[A.G.]

Experience from covering 3500 Kms in just 10 days

Certain circumstances required taking 2 round-trips of around 1400 Kms each split equally over 2 consecutive days just 8 days apart. Including some work related travel, it meant covering a colossal 3500 Kms in just 10 days post service.

An interesting behavior I noticed on my highway trips is once the speed stabilizes to anything above 60-70 Kmph after starting from even 2-3 days of pure city run covering 100 Kms at max, there is a considerable drop in FE (as noticed via the instantaneous gauge) for the first 20-25 minutes. Post this only normalcy is restored and the FE jumps back up by 2-3 Kmpl. Looks like automated DPF regeneration happening in the background to clear all the soot accumulated from the city runs. Wish the Information skin on the instrument cluster gave some real information related to what’s happening with maybe some advanced gauges for Soot level & regen state, Turbo Boost, Battery Voltage, Transmission Oil temp., etc. With the Android based implementation, would have been great to just have Torque Pro installable on the center screen for all this information and more.

Trip stats post fill-up after the first day run - amazing frugality


A truck having a hard time with a very long grade – from a distance it looked as if it was on fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6tgeHi_Ny0

Bugs leaving their mark


A random capture of the odo on the return leg the next day


The final stats



It is worth pointing out that a decade ago this same travel used to take in excess of 12 hours with 2 proper breaks for meal & snacks and other short ones for nature’s call. The Agra-Lucknow Expressway reduced the time by almost 1.5 hours and finally the Meerut-Delhi Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway reduced it by another 2 hours with the journey now taking slightly over 8 hours with just one meal break among other short ones.

Washing done in night itself to bring it back to glory


Once again the Adaptive Cruise and Smart Pilot assist worked flawlessly on the expressways and after having got used to the quirks they make driving a real bliss. Noticed that the truck traffic on the Bundelkhand Expressway has increased many folds (probably due to no toll yet) and it was alarming to find repairs have already started on this newly opened expressway.

A timelapse of day drive on Bundekhand Expressway capturing the varied terrain this Expressway passes through

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeB1G0c_G_k

Just 8 days later travelled on the same route once again, only the timing was different involving more of night driving on the return leg. The Booster lamps really aid in driving and give the confidence at night.

Cooling-off after reaching the destination



Stray animals on the Expressway with another jumping the crash barrier to join them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNKIXo00Bak

The booster lamps in action on the Yamuna Expressway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVj2Dh03obo

Amazing consistency in the final stats



All thanks to the night travel, the Bugs had left there mark in a bigger way this time and required cleaning the windshield manually as well twice during stops. Currently using the WaveX windshield washer concentrate but need to find a better solution which is effective on bugs.



The ORVMs were toughest to clean


Restoring the lost shine

[gururajrv]

7OO looks absolutely eye-smacking in both white and silver which are my favorites. If at all I get a chance to buy one in future by almighty blessing, I might finalize on one of the either colors.

Your thread is one of the detailed and informative alongside the stellar thread from abirnale I keep a close eye on 2 threads.

Your car looks stellar in all the pictures taken. Btw, do you prefer taking 7OO over the other big car in your garage? Which is your most preferred at the moment considering you've had a substantial exposure to 7OOs performance on the longish trip you finished just now.

[rudra_shiv]

Originally Posted by A.G.

Experience from covering 3500 Kms in just 10 days

Restoring the lost shine
Attachment 2419889

Wonderful summary. Happy and safe motoring.

Between do update your FE (average in city and highway), Regen experience, rides experience with 2-5ppl and 7ppl on board etc.,

[A.G.]

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Btw, do you prefer taking 7OO over the other big car in your garage? Which is your most preferred at the moment considering you've had a substantial exposure to 7OOs performance on the longish trip you finished just now.

Sold my Ford Endeavour recently since the XUV7OO didn't give me any strong reason to switch back to the Endeavour as a daily driver or to take it out on the highway. Covered barely 500 Kms in the Endeavour since I got the XUV7OO.

