Skoda's new compact SUV is expected to be launched in the Indian market by March 2025.

Skoda has released a new design sketch of its upcoming compact SUV for the Indian market.

Skoda’s new compact SUV will be based on the MQB A0-IN platform, which is shared with the Kushaq and Slavia. The sub-4 metre SUV will adopt Skoda Auto’s Modern Solid design language.

The latest image shared by Skoda provides a glimpse of the car’s rear fascia. It features L-shaped LED taillights with a bold ‘Skoda’ badge in the centre. The SUV also appears to have a chunky rear bumper and roof rails.

The crossover will be powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. In its current spec, this engine produces 113 BHP and 178 Nm and is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Skoda’s new compact SUV will make its global debut in 2025. It is expected to be launched in the Indian market by March 2025.

The crossover will be powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

Skoda is working on a new compact SUV for the Indian market. As per the latest reports, the new sub-4 meter SUV will make its global debut by January 2025 and will go on sale by March 2025.

Skoda’s new compact SUV will be based on the MQB A0-IN platform, which also underpins the Kushaq and Slavia. The new model will be slightly shorter than the Kushaq and will compete with the Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet.

The Skoda compact SUV has already been spotted testing in India. It will borrow design cues from the Skoda Epiq concept. Spy images have revealed a flat rear fascia, wrap-around taillamps, a rear spoiler and roof rails.

The crossover will be powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. In its current spec, this engine produces 113 BHP and 178 Nm and is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Source: Autocar India

Do you guys think it fair to call the likes of the Exter, Taigun, X1, Creta an SUV?

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

With the current craze in India for “SUV’s” loads of cars are being marketed as SUVs. It got me thinking - what really is an SUV? While the moniker has always been a loose term, with no generally accepted definition - it still feels wrong to brand almost every non sedan car in India an SUV.

I mean - can the Hyundai Exter, for example - a tiny little car with a 1200cc engine, 114 nm torque, 80 bhp with 0 off-roading capabilities really be labeled an SUV?

Or even the Taigun / Kushaq for that matter - 0 off roading.

We in India seem to have made everything that’s not a sedan and has even slightly raised seats a “SUV”

I think a SUV should have at least a 4 wheel drive and have some off road capabilities, and should be worthy enough of scaling some rough terrain.

Do you guys think it ok to call the likes of the Exter, Taigun, X1, Creta an suv or should we call a spade a spade - and acknowledge that car manufacturers are using .. slightly unethical marketing techniques and branding vehicles that are not suvs, suvs?

Here's what BHPian revsperminute had to say on the matter:

Not based on any science but to me-

Exter/Punch, Sonet/Venue and Creta/Seltos segment- Hatchbacks on stilts

Compass/Harrier/XUV700/Tucson/Tiguan/Evoque/Velars/Macan- Crossovers

Fortuner/Endeavour/Isuzu/Thar/Scorpio/Wrangler/Defender/Land Cruiser- SUVs

X5/GLE/X7/GLS/Range Rovers/Cayenne- Somewhere between Crossovers and SUVs

I feel the SUV tag is essential to sell a car in any segment nowadays and hence we are seeing the onslaught of these new body types. And not to forget, an SUV costs the same money to build and sells for a higher price.

Here's what BHPian Sensible_speed had to say on the matter:

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for starting this thread. The question you have posed here has troubled me for oh so long! What is an SUV really? From what I've heard, SUV in the early days used to stand for Sport Utility Vehicle. I don't know where that name came about, but I assume it had something to do with people with an active lifestyle, i.e., carrying skiing, surfing, cycling equipment into some remote region to enjoy these activities.

But today, SUV has become synonymous with a jacked up vehicle, that looks large and hence, safer and more appealing to the masses, irrespective of its ability to actually be utilitarian. Also, perhaps its the manufacturers that are trying to pull a fast one on the masses by these cleverly mislabeling what are clearly crossovers, as SUVs. Every single car you've mentioned in your post should truthfully be called a crossover. But, that term has earned a fairly negative reputation for being used by mothers on a school route.

In the Indian context, the answer to why "SUVs" are popular is simply- ground clearance. Roads in India are perceived as atrociously poor, and it's true to a large extent. This means people want to play it safe by getting a car that can clear the large craters, potholes and poorly designed speedhumps without damaging their cars. This is perhaps the most practical reason for buying an SUV. I suspect VW and Skoda caught onto this trend quickly and offered high ground clearance on the Virtus/Slavia sedans. That may be another reason why they still manage to sell decent numbers.

The next reason is a bit murkier. Image. With cars still being aspirational to the majority, having a car that also looks the part is a huge reason why SUVs have taken off. Imagine spending a couple of lakhs more, and getting a much larger and imposing looking vehicle. This enamours people to stretch their budgets to the SUV instead of a sedan, or an equivalent hatchback.

The last reason that just makes sense to me, is the seating position. When you sit in an SUV, you are perched a few inches higher off the ground than the equivalent sedan or hatchback. This, paired with a larger glasshouse, offers you a better view of the road and your surroundings. A lot of drivers in our conditions prefer this, factoring the chaos on the roads around us.

To sum it all up, I guess "SUV" is a term that is deceptively used by car companies to push for higher sales. In the process, they have intentionally or inadvertently, changed the definition of the term from being a go-anywhere lifestyle product, to a segment/class of vehicles that offer all of what I described above.

Here's what BHPian smartcat had to say on the matter:

They are calling it SUV, not SOV (Sport Offroading Vehicle). The keyword here is utility, not offroading. Their unique selling proposition is indeed utilitarian (high GC/high seating), which are core features of an offroader (eg: Jimny)

After all, the so called "proper SUV" (eg: Fortuner) too is an on-road vehicle, which just incorporates more features of an offroading vehicle. Go far enough on a tough offroading course, and every vehicle will eventually get stuck. It's just that each vehicle type (sedan/pseudo SUV/proper SUV/offroader) will get you farther.

