not be tough for me to get my next dash cam from overseas. And that should happen sometime next year once I change my ride.

Now talking about the delivery time, well the product reached me safe and sound within the given time frame and kudos to banggood.in for that.
But there their tracking system is not that good. They just gave me a tracking number and it said India Direct Mail and till today it says invalid number. So I got in touch with their customer support and they provided me a link and there also you don’t get to see much detail. Delivery time given was 8-16 days and I received it on the 9th day. The package was delivered by Ecom – Flipkart guy.
The link provided by the customer care was:
https://t.17track.net/

But anyways at the end I received the product and that too in time, is all what matters.

The Box





Contents in the Box:
- XIAOMI 70mai Dash Cam Pro
- 1 Electro static Sticker
- 1 car charger
- 1 car charger cable
Attachment 1882387

Unboxing video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJOEYVwG8RQ&t=26s

Installation:
Installing this dash cam is a very simple job and one can do it without any tools.
- So first things first, Clean the windscreen area properly (I did it with Colin) where you are going to put the Electrostatic sticker as you don’t want the dust particles to be visible once you paste the sticker and it will make it stay there longer as well.
- Once you are done with first step then peel of the paper from the dashcam holder and stick it within the marked area on the sticker and hold it for a while.
- Then connect the wire (the usb cable) to the camera first and take the wire all the way within the headliner by the windscreen to the A pillar and then underneath the bidding from where you can take it under the glove compartment and then to the panel on the right hand side of the passenger legroom area as shown in the video.
- It is important that you connect the wire to the camera first so that you don’t run out of the wire during your installation and avoid redoing everything.
- Put the usb cable in the adapter and your dashcam is all set.
- So the installation process is very simple and will hardly take 15-20 minutes of your time. You don’t need any tool or so for the same.
- Once you are done you need to log in the 70 mai App which is available on iTunes and Play store. After installing the app you need to connect the app with the dashcam and you are good to go.
- AND YES you need a good 64gb mini sd card, class 10 for the dashcam as well.
Camera view from outside



Power ON/OFF button

The red line in the picture is marked to show how I have laid the wire.




I have made a video showing how i worked on the wiring just in case,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGV4hCoXkto&t=10s

70Mai App. Downloaded from Play Store.

[Singh09]

So finally got all the 4 tyres replaced yesterday and DRACO gets new pair of shoes. This is second time I have changed the tyres. It came with JK ELANZO as stock tyres and they were replaced at 64,000 kms approx in July 2015. And I replaced them with JK's as I had to only buy 3 tires since my spare tire was brand new, never used even once.
This time the JK's were replaced by Good Year Wrangler AT/SA 104 HTL at 1,23,500 kmsand the total damage with the cost of tyres, fitting, balancing and Wheel Alignment was Rs. 40,000/-.

[Singh09]

Another small and quick update. Got all the 3 wiper blades changed yesterday and the trunk release switch as well, which went kaput. Well I don't complaint if it goes bad after 6.5 years of ownership and doing 123k on the ODO.
The beast still goes strong and still makes me look back when I park it. Got the OEM parts from the Mahindra Service center and got them fixed at my local mechanic.

Also it's time to see how the new tyres perform with the upcoming 1200 km trip next week.

[Singh09]

Hello Everyone,
I need some help with my low beam for my beast. Currently my XUV has P8 HID in my low beams and regular bulbs on my high beam. But last week my HID went kaput and it seems like my blast is gone. Now since I am planning to change my XUV within 1 year, I don't want to spend much on the HID and get a new one. So I am thinking to remove the HID and put some nice bulbs. So can the guru's tell me what might be the best option and are there any good LED bulb's available in the market.

Thanks