[Tanmay007]

Fantastic review Avi. I'm working on my own ownership exp and your writeup is a great example of writing a thoroughly detailed one. I'll be definitely taking some pointers from here.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

OEM Screen Protector Film (690/-

I had previously commented on how Mahindra has made a blunder and made the OEM screen guard without any cut-out in the official review thread (Mahindra XUV700 Review).

I've since found out the correct way to install the OEM screen protector is to remove the Adrenox logo, install the protector and put the logo back on, giving it a clean flush look. The logo is akin to a normal sticker and is easily removable.

If you're as particular about look and finish as me, I'd highly suggest you replace it with a new one.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The flush door handles look out of place on the XUV7OO. Many have lauded Mahindra for this offbeat yet clean design for the doors and the vehicle, but I don't like it's practical implementation for daily use.

Originally Posted by vigsom

I just do not approve of these flush- fit door handles, and expect to see this one part failing in many cars over time. These look even more failure-prone than the lift type handles in the older Marutis.

Build quality wise, the door handles are a non-issue across variants. 6+ months of the car and not a single complaint of handle being broken. Besides, cars several segments above also come with these, Kia's EV6 is one example.

Ergonomically, I agree it could have been better for the non-luxury variant. On the luxury variant these work beautifully. Mahindra should've made them motorised on all variants or offered regular handles on lower trims.

[naveenchhillar]

Congratulations for your purchase Sir.

Even I own AX5 Diesel Automatic 7 Seater White Color; sharing almost same Positives & Negatives about this particular model.

I am still to see someone using a good Reverse Camera that's fitted properly & not protruding outwards (unlike what M&M suggests to install). Would be keeping an eye on this particular accessory. Please share it here so that others can benefit.

Wishing you HAPPY MILES in coming years.

[sbm]

The beauty of these reviews is that they cover the emotional part of car selection along with the technical aspect of the car. Many thanks to @ravenavi for this beautiful compilation. I have a question for you, what was the most prominent reason you went fot XUV AX5 instead of Harrier XT despite the latter having better features and easy availability?

[RavenAvi]

Thank you so much for the kind words, Team.

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

The XUV7OO is a complete mechanical package barring a few missing features. It does miss out on electronic features but nevertheless, it suffices.

Missing a few very basic and must-have features too. For those who don't want the ADAS and related high-end stuff, the AX5 is a great option. If only it was a more complete variant, basic feature-wise.

Thank you, bud.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here.

Thank you so much, Aditya. This one reply by you has made my entire day. I am really, really honoured that my effort has become one of the chosen go-tos for our official Team-BHP reviews for the 7OO.

Originally Posted by vigsom

When the 7OO was announced, and a friend of mine was contemplating a new car, I suggested only the MX or the AX5 to him.

Thank you, vigsom.

Even the MX is sufficiently loaded for anyone with basic needs. But no ESP is a dampener. ESP is a must for these top-heavy SUVs. Many countries have this law for car companies to provide ESP as standard fitment in all their SUV products. About time India passes a law on this very crucial and important feature too.

Originally Posted by vigsom

However, what is also evident through the many ownership threads, and generally true for everything in India is
1. nothing works per system - one gets preferential treatment if one pulls the right levers.

Indeed. I would still be in the waiting list counting the days out till March 2023 and this current level of excitement would have just dissipated, if I had gone the straight route.

Maybe this would have been the ownership report of another car instead, or no ownership report at all if the tale ended with a half-hearted, second or third choice purchase.

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Originally Posted by vigsom

2. White - my favourite shade on most cars, but I'm surprised why you were skeptical, given that you've owned whites

Because of the 5OO's White which wasn't that impressive in final finish, even though the shade was called Pearl White. Plus, most companies offer White shade in normal, plain shades which deteriorates with time and either loses it's lustre or turns slightly yellow. But this Everest White shade is excellent. In pearl finish and combined with the shiny black parts of the car such as the piano-black ORVMs, it looks great on the 7OO.

Am planning to get the roof wrapped in Black for a complete dual tone effect.

Originally Posted by vigsom

I opine that the groove depth need not be an indicator of tyre life. I'd expect these tyres to last 50k easily.

It might, depending on how well it stands up against everyday wear and tear. But the rural/semi-rural roads on which Icarus will see regular running, I am doubtful that these would last that long.

Anyway, I am planning to swap these for Bridgestones in the future.

Originally Posted by vigsom

A small tip - please think of a way to cover those wide openings in the grille. A medium size stone, launched from the tyre of a heavy vehicle in front on the highway can pass through the grille and damage the condenser. Maybe you could think of installing some mesh in the inner side of the grille, like what is shown below

Indeed. The teeth of the grille are too spaced out and apart, possibly due to added ventilation for the mHawk. Will discuss with the service team during 1st Free Service and decide what can be done for this. Thanks.