Originally Posted by rudra_shiv

Between do update your FE (average in city and highway), Regen experience, rides experience with 2-5ppl and 7ppl on board etc.,

The city run which is barely 5 Kms one way and total 25-30 Kms per day yields FE of around 11 Kmpl with 2 adults on-board while out on the highway 13 Kmpl is the least I have seen with a max. of 14.4 Kmpl with 4 adults and luggage.

[A.G.]

Comparison with Endeavour, Software Update, Chrome Strip replacement and DIY DEF filling

Sold the Endeavour in the second week of Feb. and sharing some observations gathered over 4 months when I had both the XUV7OO and the Endeavour:

1. Twice I had to take the roads less taken in the XUV7OO and once I had to turn back due to fear of getting stuck. There is no substitute for the go-anywhere capability of the Endeavour.
2. Not being able to carry the stroller behind the 3rd row with the entire family on-board is a big issue in the XUV7OO.
3. Drivetrain vibrations in the Endeavour were non-existent while there are some distinct vibrations in the XUV7OO, especially when accelerating from 1500 to 2000 RPM in 2nd gear.
4. The engine of the XUV7OO is a gem and despite the lack of displacement, it gets the job done with lesser downshifts resulting in lower cabin noise.
5. Even the automatic transmission on the XUV7OO is much eager to lock the Torque Converter than the Endeavour – on my daily office commute now there is no unnecessary over-revving.
6. On-road driving dynamics and comfort of XUV7OO are much better but the suspension noise (primarily from front) over broken tarmac is much higher than the Endeavour.
7. Miss the 8-way adjustment in the driver seat – the ability to adjust the angle of the seat base was a real boon in the Endeavour and helpful on long drives.
8. The stock headlamps of the Endeavour were never even satisfactory while the XUV7OO excels in this area.
9. While the XUV7OO has plethora of features, the usable ones helping in driving like the Auto-dimming IRVM (mentioning it not because of convenience but in evening with IRVM in night mode with the Sunroof Shade open, in the XUV7OO you see the sky above and not what’s behind which was never an issue with the Auto-dimming IRVM in Endeavour – the IRVM in the latter was stable as well on broken roads while in the former it just vibrates crazily giving a blurred image), stable software and the ability to unlock many more customizations in the Endeavour are really missed.
10. FE is quite rewarding and not only the Endeavour, the XUV7OO has till date delivered the best FE of any vehicle owned in last 2 decades (including multiple Scorpio’s). As per FuelIO, average baseline of XUV7OO D AT is 12.69 Kmpl as opposed to 8.15 Kmpl of Endeavour 3.2 AT and 9.54 Kmpl of Hexa 2.2 AT over similar drives while Pajero Sport 4x4 MT had around 8.71 Kmpl when the road network was in pretty bad shape.
11. Miss the larger fuel tank resulting in 800+ Kms of usable range in the Endeavour before the DTE went below 50 Kms triggering a panic. Same route and similar driving in the XUV7OO barely touches the 700 Kms mark before the DTE approaches 50 Kms (could be some calibration issue in the latter as at this point the Diesel fill quantity till auto-cut is around 50 Liters out of 60 where-as in Endeavour it used to take-in around 75 Liters out of 80).

The final shot of both before taken before handing over the Endeavour.


Coming back to the XUV7OO, got a call from dealership for Chrome Strip and took this visit for getting the software update done as well which is supposed to be more stable.

Waiting for the Chrome Strip replacement


Since a service camp was running, a through check-up was done free of cost


Version post the software update


Regarding DEF filling, the XUV7OO has a 20L DEF tank and for every 10% change in level, it should correspond to 2L DEF. Based on this assumption, I purchased a 6L pack of DEF to be filled a later stage along with a cleaning duster – both of which were having discount during the service camp. For rest of the service items, there was no amount to be paid.

For filling the 6L DEF completely, the level should have been below 70%. While filling the DEF is a pretty straight forward process, added a deep scar to the arm during the process of cutting the packaging to release the spout. Before filling the DEF, the level was 66% and I was completely confused when after filling the level showed 86% - a change of only 20% corresponding to having added 4L DEF only and not 6L. Made a frantic call to the service center and I was advised that it might take time to calculate the correct level. I was not convinced with the reply since when the DEF is filled upto the brim at the service center, the level immediately shows 98% without even starting the Engine. But I had no other option but to wait it out. What’s surprising is that the DEF level starting rising with every drive and over a span 03 days and after driving 58Kms over the Holi holidays, the level maxed out at 94% after which it started falling again.