But I don't get the 'Sport' bit though

CUV makes more sense -> Compact Utility Vehicle, anybody?

Here's what BHPian Nalin1 had to say on the matter:

Who cares if it is a genuine SUV or a duplicate one as long as it serves each one's purpose.

When I crossed Hosur road river last week after the torrential rain, I just smashed through without any hesitation on the Nexon with 209 mm of ground clearance when many Sedans and hatches were hesitating.

From the driver's seat, I get a great view of the circus around.

When a Rakshas like a Fortuner or an Endeavour lines up beside, I turn around and can see the driver eye to eye from a sub 4 meter sub compact crossover branded as an SUV .

Not to mention the respect people give when they see a butch looking car (hatch on stilt, jacked up, whatever).

Here's what BHPian IshaanIan had to say on the matter:

I don’t think anyone is being fooled if car makers are even found guilty of false advertising because everyone knows what they can and can’t go off road in. Infact here in India with half our driving populous undeserving of a license, everyone is a little too cautious about the terrain their vehicles can handle. The number of high gc vehicles I see crawling to a standstill at the slightest rumble strip or puddle is testament to the fact that no one is being fooled into thinking they are buying an SUV. They just want the high seating position so that they can avoid scraping and bumping into the objects they still somehow manage to.

If you or anyone else you know is still being mislead by manufacturers labelling their boxy hatchbacks on stilts as SUVs then perhaps a refresher driving course is due.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The new compact SUV will be positioned between the Sonet and Seltos.

Kia has filed a new trademark in India for the 'Kia Syros' nametag. Latest reports suggest that the upcoming Clavis compact SUV could called Syros at launch.

As per the trademark filing, the Kia Corporation applied for it on March 19, 2024, and it was 'Accepted and Advertised' on April 29, 2024. The new compact SUV is expected to be launched in India by the end of this year. It will be positioned between the Sonet and Seltos. 

Spy images suggest that the Clavis / Syros is likely to get features like ADAS and front parking sensors, a digital instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system. Top-spec models could get a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera and more.

Reports suggest that the Kia Clavis could be offered with conventional petrol and pure-electric powertrains. Kia might also introduce a hybrid powertrain at a later date.

Skoda's new compact SUV will rival the Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet.

Skoda’s upcoming compact SUV for the Indian market has been spotted testing once again. The latest spy images reveal more details of the upcoming sub-4 meter SUV.

Skoda’s new compact SUV will be based on the MQB A0-IN platform. With a wheelbase of 2,566 mm, the new model will be slightly shorter than the Kushaq.

The latest spy images hint at a familiar design. The compact SUV has the signature Skoda grille up front with LED DRLs on either side and a set of LED headlamps positioned just below them.

The rear section looks similar to the Kushaq. It has a flat rear fascia with L-shaped taillights, a spoiler-mounted brake light, roof rails and a shark-fin antenna.

Inside, this particular test mule is equipped with a digital instrument cluster and has a touchscreen infotainment system.

The crossover will be powered by Skoda's 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine option. In its current spec, this engine produces 113 BHP and 178 Nm and is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Skoda's new compact SUV will be launched in March 2025 and will compete with the Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet.

Source: The Fat Biker

Skoda’s new compact SUV will be based on the MQB A0-IN platform.

Skoda recently announced its plans to introduce a compact SUV in the Indian market. Merely a month following the announcement, the first test mule of the upcoming sub-4 meter SUV has been spotted testing in India.

The spy images reveal a small-ish crossover with a flat rear fascia. It has wraparound tail lamp clusters, a spoiler-mounted brake light, roof rails and a shark-fin antenna. 

Skoda’s new compact SUV will be based on the MQB A0-IN platform. With a wheelbase of 2,566 mm, the new model will be slightly shorter than the Kushaq. 

The crossover will be powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine. In its current spec, this engine produces 113 BHP and 178 Nm and is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Skoda's new compact SUV will be launched in March 2025 and will compete with the Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue and the Kia Sonet.

Source: Bunny Punia

Steering wheel was not aligned straight. When highlighted, service engineer was like its wheel alignment issue.

BHPian lord_almighty recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have had an ambivalent experience with a particular Ford service centre for 2 yrs in running. They definitely are careless in their work and lack attention to detail.

I had moved to Indirapuram last year and had 8th year service & Bodywork done with them, Sec-63. This year's service, along with some bodywork under insurance, was done again with them just last week.

In earlier 3 services with a previous dealer in Gurgaon I did not have to actually worry about much and issues were always resolved adequately. Except one issue, drop in mileage - which they had no solution to in last 2 yrs. Mileage had dropped to 10.5/11 from earlier 14/14.5.

Dont remember much from first service with the new dealer except that mileage improved to 13.5 after service. However, they could not tell what was the issue and how they improved it. Few issues I faced/ noticed after service which shows their lack of focus on detail & finish.

• Steering wheel was not aligned straight. When highlighted, service engineer was like its wheel alignment issue. Pointed out that alignment and balancing was done with them, he changed tune and corrected the issue but gave no explanation.
• Asked for Balancing and alignment report - none was shared and they said it is not generated. Hence, opted out of it this year.
• Prominent splotches of paint sprays from bodywork were there on rear window, seat cover and inner door panel - from bodywork that was done. Even after pointing out, they just cleaned out ones I had pointed out and did not check up across.

