[alphadog]

Originally Posted by debuda

It's a 13 mm (head size) bolt with a length of 50 mm (2 inches). In all probability the bolt got in accidentally as it would be almost impossible for a miscreant to insert it manually in a fully inflated tyre. Of course, a miscreant could have placed such a bolt snugly between the tyre and road at an angle when the car was parked and the bolt could have gone in under the weight of the car when it was put in motion.



The inflator is called "Michelin High-power Rapid Tyre Inflator". I received it as a gift from a relative in the U.K. When you connect the hose to the tyre valve (with a very practical threaded connector) and plug in (12V) the inflator, the tyre pressure is displayed digitally. Thereafter, one can set the desired pressure and start the pump -- it stops automatically once the desired pressure is reached.


The inflator has 4 bright LED's to illuminate the tyre valve in case one needs to use it at night.

The threaded connector has a built-in deflation bleed valve.

Thanks Debuda!, I have the same Inflator and it is a fantastic bit of kit. Quite useful in situations like this and also to keep a tab on inflation pressures every couple of weeks or before a long journey. It saves me the trouble of going to the air pumps at petrol stations. I got mine from the UK as well. It is worth the price!

[debuda]

ODO : 23,000 km

Took my XUV to the A.S.S. at Adityapur in Jamshedpur and the following jobs were done :

1) Both wing mirror assemblies replaced FOC under warranty : My LHS wing mirror (only the mirror part) fell off a long time back when it lightly grazed a pedestrian. Luckily the mirror didn’t crack and I fitted it back. Subsequently, it fell off again and cracked as the car received a jolt while going over a big crater on NH33 between Jamshedpur and Bahragora. I got a new mirror fitted at the A.S.S. (cost of 'mirror plate' is Rs 327).

My RHS wing mirror also fell off while going over a speed breaker. I got a new mirror plate fitted at the A.S.S.

When the new mirrors were fitted by the A.S.S., I noticed that the installation was not perfect and the mirrors were a bit loose. I brought it to the notice of the Service Manager and he himself tried to install the mirrors but could not fit it perfectly to his own satisfaction. He assured me that if the mirrors fell off again, he would replace the entire assemblies under warranty.

As expected, both the mirrors fell off again one after the other when my XUV got some jolts on the horrible roads of Jharkhand. I found it difficult to accept that wing mirrors would come off just because the XUV got some jolts. Either there was a design / manufacturing defect or the mirrors hadn’t been fitted properly (both originally as well as by the A.S.S. subsequently). I informed the Service Manager and he agreed to replace both the wing mirror assemblies FOC under warranty after taking the approval of the Regional Manager (Service) of M&M.


One of my cracked wing mirrors plates (cracked after coming off the assembly and crashing on the road).




The rear side of the wing mirror plate.




My wing mirror assemblies being changed.




The body-coloured panel on the front side of the wing mirror assembly can be detached. So though the complete assemblies were changed in my XUV, the black coloured front panels of the new assemblies were removed and my original body-coloured panels were fitted. Otherwise, I would have had to get the new assemblies painted to body colour.





MRP of the wing mirror assembly is Rs 3072 (please note that this is for W6 which does not have motorised folding). W6 wing mirrors have motorised angle control but not motorised folding.




2) Modified intrusion alarm siren installed FOC : My siren had been replaced proactively by the A.S.S. about a year back but the new siren was of the same design as the original one. I came to know through TBHP that the modified siren has two additional safety features which ensure that even if the hinge breaks, the siren will not dangle and foul with the accessory belt (XUV owners are well aware of many incidents of accessory belts getting damaged by dangling sirens).

Since I was in the A.S.S. to get my wing mirror assemblies replaced, I asked my R.M. whether the modified siren was available. He confirmed it and showed one to me. When I requested him to fit this modified siren in my XUV under warranty, he readily agreed.