The DEF pack of 6L


DEF level before, interim and after


On a separate note, there was an annoying rattle from the boot which took time to diagnose by myself and was finally evident when the 3rd row seats were opened. Found the 2nd row seat frame cover lying around and am surprised how it got dislodged.

The cover


Location where it was supposed to be

[A.G.]

The fall of ‘L’, some other trips and stats

While removing the luggage after returning from a trip, noticed that the ‘L’ badge had parted ways and dropped off somewhere.

The missing ‘L’ badge


Achieved some eye-watering FE figures on the Expressway despite maintaining decent pace. The mHwak 2.2 is really rewarding when it comes to FE without compromising on the performance.

Setting a personal record (in a SUV) at 16.9 Kmpl


Interestingly the DTE / Range did not go beyond 999 Km (ignore the Average here)


The return leg on the same route with full load dropped the FE considerably to 14.4 Kmpl


The long straights on pretty much empty Bundelkhand Expressway…


…followed by someone standing in the middle on a curve

https://youtube.com/watch?v=dbazUE2-9R4?feature=share

This was captured right after a fill-up after driving for 1 Km – seems to be accounting for around 57L of Diesel


This trip was followed was a trip to Ranthambore with some dear friends of Endeavour group. This allowed us to sample the newly built section of Delhi – Mumbai Expressway.

The convoy



Stickering done


On the way to safari


Resting peacefully


The first sighting


As if the Tiger was following a strict timetable, it stood-up and started walking in to the denser part at sharp 5:15pm

Captured on DSLR


A bird dropped by to say hello…


…and another got stuck on the return journey (still can’t imagine how it went through the gap in the lower grill)


The worst FE captured all thanks to continuous climb on the way to Nainital


Parked peacefully on another level


The decent from Nainital recuperating the losses


Note: Zip mode was used only to capture the stats.

[Karaboudjan]

Wonderful mileage you got there. Beautiful pictures of the beasts and the birds. Happy driving.

[A.G.]

2nd Service of 20000 Kms

On the return from Nainital, the odo touched and crossed the 20K mark.

Capturing the moment


With another travel planned for the next day and having reached Haridwar earlier than expected on the return from Nainital, thought of getting the service done before heading home. Tried my luck and requested the folks at Mighty Mahindra if they could accommodate my vehicle for 20K service. They requested me to reach there by 4pm.

Reached there on the dot and without wasting any time, a service bay was allocated. While this service does not require Engine oil change, I requested them to change it along with the oil filter. Surprisingly the air filter, despite having cleaned it at almost every 5K Kms, required replacement. What was shocking though was that the Front Brake pads required replacement too – from the looks of it, there seemed to be enough thickness left but that is all unusable due to the embedded sensor.

Waiting service bay allocation


In the Service bay



The service kit


Air Filter Part number


Surprisingly no technical specs of oil mentioned yet again


The Front Brake kit


Old Pads


One of the Pad is already reaching the sensor due to which replacement was mandated


Along with Alignment and Balancing, the total service bill came to Rs. 13,170/- which included 8L DEF and cabin filter as well.

Some observations after covering 20K Kms:

1. Since the 10K service done in end of Jan. till the 20K service in 3rd week of April, there had been only 01 unscheduled visit for chrome strip replacement and Silver Box update with general check-up during service camp.
2. Despite the steering angle sensor being reset, the steering feel has gone for a toss and the steering has become quite heavy.
3. Just before stopping, the brakes now make a squealing sound – surprised that there was no such issue with the old worn out pads.
4. Due to lack of time, the washing and cleaning was deferred for the next week and during that visit, the brakes were cleaned (for noise) and steering angle sensor was reset again but none of these solved the respective issues which still persist.
5. The other persistent noises bothering as of now are from DEF / fuel tank and the Engine cover which rattles.

Noise from Brakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAZkzCGb7eE

[ishan12]

Originally Posted by A.G.

