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Thats a great news!
I think it will make a lot of sense if they just keep the safety, performance and decent interior quality while removing other cosmetics stuff so that it can reach more number of folks. I wish they release this version soon. I wish they dont remove the safety features (They may remove airbags but should still keep the ABS and others in my opinon).

You will have to find out when you car was despatched from the factory as the price increase is due to the increase in excise duty. If your vehicle was despatched on or before 15th March then you can still pay the earlier price.

BTW, we have already done this with a dealer at Hyd where the vehicle was despatched on 14th Mar but the delivery is happening today. We went all the way to M&M to make the dealer agree to the old pricing.

This is not good news at all. They are already supply-constrained with higher priced models which are perceived to be great value for money. How will they cope with the deluge of new bookings if they reduce the price further? Why sell something cheaper when people are lining up to pay the higher price. I don't buy this theory.

What is so difficult here? In fact this is not a theory but a followed practice in many sphere. Continue doing what you do well. Consolidate on your wins. XUV is shattering records. Its selling in numbers that can put many hatchbacks to shame. So? Is that the final frontier? Should I sit back and say there is nothing more I can do with this car any more? No. Mahindra is creating new segments. That of an entry level segment SUV where they can take on the Safari entry variants and the upcoming Dusters and EcoSports of the world.

People are lining up to pay the XUV at a price for certain qualities. Those who will buy the entry level variant will constitute a different segment. That variant will not have all those bells and whistles that make the biggest noise/sound all around you. A car without the steering mounted controls, airbags all over, all 4 discs, descent and traction controls, the ACC, the integrated HU with speakers, electric everything (mirrors, windows, fuel flap etc) and who knows even the mEagle engine if needed will be a very different vehicle from the current XUV.

That's a good news! However it would have been nice if they could bring it @ 9.90L ex showroom. Would have helped a lot of people save on taxes of around 20,000/-.

Some one reported that M&M will increase the capacity soon. And again this is a very wise business decision. They have a successful vehicle; so why NOT make the most out of it. If I get to kill my competition with this, I will anyday do it. People who want it, will wait for it [proven very well in India].

+1. With the low price version, there are two advantages. Of-course, better spanning of segments and targeted audience for a wider reach. For me, I would prefer a less gadgety version after hearing all those niggles. If I get a version with all four discs, ABS & Airbags with NO auto wipers/head lights, TPMS, Alloys, Audio / Nav, I would be extremely happy to go for it since I know the reliability will be better in the long run!

I totally agree with you about market segmentation and tiered pricing. But if you look at the current situation, it's not like Mahindra has exhausted the customer base of people willing to pay 14-15L for a SUV and are now thinking of ways to expand the market. No. They are not able to keep up with the demand for a 14-15L SUV itself. So why introduce a lower-priced variant now. What do they gain by doing that other than increasing the already long wait times. If they increase their production capacity, then it makes sense but I see no point in doing it at this time.

As I indicated in post #1916 of this thread, the XUV user manual talks about a Level 1 infotainment system - with basic 7 segment LCD display and manual AC.

Definitely there is (was) a plan for a lower variant. Whether they'll do it or not is something we need to wait and watch.

One suggestion required:

Bought a set of 4 alloys from Mahindra (that flower petal shape). Do I need to buy 5th one or not ?
What do you guys suggest/ prefer ?

Go for the set of 5 alloys if you believe in tyre rotation which should also involve the spare tyre. Moreover if one of your alloy wheels gets damaged/punctured & you put on a steel rim, it looks quite wierd/odd. Most of us sport the alloys on our cars not just for their utility but for their ommph factor, then why spoil the looks of the whole car just to save a few grands.

As long as you drive the car in india, you will invariably come across flat tyres. The fact that you are going for alloys itself shows that you are style conscious.. Go for the 5th one. Will definitely come in handy for rotations, flat tyres etc..

Whats the price of these alloys?

As for your question, i would suggest you to go for set of 4. Reason, since nowadays all wheels are tubeless, hence the air flows out slowly. So you get a chance to get it repaired the moment you notice there is a low air pressure, hence there is not much use of the 5 wheel. My fiesta has been running on 4 alloys from 5 years and the wheel in boot is still the original wheel that came with the car. Even when the time came to replace the old tires, i had to pay for only 4 wheels, resulting in money save.

So my 2 cents: go for the 4 alloys.

I would recommend 4 alloys. I have had 4 alloys in my car for the last 2 years and never felt the need for a fifth. Since my tyres are of the tubeless variety, I am generally able to take a leaking tyre till the repair guy, and even if that is not possible, I put on the rim spare only till the ride to the mechanic.

However, as far as tyre rotation is concerned, not having a fifth alloy will be a problem. You'll have to rotate the front tyres with the rear tyres, with the fifth tyre remaining largely unused.

Perhaps it does make sense to launch a cheaper variant. However, I sincerely hope that they don't go about reducing costs by removing all airbags for example. I think they should keep some basic safety equipment. I keep saying this, but there should be an excise cut for safer vehicles.
But there is an interesting aspect to the cut-price version. And that is the viability of the Scorpio line. Perhaps this is one way for M&M to ramp up XUV production by cannibalizing some of the Scorpio line? I think there is a need for them to ramp up because they might lose some of the customer base to the other options soon coming to the market, like the Duster etc. I know I would have switched camps if there was a worthy competitor (other than the Yeti). I finally (FINALLY!) got mine (W8/AWD/White) delivered two days ago. I had booked Oct 4th!

Buy 5th alloy IF & ONLY IF

1. Money is NOT a botheration & your budget is NOT affected.

2. You relegiously rotate all 5 tyres every 5000 kms to extract the max life out of each tyre.

The puncture story would NOT hold good unless you are willing to change a flat tyre yourself. Whenever I have a flat [tubeless tyre], I drive my car slowly to the shop & get the same tyre repaired & fit it back without using the spare.

Edit:: If it were me & I had the budget, I would buy a 5th alloy too because I rotate my tyres properly.

If you have decided to go for 5th alloy, please ensure that the new spare wheel will sit / fasten properly in the spare wheel area. I have personally experienced this problem.