This year, I wanted to try out a third dealer for service. However, convenience trumped as the first dealer lies midway between my home and office. This year again had regular service and some bodywork. Besides, had a few issues AC had stopped working, driver side buttons for rear windows were acting iffy. No major work done, no major hiccups. But again, smaller irritants:

• First Bill raised for service was of 7k. When asked for details of needless charges, it was immediately reduced to 4.6k (parts+labour+Tax)
• Same with bodywork under insurance. Rear view mirror changed when it was not even part of claim and additional charges was being billed. Once pointed out, it was removed from bill. I did not see any work at all done on rear view mirror.
• When delivering they had not checked Key was not working and programming was out. Or did not bother to inform. I also failed to notice as key was already in the car. Had to go next day again for this.
• More seriously, Soon after leaving car started jerking violently and engine light came on. Had to leave it again at night with them and go back 3rd time. Water had seeped in somewhere during washing and they failed to check that it was running properly even after car being with them for 5days.
• Above all, They repeatedly called up asking for 10 rating in Ford service feedback. And then had gall to ask me to share link with them so that they can fill feedback themselves.

I would definitely want to try some other service center next time. Or hear experience from other service centers in Noida/ Ghaziabad.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The new subcompact SUV will be based on the MQB A0 IN platform, which also underpins the Kushaq and Slavia.

Skoda has announced its plans to enter the highly-contested sub-4 metre SUV segment in India. The brand’s first subcompact SUV will be launched in 2025.

The upcoming Skoda sub-4 metre SUV will be based on the MQB-A0-IN platform, which also underpins the Kushaq and Slavia. A design teaser shared by the company reveals a typical Skoda grille with LED daytime running lights, a sporty front bumper and roof rails.

According to Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Skoda, the new sub-compact SUV will have features not seen before in the segment. It will also target a 5-star NCAP rating.

Skoda plans to set up a new production line for the upcoming model at its manufacturing facility near Pune. The carmaker believes that it will help them achieve cumulative sales of 1 lakh units within the first year of its launch. Skoda also hopes to double its market share in the same year.

Skoda has shortlisted five names for its upcoming subcompact SUV – Kylaq, Kariq, Kymaq, Kyroq and Kwiq. People can also send suggestions but the name has to begin with K and with Q. The winning entry stands a chance to win the new subcompact SUV.

Both the door handle sensor work randomly with any of the key fob.

BHPian nischaltopno recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Door actuator getting triggered automatically:

Car: 2018 EcoSport D MT 100 HP T+

Background:

10 days back I got to know that the car battery is weak (ABS/Brake malfunction warning on starting the engine after 10-12 hours gap). After a gap of 4-5 days I got a warning regarding weak key fob battery. Next day morning the request sensor on the door handle did not work for unlocking the door. I used the button on the key fob to unlock the door, which worked at one go. Now I don’t remember whether I used the request sensor on the door handle or key fob to lock the door after 1.5 hrs drive (25 kms). In the evening I replaced the key fob battery but still the request sensor did not work - it was working randomly for both lock/unlock. Thinking it to be an issue with key fob I tried the spare one. The door handle sensor did not work and neither did the buttons on the key fob to unlock. Guessing a drained battery I used the physical key to open the door. When I put the car into ACC I got a warning regarding weak battery.

Checked the voltage of both key fob’s battery and it was 3V. The new battery showed a voltage of around 3.4V hence replaced with the recommended type CR2032 for both key fob.

Issue:

Both the door handle sensor work randomly with any of the key fob. The strange/weird situation is that if I pull the rear door handle or hover the key around the rear door handle after the car is locked (using sensor or key fob), the door actuator keeps on locking/unlocking for few times.

My observation:

If the door handle request sensor does not execute the command to open/close door, then the door actuator gets triggered. For e.g. let’s say, I used the door request sensor 10 times to open/close and there were 5 failures. Then I use the key fob to lock the car and when I pull the rear door handle (I have mostly used the driver side) or hover the key around or behind the door handle the actuator keeps on triggering.

Work carried out:

• Car battery replaced - Ford genuine
• Key fob batter replaced - Ford genuine
• Body Control Module (BCM) & Powe Control Module (PCM) updated. There were some BCM errors - I don’t have the details/codes.

Next action:

Key Module update - unfortunately I did not carry the spare key fob.

The technicians at Ford service are clueless and they don’t have a definite plan of action. At one point of time I was asked to go for door handle request sensor, but the senior technician advised that to be a last resort - thank you.

However, both the sensors failing at the same time is a remote possibility and hence I am not convinced with the door handle request sensor failure theory - I may be wrong. Also, what is the possibility of anything going wrong this way if both the car and key fob battery being weak at the same time.

Can this be a rodent issue, though my car does not have any signs of attack. Also this issue coincided with weak battery issues.]

Update: 20/Jan:

The issue seems to have self healed - quite weird. I noticed this when I was about to take my car for key fob update.

Quite surprising, actually no, given some of the quirks of EcoSport.

“ABS/Brake malfunction” error on the console when the car battery is weak.

After replacing car battery, the air is directed towards leg or the fan speed will be slow. It seems like the A/C system reads/senses/gets a lower temperature from the cabin than it actually is. Gets resolved after driving 15 to 20 kms.

If the driver side window switch is disconnected from its socket, auto up of window will not work. It needs reprogramming - open, close, open, close and without releasing hold the switch for 30 seconds. And the above one.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Initially the engine oil component was a major part of the cost. With time, the labour charges started competing with it.

