[Diesel9999]

It has been a while since I bought a new car. I have been using a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta all these days and while it is a solid car, it was beginning to show it's age.

My first car was a Tata Sierra (you can read about its renovation here - Project Sierra Renovation ), so I have always had a very soft corner for Tata SUV's. I have been waiting for Tata to bring the updated Aria (Hexa Concept), but my patience finally ran out when I saw the refreshed XUV500 from Mahindra.

Though the original XUV500 appealed to me cosmetically, I was not a fan of its interior quality and its ride and handling characteristics. So when the refreshed XUV came out, I was sorely tempted. Little did I realise that a routine showroom visit for a test drive would turn out to be a shift in loyalties from Tata to Mahindra!

I was bowled over the by the marked improvement in interior quality and the significant enhancement in ride quality on the new XUV500. I was sold! A quick check with my friend who dabbles in used cars told me that my Jetta would go for the 7 lakh mark. The decision was made. I spoke to the sales lead in VVC Motors Kondapur, Mr. Mohan Das. I was assured that a white W10 or W8 could be mine in under a week, if I paid up 50,000 INR on the spot. That was May 29th!



Booking experience:
After going through the options list on the W8 and the W10, I decided to go for the latter. The sun roof, revere camera assist system with dynamic guidance, electric driver's seat adjustment and the XUV logo projection from the ORVM's were too good to resist .

This would be a 3-5 year investment for me, at the very least. So I decided to go for the best I could afford. I paid an advance of 50,000 INR and I was promptly given a booking docket that listed out the advantages of the Purple Club, etc. The booking experience was very pleasant and Mr. Mohan was quite proactive and co-operative.

On-road price and discounts:
The on-road price of the W10 is 17.98 lakhs, without accessories. For the fully loaded W10, Mahindra has a list of optional accessories like -

• Active subwoofer
• Side steps
• Rear bull bar
• Front bull bar
• Rain visors
• Magnetic window shades
• DVD and screen for rear passengers
• Seat organisers
• Teflon and anti-rust package

I decided to take the Rain visors, rear bull bar and side steps. They cost me an additional 25K. I tried bargaining for discounts, but because it was a very new launch, I was not really hopeful. I succeeded in getting the anti-rust coating and a perfume bottle free of cost from the dealership. That was the best I could do.





The loan and all other paperwork took me about 3-4 days to complete. HDFC bank is your best bet in these matters. After dealing with 2-3 banks, I found their approval process to be the easiest.

Extended warranties & service packages:
Mahindra allows you to pick up extended warranty much later, so I decided to opt out of this for the moment. The new XUV 500 comes with a 3 year or 1 lakh kms warranty as standard. Road side assist also comes standard for 2 years.

Delivery experience:
After all formalities were completed, the muhurtham was fixed for Sunday morning (June 7th). I went to the showroom on Saturday (June 6th) to check out my vehicle and do my own PDI. Thanks to Team-BHP, I am well aware of the importance of doing my own PDI.

This is when I realised that Mahindra still has some way to go with quality control (QC), esp with the interior plastics. In the four W10 XUV 500s shown to me, the panel gap for the left side storage bin on the dashboard was different in each vehicle.

On the exterior, the QC was top notch. Panel gaps were even and paint quality was fantastic. I chose the W10 with the least amount of storage bin panel gap. TR and insurance work was completed.

On June 7th, which happens to be today, I turned up at the showroom with my family at the appointed time. The service guys were still cleaning the car, as an unexpected shower destroyed all their prior efforts. VVC Motors even arranged a priest for the puja ceremony and all puja necessities were arranged free of cost. A really nice gesture from them.



The odometer read 15 kms at the time of delivery.

Early observations:
Mahindra has improved the overall build quality, fit & finish as well as paint quality of the new XUV500 significantly. My friend, who has the previous gen XUV, could easily tell the difference.