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Really liked the attention and the unbiased views, depicts the command you have over the subject and the car. It's one thing to know what's good or bad, an entirely another thing to actually put it down & share so comprehensively with others! Loved it.

Thank you so much, JoshMachine. I am humbled!

Originally Posted by sleepyhead148

One thing that I'm curious about. How are the drive modes impacting the steering response on the car? Is it too early to say at ~700 kms?

Thank you, sleepyhead148.

From what I have observed, the steering weighs up sufficiently well in the "Zoom" mode across all speeds, be it low or high. In "Zap" mode, it's light in low speeds but not disconcertingly light as old Hyundais of yore. It weighs up quite a bit when speeds increase. Overall, quite comfortable. Haven't driven in the "Zip" mode yet but I can safely deduce that it must be lighter in feedback than "Zap" mode. I am sure I won't like it at all.

Originally Posted by sleepyhead148

When I was shortlisting my Creta, coincidentally in a similar trajectory like you in under a week, I showed my partner and parents your long term review and they were more secure about the choice. It'll be serendipity if we get a Mahindra in the future due to this post.

No better compliment than this! Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by Jude300

It was absolute joy reading your review. Well balanced and with loads of information. I love the XUV700 in its Black and White avatars. Yours in white is a nice choice. Wish you an exciting and long ownership of your Icarus! Will be coming back often to check for your updates.

Thank you, Jude300. I shall do my best to keep my report regularly and properly updated as much as I can.

Originally Posted by sudhirjaipur

I wanted to know how does one write such a long post, do you first compose it in Word or Pages along with all the images and then copy paste?

Thank you so much, Sudhir.

I composed all of the report in our Team-BHP's Assembly Line only. Over the past 13 days (I started on 10th May at around 11:40PM) and sitting late into the nights, driving the XUV7OO extensively to reiterate on my initial views and observations, proof-reading repeatedly, editing, adding and removing content and adding/removing pics from the Attachments section - all whenever I had even a little bit of free time from my daily schedules, or late-night sittings which went really late.

No Microsoft Word or similar applications used. All the posts you see above were created, modified and edited inside the Assembly Line only, directly in this thread.

Originally Posted by Tanmay007

Fantastic review Avi. I'm working on my own ownership exp and your writeup is a great example of writing a thoroughly detailed one. I'll be definitely taking some pointers from here.

Thank you so much, Tanmay.

Originally Posted by Tanmay007

I've since found out the correct way to install the OEM screen protector is to remove the Adrenox logo, install the protector and put the logo back on, giving it a clean flush look. The logo is akin to a normal sticker and is easily removable.

I was suggested to remove the AdrenoX logo's sticker before sticking the screen protector by the dealership guys, but I was doubtful if it would stick back properly on the matte-finished surface of the protector. Hence I went the safe route and just cut the portion out.

I shall let it be for now. Let's see if it looks too ungainly after the next few months, or if the small bubble above the AdrenoX sticker gets bigger. I am sure a protector with a proper cut-out space would be available by then. Replacement is a given.

Originally Posted by Tanmay007

Build quality wise, the door handles are a non-issue across variants. 6+ months of the car and not a single complaint of handle being broken.

This is so reassuring to hear. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Tanmay007

Ergonomically, I agree it could have been better for the non-luxury variant. On the luxury variant these work beautifully. Mahindra should've made them motorised on all variants or offered regular handles on lower trims.

No use calling them "smart pop-out" door handles if they don't do that on all variants, is it? Unlock and pop out, lock and pop in - that should have been the ideal mechanism.

Originally Posted by naveenchhillar

Even I own AX5 Diesel Automatic 7 Seater White Color; sharing almost same Positives & Negatives about this particular model.

I am still to see someone using a good Reverse Camera that's fitted properly & not protruding outwards (unlike what M&M suggests to install). Would be keeping an eye on this particular accessory. Please share it here so that others can benefit.

Thank you, Naveen.

I had initially ordered the OEM Reverse Camera with wiring from the Accessories section of m2all. Watched a few videos on youtube of this getting fitted and the final finish was awful, whether it was drilled and fitted into the rear bumper or installed beside the Twin Peaks logo at the rear, where the original rear camera from the AX7/AX7L are. Plus, the display from the rear camera had guidelines pointing towards the sky!

