Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by JeepSomeday

Hi...my AWD is now ready for delivery, but I was hoping to pick it up in Jan week 1 (so 2012 registration) instead of 2011.

Does anyone have any insights on this, or suggestion for me?

Depends, if you are going to own the car for 5+ years then one month difference (or even next year reg) would not matter much. The way you should look at it is "whats the benefit".

I just bought my civic and the way i look at it is over a 7+ years period it would not make any difgerence at all.

[JeepSomeday]

Originally Posted by Crazy4Power

Don't wait, the prices @the time of delivery will be applicable & secondly you are lucky for getting AWD in Dec.

What was your earlier promised date ??

Cheers!

Earlier promised date was Feb 16. But, infact, they called me a few weeks ago saying the car was ready...but I couldnt take delivery then since I hadnt sorted out my finances this early.

So, is there a real risk that Mahindra prices and/or Delhi road tax amount for Diesel cars will go up on Jan 1?

On another note: there is one suggestion for the niggles so many people are reporting...how about a joint Team BHP petition/letter/representation to Mr. Mahindra and team listing and collating all the issues each member has faced with the XUV with a request for maybe even a special camp per city for checking and rectification? Even those who havent (thankfully) faced any niggles so far can get their XUVs throroughly tested at these camps once and for all? What say?

[nitinralli]

Originally Posted by GunMo

Oh, that's really bad. We are starting to hear more-n-more niggles from the early owners now.

Nitin, by any chance you tanked up in a pump under hot sun? Did the pump attendant close the cap properly and pressed the air release button as well?

Well, on the window panes not closing, the glass would have jumped out of it's guide. Did you go over any particularly bumpy terrain? Also was the door panel / glass removed and re-fixed at any point of time?

I understand the sentiments with new car - especially when it's XUV, however, am just trying to eliminate obvious reasons.

I filled it up at night when i was about to start the journey, so no hot sun. Yes the cap was closed properly, infact it started leaking while it was being filled so cap issue cannot be there.
As for the window, yes as you know most of Indian roads do have bumpy roads and i did went over some, but it was not like i didn't slow down on these roads and was harsh, if that would have been the case, then my 5 years old Ford fiesta would have been in a real mess by now (you can see the pic of my fiesta and can see the kind of road its crossing at Jim Corbett), but no, its as solid as it was 5 years back. (any way, XUV was meant to be used as an "SUV" on bad roads).
PS: Please don't mind my words, its just the frustration which is speaking for Mahindra)

Originally Posted by SDP

The issue with the glass pane is unfortunate and definitely not expected. For the fuel spilling issue, please find out what is the cause. I doubt, its a manufacturing or QC issue. There must be a simpler explanation.


Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers.

Originally Posted by Infiniti.Rahul

It shouldnt ideally be a pipe leakage ( else the fuel would have leaked earlier as well) or a tank leakage (Unless there is some leakage at a high point in tank whose effect became telling only when the tank was full to the brim).

The mirror story is disconcerting. why could this have happened? Strange, to say the least. I fully concur with you that when XUV was brought out as a VFM package, full attention should have been paid to the minutest of details. Instead, we have small time niggles cropping up which sometimes ruin the pleasure of driving a brand new car. I guess let guesswork be left around the corner and you should show this to the dealer workshop today or by the weekend- lets hear what they say.

Cheer up, I hope and wish that these are the first and last niggles you end up facing in the XUV.

Thanks for the kind words and i hope these are the only issues for the time being.
As for the tank, as you said above, the tank leaked only when it was about to reach its top level. I waited for an hour for the leakage to stop (if you see in the pic, i had kept a bottle under it), then i asked my friend to stand out and see if there is any leakage when i start the car and stop it suddenly to see if the leakage is at the top level, and bingo, it did spill when i stop suddenly. This shows that the issue is there at the top of the tank, other wise all this while it should have leaked. I had been filling only 1000 bucks fuel in a week to see my running usage as that's what i used to do with fiesta.
Yesterday, my RM called me just to check and i told him these issues. Will take the car to workshop next week as i have an off the entire week.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by nitinralli

Just came back from a long trip to Ranthambore...



...If Anand Mahindra is following this thread for Pics, then he should follow for issue's as well.

This is extremely sad.

I had quite a lot of hope on the XUV, and so did many others. Is this the first of the many issues that might come up with other XUVs as well? I seriously hope not. It's a wonderful SUV and holds a lot of promise. And honestly, I think it looks absolutely fabulous. All it needs is a shave up-front, a trim here and there, and we're done.

I had the privilege of driving next to a white XUV for the most part of my drive back home today, and it was a white one (the top-end) and I must say, in the twilight (it was about 6:00 pm?) it looked lovely. A very handsome yet butch car, with a great stance and lovely balance in the design. Larger tyres would do it a World of good, and the wheels too, perhaps?