Wheels & tyres - Pegasus came with 235/65 R17 Bridgestones. The tyres seem adequate for the job at the moment and I have no plans for a tyre upgrade now. The 17 inch alloys on the W10 look pretty cool. Once again, no plans to upgrade for now.

Interior design & quality - This is where the new XUV scores heavily over the outgoing one. The leather seats are fantastic on the W10. I am a little worried about the beige though as it will be prone to stains. Other than that, the leather has a very supple feel.

The sun roof has an anti-pinch feature. If you have your neck or hand in the way of the sun roof when it is closing, it will immediately go back when it encounters the obstruction. This is a good safety feature, especially when kids are present.

The driver's seat is electrically adjustable. I am used to the driving position of the Jetta and am yet to figure out a completely comfortable position on Pegasus. Lol, it has only been a few hours, so I guess I will settle down within a few days.

Space & comfort - This is an area which has always been a strength for the XUV and nothing much has changed in the new model. The middle row seat is reclinable and my folks felt very comfortable in it. For them, the high seating position is an instant winner as they used to struggle in the low back seat of the Jetta.

Driving position, ergonomics, controls & MID - Like I said, it has only been a few hours, so I still haven't found the optimum position. The seat is really comfortable though and the ergonomics are largely OK. I found the angle of the handbrake a little odd. Other than that, all buttons are in reach.

There is a storage box between the front seats that also doubles up as an armrest. When you put in a 1 liter water bottle in the bottle holder in front of this box, the bottle messes with your hand as well as with the gearshift (for 4th gear). The holder is also quite shallow.



Special mention must be made of the new touchscreen MID on the W10. It is fantastically responsive, very legible and has some cool features. The navigation system is very fast and accurate. Bye bye google maps. At least for Hyderabad. Sound quality is just about decent. There is no CD/DVD option. You will have to use your iPod or USB drive.

Air-conditioner cooling & effectiveness - The air-con is fantastic and it did a very good job of keeping the cabin insulated from the outside temperature and pollution. The automatic climate control is pretty easy to use. The middle row and third row have air vents as well. The fan is quite noisy though, especially when it is at its highest level. I found it difficult to listen to music at normal volume levels when the fan was at its highest.

Engine and Performance - This is the best part. The XUV500 has always had a strong engine and it just got better in this new version. The gearing has been altered slightly and the XUV now pulls a lot stronger from standstill. My Jetta is prone to stalling if the revs dip below a certain point in traffic crawl situations, so the tractability of the XUV is a major boon for me.

Cabin insulation is better than the outgoing XUV. Engine noise is nicely contained and the cabin is fairly quiet. I have not taken Pegasus past the 80 kmph mark so far, so I cannot comment on road noise and wind noise at high speeds. But I have taken the test drive vehicle on the Outer Ring Road and touched higher speeds. On that vehicle, wind and road noise was under control.

Gearshift & clutch - The clutch is very light and is a joy to use. My friend who uses a 2014 XUV says that it is a lot better than the one on his car. Gearshift quality is OK. I am used to the slick and solid gearbox on the Jetta and so, the XUV's box feels a little rubbery. The throw is also longer than that of my Jetta. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Suspension & ride quality (at low as well as high speeds) - This is another area where Mahindra has worked very hard. The ride quality of the new XUV500 is way better than that of the outgoing model. At city speeds, it is a lot more supple and mature. The nervousness and dive happy nature of the outgoing XUV has been tackled well.

On the highway, the ride is still not as good as that of a Pajero SFX. But, it is a marked improvement over the outgoing XUV and it is not a cause for complaint anymore. The ABS and ESP 9 system from Bosch keep things under control. Braking is good and there was no alarming behaviour from the chassis when I tested it on the ORR.

Steering - The old XUV was prone to understeer on hard acceleration. I did not find that trait on the facelifted XUV. Perhaps, I need to spend more time to see if this issue will crop up. That said, the steering does have a slightly annoying tendancy to kick back when the wheels encounter particularly large potholes or speed breakers. Perhaps, I am used to the very neutral steering on the Jetta. The steering is adjustable for rake and reach.

