[Moto_Bear]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

I do have a few questions about the engine which is used in the XUV 5OO since it also powers the XUV 7OO. I'll list them for clarity's sake:

1. Is the engine robust and would it be last long if maintained properly? The reason I'm asking is because I'm completely new to the Mahindra ecosystem.
2. Is the engine loud enough to be heard inside the cabin even when driven sedately? Though a few reviewers of the XUV 7OO did mention that the engine noise didn't seep much into the cabin.
3. How much mileage are you getting on your steed? The reason I ask is because the XUV 7OO's figures haven't been outed yet (I think) and having the XUV's real mileage would enable me to make a calculated guess.

[EDITED] - Just remembered something, there were numerous reports of rusting in XUV 5OO, I hope your car is doing fine?

Hey, Wadewilson. My dad and my uncle were among those who were able to get their hands on the XUV when it was launched in 2011. The XUV legacy was passed onto me around 2014 Autumn so I have few years of ownership experience to share.

First of all, a much appreciated thanks to RavenAvi who has been such a gem in this thread with all the new information and prompt responses.

So coming to the points:

1. The engine is one of the best I've driven and believe me, I've driven a lot, both here in India and UK. Although I've faced a lot of niggles with almost everything, Engine and transmission have aged beautifully and with proper maintenance and service, I see no problems happening. Recently drove the 2018 facelift and I have to say, this XUV brand has aged like wine. So if maintained properly, this is one of the best engines south of 20 lakhs.

2. The NVH levels on my XUV are okayish. The engine roar isn't there when I'm light on the pedal but it becomes loud as it approaches the redline. The 2018 facelift XUV5OO is another story. The NVH is n times better and the roar feels more like a grunt. This shows the time and dedication Mahindra as a brand is ready to put out on its product.

3. Although I'm more of an enthusiast when it comes to driving, driving on a moderate speed gives me around 11-12 Kmpl. XUV7OO will most surely follow in its footsteps and we'll see 11-14 Kmpl as per my estimate.
Funny Note: You should see my Dad driving a Fortuner and complaining about the fuel economy.

4. Yeah as far as Rusting goes, I won't sugar coat it. Rusting is a problem with the early XUVs. Both my car and my Uncle's had to face Rusting. I had to get my door changed because of it and my Uncle gave up on his black beauty. Rusting was a problem earlier but my friends who own the newer iterations had fewer to no complaints.

Conclusively, what I feel is, Mahindra as a brand has grown over the years. Tata and Mahindra sail in similar boats, but where Mahindra gets into action the moment water starts pouring in, Tata on the other hand plays violin while it sinks(No offense to any Tata owners or enthusiasts) From the price disruptive nostalgia of 2011 to the current XUV7OO, I kind of have an emotional value attached with the brand now, that I have built a preference for those beautiful mHawks. But as RavenAvi suggested, to all the new customers of Mahindra, I would suggest to wait for atleast 6 months. That way, even if the prices increase it'll not be by a huge margin and the initial niggles would be sorted. Peace of Mind is always cheaper than a price increase. If I could wait for 6 months to an year for it, I absolutely would. Sadly, delaying buying a car for almost 2 years now doesn't help my case with the Home Ministry.

[barefeetdriver]

Despite the well deserved enthusiasm, feel as though one might even get a Jimny before an Xuv700. This beast has Thar times x10 demand written all over it and anyone who is/was interested in the Thar knows how the "do you know anyone important" conversations go.

Just can't fathom the wait times and shufflings and dealers' lording over us laypeople. Perhaps Mahindra would innovate twice and create an open queue of bookings for the world to see. Or let us run laps around that awesome track and reward winners with concrete delivery dates. Perhaps pigs could fly.

[Manojah]

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Thanks for replying.

I am keenly looking to shift from manuals to automatics. I am looking to buy the AX5 or 7 Diesel version with the option pack. Would like to see the car in person and test drive it before finalizing. Also awaiting the pricing for the Diesel AX5 & 7 versions, but looks like Mahindra is going to price all models pretty aggressively, so that they can kill most of the competition on pricing and gizmos.

Originally Posted by Pedalmasher_20

First of all, welcome to this forum sir

I think, you'd be easily adapted to an auto-gearbox as you have been driving manual gearboxes for past 40 years. Shifting from manual gearbox to an automatic is like a 10th standard kid solving the homework/test of a 5th standard kid. It would be like a peice of cake for you to shift to an automatic car and would take you merely 2-3 drives to get completely habituated to the gearbox.

Great to see a 63 years young man. Am a bit worried on shifting from MT's to AT's and hopefully it would be a positive and pleasant change.