BHPian Goandiaries recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

XUV300: A Long-term Review:

Introducing Neptune:

Before I begin this review, I salute those reviewers and admins here in the forum who are patient enough to write their reviews down on time with no delays, especially when everyone has other main jobs to do! I wanted to post every possible update from my side, as and when I do them – but I couldn’t write even a short review ever since I took home this car in January 2021. Though the issues related to this car are being discussed already in the review thread, I am trying to add more numbers related to maintenance and running costs based on my records (Yes, even though there was no review, I kept records hoping that I would write a report one day – this day!). I wanted this to be a 50k km/2.5-year ownership report – but here I am dragging myself to write this 60k km/3-year review. Considering that the facelift is around the corner for the first time in 5 years, I am trying to quickly post this one. I call my car – Neptune, based on an artist’s imaginative painting of the planet in a similar dark teal color in an ‘Our Universe’ book that I saw some 30 years back. Considering that XUV300 has been selling a constant ~4000 cars every month on an average, I believe this report would be useful for some existing and many recent owners.

Here's the summary of my XUV300 - Neptune.

The Purchase Decision:

I spent quite a lot of my time with an acquaintance for their car purchase in mid-2019 when we test drove various cars ranging from hatchbacks like Figo and Tiago to the C2-SUV like Nissan Kicks. Just after Covid lockdown in 2020, another colleague of mine wanted me to join the hunt for their first ever car – and we looked mainly at c-SUVs like Nexon, Sonet and XUV300. During this time, my family front was going through changes, and it was time for us to get one as well. My earlier family car being a Nissan Micra diesel (currently at ~2,50,000 kms in 12 years and still running sweet with its K9K engine), I was leaning towards a diesel car since my mileage might justify it down the line. I was also not a big fan of turbo petrol 3-cylinders - which made me look only at diesels. I probably missed the opportunity of exploring BS4 diesel cars a year earlier. So, manufacturers with only petrol offerings didn't make it to my list. And for me, a solid build was on my mind – and XUV and Nexon had just started focusing on marketing in terms of safety at that point of time, when they both scored 5-star safety ratings in GNCAP. Though the Kia Sonet looked attractive in its own way, I felt cramped with 3 passengers behind and dropped it from my list as it would be tight with a baby seat behind (good decision then, as there are 2 baby seats to manage now!). During the test drive of a Nexon, I did not like the sight of the "floating" infotainment system and its digital MID console, and the black interior made me feel a bit claustrophobic, not to mention the fit and finish in certain interiors. And to top that the Tata showrooms in Goa were not following up keenly like the rest. Ultimately, I decided to stick with the XUV300 W8 Optional Diesel - deciding factors being the solid build, safety features like ESP, 7 airbags, the engine and its torque and the looks and more importantly the relatively quick delivery time of about a month and a half.

The Nexon's instrument cluster (left, source: google images) felt distasteful for me, reason being the toyish cluster with calculator like MID. The XUV300's cluster was looking much better with no clutter for my eyes.

Found this scribbling related to the pricing and wanted to post it! The ex-showroom price of the diesel Nexon XZ+(O) was a 15k higher than the XUV W8(O) at that point of time (2020, Oct-Nov). The Ex-showroom price for the same variant of XUV300 was selling at 13.93 Lakhs and with many features removed - almost tallying my invoice price!

Booking and delivery:

Meanwhile, we went to the only showroom in Goa to look at the XUV300 in flesh and it was a sort of an instant hit with me – 7 airbags, 3-point seat belts (which later turned into a lap-belt during cost cut), the beige interiors, the classic MID unit with analogue dials, the Sabretooth-like DRLs. Unfortunately, there was neither a Diesel variant (even a low end) nor an aquamarine color car in their lot which I planned to book. I don’t think there’s anyone here that would’ve test driven a petrol variant to get a diesel one! I just did it due to lack of options within Goa and I had no time then to go to Belgaum or Mangalore to do this.

This was an instant hit - and the W8O's safety features at that time were unique for the segment like all 4-disc brakes (still exists) and 7 airbags including one for the driver knee (now removed).

Online booking: After inputs from a couple of friends and my brother in different cities, I ended up ordering an Aquamarine Diesel W8O MT on the 16 Nov 2020 – online with a booking amount of Rs. 5000. Even though I booked online, I had to contact the local dealer (Naik motors, Verna) and provide them with the order ID. After a year and a half in mid-2022, there was still no diesel XUV300 to test drive in Goa. The reason they gave was that people mostly preferred only petrol there. I received a call from Naik Motors in mid-2022 with a request to connect with a customer who was interested in getting a diesel variant!

The booking did not have any specific details included except the booking ID. There was no update on this page even when the car was delivered to me. There was no coordination between the production and the back-end team. I don’t know if any other manufacturers have this co-ordination though but things like this might bring a negative image to the company!

Follow-ups/Escalation: I was promised that the car would be delivered in 30-40 days by the sales exec at the time of booking. However, after 40 days I had to call the sales team constantly for updates. And I ultimately had to convey that I’m contemplating on cancelling the booking without any updates being provided. Within a day, in the end of December, I received a couple of calls from the regional manager that the car was allotted and will be arriving shortly to my destination. I was excited and this is when I was sort of tricked by the sales manager to pay the amount on 30th December citing possible price hikes from January. I did hold the payment for registration and insurance amount till I visually inspected the car on the 2nd week of Jan 2021. As a result, I did lose the 15k cash offer that was introduced in Jan 2021 since my car was billed in Dec 2020. Adding insult to the injury, there was no price hike till February that year. I say tricked which is a bit harsh, but it could’ve gone either way and the sales team claimed that they had no clue if the prices will increase or decrease and when and by how much. I did receive a call for Nexon test drive after 10 months after purchasing the 300.