Note safety feature no. 1 – a simple plastic tie which ensures that even if the hinge is broken the siren will not fall down and foul with the accessory belt.





Note safety feature no. 2 – the electric cable of the siren is also clamped which ensures that even if the hinge is broken the siren will not reach the accessory belt.




3) The gear shift lever was making some minor squeaking sounds. The linkages / cables were greased.

My bill was Rs 0.00 as everything was done FOC under warranty.



Stray information received during the few hours I spent at the A.S.S. :

1) The rear mud flaps of the XUV have been redesigned by decreasing its height by about 3 inches. In other words, the ground clearance under the bottom edge of the rear mud flaps has been increased. This has been done because many instances of the rear mud flaps getting yanked off on broken / cratered roads have been reported (I have experienced this problem personally).

2) The new Osram headlight bulbs (which are more reliable and last longer) cost Rs 255 as against the price of Rs 475 for the older (failure prone) bulbs. Incidentally, none of my original bulbs have failed so far. I must clarify, however, that my night time driving is very less. I also do not use the ‘auto headlight’ feature.

[nitinralli]

Originally Posted by debuda

Stray information received during the few hours I spent at the A.S.S. :

1) The rear mud flaps of the XUV have been redesigned by decreasing its height by about 3 inches. In other words, the ground clearance under the bottom edge of the rear mud flaps has been increased. This has been done because many instances of the rear mud flaps getting yanked off on broken / cratered roads have been reported (I have experienced this problem personally).

2) The new Osram headlight bulbs (which are more reliable and last longer) cost Rs 255 as against the price of Rs 475 for the older (failure prone) bulbs. Incidentally, none of my original bulbs have failed so far. I must clarify, however, that my night time driving is very less. I also do not use the ‘auto headlight’ feature.

I must say that you are lucky that you got these mirrors fixed free of cost. Here in Delhi, everything needs to be paid off.

As of the Osram headlight bulbs, well i have them and they too went kaput after some time as i my driving includes 80% of night driving.

[chaudhary.akash]

Dear All,

I am not a good writer and thus providing an update on deduda's thread as his review inspired me to but XUV5OO W6. I am very happy with the vehicle and have completed 9500 kms mainly in the city i.e travelling from Greater Noida to Noida for work daily. My mileage is always between 14.50 - 15.6 kmpl with 100% Ac on.
I am very satisfied with the vehicle and rate it 100 times above Mahindra Scorpio, No offence to Scorpio Owners.

Thank you sir for such a detailed review.

Akash

[rahul_kej]

Sir,

It has been more than 3 months and there has been no update from your side. Hope all is good and really waiting for your current update and future plans with XUV specially during the Pujas.

Would like to thank you for this wonderful and detailed ownership review which motivated me to own W6 silver model.

Really waiting for your updates.

[debuda]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

Sir,

It has been more than 3 months and there has been no update from your side. Hope all is good and really waiting for your current update and future plans with XUV specially during the Pujas.

Would like to thank you for this wonderful and detailed ownership review which motivated me to own W6 silver model.

Really waiting for your updates.

Thanks for your kind words.

I'm alive and well, and so is my beloved XUV. Neither did I undertake any long drives during the last few months nor were there any issues with my XUV -- that is the reason for my silence on this thread.

I did drive to Ranchi (from Jamshedpur) a few times during the last 3 months but since the round trip distance is only 260 KM, I don't really consider it a 'long drive'. However, there is an important thing that struck me about my XUV during the recent drives.

There are some rough stretches on NH33 between Jamshedpur and Ranchi. The thing that strikes me is that my suspension has become really smooth now. I had written in the past that car suspensions also (like engines) require running-in or bedding-in. Good bedding-in takes place after the suspension has been subjected to high stresses and strains over many thousands of kilometers. For this it is important that the car be not only driven extensively on bad roads but also at high passenger / cargo load.