One of the Pad is already reaching the sensor due to which replacement was mandated

That's almost 50% life still left, going by the marker on them!! That's just so wasteful and also waste of money. I guess this was done deliberately to extract more money from customers during service and double the sale of brake pads. 20k km for brake pads is too early, they should easily last 40-50k kms. From the image its clear that they would have lasted that much without that unnecessary sensor.
Is it possible to disable the warning that the sensors would trigger, or just use brake pads that don't have those sensors?
Mine is an AX5, hope it doesn't have this sensor shit. If it does, I'm going to search for a workaround, not going to throw away perfectly good brake pads for sure.

[A.G.]

Originally Posted by ishan12

That's almost 50% life still left, going by the marker on them!!

I had the same thoughts. Regarding bypassing the warning, the other concern raised was damage to brake rotor would occur once the sensor makes contact.

Coming from Endeavour which had brake pads costing half and lasting twice the distance, I definitely feel the pinch.

[Karaboudjan]

Originally Posted by A.G.

2nd Service of 20000 Kms


5. The other persistent noises bothering as of now are from DEF / fuel tank and the Engine cover which rattles.

Dear A.G.,
Is the noise from the DEF /Fuel tank the infamous "football in the boot" / Dhub/dhub noise of the sloshing of the fuel?
I am facing the same issue in my AX7L AWD.
Still looking for a solution for that. If you get your hands on the solution, request you to please share.

[A.G.]

Originally Posted by Karaboudjan

Dear A.G.,
Is the noise from the DEF /Fuel tank the infamous "football in the boot" / Dhub/dhub noise of the sloshing of the fuel?
I am facing the same issue in my AX7L AWD.
Still looking for a solution for that. If you get your hands on the solution, request you to please share.

Yes, it's the same noise. While I am still waiting for an official solution from Mahindra, the only workaround is to keep the DEF levels high - I have observed below 85% the noise starts creeping-in and starts to increase to the extent of becoming unbearable when the level falls to 60% or lower.

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by A.G.

One of the Pad is already reaching the sensor due to which replacement was mandated.

I am surprised to see this - Its not the sensor, its the SA who tricked you in to the pad change. The sensor is at the base of that pin and pad surface. you still have about 1.5-2mm thickness left before the alert goes off. That’s about 1000 km if I assume routine sane usage. That may have been ok to reach back home without issues - again a judgement call only you can take knowing your distance/ time and schedule.

The ASCs have a tool that shows the thickness and before they replace the pads, they are supposed to show you with that gauge. Its just a simple thickness strips with various colours like Green, Yellow and Red. When the red strip thickness is larger or equal to the thickness of the pad, replacement is warranted. until that moment, its your discretion: general computation of how much life left and when is the next ASC visit you want to change this in. Like typically If i have a trip of more than 1000km on calendar, I change the pads immediately. I also keep the old pads with me - in case if I am out somewhere and pad warning goes off on ICE, I can swap the older one with help from any tire shop or roadside descent garage.

[A.G.]

Originally Posted by abirnale

The ASCs have a tool that shows the thickness and before they replace the pads, they are supposed to show you with that gauge. Its just a simple thickness strips with various colours like Green, Yellow and Red. When the red strip thickness is larger or equal to the thickness of the pad, replacement is warranted.

Thank you for sharing the details. Since I too have retained the old pads with me, will have them checked whenever I visit next.

One question - if the Brake change alerts pops-up, what should be a safe usable distance since the manual mentions immediate change which is practically unrealistic.

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by A.G.

One question - if the Brake change alerts pops-up, what should be a safe usable distance since the manual mentions immediate change which is practically unrealistic.

Typically about 200km (carefully driven) shouldn’t be an issue. Meaning, use brakes at the minimum. The risk you carry here is if the sensor when brushed against the discs it will score the disc. The old Pads you carry can be saviour in this situation. You can do this yourself with the help of a roadside garage too. No big deal. The 100-150 Kms is a max distance you will need to find a descent workshop (or a tire shop). Obviously, take your call if you are going to be on a long drive which is too close to your anticipated distance, change it.