Keyless entry system - The W10 comes with a keyless entry system, which is quite convenient. The key fob looks premium, but it is quite big. I also found the start stop button's placement as quite OK. You don't need to reach out too much to use it.



I already covered 55 kms in the XUV on Day 1! To sum up,

What I like:
Fantastic value for money now. The list of features at this price point is unbeatable. Sorry Tata. It is game over for the Storme
Mature front end design. The pictures don't do the vehicle justice. It looks a lot better in the flesh
Terrific headlamp design
Supple ride in the city, comfortable seats
Strong and tractable engine, good cabin insulation.
Touchscreen MID and reverse guidance system are fantastic
Comes loaded with bells and whistles - cornering assist lamps, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, cruise control, 6 airbags, hill hold and hill descent control

What I don't like:
Kickback from the steering
Still scope for improvement in high speed ride
Mahindra could have given real day time running lamps instead of the light guides







Infotainment system - The infotainment system in the new XUV500 is pretty impressive and it has an easy to use layout. The navigation system in particular, is very good. In Hyderabad, it is very accurate. The navigation system also has 3D mode, just like in Google Maps. Here is a snapshot:


This is the audio setup menu, which is also pretty easy to set up. The responsive touch screen makes all the difference here:


As you can see, the options are fairly easy to understand. The equaliser settings menu has the usual Rock, Pop, Jazz etc presets and there is also a custom preset option.

Handsfree System - The XUV500 comes with a handsfree system and pairing up my iPhone with the infotainment system was quite simple. But this is where I experienced the first bug in my car. A few minutes after the phone was paired, the infotainment system went blank. It did not respond to any inputs and a blank screen greeted me The volume button worked. The reverse guidance system worked. But nothing else. Here is a video of that:

Video Of The Malfunction

I switched off the ignition and switched it back on. Still no result. The screen remained blank. Panic set in. I switched off the ignition, waited for a full 15 minutes, prayed to all the Gods I could think of, and switched it back on. Voila, it was back to normal.

I connected my phone once again to the system and this time, nothing happened. It has been functioning well so far.

A few screen shots of the phone menu:




A few 'unpremium' touches - This is an 18 lakh vehicle and one would expect Mahindra to be extremely conscious about quality and attention to detail. To a large extent, they have succeeded. But I did find a few sore areas.

Check out the exposed rear bench bolts:


The exposed sunglass holder spring that is very clearly visible from the front passenger seat:


Maybe I am being snobbish here. But I never found such things on my Jetta. These are not really expensive things to fix.

Fuel economy - After topping up the XUV as soon as I took delivery, I managed to complete 125 kms, in two days. I topped up the vehicle once again at the same bunk and I got a FE of 11.2 kmpl Full city cycle with 100% AC. I am expecting this figure to improve after a couple of services. My Jetta used to return about 13 - 14kmpl in the city. So I am happy with the XUV's FE, for the size and power it offers.

The XUV looks cool at night, with the light guides, the interior blue lounge lighting and the holographic projection of the XUV500 logo. Will add these and other images, with better quality, soon.

[arvi86]

Hearty Congratulations! Mahindra has really cleaned up the front end and your Pegasus looks fabulous. Coming within days of launch, yours is also the first ownership thread on the new XUV500 that has generated a lot of interest amongst prospective customers. I'm sure this thread is going to see a lot of followers.

Coming from a Jetta that's built like a tank, how would you rate the quality, fit and finish of the XUV's interiors?

[Torino]

Hi Diesel9999, congrats on your XUV5OO. Looks great in White and IMO is the best color for XUV5OO and it highlights the black exterior inserts of the car. I checked the new 5OO recently, I found the new black and beige interior perfect for the luxury interiors and its a welcome change to the old purple interior and the touch screen felt very responsive. My favorite features were the new blue speedo layout, six way electric seat adjustment and of course, the sunroof. The new headlight with the LED line looks very cool. Drive safe.