My XUV has now done 23,700 KM (including lots of bad / broken stretches with full load) and I feel that the suspension has settled in really well. It is far better than when it was new. When I compare the behaviour of my earlier cars (hatchbacks and sedans) with the XUV, I feel that since the XUV has a relatively more heavy-duty suspension, it takes more time for proper bedding-in.

For new XUV owners, the lesson to be learnt from my experience is that don't jump to conclusions about the performance of your brand new suspension. Give it some time and ragda (torture) and its performance will gradually improve and probably exceed your expectations.

[rahul_kej]

Originally Posted by debuda

Thanks for your kind words.

I'm alive and well, and so is my beloved XUV. Neither did I undertake any long drives during the last few months nor were there any issues with my XUV -- that is the reason for my silence on this thread.

I did drive to Ranchi (from Jamshedpur) a few times during the last 3 months but since the round trip distance is only 260 KM, I don't really consider it a 'long drive'. However, there is an important thing that struck me about my XUV during the recent drives.

Good to hear from you sir.

Why don't you plan for Paro, Thimpu amd Punakha in Bhutan or for Kathmandu, Nagarkot and Pokahara in Nepal.

You will love the open roads and scenic beauty out there. Pokahara is a must do once and so is Paro.

[debuda]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

Good to hear from you sir.

Why don't you plan for Paro, Thimpu amd Punakha in Bhutan or for Kathmandu, Nagarkot and Pokahara in Nepal.

You will love the open roads and scenic beauty out there. Pokahara is a must do once and so is Paro.

I have already driven (in my Swift VDi) from Jamshedpur to Paro, Thimpu and Kathmandu (in 2 separate trips -- one to Bhutan and another to Nepal). Of course, I don't mind doing such trips again.

[debuda]

I wish that the ground clearance of the XUV, especially between the front wheels, had been a bit more. And the plastic engine guard is not going to win any awards for good design.

During a recent drive from Jamshedpur to Calcutta on the horribly broken NH33 / NH6, my engine bottom guard again got damaged. I have written about it here.

[AutoIndian]

Debuda Sir, your beast is going to complete 2 years exactly in a weeks time on 25 Oct 2014. Would really appreciate if you can summarize your experience over the last two years.

Over the last several months I was looking to seal the deal of pre-worshipped Innova but somehow that was not destined to happen. I then started thinking about going for a brand new Innova GX model. The on road price is prohibitively high at about 15 lacs. When you compare that with a XUV W6, which is tad higher than 14 lacs and with so many features that even the top end Innova does not have, then the W6 becomes a serious contender.

I know 2 years ago when you bought the XUV there were simply too many niggles and you were quite apprehensive about its reliability. Do you think on similar lines even now after spending two years with your XUV?

I want to go for a car that can be used with ease for my daily office commutes of about 64 kms and it can effortlessly take my family of 6 (4 adults and 2 kids) with their luggage for long weekend trips. Do you think the XUV will have an edge over the Innova?

[debuda]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Debuda Sir, your beast is going to complete 2 years exactly in a weeks time on 25 Oct 2014. Would really appreciate if you can summarize your experience over the last two years.

Over the last several months I was looking to seal the deal of pre-worshipped Innova but somehow that was not destined to happen. I then started thinking about going for a brand new Innova GX model. The on road price is prohibitively high at about 15 lacs. When you compare that with a XUV W6, which is tad higher than 14 lacs and with so many features that even the top end Innova does not have, then the W6 becomes a serious contender.

I know 2 years ago when you bought the XUV there were simply too many niggles and you were quite apprehensive about its reliability. Do you think on similar lines even now after spending two years with your XUV?

I want to go for a car that can be used with ease for my daily office commutes of about 64 kms and it can effortlessly take my family of 6 (4 adults and 2 kids) with their luggage for long weekend trips. Do you think the XUV will have an edge over the Innova?