Need to learn about gear rowing.

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

I am 63 years young now. I started driving 4 wheelers from the age of 25. I have driven all manners of cars over the years. And some commercial vehicles during my time as a QC engineer(on their test tracks) in an Auto manufacturer.

I hope the shift from MT's to AT's is a pleasant one and I did not shift earlier, because of the fear that I may not be able to adapt to AT's.

Need to learn to modulate the accelerator itself to upshift or downshift. Searching for videos on tiptronic automatic transmissions. Any recommended videos on YouTube?

Originally Posted by Guna

It will take only few days to adjust and you will wonder why did you not shift to an automatic earlier . There will be occasions where your left foot searches for the clutch and the left hand reaches the gear stick whenever you have to quickly slow down but you will overcome it in some time.
Lack of paddle shifter is not a big deal as you anyway get a manual mode (using the gear lever). I had a Honda City with paddle shifter and now an i20 with manual overdrive but I hardly find a need to use them as you would learn to modulate the accelerator itself to upshift or downshift.

[RPM1706]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Yes, there will be a 5-seater AX5 diesel available.

Given the length of the vehicle, just wondering what a 5 seater would look like. There's acres of space once the 3rd row is removed and, from what I can imagine it will be one expansive, empty space unless it is dealt with elegantly.

Check out this screenshot from one of the videos (credit: Car & Bike).

Am not sure how M&M plans to present this large space and harmonise it with the front portion that is so well appointed.

And while such a large boot may appeal to the long distance travellers, particularly, wondering how easy would it be use it, maintain it etc. given the depth it has.

I, for one, am not really complaining. I don't need a 7 seater at all and, even otherwise, find the last row only just usable. I would be happy to save the extra bucks and get a 5 seater... just that am a little concerned how the aesthetics will look. Will the large open area look like an eyesore? Is it even possible to have such a large parcel tray kind of a cover there and will that look good at all?

Maybe I am overthinking this but never really had an occasion to see a vehicle (an SUV, in particular) with such a large boot space. Much as I appreciate the space, wondering how it will turn out.

[ruskinash]

Originally Posted by wadewilson

I do have a few questions about the engine which is used in the XUV 5OO since it also powers the XUV 7OO. I'll list them for clarity's sake:

1. Is the engine robust and would it be last long if maintained properly? The reason I'm asking is because I'm completely new to the Mahindra ecosystem.
2. Is the engine loud enough to be heard inside the cabin even when driven sedately? Though a few reviewers of the XUV 7OO did mention that the engine noise didn't seep much into the cabin.
3. How much mileage are you getting on your steed? The reason I ask is because the XUV 7OO's figures haven't been outed yet (I think) and having the XUV's real mileage would enable me to make a calculated guess.

[EDITED] - Just remembered something, there were numerous reports of rusting in XUV 5OO, I hope your car is doing fine?

1. Rest assured, the mHawk is a gem of an engine. My 2.2 mHawk has done north of 1,20,000 km on the Scorpio with zero issues. The only thing I like about the Scorpio is its engine. The refinement and power available on tap are immense, and never fails to paste a smile on my face.

2.The only way to know this would be to test drive it when you get your hands on one. What could be insignificant for some could be an annoyance for others!

3. Truth be told I have never dabbled to check the fuel efficiency of my vehicle. I don't want the added stress of knowing if my vehicle is giving 9,10 or 11. It is what it is, and that's good enough. Fill her up and off you go about your business.

But to answer your query, the mHawk is a fuel efficient engine for the amount of power it generates. A lighter foot will always give you better efficiency.
Just for the sake of speaking in numbers; the mHawk on the Scorpio with a 120bhp engine has traditionally returned an average of 12kmpl. The 140bhp mHawk on the XUV500 has returned 14kmpl (which is significant considering the bump in power). Going by Mahindra's tuning skills I believe the 185bhp on the XUV700 should return no less than 10kmpl, which if we do, will be fantastic!
In any case, 12kmpl could be a real-world possibility!

According to my body shop guy, Tatas and Mahindras are prone to rusting faster than any other brand. My 10-year-old Scorpio has spider rust in the door panels, and this is even after taking great care of the vehicle. (for better context, I do live by the coast)

But, this could be said to be in the past. Hopefully, the XUV700 has a better build quality. Fingers Crossed!

[Manojah]

Check this video. Maybe, XUV 700 would have something similar -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wIA...unctionsVideos

Originally Posted by RPM1706

Given the length of the vehicle, just wondering what a 5 seater would look like. There's acres of space once the 3rd row is removed and, from what I can imagine it will be one expansive, empty space unless it is dealt with elegantly.