Anyway, I don't want such a wonderful product by Mahindra to bomb in our market because of shoddy bits here and there, and shabby service. Let's hope Mahindra give us an updated one next year, wherein they've tweaked it and got closer to perfection. The shave included

As for your XUV, Sir. I'm looking forward to your service experience and updates on the car, assuming that the car will be serviced and fixed soon.

All the best! *thumbs up*

[drjones]

My XUV is expected on 11/01/12. Instead of getting exited a the D day nearing Iam actuall getting tensed seeing soo many issues cropping up. Is it that I should go for the new TFort or the new Pajero ? Experts opinion please.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by drjones

My XUV is expected on 11/01/12. Instead of getting exited a the D day nearing Iam actuall getting tensed seeing soo many issues cropping up. Is it that I should go for the new TFort or the new Pajero ? Experts opinion please.

The Fortuner and the Pajero are in a different budget and league from the XUV. If budget constraints do not matter then the facelifted Fortuner will definitely be a big step up from the XUV with bullet proof reliability and longevity in tow. New Pajero will face stiff competition as the slotted price at which it is supposedly appearing will find few takers in the presence of better products.

If budget is limited than you should not worry too much about the initial niggles in the XUV as the same should be hopefully sorted out in the coming months, but don't expect a Toyota from a Mahindra anytime soon.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by drjones

My XUV is expected on 11/01/12. Instead of getting exited a the D day nearing Iam actuall getting tensed seeing soo many issues cropping up. Is it that I should go for the new TFort or the new Pajero ? Experts opinion please.

Hi DrJones,

Based on our own experience with the XUV, it still is a very strong value proposition, and you will not get any other option to rival the XUV even at a 5-6 lacs higher price point. The initial niggles which are reported by owner's are so far mostly electrical / electronics, apart from the fuel leakage and window dislodging in Nitin's XUV.
What I would recommend is that you can wait and watch till Jan, and Toyota will be announcing the prices of the 2WD variant of the Fortuner. If initial reports are to believed, it will be in the range of 16-17 lacs ex-showroom. On the other side, Mahindra will also be hiking XUV prices by 50k. The gap between these two will then become 4-5 lacs instead of the current 8-9 lacs.
At this price point, the Toyota makes a very strong statement and it will maintain the winning streak of the Fortuner. The price announcement is likely to happen on Jan 5th/ 6th with the unveiling at the Auto Expo in Delhi.

On the other hand, if you are not keen to retain your XUV booking, you can transfer it to someone else, and from what I have heard here in Gurgaon, there is a 2L premium, so it will still be a win-win for you!

One more option you can add to your consideration list is the Ford Ecosport, (though it is a 5 seater X-over), which should be launched during Auto expo in the range of 10-12 lacs (my guess!)

Regards,
Behemoth

[hemanth.anand]

I see some people too concerned about small issues.
All the reported niggles are minor, electrical/electronics issues and a one-off case IMO with the fuel leakage.

Everyone knew that there would be niggles here and there with a Mahindra (GTO has also mentioned this in his review).
So even before booking people knew about this didn't they?
When Mahindra has manages to give a SUV for 8 lakhs less than any other manufaturer in that segment, owners shlould be prepared for such small issues.

In fact if we put all the features in XUV into a sedan, I feel many manufacturers will price it in the same band as that of the XUV.
The fact that people are getting an SUV for this price is what making it the best proposition in the present market.
All these issues were expected and so its no surprise to me (it shouldn't be a surprise/concern to anyone).
For a guy with 15 lakhs, XUV is one of the best choices available at present even with all these (expected)niggles.

[smopuri]

Is XUV ‘Value for Money’ or ‘Cheap’?

Value for Money - a product with good set of features for less price compared to competition at a Reasonable Quality.
Cheap – a product with good set of features for less price compared to completion with Poor Quality.

Where do you draw the line? GPS or Infotainment system malfunctioning is only nuisance value. Do the quality issues stop there? How do we find out if the other safety critical features such as ABS, ESP, Airbag systems, etc don’t have issues? If they are not QC tested as well, can we still call this VFM? OR it's just plain Cheap? One can only hope that safety critical measures are well tested in XUV. I don’t think it’s fair to write off XUV yet, but the trends we see with XUV initial niggles do not instill too much confidence.

If any senior M&M exec is following this thread, my humble suggestion to them is to really be critical of their quality policies and practices and ensure (at least) safety critical systems are tested properly. After all this product has tremendous potential to be a great winner!

[novice_alto]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Everyone knew that there would be niggles here and there with a Mahindra (GTO has also mentioned this in his review).
So even before booking people knew about this didn't they?
When Mahindra has manages to give a SUV for 8 lakhs less than any other manufaturer in that segment, owners shlould be prepared for such small issues.