First impression of a Diesel XUV300: I still remember how I was blown away by the NVH levels of the diesel variant while doing the PDI in the showroom parking lot (especially after driving a diesel Micra for about 10 years). I remember asking the sales exec. if it was a diesel variant or a petrol! The non-availability of a diesel variant in the showroom made it easier for me to do the PDI as I was confident that there won’t be an issue of swapping a TD car or its parts before delivery. Did necessary checks, including tyre and battery dates and told them to go ahead with the registration. The car was manufactured during the end of December 2020 according to the stickers in the car and the RC book with 9 km on the Odo.

First look of Neptune in the showroom parking lot, waiting to be mine!

Invoice: Ultimately, I ended up paying a sum of 13.97 Lakhs with accessories. Had I been patient, I would be looking at a 13.76 Lakh invoice! I was also promised a 2k cash offer on accessories, which I never received, and I never had the patience to follow up with the showroom.

Detailed price list of accessories and the actual on road price of Neptune in January 2021. I couldn’t do anything about the handling charges, and I was ready to pay for their registration service due to the notorious nature of the RTO against non-locals. The insurance was with Tata AIG matched to my quote from other external sources.

Accessories: Of all these accessories I regret buying the Illuminated sill plates as they have failed miserably (once within 6 months after installation and later again after 2 years). Not only the sill plates failed but the connection which the dealer-side technician made was very poor - resulting in the stock battery failing within 3 years. I have posted about it in the thread "Cabin lamp issue in my XUV300". (This issue stands resolved). Also, the sill plate lights make it difficult to see the ground at night due to its brightness – it’s absolutely not recommended in my opinion.

The Aquamarine kit replaces all the piano black inserts inside the car and matching the exterior paint. (Note the panel around the gear lever, AC vents, Panel around infotainment system).

The 'Aquamarine kit' accessory is a very nice addition to the car – all AC vents, central console, infotainment console and front and rear door armrest piano blacks were replaced with Aquamarine coloured inserts. I recommend this as it not only replaces the scratch magnet piano black but also adds to the interior look. I'm not sure if any other brands in this range provide such accessories. Did not laminate the flooring as I felt it is unnecessary and spoils the interior. The rear tray is not very strong as usual by OEM. It is just like the tray in my old Micra. Cannot keep anything heavy – just used for lighter stuff and to cover up the boot. Rest of the accessories are holding up good.

Delivery and Pooja: The entire RTO process was smooth, and I was given delivery on the afternoon of auspicious Sankranti day on Jan 14th, 2021.

This is how Neptune was delivered. I asked the dealership to remove all the plastics. They just stuck some bows and a garland. Simple and Neat! The actual delivery picture is missing from my archive!

Just after a pooja in a nearby temple.

Modifications Performed:

Underbody coating: Not a mod, but the first thing I did was under chassis and silencer coating from 3M when the car was just 50 km and less than a week old. Everything was fresh and new then and it was an easy job. The car was given a wash and dried before this procedure. I also asked them to install some PPF on the door edges, A and C pillar piano black inserts, ORVM, door handle insides, and bumper corners which are prone to scratches. Later during a trip to Bangalore, I installed the CR-70 sun film for the windshield to cut out the heat. I do not know the exact amount of heat rejection after this installation, but I can feel the AC working easy to cool the cabin, especially with no blowers for the rear passengers.

Underbody coating for rust prevention and silencer coating was done when the car was just 50 km run. Another addition was the CR70 on the windshield. I had to replace the fast tag for this. Everything was done from 3M outlets in Goa and Bangalore. Cost around 18k in early 2021.

Seatbelt modification: The first shocker after I ordered the car was the deletion of 3-point seatbelt for the rear middle passenger. I got to know about this through some social media reports. Features that were removed/changed along with this were the orange ambient lights under the front-door armrests, the heated ORVMs, roof rail colour change (from silver to black), and the spare tyre downsize from 215/55/17 to 205/60/16. This was not explicitly mentioned by the showroom. For them, these were subtle changes and were not bothered about that. I ordered the required 3-point seatbelt parts through boodmo even before the car was delivered. Upon delivery, I asked the showroom regarding the possibility of fitting the 3-point seat belt through them. The technician there was so clueless about my intention till I showed the 3-point seatbelt in the original TD car. His response was that I need to change the entire seat back. Understood that there’s no use depending on the showroom, and I took it into my own hands and there went the first modification 3 months after purchase! I have detailed this in the thread here. A special mention to then service advisor at Naik Motors, Verna – he took the part number of a part (mini buckle) that I missed to order and made it available within a week through their dealership. Total Cost ~3.5k and some hours in early 2021.

A before and after view of the rear seat belts. Offering 3-Point seat belt for the rear passenger was one of the USPs of 300 at launch! It was replaced with a lap belt from somewhere in August 2020, about 1.5 years after the launch.

Headlamp upgrade: As many users pointed out, the headlamps (both H1 and H7) were a bit of a let-down (Is there anyone who found the OEM halogen lamps satisfactory? I'm seeing the same discussions in threads ranging from Sonet, Nexon to even Crysta!) and I decided to upgrade them about 6 months down the line. Considering the Ssangyong Tivoli’s gene in its makeup, I checked the possibility of installing HIDs in the 300 with a Tivoli’s manual. The fuse layout and the fuse box of the 300(both internal and engine bay) were from Ssangyong and matched with the Tivoli’s layout. Only difference was some extra features like ventilated and heated seats, heated steering and ADAS features were removed in the 300. The fuse ratings and bulb wattages were also the same as the Tivoli’s. The top version of Tivoli had 35w HIDs installed from the factory. Considering these similarities, I got the Osram 35W HID kit installed through an accessory store in Trivandrum. Initially, the installation resulted in the infamous shadow patch on the road. After referring to this post (XUV500 with HID setup - And a shadow problem), we shaved off a portion of the holder and installed it upside down in the bulb holder resulting in a perfect light throw. Over 2.5 years and 50k kms down the road, the HID kit is working well and would highly recommend. Cost 10k including installation in mid-2021. Later I installed the FE Retrofit’s LED in H1 with a lot of hesitation as described in this post (Auto Lighting thread : Post all queries about automobile lighting here). I was not convinced with this brand as I was not even sure if it was 40W or 55W (as you can see pictures in the link above). I recently upgraded to a well-known brand – Osram 50W LEDs 4200k lights which looks much better during night drives. I also installed the Aozoom’s 25w tri-LED fog lamps in H11. This combination is working well for my eyes. Note for those who did not see the link above: I do not recommend the Automotive Lighting Experts - they just want to do business. They even recommended to install HIDs in the high beam! Here’s a dashcam video of my H7 setup.