I ditched that option, contacted the Service head of the Service Center, and placed an order for the camera of the higher AX7 variant and all the fittings it comes with - wiring, couplers and the original fascia. Will get it fitted and enabled just like how it is on the AX7. Shall revert back with full details.

Originally Posted by sbm

The beauty of these reviews is that they cover the emotional part of car selection along with the technical aspect of the car.

I have a question for you, what was the most prominent reason you went fot XUV AX5 instead of Harrier XT despite the latter having better features and easy availability?

Thank you so much, sbm.

Harrier is a 5-seater so that was never in consideration. The Safari was the strongest alternative here and it's XT variant was almost finalised with a heavy, uninterested heart on the evening of 14th April. But as soon as my best friend called me with the good news, heart took over head and overshadowed it completely.

As they say "dil ka mamla hai" (translated - "affairs of the heart"). Practicality, sense and practical judgement simply went out of the window, and the rest is history. No regrets whatsoever since.


A few more interesting and useful things of note:-

Details of the OEM Auto-Headlamps accessory, as given by Mahindra.



Unladen weight = 1,756 kgs. Gross weight = 2,394 kgs.
Power = 182.24BHP. Cubic Capacity = 2,184cc.


See how over-enthusiastic the Realtime FE indicator can be?
Don't follow this at all!


Details of a particular alert inside the AdrenoX smartphone app.


Motif given inside the rear reflector.
Not sure which Mahindra design language this indicates. Pratap?


EcoSense scores are very cardiac-friendly.


As is the Fuel Economy indicator.


Subtle rear spoiler provided.


How many cars do you know of, which come with twin ISOFIX mounts for the 2nd row seats?!

[sbm]

Consider youself very lucky if you were able to listen to your heart instead of all the logical reasoning of brain. By the way, when I compared the Harrier/Safari and XUV 700, the most noticeable difference was the smoothness of gearbox and light clutch action on the XUV as compared to relatively (but not very) hard clutch and gearshift action. Combine these with very well laid footwell and dashboard area on the XUV, the manual variant must be a pleasure to drive with so much power on tap.

[Jude300]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

A few more interesting and useful things of note:-

Details of the OEM Auto-Headlamps accessory, as given by Mahindra.
Attachment 2312301
Attachment 2312300

OMG! Is Mahindra using a first gen Ford Ecosport's picture to sell its accessory? Well, I can imagine that the manufacturer could be a common one but using a Ford Ecosport's picture in a Mahindra's product catalog is not cool.

[vnabhi]

What a comprehensive review! Kudos to you, Ravenavi. I'm glad that you finally got the vehicle you were looking for. I wish you many happy miles of motoring on the XUV.

I'm overloaded with information now, after reading your exhaustive report. Wasn't aware that Mahindra has provided so many features.

I remember reading some of your posts and threads in the past, and you really write well. I did not know that you were based at Jagadalpur, else I'd have said hello to you when we drove to Chitrakote Falls in October 2019. And yes, we also drove to Jaipur and Araku and saw the pathetic roads soon after you cross the CG Odisha border.

I'm looking forward to your travelogs now on the new gem.

[jazzrockz]

Oh what a beautiful review! Absolutely loved it as you took us with you on your journey from buying to owning. Can call it a 'Saga'. Fabulous ride, the white version always seems larger than the darker shades. Wish you unending miles!

[chaksjr]

Absolutely lovely review. Congratulations on the car! May you enjoy a healthy and long life with this beast

[Mjbharat4u]

Congratulations Avi. Wonderful in-depth review of your vehicle. I have booked the same variant and still waiting for the beast. Will continue to follow this thread and hoping to share my reviews soon over here.

[sbm]

Sorry for multiple queries @ravenavi but I have a few more for you (possibly many more coming up)
1)I see that you made multiple bookings before finally getting the car from Jeypore dealership. Did you get your full amount refund for each of them? Also, if one manages to locate a free stock at a different dealership, is it possible to make immediate booking and get delivery within days?

2) Did you enquire about the cost of reverse parking camera? Also,as you said wiring for most functions from AX7 is available on the AX5 variant. Do you think it would be possible to install normal cruise control on AX5 given that AX7 has radars and cameras for the adaptive CC system?

3) Is lack of Auto Climate control really concerning? Is it the inconvenience of changing blower speed each time or is the AC less powerful in cooling on AX5.

4) You've mentioned that the gearshifts are sometimes slightly hard. I only had a chance to move the car in dealer yard in 1st gear for a few metres so couldn't experience the gearbox on the move. If you've TD Safari MT, can you draw a comparison between the XUV and Safari's MT gearboxes? The main reason I am apprehensive of the TATA twins is due to poor ergonomics in MT models and supposedly easy to burn clutch plates.

