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1 year with my XUV700 AX7L: Performance, service & other experiences

11th September 2023, 17:37 by Rahul Nagaraj

Drive the SUV enthusiastically and fuel efficiency drops to around 5 km/l.

BHPian Hawk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After proudly owning and driving our remarkable XUV 700 AX7L P AT for a delightful 14 months, I am thrilled to share my comprehensive review, reflecting upon 12,000 unforgettable clicks on the odometer. We purchased this car for about 24.XX L On-Road and it is currently selling for around 28.XX L On-Road. I believe that this car is a better investment than the stocks I invested in. Before this we had a Suzuki SX4 for 10+ years so keep that as a benchmark.

If you want to read about the SX4. P.S. - This review has more words than pictures.

BOOKING AND MAHINDRA SERVICE EXPERIENCE

We consider ourselves lucky as we managed to secure our booking in the very first slot. We also had price protection, the anticipation during the 8-month wait for the car was worth it, to say the least.

For our routine servicing of the car, the car was picked up and dropped off on time. The routine service experience was also good and it was included in the free service so we didn't pay a cent for it. For the second time service, we had to pay the pick-and-drop cost only.

Well, Mahindra's service has improved a lot and had a really good experience with their RSA service.

Link if you want to read my experience with the Mahindra RSA.

FIT AND FINISH

The fit and finish of the car is a mixed bag. Some places are really good while others are an eyesore. For example, the sunroof closing button has a poor fit and finish. However, the stitching on the dashboard and seats have really great fit and finish with no visible gaps in the plastics in the interior. Overall, I would give it an 8/10 rating for fit and finish.

The fit and finish depend from car to car, Mine was manufactured in February/March of 2022, so thankfully till then most of the faults were ironed out.

PERFORMANCE

THE GOOD

Echoing the sentiments of the esteemed Team BHP community, the XUV 700 truly embodies the essence of a powerful beast on wheels. With a mere press of the accelerator, it effortlessly gallops forward like a spirited horse, making the exhilarating sensation of crossing 80 KM/H seem effortless and almost surreal. Despite its substantial weight of approximately 2 tons, the car's performance remains nothing short of phenomenal, while still managing to offer an acceptable mileage. It's a harmonious blend of raw power and practicality, to say the least.

THE BAD

Occasionally, when I hit the accelerator, the engine takes a moment to respond to my foot's command, which can feel a bit disconnected from the car, if you know what I mean. It's not a major issue, just something that bothers me sometimes. Nevertheless, this minor hiccup doesn't overshadow the fact that it's still an absolute beast on the streets! You just get used to it after a while.

NVH LEVELS

The petrol engine of this car has really good NVH levels. When you start the car and the engine is cold, you hear a sweet rumble which is quite pleasant (Personal Opinion). As the engine heats up, it becomes quieter and you won’t even realize that the car is running. The engine only makes noise when you’re flooring the car and even then it’s the sweet sound of its turbo. This all happens when the windows are open and you want some fresh air/some turbo noises.

When the windows are closed, you can’t hear the engine at all and it suppresses the outside noise very well. Just play music and it will even suppress the noises when you are stuck in a bad traffic jam.

Overall, I would rate the NVH levels of this car as 9/10 considering the price segment.

PRACTICALITY

THE GOOD

The XUV 700 is a storage champ, no doubt about it! You'll be pleasantly surprised by the abundance of storage spaces, perfect for stashing water bottles and receipts conveniently. Oh, and here's a nifty touch – the front passenger seat's sun visor flaunts a vanity mirror with a built-in light, quite useful for people in the family who do their makeup on the go to any event.
When it comes to carrying our belongings, The huge boot space is a true blessing, It easily accommodates the travel essentials of four people, alongside a medium-sized furry friend, making long trips a breeze.
The wireless charger works like a charm. Plus, you'll find a fast-charging Type-C port in the second row.
The place to keep your phone, above the wireless charger is something I personally find the best.
The memory seat function is one of the best features for a family with multiple drivers. It makes life much easier when you have to share the car with others. Trust me, you will appreciate this feature every time you switch drivers.