Dashcam installation: I procured the Vantrue N4 3-channel dashcam from the US through my cousin along with the GPS mount and the hardwiring kit. Sony Starvis sensor was popular at that time and this dashcam had it. Except the night-time license plate reflection, it has been working very well in our conditions so far. I installed it as a DIY and the post related to this installation can be seen here. I used the hardwiring kit and piggy backed it to the hazard lamp fuse, which has power supply all the time. I am using a 256GB class 10 SD card for this which can hold up to 8 to 10 hours of 3 channel videos. I use the parking mode also which cuts the power off if the battery voltage goes below 12V. Cost ~25k and some hours for installation. It’s interesting that a 4-channel Vantrue N5 with Sony Starvis 2 sensor is available now in the market!

Brake Caliper Paint: To celebrate the 2-year mark, I wanted to give Neptune a refresh and decided to colour the caliper yellow. With the help of a local garage with a paint booth, the calipers were removed and cleaned, coated with a primer, and then sprayed yellow. While this work was going on I did a mistake of not being there. The result was caliper slide pins were mismatched while reassembling and I had to deal with caliper rattling noises especially on bad roads and reflectors. There are rubber bushings in one of the 2 pins which should be inserted in the correct bore. It took several attempts and all new set of slide pins to fix this issue. I had to visit 2 service centres – Sleeba and Sons and CBC Motors, twice, and even the service guys fixed the pins in wrong slots! What I learned from this: Don’t do unnecessary stuff as long as your car is running good and never ever give my car without my presence to fix any issue, it will only get worse! I should have done it myself only by removing wheels and not the entire caliper assembly. Cost for painting: 2k.

When it was freshly painted yellow. I do like it till now. Some paint has chipped away due to handling at later stages, but the paint chips are not really visible without removing the wheels.

4-door damping: In the initial months after the purchase, there were many reports in social media XUV300 groups regarding a bad speaker setup in this car. However, the setup felt decent enough considering that I can differentiate between a bad quality and a good quality sound. I use my old (2008) ipod classic 120GB with the aux cable to listen to my favourites as I know that the source files are important, and many streaming apps don’t match the quality. Even then, I felt the audio from apps like Spotify, YouTube etc. is decent enough to listen to at comfortable volume while driving on highways. I have barely exceeded the volume level 4 while driving on highways considering that the NVH levels are quite good in this car. When the car was new, I enquired one of the famous audio installers in Bangalore regarding possibilities of upgrading the sound system. When I heard that a decent setup would set you back by a minimum of Rs. 1,00,000, I listened to the stock set up again and it sounded much better than earlier! With kids traveling most of the times with us, there’s no point in investing this money here to listen to “the wheels on the bus” and “old macdonald”. I took help of the same accessory store in Trivandrum to install the damping sheets on all 4 doors. There’s a slight improvement in the sound quality, especially the bass doesn’t break in certain songs anymore. As far as my listening goes, I do try to download the best possible audio to upload into the USB / ipod classic and the system plays .flac and .aac files default which makes it easy to listen to good quality songs without any conversion.

Horn Upgrade: With the help of bhpian Krishnakumar’s post, it was a straightforward task to complete my horn installation. Just followed his post – was able to procure the connectors in a CNG outlet (Total Auto Care, Bangalore) and made the pigtail myself - it was a perfect fit. Installed the same Hella Chrome procured from Amazon. I still have a couple of connectors remaining with me if anyone's interested in Bangalore.

Routine Service / Warranty Claims / Running Repair - Experiences:

Here's the timeline of Neptune. Words in purple are routine services, red ones are repairs; blue are the modifications that are carried out, black ones are wear/tear replacements and light green ones are positive experiences from M&M. The downtime was only during the battery issue.

Overall, it has been a good experience with the service so far after dealing with various dealerships across 4 states. I have to acknowledge the help of Mr. Kumaravel, CRM head from Mahindra for ensuring quality service on many occasions. A couple of exceptions (for running repairs and inflated billing) are also there. After reading about many fiascos across multiple brands, I just made sure that I’m always present during every service, even if it means that I must take a day off. Usual service actions have all been carried out as per manual recommendations, except during the 50k service, where the cabin AC filter was unchanged and was not informed to me! At 60k, I was told that there was no cabin AC filter available in stock even before the service. I have bought a few filters from boodmo during sale and stocked it for future use. Also, I had a weird issue with the turbo lag which I had complained about within the first 40 days of the ownership and posted here. There was an ECU update for fixing this issue that was provided only during the 30k km service, roughly after 1.5 years – which is unusually long for an update to come especially after reporting it multiple times.