[GautamJ]

Amazing in-detail ownership thread as always Sirji
Wishing you great health, enjoyable and safe trips in the car. XUV 7OO is a great buy, just pointed down due to L-O-N-G waiting period.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by sbm

the manual variant must be a pleasure to drive with so much power on tap.

I won't be wrong if I admit that the 7OO is a real H-O-O-T to drive!

Like I said in my opening posts, it doesn't like the confines of the city and it's thick traffic. Give it open roads, depress the A-pedal without inhibition and burn that diesel. The accompanying roar is a pleasure for both the car and the one in it's driver seat.

Originally Posted by Jude300

OMG! Is Mahindra using a first gen Ford Ecosport's picture to sell its accessory?

I think it's from AutoCop. I remember a similar accessory was available for the very first-gen EcoSport when it was launched in India. They just re-used the picture.

Could be that they didn't have a 7OO for demo-ing when they launched the OEM accessory. We might see a change in pictures in the days to come, with more people opting for the OEM Auto-Headlamp accessory.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I remember reading some of your posts and threads in the past, and you really write well. I did not know that you were based at Jagadalpur, else I'd have said hello to you when we drove to Chitrakote Falls in October 2019. And yes, we also drove to Jaipur and Araku and saw the pathetic roads soon after you cross the CG Odisha border.

Thank you so much, vnabhi.

Yes, I don't allude to my resident city in most of my posts because it's in the middle of nowhere! But I have met many visiting BHPians here who traced me out, most recently being BHPian Ankur@VNS.

I am looking forward to meeting you if you decide on a second trip to this area. Do give me a holler, if you do so.

The roads should get repaired in a year's time. Most of the sections are much better already. This picture above was from a section just after the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, for around 2-3 kms, where they are developing a new bridge which is now half-built. Hopefully it should be completed by end-2023.

Originally Posted by jazzrockz

Can call it a 'Saga'. Fabulous ride, the white version always seems larger than the darker shades.

Thank you, jazzrockz. Thinking back to all which happened in the past several months, it was indeed no less than a saga.

And yes, the White XUV7OO looks quite big on the roads, compared to all other colours. But Red Rage is still the standout colour - the combination with black is absolutely killer!

Originally Posted by chaksjr

May you enjoy a healthy and long life with this beast

Thank you so much, chaksjr.

Originally Posted by Mjbharat4u

I have booked the same variant and still waiting for the beast. Will continue to follow this thread and hoping to share my reviews soon over here.

Thank you, Mjbharat4u. Hope you get your steed soon and we match notes with each other's progresses in the days to come.

Originally Posted by sbm

Sorry for multiple queries @ravenavi but I have a few more for you (possibly many more coming up)

No problem, sbm. You can ask me anything, and I am happy to answer all your queries.

Originally Posted by sbm

1)I see that you made multiple bookings before finally getting the car from Jeypore dealership. Did you get your full amount refund for each of them? Also, if one manages to locate a free stock at a different dealership, is it possible to make immediate booking and get delivery within days?

I made 3 bookings -

#1) AX5 petrol MT 7-str in Red Rage (refunded fully),

#2) AX5 diesel MT 7-str in Red Rage (delivered in Everest White shade and updated accordingly by Mahindra),


and

#3) AX5 diesel MT 7-str in Midnight Black (rather, this was done by a Raipur dealership themselves from their side and who didn't take any money from me for the booking).


The current status shows it's still open for a Feb-Mar 2023 delivery, and I guess this way they will get a free car in the future.

Yes, it is possible to make an immediate booking for a free 7OO provided you have contacts at that particular dealership. But, with the kind of demand which the 7OO is commanding right now, even half a day's delay will be fatal, and such free 7OOs will definitely be given/allotted to someone else.

Originally Posted by sbm

2) Did you enquire about the cost of reverse parking camera? Also,as you said wiring for most functions from AX7 is available on the AX5 variant. Do you think it would be possible to install normal cruise control on AX5 given that AX7 has radars and cameras for the adaptive CC system?

The reverse camera from the AX7/AX7L is supposed to cost Rs 7,100/-. That's just for the camera unit. The fascia, couplers and wiring will cost extra. Order has been placed by the dealership's service center. Once the parcel reaches the service center, I can update about the exact costs.

Yes, normal cruise control can be installed in the AX5. The wiring and the fuse diagram confirm this. All one needs is the related part(s) and the couplers and wirings to go with it.

Originally Posted by sbm

3) Is lack of Auto Climate control really concerning? Is it the inconvenience of changing blower speed each time or is the AC less powerful in cooling on AX5.