[roby.thomas]

Congratulations on getting the new ride !

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

I chose the W10 with the least amount of storage bin panel gap.

How does this work ? My assumption was after you book it, the order to the company is placed, and then the vehicle gets allotted and shipped. Is it that the dealers place early order and already had a few of these new W10 variant in yard for you to choose from ?

[jvm_1986]

Congratulations on your new XUV 5OO. As mentioned above, the car looks great in white. From your report,it is quite evident that Mahindra has listened to customer feedback and worked hard to correct the negatives of the previous version. This is proof that Mahindra is extremely serious about the XUV5OO.
Drive safe and do keep us updated as you munch the miles.

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[falconion]

Congratulations. I was at VVC Motors on the 6th, checking out a W10 getting the under body treatment done.

I was there getting my ACs blower replaced under warranty which had stopped working. Also got the opportunity to get a test drive done that day. It sure had improved a lot in certain aspects.

Congratulations once again!!

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by arvi86

Hearty Congratulations! Mahindra has really cleaned up the front end and your Pegasus looks fabulous. Coming within days of launch, yours is also the first ownership thread on the new XUV500 that has generated a lot of interest amongst prospective customers. I'm sure this thread is going to see a lot of followers.



Coming from a Jetta that's built like a tank, how would you rate the quality, fit and finish of the XUV's interiors?

Thanks arvi. Like I noted in my report, the build quality of the Jetta seems better but the XUV is not far behind. When I compare it to my friend's previous gen XUV, my new ride seems a lot better in terms of build quality. Whether it will hold up as well as the Jetta or not, in the long run,remains to be seen. Will keep posting regular updates.

Originally Posted by Torino

Hi Diesel9999, congrats on your XUV5OO. Looks great in White and IMO is the best color for XUV5OO and it highlights the black exterior inserts of the car. I checked the new 5OO recently, I found the new black and beige interior perfect for the luxury interiors and its a welcome change to the old purple interior and the touch screen felt very responsive. My favorite features were the new blue speedo layout, six way electric seat adjustment and of course, the sunroof. The new headlight with the LED line looks very cool. Drive safe.

Thanks Torino. The black and beige interiors definitely look way better than the old colours. The blue speedo layout is really cool. Check this out

Originally Posted by roby.thomas

Congratulations on getting the new ride !







How does this work ? My assumption was after you book it, the order to the company is placed, and then the vehicle gets allotted and shipped. Is it that the dealers place early order and already had a few of these new W10 variant in yard for you to choose from ?

Roby.Thomas, you are right. Usually, what you described is what happens. In my case , I happened to be among the first few customers for the new model in Hyderabad. The dealer imported stocks of all variants and booking started after that. That is why I had the luxury of choice.

Originally Posted by jvm_1986

Congratulations on your new XUV 5OO. As mentioned above, the car looks great in white. From your report,it is quite evident that Mahindra has listened to customer feedback and worked hard to correct the negatives of the previous version. This is proof that Mahindra is extremely serious about the XUV5OO.
Drive safe and do keep us updated as you munch the miles.

Thanks jvm_1986 . Yes , Mahindra seems to be extremely serious about the XUV 500. It is a game changer for them not just in India ,but in emerging international markets as well. They have listened to customer feedback and I hope Tata learns a thing or two from them in this area. Customer care and follow up is also leagues ahead of Tata. I actually was made to feel like a premium customer and not some cab guy buying an MUV.

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by falconion

Congratulations. I was at VVC Motors on the 6th, checking out a W10 getting the under body treatment done.

I was there getting my ACs blower replaced under warranty which had stopped working. Also got the opportunity to get a test drive done that day. It sure had improved a lot in certain aspects.

Congratulations once again!!

Thank you falconion. If it was a white W10 you saw on that day, chances are it could be mine

This is my first premium Mahindra purchase, so perhaps you can answer my question. How good is Mahindra when it comes to honouring warranty claims ? Is it advisable to take the extended warranty coverage ?