The routine maintenance costs are given below. I would say that the best experience in terms of work, handling a situation, and billing was at Naik Motors, Goa – though I was not able to visit them after 15k km. PPS at Adugodi and Thanissandra branches did very well – only negative was slow delivery mostly by the end of the day. PPS at Bommasandra has an exceptionally good delivery time, but the billing has been erratic with me, and the PPS CRM has promised me to rectify it. The 'not so great' experiences in service were for ‘running repairs’. Ramani Motors in Coimbatore wanted to open the entire bumper to check for more bites and wanting to possibly replace the engine bay wiring harness with an estimated cost up to 20k when I showed up for the rat bite on DRL wire. I understand that it is better to give a thorough check, but it is not fair to estimate the damages even before touching the car. Similarly, Sleeba and Sons and CBC Motors in Trivandrum would come in the bottom of my list as they were not able to fix the caliper slide pins in correct positions. The test drive fellow from the former during the caliper rattling episode had the audacity to blame the steering column and told me to replace it under warranty just because their day was getting over and wanted to close this case. After negative feedback, I was called again by their manager to rectify it. I visited again and tried fixing it but never completely fixed the issue. Another test driver there is one of the roughest I’ve seen, throwing the car into potholes and breakers at high speeds. The CBC motors also tried fixing it with new slide pins but couldn’t successfully do it. After this, I removed all the slide pins to check their installation and realised that they had successfully managed to install them wrongly. I compared with a friend’s car and the diagrams on boodmo to fix them at home. I have purchased an extra set of slide pins online (during sale), just in case if the problem resurfaces.

Maintenance service cost in detail: Initially the engine oil component was a major part of the cost. With time, the labour charges started competing with it! With my usage, I had to so far do 2 services in a year – usually in May – June and Nov – Dec. Disclaimer: The service costs won't be the same anymore as they keep rising every year!

10k Service: June 2021 @ Naik Motors, Goa. Free service and it was on the dot cost wise, as estimated in Mahindra’s app. Even though it was in between peak covid times, the SA did not bother to add any covid disposable items in the final bill. I had some minor rat bites in the engine bay (both DRL wires) when the car was just 4 months old @ ~8k kms. The service technicians were able to fix it in a couple of hours without charging anything extra during this 10k service. They showed me what they have done and at later stages I had soldered the wire with a proper heat shrink tubes myself. They were quite professional even though there’s just one Mahindra service for entire Goa! Kudos to Naik Motors, Goa here. Spent more than half a day here. (On the contrary, Ramani Motors in Coimbatore wanted one day to check the entire engine bay and wanted to fully change the wiring harness, which would need another week of waiting for parts and will include labour cost. They charged Rs. 289 for disassembling and reassembling the headlight assembly).

Out of all wires, the rats were kind enough to choose to bite off only the brown DRL wires on both sides. Thankfully no other rat damages in the engine bay till date, touchwood.

Warranty Claim #1: June 2021 @ Naik Motors, Goa. The IRVM of my car was rattling pretty bad. During the 10k service, they immediately tried fixing the rattling at first. However, nothing sorted out the issue. A new IRVM order was placed after contacting the Mahindra technicians through video calls during test drive to show the rattling IRVM. It arrived within a couple of weeks and was replaced under warranty. The new ORVM vendor was apparently changed during this time according to the service advisor. The cost of this IRVM was around 14k (but replaced under warranty).

20k service: Nov 2021 @ PPS Adugodi. Everything was running smooth and during this routine service, I received the RPAS and infotainment software updates. Even though it was a free service, some extra stuff like ‘rust off’ for brake rotor cleaning and ‘covid disposables’ were added to the bill by the end of the day. Front Wiper blades were changed on my request. I still have no idea why brake rotor cleaning is required at 20k km. This added labour charges and an overall increase in the bill by ~20% (Rs. 615). Spent an entire day here.

Warranty Claim #2: @ PPS Adugodi. Immediately after the software update during the 20k service, the reverse camera showed an odd behaviour. The camera contrast went for a toss every first time the reverse gear was engaged. At subsequent attempts, the display showed normal contrast. I’ve posted about this issue in the review discussion thread of XUV300 here and here. Soon, parking sensor in the rear failed with a ‘?’. The CoTek (Mr. Kannan and his team at that time) in PPS Adugodi tried to sort out the issue for an entire day by changing the parking sensors and checking the entire wiring harness. However, they couldn’t figure out any issue with the sensors nor wiring and ultimately ended up ordering a new RPAS wiring harness under warranty. The rear camera brightness issue was not fixed till the next service. In a week, new wiring harness installed by Mr. Kannan and team and the parking sensor issue was sorted out. I believe this issue could have been due to the software update. The CRM, Mr. Kumaravel had always been helpful on many occasions. He called up the Anant Cars BG Road to take in my car in their body shop (as Adugodi workshop did not have a body shop facility) for a front bumper realignment after I had a slow speed dog hit in Goa. Even though it was under the discretion of the service center to charge me, they did not! Within a month, I again visited the BG Road workshop to install the door mood lamps (that originally used to be part of the car). They did not charge me for the work since they were not sure if the connection was present. Fortunately, the wiring harness had the connection for these mood lamps hidden inside the door panel!

These orange lamps light up the front door pockets and are really useful at nights. They are not very bright and are very warm and lights up only the necessary zone. I spent ~10k for these as it is imported from South Korea and is a part of Ssangyong.

30k service: May 2022 @ PPS Adugodi. An important service where I received the ECU update for the turbo issue that I complained about within the first 40 days of ownership (as mentioned above). Also received the software update to fix the reverse cam contrast issue (mentioned earlier at 20k service). After the last experience in billing, I told them not to add unnecessary stuffs – but covid disposables were still added in the bill. However, they did give a small discount on the bill after mentioning about the last service bill. Again, spent all the second half of the day here. Rear Wiper was replaced on my request during this service.