THE BAD

Okay, listen, I have to be real here – the one thing that's been bugging everyone, and I mean everyone, is the lack of a boot light. I mean, come on, we're talking about a car that costs around 25 lakhs, and there's no boot light? It's genuinely puzzling, Mahindra! Especially during those late-night trips when you need to grab something from the boot, and you end up having one person trying to shine a flashlight while the other person fumbles through the bags. Ugh, talk about a real hassle! Trust me, it's one of those things that can really get on your nerves. Hopefully, they'll fix this issue in future because it's honestly super irritating.
The placement of the 12V socket is a bit inconvenient, to be honest. There's no 12V socket in the front, just one in the back. So, whenever I need to use a tire inflator, I have to go through this whole process of folding down all the seats just to connect the inflator to the socket in the back. It can be really frustrating and time-consuming. I mean, imagine how much easier it would be if they just provided one 12V socket in the front! It would make using the tire inflator a breeze and save us all from this annoying ordeal.
The AX7 and upper variants have a major issue with the airbags being located in the seats, because of which you cannot put seat covers on them. Additionally, Mahindra chose to give us an ivory-coloured interior which can get soiled easily. This is one of the most impractical things Mahindra has done because this car is meant to be taken in mud and other places where it can get dirty and stained. It would have been great if Mahindra had given us a black/red interior like the Tata Safari dark/red edition.

Rest I haven't noticed any other major problem with its practicality.

COMFORT

THE GOOD

Seats are really comfortable both for the passenger and driver. I am 5.9 ft and I find the seats really comfortable. The AC is really good on full blast. The panoramic roof enhances the experience more in the hills and on rainy days.
The 3rd row is also quite spacious, I have sat in it and I don't feel that it's too claustrophobic. I would though recommend only people with a height less than 5.5 Ft sit in it for long distances. Surprisingly the 3rd row AC is far superior to the 2nd row AC.
There is really less body roll (XUV 500 was a rollercoaster). Even when taking sharp turns the body roll is minimal. The comfort on bad roads is also good, you can't feel anything. Getting in and out is a breeze.

THE BAD

The middle row AC is "BAD", until you are using it at full blast, it won't cool the people sitting in the middle seat on a hot sunny day.
The recline on the middle row seats is okay, some more recline wouldn't have hurt.
The welcome seat feature is more of an inconvenience sometimes (Personally), It takes its sweet time to adjust back and forth and I have personally disabled it. If you are a healthy individual this feature is really practical for you.
The middle row seating arrangement features a Type C fast charging port, although it has a minor drawback. The area beneath the charging port seems somewhat impractical for keeping your phone while charging, as it tends to slip and get in the way of your knees. Given the modern trend of larger smartphones (Which I personally hate), a slightly deeper pocket would have been a thoughtful addition to provide a more secure and comfortable storage solution while charging your smartphone.

I've been quite "meticulous" in my evaluation, and while the middle-row AC presents a genuine concern for people living in hot climates, it's essential to recognize the XUV 700's other comfort features. When compared to its competitors like the Tata Safari or the MG Hector, the XUV 700 is my preferred choice in comfort.

P.S. - When I took a test drive of the Safari, I was in the back seat and swinging here and there when the salesperson was driving. If the XUV 700 is a 10/10 in ride comfort, I would give the Safari a 6-7/10.

ADAS

When this car made its debut, the marketing team touted the revolutionary ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) as a significant selling point. Over time, I've had a mixed experience with it, opting to keep it mostly in warning mode. I must admit that the warning system has proven to be highly effective, alerting me on numerous occasions and even potentially saving me from some situations. While there have been a few instances of seemingly unnecessary warnings, overall, I find this feature genuinely helpful.

Many times I have noticed when you are parking the car in reverse and get too close to the wall, the wipers start moving to alert you. That is a really neat feature to protect your car from bumping into the wall when reverse parking.

As for utilizing the car's autonomous ADAS capabilities on our current roads, I still exercise caution and haven't completely entrusted it for full control. Nevertheless, the fact that the warning system has proven its worth makes me optimistic about the continuous improvement and future potential of this ADAS technology.

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM

THE GOOD

The XUV 700 has a huge infotainment system and it runs really smoothly. Sure, it doesn't work like a 144Hz AMOLED screen but it does its job.
In one word, the infotainment system is nothing short of "EXCELLENT." The design strikes the perfect balance, avoiding the extremes of being too large like the Hector or too small like the 2022 Safaris. Its speedy boot-up process and a myriad of features contribute to a seamless user experience.
One practical highlight is the auto-dimming feature that engages when headlights are switched on. This ensures a comfortable driving experience in dark tunnels or during night journeys, preventing any blinding glare.
The abundance of information available on the system is truly impressive, including a performance page that even shows G-force readings. This quirky addition caters to the enthusiasm of tech-savvy individuals and car nerds alike (I am one of them).

THE BAD

It has only one major issue, black screens. The screen goes black and nothing works. You need to switch off the car wait for a while and then start it again so that it starts working again.
The last black screen I got was in the first 6 months. I haven't gotten it since then so maybe Mahindra listens to us and resolves our issues.
So, thumbs up for that.
I think Mahindra should have chosen a different provider for the E-Sim because VI has poor network coverage in many areas. This affects the functionality of the car, such as playing music. Another issue is that the music player does not let me select a specific streaming service, but picks one randomly (e.g., Hungama Music or Amazon Music). I usually rely on Android Auto, so this is not a big problem for me, but I hope Mahindra can fix this soon.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER

The instrument cluster looks like something out of a Mercedes, the whole cockpit does for a matter of fact. The instrument cluster is crisp and offers all the details needed.

It even has turn-by-turn navigation on it which is a nice touch. You can open maps in the instrument cluster and you can also have different speedometer styles on it. I think the only downside is that you cannot use Google Maps on the instrument cluster screen. Rest I would say the instrument cluster is a10/10 in this segment.

PS - I don't keep the FE screen open on it as it sometimes makes me cry, this is recommended to all enthusiastic drivers.

ANDROID AUTO IN XUV700

Android Auto is something you will be using a lot and in this car, the integration of Android Auto is really good. It connects easily to your smartphone and everything works flawlessly. I don't think there are any connection issues as such but sometimes it does not connect that easily times when you connect your phone after a long time to it. The rest is nothing major.

Also, the only downside is that pressing the voice button on the steering wheel will activate Alexa and not Google. Mahindra or Google needs to look into this as sometimes this is irritating.

Making calls is also really easy using Android Auto and the microphone in the cabin is really good and the person on the other side of the phone won't even realize you are using the microphone of a car to take the call.

The Google assistant takes voice commands correctly 9/10 times so that's a really good thing and won't be irritating for you. Just keep in mind Google sometimes misinterprets the names of Hindi/Punjabi songs.

SONY 12 SPEAKER MUSIC SYSTEM, OVERHYPED?

The XUV 700 boasts a remarkable 12-speaker Sony surround sound system, creating an immersive auditory experience. Upon closer observation, this system truly shines with English and Punjabi songs, thanks to its rich bass output. The speakers proved to be a sonic treasure, particularly when indulging in bass-heavy tracks. However, when it comes to Hindi songs, there might be moments where the system seems to lack the desired depth.

As a devoted audiophile with a collection including the Sony XM 5, renowned as one of the finest headphones available, paired with Spotify Premium for optimal audio enjoyment, I possess a discerning ear for audio devices. Grading the XUV's speakers, I'd confidently assign them a solid 9 out of 10. My driving soundtrack primarily consists of bass-infused tunes, aligning seamlessly with the speakers' strengths.

Given the diverse nature of individual preferences, reviews about the system could certainly vary. One notable challenge is the occasional audio distortion and intrusive white noise that occurs during the car's start-up. An effective workaround involves completely powering down the vehicle, waiting momentarily, and restarting to alleviate the issue. This presents a noteworthy area for Mahindra to address promptly.

A positive aspect emerges with the system's ongoing improvement through software updates, rendering the speakers even more impressive over time. Furthermore, I'd recommend exploring the Equalizer settings to discover a personalized audio equilibrium. The choice between connecting your phone via Android Auto or Bluetooth directly yields discernible differences in audio quality. In some instances, a direct Bluetooth connection appears to offer superior music playback.

HEADLIGHTS

Just one word "EXCELLENT". If you drive your car mostly at night or on highways. Get this car no questions asked. No car in this segment has a better or crisper light throw than the XUV. I can go the whole day about how good the headlights are and when you cross 80 km/h the booster lights are turned on which are so helpful when driving on highways. The headlights are just "EXCELLENT".

You can even switch off the DRL from the Infotainment screen if you want to.

KITNA PEETI HAI?

Well a 2 Liter petrol engine, automatic transmission, 200 BHP and a young enthusiastic driver don't go hand in hand. If you drive it hard, it won't disappoint you but the fuel efficiency will.

If you drive enthusiastically, like seriously enthusiastically it will give you a FE of 5 km/l+

If you are a normal driver then you can easily get 8 km/l+ in the city.

On highways you can easily get 10 km/l+, the best I have gotten on highways is 14 km/l.

2 out of 3 times we fill it up with XP 95. We need to top up our tank on an average of every 10 days.

We opted for the petrol variant, considering our 10,000 km/year running and the 15-year rule in NCR. Despite lower FE figures, it made sense for us, to offer a smooth and pleasant/enthusiastic driving experience with ease of maintenance. We're overall happy with our choice!

THE DOOR HANDLES

XUV700 is the first in the segment to offer flush door handles and personally, I think they are quite sturdy and well-made. They are also a really fancy thing to show to non-car nerds, they all are amazed by it. We have the AX7L so the handles automatically close and open when the doors are locked and unlocked.

The only bad thing is that when you need to open the car manually with a key, it is quite a tedious process. Which I think will rarely happen, so if you think the flush door handles are not sturdy you're really wrong.

360 CAMERA

The 360 camera is a really useful feature in big SUVs. It makes driving in tight spaces much easier. The XUV 700 has a good 360-camera system that works well and is not just a gimmick.

The backup camera and the front camera have real-time assistive gridlines that help you park and manoeuvre the car. The cameras have also improved over time with updates from Mahindra. They have better low-light performance and less lag than before.

However, the blind spot monitoring system is a joke. You can hardly see the picture clearly because it is displayed in the instrument cluster between the speedometer dials. The Hyundai Alcazar has a much better blind spot monitoring system. I think Mahindra should have done a better job with this feature.

Another drawback is the lack of front parking sensors in a car that costs 25 lakhs. This is a basic feature that should have been included.

Apart from these issues, I don’t have any major complaints about the 360 camera system.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Let me tell you once more finally, this car is a true masterpiece - a flawless combination of style and substance that gives us unbeatable bang for the buck. Sure, it might have a couple of minor imperfections, but honestly, they are mere blips on the radar compared to the sheer awesomeness and sophistication this car brings to the table.

I can't stress enough how impressed we are with this ride. It's like the automotive gods heard our wishes and granted them all in one sleek and sophisticated package. Picture this: top-notch performance that sends shivers down your spine, comfort that makes you feel like you're floating on clouds, and practicality that makes every journey a breeze But sometimes you do wonder what was Mahindra thinking having only a single 12 V socket or no boot light

In short, this car can be called one word "PERFECT FOR THE PRICE". Without a doubt, this was the best decision we ever made, and we're embracing every moment of our thrilling adventures with this absolute gem of a car. Life just got a whole lot better and way more " EXHILLIRATING".