Check out this screenshot from one of the videos (credit: Car & Bike).

Am not sure how M&M plans to present this large space and harmonise it with the front portion that is so well appointed.

And while such a large boot may appeal to the long distance travellers, particularly, wondering how easy would it be use it, maintain it etc. given the depth it has.

I, for one, am not really complaining. I don't need a 7 seater at all and, even otherwise, find the last row only just usable. I would be happy to save the extra bucks and get a 5 seater... just that am a little concerned how the aesthetics will look. Will the large open area look like an eyesore? Is it even possible to have such a large parcel tray kind of a cover there and will that look good at all?

Maybe I am overthinking this but never really had an occasion to see a vehicle (an SUV, in particular) with such a large boot space. Much as I appreciate the space, wondering how it will turn out.

[ruskinash]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

BMW 320d

Power: 187.74 bhp
Torque: 400Nm

XUV 700

Power: 185 bhp
Torque: 420Nm

BMW 320d Price: 48.50 lakhs

XUV700 Price: 15 lakhs

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

The comparison is an eye opener, if you look at what the so called premium brands offer - it can be called as a rip off. In their defense the volumes are less and perhaps components are more expensive, but it does not change the fact that an everyday 3 row crossover made by a tractor company is offering so much more.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

And you now have BMW owners attempting to justify why they paid 3 times more for their car over the XUV 700.

Well done, Mahindra!

What is even the point of this comparison?
One is a luxury brand in India and the other isn't. When people shop for luxury what they're paying for is exclusivity.

People who shop for luxury brands are not looking for value propositions, comparing feature lists is not on their top of the lists!

Do you really think someone shopping for a Mercedes is even considering a Mahindra just because they have a value for money option!

[ruskinash]

Originally Posted by d3mon

Well done Mahindra indeed. The pricing and features are definitely commendable.

Speaking as an ex-figo owner though, the performance is hardly impressive. Just over 10 seconds to 100 is hardly worth raving about at the 21lakh price point, is it? Just a short list of cars which are in the same ballpark or even faster than it :

Figo 1.5TDCI (starts at 7 lakhs?) 10.5 seconds
Polo 1.0 TSI AT/MT <10 seconds
Creta / Seltos 1.4 AT/MT <10 seconds

Yes, all these comparisons are exactly as useful as yours. A more useful comparison would be with the jeep compass, which I'll pick every single time over the XUV 700, if I'm even remotely interested in performance and handling

What I would like to know is who are these people who have been drag racing on our valuable dear public roads!

Although these numbers are good to know, a few seconds off (especially for a taller vehicle) shouldn't matter in the real world. It would be quite amusing to know that potential buyers didn't buy a mass-market car because the car was one or two seconds slower than its competition.

We are getting into the Red Bull and Mercedes territory here, where a couple of a hundredth of a second is costing each other a potential championship!
Let's leave these couple-of-seconds-off headaches to the professional racing teams!

[Manojah]

I quite agree. Luxury Brands are bought as they convey a sense of status, wealth, and exclusivity.

Somebody looking to buy an BMW or a Mercedes will in most probability not even consider an XUV700 as an option.

Originally Posted by ruskinash

What is even the point of this comparison?
One is a luxury brand in India and the other isn't. When people shop for luxury what they're paying for is exclusivity.

People who shop for luxury brands are not looking for value propositions, comparing feature lists is not on their top of the lists!

Do you really think someone shopping for a Mercedes is even considering a Mahindra just because they have a value for money option!

[Supercool]

Most brand-new Mahindra models have some niggles or the other in their 1st / 2nd production years. Sadly, our test car faced an issue with the infotainment unit (Mahindra clarified that this infotainment unit was a beta version). Ideally, short-pressing the rotary knob should select the option highlighted. Instead, it kept sending the screen to "lock mode". That is, a short press was being recognised as a long press. I tried the same thing on another XUV700 and it worked fine. Another media's test car suffered power loss while driving. Restarting it got the power back, but also a 'check engine' light. Remember that this SUV has a lot of tech wizardry. Make sure you get that extended warranty pack. If you've fallen for the XUV700, we'd recommend buying it once the niggles of the initial batches are sorted out.

Good review Omkar. I can’t agree more with you on irritating niggles that new Mahindra cars offer. I am using XUV 500 since 2015 and bought another XUV 500 early this month. So even in the second generation XUV 500 there were few niggles. Knowing Mahindra cars very well now, I can tell that customers may face two issues. Number one niggles particularly with electronics and advance features. Second is extremely poor after sales service. I sincerely wish that Mahindra improves its after sales service.