40k service: Dec 2022 @ PPS Bommasandra. As I didn’t want to spend an entire day, I was suggested to try PPS Bommasandra. Mr. Roch Immanuel, the service manager here promised me to do quick work. They did use ‘rustoff’ again to clean the brake rotors, regreased the caliper pins and cleaned the brake components in this service. Also, the brake fluid was only removed from the reservoir and topped up with fresh oil, but they didn’t do brake bleeding. When asked, the technician said that they will bleed during the brake pad changes. Still charged for entire labour. Here, the service bill was inflated by Rs. 1328 (~18% increase in bill) which included – some unknown consumables, spray, rustoff (with 28% tax!) OBD charges (as I complained of Turbo noise, they wanted to use OBD scan tool – wasn’t even a laptop, but the one which connects with their mobile phones). Was disappointed in PPS Bommasandra. Only good thing, they gave the car back in 3 hours and I was able to be present there with the vehicle in the service bay. And my question was why OBD charges when my car is still under warranty. The CRM agreed to my point!

Dead Stock Battery/ Replacement: Around 47k km, I realized something unusual happening with the car. Sometimes it took more than one crank to start the car. And sometimes the illuminated sill plates would flicker / act dead randomly. I didn’t suspect anything, but it was getting difficult to ignore. Ultimately, I woke up one day to find a dead battery after a 400 km highway trip. I had to call the RSA for the first time – twice in 2 days. The entire episode regarding this issue is posted here (Cabin lamp issue in my XUV300). Ultimately, I purchased a new Amaron Flo battery (Rs. 6500).

The RSA arrived in a span of 45 minutes from my call to the call-centre. The battery was jump started and his diagnosis was that there was some leakage, and it is affecting the battery since it was sparking when connecting the terminals.

50k service: June 2023 @ PPS Thanissandra. With an intention to fix the existing cabin lamp malfunction, I was advised to visit the CoTek (Mr. Sharath) there this time. This issue has revealed many changes that have happened with the electricals of the car since its first iteration in 2019. The initial batches had many Ssangyong parts which has later given way to the localised parts since somewhere in 2021. Even the fuse layout has been changed somewhere in mid-2021 which we realised during the meetup with bhpian Krishnakumar (posted here).

Completely different fuse layout between 2021 models! Feature cuts and changes have been rampant in XUV300 on the outside and the inside as well!

Air filter was changed during this service since it had a small but significant tear. Cabin AC filter was not available in stock and wasn’t mentioned to me! After about 10 days when I was verifying the bill, I discovered that it wasn’t changed. When questioned, the SA said that the part was not in stock - casually. The cabin lamp issue was fixed after figuring out the issue. Even though there’s appointment scheduled, it just takes an entire day to complete it. The servicing started only after 2 PM and ended by 6 PM! I purchased a new AC filter and installed DIY later. Another front wiper replacement was carried out, this time as DIY.

New Battery failure: During a routine cleaning I noticed rust formation on the bolt that was holding the battery in the tray and some slight white salt formation. I didn’t give much thought and that was a mistake. In a month, it corroded the paint of the battery tray, and rusted the bolts of the tray. There was a leak from the side of the battery – it was a manufacturing defect which took 6 months for me to notice after purchasing this battery. I immediately replaced it under warranty from Amaron and a new 09/2023 manufactured battery was installed. To avoid further rusting of the battery and to clean up the salts, I removed the entire setup and coated them with Zinc.

New battery fails within 6 months due to mfg. defect. Immediately fixed this in a nearby garage.

60k service: November 2023 @ PPS Bommasandra. After having a bit of a negative experience with billing the last time, I decided to give PPS Bommasandra another chance and took appointment with them. The big advantage of this service center is that you will receive your car back in 3 – 4 hours whilst some service centers take an entire day or even a couple of days (as seen in some groups and forums in the social media) for a normal routine service. I called up in the morning for this service appointment and Mr. Roch Immanuel booked a slot and blocked a lift for servicing. I reached around 1130 AM and the service started by 1215 PM. Another advantage here is that you can view the full servicing action from the lounge and from the service bay entry point. Brake rotors and pads were cleaned along with caliper slide pins greasing. Coolant was completely flushed, and fresh coolant was added. Air filter change was skipped since it was installed new at 50k service. Again, cabin AC filter was skipped due to non-availability of the part. At the end of the day, there was again a problem with billing – inflating the bill with components like brake bleeding and OBD charges. I sat down with them and removed all unnecessary components and left feedback regarding this billing issue and as expected, received a call from the service head PPS in conference call with the service manager and sorted the issue out – and Mr. Immanuel promised me a free full check-up for the car along with some coatings at my convenience any time during the next visit.

During the 60k service at one of the smallest Mahindra service stations. You can view the progress from outside or from the lounge (bottom). A great delivery time of about 3 hours! No washing service available here.

When looking at the labour charges during these service visits, it is obvious that one service station has made sure that the labour costs crossed Rs.3000, even though work is technically simple. For instance, changing the transmission oil took more effort in 50k service than what was needed for brake fluid and coolant replacement. However, the charges didn't justify that. On a couple of occasions, the brake cleaning jobs were taken up by the service station without any additional costs. The brake cleaning job includes removal of brake pads and cleaning the calipers with the brake cleaner. They also sand the rotors. The engine oil costs have increased by almost Rs. 1000 in 3 years as we can see in this plot.

A look at the trends in cost of engine oil and labour costs.

Extended Warranty / RSA and Insurance:

The Standard Warranty was for 3 years and unlimited kilometers. The RSA was provided for 2 years. I purchased the extended warranty for 2 more years and the RSA scheme for 3 more years. I've been purchasing the insurance through the dealers themselves.

Extended warranty costed a bit more since I purchased it one year after registration. Insurance renewals have been matched with quotations that I get.

Continue reading on BHPian Goandiaries' Mahindra XUV300 for BHPian comments, insights and more information.