No, on the contrary, I think the manual AC actually does a better job than the ACC. I wasn't that impressed with the ACC in my XUV5OO and if they have carried the same unit over, then it wouldn't make any difference. The manual AC does a decent job of cooling the front passengers on normal days. It's the rear passengers who would suffer a bit because of the huge cabin size and the relatively small rear AC blower vents given in the center. AC vents should have continued to be given in the B-pillars like the 5OO, because that placement was more ideal for rear passengers on either side.

On hotter days, it's best to start with the AC on full blast and with the front (and rear, if possible) windows down and the sunroof glass open for the first 30 seconds. That cools the whole cabin quicker. Remember, there's a lot of square foot area inside the XUV7OO to cool, so a slightly more powerful AC motor was needed.

Originally Posted by sbm

4) You've mentioned that the gearshifts are sometimes slightly hard. I only had a chance to move the car in dealer yard in 1st gear for a few metres so couldn't experience the gearbox on the move. If you've TD Safari MT, can you draw a comparison between the XUV and Safari's MT gearboxes?

In the first 2 gears, shifting needs slight effort. More so because the 1st gear itself is quite short and the XUV reaches the optimum speeds very quickly. On uneven roads, this is evident. Even shifting from 2nd to 3rd requires a small effort too. After that it's effortless. For the Reverse gear, it's one smooth action without any resistance whatsoever. Remember to come to a full stop before engaging Reverse, like I do.

The manual says that the gear shifting will smoothen out as the kilometers roll by, so I hope it eases out in the days to come. I am keenly observing this on a day-to-day basis.

The Safari's gear shifting is more sure footed, but makes you aware of it every time you shift. Throws are longer, require a bit of effort and much less smooth (at least against the 7OO). Add it's comparatively heavier clutch to the mix which needs to be pressed all the way down and a heavy steering at slow/crawling speeds, and the Safari keeps giving the feeling that you are driving a huge, bulky SUV.

One has to drive the Safari inside the city with the left foot always on the clutch because pressing it repeatedly will get tiring after a while. Ergonomics aren't driver-friendly either - the plastic covering under the steering wheel presses against the shin and can take off a layer of skin from there if one isn't careful! Tata needs to improve on these crucial aspects of the Harrier/Safari twins. Possibly with the mid-cycle refresh.

Originally Posted by GautamJ

Wishing you great health, enjoyable and safe trips in the car. XUV 7OO is a great buy, just pointed down due to L-O-N-G waiting period.

Thank you so much, Gautam. If Mahindra was to add more production capacities to it's assembly lines, we might have seen Creta or Brezza levels of production numbers for the 7OO by now! It could easily beat some C-segment CSUV numbers in monthly sales, because the demand doesn't seem to die down. Maybe with the new-gen Scorpio launch ahead, this might take a hit but I expect the 7OO to stand on it's own solely due to it's own merits.

Now, if only they add an AX6 to the mix with all the glaring omissions of the AX5 and with a few extra goodies thrown in for good measure, at a price difference of about a lakh extra (the AX7 is a good 2 lakhs away!), and the 7OO will see demand the likes of which would be unimaginable for a D-segment offering.

The AX9 is definitely coming in the future - Mahindra should be thinking of an AX6 too, or at least an AX5+/AX5(O)(AX5L even!) or a revised AX5 variant altogether, to be launched then with the newest highest variant and loaded with all the abovesaid missing features, and a few more.

[Ankur@VNS]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Yes, I don't allude to my resident city in most of my posts because it's in the middle of nowhere! But I have met many visiting BHPians here who traced me out, most recently being BHPian Ankur@VNS.

Jagdalpur and other places in its vicinity, are one of the most underrated tourist destination in the country, according to me.

I have had the opportunity to try my luck recently, to which, I thoroughly enjoyed. Although I had only one and half day for my very short trip, but still, I lived every bit of it.

Mr. Avinash (Ravenavi) is very fine gentleman, and his valuable suggestions & guidance can be taken by any fellow bhpian who wish to visit this beautiful place.

It is worthwhile to note that, despite of his busy schedule, Mr. Avinash took me for a brief ride of his city, in his phoenix, (Hyundai Creta IVT,1.5 Petrol), as well.

[niranjan.mulye]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The manual says that the gear shifting will smoothen out as the kilometers roll by, so I hope it eases out in the days to come. I am keenly observing this on a day-to-day basis.

My AX7L manual diesel has completed 8000kms now and I can definetly vouch that the gear shifting has become smooth which was a bit hard between 1st and 2nd gear in the initial kms.Not hyundai smooth but definetly better than before.