[MukundanMK]

Friends, need your expert advice here... I currently own a 2012 first gen XUV 500 W6 variant and I have decided to move to XUV 700. I have fixed my mind on Petrol AT variant and I am fine with the mileage limitation. My drive will be mostly in city and occasional highway trip (my current car has not touched 80K in the 9 years of use). There is also my wifey's small car, which mostly does small trip duties. I plan to keep my new car for at least 8 - 10 years and honestly I am not sure as to what future diesel holds in the coming years.

My advice seeking is on the WHITE seats. I am kind of forced to look at the AX5 variant due to this. But seeing the advanced safety features in AX7, I am tempted for this option. AX7 Petrol AT (O) would be go to choice in mind. Is there a way we can get the sets changed or can I opt for an additional seat cover on top of the OEM seats? I know about side airbags being there in AX7. Can we just leave the side area alone and cover rest of the whites with some black color?

I dont mind spending some extra bucks and get this done from the authorized dealer also. But what other limitations would be there due to this? If Ventilated seats are offered, I may have to give that a skip, if I opt for replacing or covering the OEM seats.

Why M&M, why? Milk white seats? I agree it looks nice, upmarket, lighting also would be good. But maintenance? We had a white colored recliner in our home and we had to change the upholstery in 3-4 months itself. It is a nightmare to maintain!!!

Thanks in advance for your time and reply. This forum rocks with some many know ledged auto enthusiasts!!!

[Panneer Selven]

Guys, will the Xuv700 have remote start?

[motorworks]

Great Review!

A quick question to the Mods, the XUV700 seems to have trumped the Safari almost in all aspects. There are one or two areas where the XUV700 may have disadvantages against the Safari, one, the third row is probably not as comfortable as the Safari, but the trade off seems to be better boot space. And second, potential niggles due to the high tech features, I say potential because no one really knows, maybe there would not be a lot of issues, but it can be a factor.

So when you judge both cars for their fundamentals, like driving dynamics, ride quality, braking etc, is the XUV700 still miles ahead?

Personally, somehow the XUV700 does not tug my emotional strings as much as the Safari, in terms of looks the Safari is too classy. But you cannot ignore the features and capabilities that the XUV700 brings to the table. Forget segment firsts, I think many cars costing even twice the price of the XUV700 do not have these kind of features, so it’s a very hard point to ignore for someone and just go and pick up the Safari for purely it’s looks. Bottom line being, is it really game over for the Safari? Would it be relegated to much smaller volumes and never see even a moderate success in the long run? I cannot see Tata updating the Safari in the short term, except for some paint and sticker jobs. And I don’t know if Tata has really any room for price reductions.

[anb]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

And you now have BMW owners attempting to justify why they paid 3 times more for their car over the XUV 700.

Well done, Mahindra!

This post is an insult to BMW sedan owners. BMW sedan is bought for it's handling, performance, high speed stability and brand value. A person who is looking to buy vehicle with good dynamics, performance, will never opt for a big bulky SUV. Even though the power output looks same on paper, on road performance of 320d is a couple of segments above the XUV 7OO. If someone wants a better VFM alternative to a BMW sedan, there is Skoda Octavia, but never a big SUV.

Having similar power output figures on paper doesn't translate to similar performance on road. I was trying to say it. One car reaches 100 in 6.9 seconds and the other one in 10 seconds. 180 comes in 18 seconds for 320d and for XUV it is more than 8 seconds slower. One has a top speed of 240 kmph and other one doesn't even touch 192 kmph. It's childish to compare both cars based on peak power outputs.

When you pay below 25 lakhs, you will get cars with 6 speed automatics that can do 100 in 9-12seconds like XUV 7OO, T-Roc, Kushaq, Harrier etc. When you pay around 60 lakhs you will get cars with sophisticated 8/9 speed transmissions which can do 100 in 6-8 seconds. Nothing has changed much.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by ruskinash

What is even the point of this comparison?
One is a luxury brand in India and the other isn't. When people shop for luxury what they're paying for is exclusivity.

People who shop for luxury brands are not looking for value propositions, comparing feature lists is not on their top of the lists!

Do you really think someone shopping for a Mercedes is even considering a Mahindra just because they have a value for money option!

More than that, I would say the comparision is illogical. As the XUV 700, as mighty VFM as it is, will drive nothing like a low slung sedan as the compared to 320D.

That being said, I am extremely happy to see what Mahindra has accomplished here. Now to wait a year and see the real world results before I place my order for the 700 : )