[SDP]

Congratulations for being one of the first ones to get the New Age XUV5OO. Lot of people would be looking for updates from early adapters like you to know if the facelift is any better?

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

....
There is a storage box between the front seats that also doubles up as an armrest. When you put in a 1 liter water bottle in the bottle holder in front of this box, the bottle messes with your hand as well as with the gearshift (for 4th gear). The Holder is also quite shallow.

....

Its a can-holder and not a bottle-holder.
1 litre bottles can be neatly tucked away in the door panels.

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by SDP

Congratulations for being one of the first ones to get the New Age XUV5OO. Lot of people would be looking for updates from early adapters like you to know if the facelift is any better?




Its a can-holder and not a bottle-holder.
1 litre bottles can be neatly tucked away in the door panels.

SDP , point taken . My bad . The bottle holders in the door are pretty decent

I took Pegasus out into old Hyderabad today. Bumper to bumper traffic, potholed roads and generally stressful driving environment.

These are my observations.

1. Average Fuel economy, as reported by the onboard computer, dropped to 9kmpl in this cycle. Over an hour of movement at 15-30 kmph speeds and 100% AC



2. The clutch is a delight to use. Extremely light and has good positive action. I found it to be better than the Jetta. Will have to see how long it remains this way.

3. The reworked suspension is very good for potholed roads and city speeds. Rise quality is very pliant.

4. Low speed drivability is really good .


I also took some time to put in 3D mats and magnetic sun visors. Cost me about 10k for both. The only issue is that the 3D Mats are covering up the illuminated scuff plates to a large extent.











The XUV 500 Logo projection is more of a party trick than anything else . It does attract attention.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

This is my first premium Mahindra purchase, so perhaps you can answer my question. How good is Mahindra when it comes to honouring warranty claims ? Is it advisable to take the extended warranty coverage ?

Hearty congratulations.

Mahindra is pretty lenient with warranty claims. Mostly, all parts are replaced in warranty without too many objections or questions asked.

Also, if the A.S.S. tries to act smart, one call to Mahindra call centre is all that is needed to bring them on the right track.

[Seran Manian]

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

It has been a while since I bought a new car. I have been using a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta all these days and while it is a solid car, it was beginning to show it's age.

Thanks for the first ownership review of XUV500 Face-lift. It was very nice and honest. I was glad to note that the suspension and clutch are better from the point of view of the user.

How is the throw and illumination of the Head Lights? Hope you have found the right position to drive by now .

[inder]

The second row seat (bottom) looks more inclined. The previous version had more flatter bench.

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Hearty congratulations.

Mahindra is pretty lenient with warranty claims. Mostly, all parts are replaced in warranty without too many objections or questions asked.

Also, if the A.S.S. tries to act smart, one call to Mahindra call centre is all that is needed to bring them on the right track.

Raj_5004 Thanks for the feedback. That is heartening to know. So far, the experience with the dealership has been positive. I got a call twice from the relationship manager, asking if the vehicle is performing according to expectations.

Originally Posted by Seran Manian

Thanks for the first ownership review of XUV500 Face-lift. It was very nice and honest. I was glad to note that the suspension and clutch are better from the point of view of the user.

How is the throw and illumination of the Head Lights? Hope you have found the right position to drive by now .

Hi Seran Manian. Yes I think I finally managed to find a position that is comfortable. As for the throw of the headlamps, I found them to be quite good in low beam. The cornering assist lamps are very nice and they make their presence felt when turning into poorly lit lanes. I did not get a chance to test the effectiveness of the high beam until now. Will take her out on to the highway this weekend and I will be able to give you feedback then.

Originally Posted by inder

The second row seat (bottom) looks more inclined. The previous version had more flatter bench.

Not sure if the angle has been changed in this new model. But the seat is quite comfortable, with good leg room and the recline option.