I'm a bit busy right now as my wife and I are relocating from Jamshedpur to Calcutta. So I can't summarize in detail my last 2 years' experience with my W6. But if you see my posts on this thread you will know that I have never faced any serious issues with my W6 and the XUV has met all my expectations (actually even exceeded my expectations in some ways).

There is no comparison between a MUV like Innova and a SUV like XUV. On TBHP and other similar fora you will find many comparative studies between these two cars. It all depends on what your requirements are. If it is just transportation of people and luggage comfortably, safely and reliably -- go for the Innova. But I'll advise you NOT to go for a new Innova because this car is beyond the end of its product lifecycle. Only because India is a third world country, Toyota is able to flog an old horse like Innova for such a long time here. Sooner or later Toyota is expected to introduce a new model as a replacement for Innova in India. So I shall advise you to go for a used Innova if you get a good deal.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by debuda

I'm a bit busy right now as my wife and I are relocating from Jamshedpur to Calcutta. So I can't summarize in detail my last 2 years' experience with my W6. But if you see my posts on this thread you will know that I have never faced any serious issues with my W6 and the XUV has met all my expectations (actually even exceeded my expectations in some ways)..

Sorry for bothering you in the midst of your relocation. I have gone through the first 8 pages of this thread and will go through the balance in the coming days.

.

There is no comparison between a MUV like Innova and a SUV like XUV. On TBHP and other similar fora you will find many comparative studies between these two cars. It all depends on what your requirements are. If it is just transportation of people and luggage comfortably, safely and reliably -- go for the Innova. But I'll advise you NOT to go for a new Innova because this car is beyond the end of its product lifecycle. Only because India is a third world country, Toyota is able to flog an old horse like Innova for such a long time here. Sooner or later Toyota is expected to introduce a new model as a replacement for Innova in India. So I shall advise you to go for a used Innova if you get a good deal.

You are spot on. Since the current Innova is at the end of its life cycle I don't want to put my money on a new Innova because 2 years down the line it will become obsolete. Moreover its difficult to find a good used Innova.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Debuda Sir, your beast is going to complete 2 years exactly in a weeks time on 25 Oct 2014. Would really appreciate if you can summarize your experience over the last two years.

Over the last several months I was looking to seal the deal of pre-worshipped Innova but somehow that was not destined to happen. I then started thinking about going for a brand new Innova GX model. The on road price is prohibitively high at about 15 lacs. When you compare that with a XUV W6, which is tad higher than 14 lacs and with so many features that even the top end Innova does not have, then the W6 becomes a serious contender.

I know 2 years ago when you bought the XUV there were simply too many niggles and you were quite apprehensive about its reliability. Do you think on similar lines even now after spending two years with your XUV?

I want to go for a car that can be used with ease for my daily office commutes of about 64 kms and it can effortlessly take my family of 6 (4 adults and 2 kids) with their luggage for long weekend trips. Do you think the XUV will have an edge over the Innova?

Just compare the last seat of Innova (head rests extended and middle row moved fwd by couple inches) with XUV. If your kids agree to sit in the last row ox XUV - go for it. Mine wont. I found it as well as the general quality of plastics is better in Innova.

[debuda]

I received a SMS alert for 'field service action'. I rang up Royal Motors in Kolkata and they informed me that the service action was for updating airbag software.

I took an appointment with Royal Motors and visited them yesterday. The software upgrade took just 5 minutes. Thereafter, the dealer gave my XUV a complimentary wash and interior cleaning.

This was my very first visit to a M&M service center in Kolkata after relocating here 4 months ago from Jamshedpur. Royal Motors was recommended to me by a fellow TBHPian Siddhartha Banerjee (me_sid).

I found Royal Motors quite good and customer-friendly. What I did not like is the long and narrow approach road to the workshop and the distance from my residence.

My airbag software being upgraded to latest version.




View of laptop screen after completion of upgradation.

[RajeVenu]

Debuda, Long time since received any updates from you. I for one am missing your interesting and well scripted posts. Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards