Mahindra XUV700 test drive: Tata Hexa owner shares the Pros & Cons

The test drive car was 2023 model AX5. I got to test drive for about 5 kms only.

BHPian kgt.v8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I took a test drive of the Petrol Manual a couple of days back. The test drive car was a 2023 model AX5. I got to test drive for about 5 kms only. This is my normal travel route which includes travelling through the crater and off-road type holes on the road (courtesy of Hyderabad municipal corporation).

My current car which is Hexa glides over some of these potholes without suspension making noise

Pros:

• The clutch is light. Clutch travel is long, but I have gotten accustomed to longer clutch travel from my previous car which was a Polo GT 1.6, and my current ride which is Hexa.
• Silent cabin with good NVH. The engine sound is not heard inside the cabin when idling and at city speeds. I couldn’t go beyond 3000 rpm and even with heavy foot there was very little engine sound coming into the cabin.
• Gear throws are short and precise. It is not as long and notchy as Hexa or XUV50
• The engine is tuned for performance and the car gains speed fast.

Cons:

• Very light steering. I got almost no feedback from steering even when going through rough road patches. Maybe I have hot accustomed to the heavy hydraulic steering of Hexa or the good feedback that Polo 1.6 steering provided
• Suspension noise. I could hear suspension noise and some thud sound while going over the potholed roads and thud at times. The car speed was below 15 kmph through bad sections. I felt bad at times hearing those thuds
• I couldn’t gauge the brake pedal bite point during the drive, as the brake felt lighter. I ended up hard braking at one point when the car was at about 10 kmph due to another car stopping abruptly.The car was about to stall and I could avoid stalling by pressing the clutch.

I feel I can get accustomed to the steering feedback. I assume the test drive car tyre pressure was incorrect or the suspension and brakes have gone through a lot of abuse without proper care.

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