All these issues were expected and so its no surprise to me (it shouldn't be a surprise/concern to anyone).

I beg your pardon sir, but even a guy who is spending 3 lakhs on a small hatchback does not go to the showroom expecting niggles and problems electrical or otherwise in his car just because he is SUPPOSED to be getting a value for money proposition.

More so, when a person is spending around 10 lakhs for a car and getting his window glass displaced, fuel leaked, or electrical problems, THEN THESE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS.

in modern cars, it is the electronics that make it modern. If electricals are nor working like the power window or navigation or things like that then it is a very ominous signal that the bigger/costlier/important sensors like ABS, EBD, airbags, and what not; these may as well fail when they are required putting the guy's life at risk who has spent 10 or 11 lakhs on a vehicle.

I just dont get this reasoning, that because it is a Mahindra or Tata that we should expect niggles. what are we, guinea pigs?

[Joyb]

Well, don't know right or wrong, but I think the issues with electrical features are coming up with XUV just because the test cars , which have supposedly been tested for thousand of kms across the globe were not loaded with these features. Mahindra spent to much time perfecting upon the design and mechanicals of the vehicle, with little testing being done on the features like Navigation, Sound Unit, Speakers, Tyre Tronics etc. Am sure if they had given fully loaded vehicles to the test drivers, even these issues would have sorted out.

A lot of my friends own Mahindra Scorpios and they have never faced any issues with the vehicles. Just speaking for myself, have full trust in mechanics and safety features of XUV, just wish could say the same about the fancy gadgetry.

Am getting my W8 by end January and hoping that majority of these irritant niggles are sorted out by then

[naveenchhillar]

I am ok to the extent if they remove some options (such as GPS, Rear Sensors, Conversation Mirror, Bluetooth pairing of phones, Touch screen Display, Umbrella Hook, etc) but improve the quality of rest of the features.

I mean, what is the issue of giving 100+ features when they can't control the quality. Every customer should be happy with 50 features that work in order.

[smopuri]

Originally Posted by Joyb

Well, don't know right or wrong, but I think...

Am getting my W8 by end January and hoping that majority of these irritant niggles are sorted out by then

Joyb, I like your line of thinking and hope that all safety features were included in their test vehicles.

BTW, when did you book the vehicle? Did you get end Jan delivery date confirmed by M&M or your dealer?

[Joyb]

Originally Posted by smopuri

Joyb, I like your line of thinking and hope that all safety features were included in their test vehicles .

BTW, when did you book the vehicle? Did you get end Jan delivery date confirmed by M&M or your dealer?

Well booked it on 7th-8th October (sorry dont have the booking receipt handy). Had written to Mahindra customer care to know the exact delivery date, got a revert on mail from the dealer (with Mahindra sales head marked in cc) confirming date of delivery as 30th January.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by novice_alto

I beg your pardon sir, but even a guy who is spending 3 lakhs on a small hatchback does not go to the showroom expecting niggles and problems electrical or otherwise in his car just because he is SUPPOSED to be getting a value for money proposition.

More so, when a person is spending around 10 lakhs for a car and getting his window glass displaced, fuel leaked, or electrical problems, THEN THESE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS.

in modern cars, it is the electronics that make it modern. If electricals are nor working like the power window or navigation or things like that then it is a very ominous signal that the bigger/costlier/important sensors like ABS, EBD, airbags, and what not; these may as well fail when they are required putting the guy's life at risk who has spent 10 or 11 lakhs on a vehicle.

I just dont get this reasoning, that because it is a Mahindra or Tata that we should expect niggles. what are we, guinea pigs?

Many BMWs, Mercs, and Audis are towed because of the electrical problems (there is a seperate thread on TBHP for this).
I don't know how many cases are pending in the consumer courts against big european brands for non-working of ABS,EBD etc.
Yes modern cars are modern because of the electronics but electronics are the biggest problem creators as well. mechanical systems are comparitively more reliable.

Yes because its a Mahindra or a Tata, we should expect niggles. This is not any reasoning but this is the fact (agreed they are improving).
Else worldwide mahindra and tata would've been considered as premium brands by now.
Every manufacturer has a forte...these have their forte of giving cars with same features for cheaper price than their competitors.

When 30lakh rupees+ cars can give the same problems, you can expect a 15 lakh rupee car with the same features to give more problems because there will be compromise in many areas.

So we should not be overly concerned and whenever a niggle crops up, just go and get it repaired.

My argument was and is:
If I had 25 lakhs, i would buy a Premium SUV say for example BMW X1
If I have 15 lakhs, I'll buy a premium hatchback or sedan
But If I have 15 lakhs and want all X1 like features, I should be ready for a trade off for somewhere (In this case the niggles)