[amrisharm]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Agreed. I'd love to own a 4x4 Xylo (unless they price it crazy), as my daily drive and also as my ride for highways etc. Sometimes when you do hit bad road conditions, landslides, a bit of slush etc., you would be all the more relaxed knowing that the 4 WD is there to help you out.
Let's get it straight, when we say Off-road with a Xylo, we don't have in mind the stuff that Gypsies, MMs, CJs or the Gurkha (ahem!) are capable of. Just getting us out of sticky situations o spots of bother is more than enough. Also, I happen to love the interiors they are giving out for that price.

Fully agree. Well instead of viewing the 4x4 xylo as a hard off-road vehicle i think we should view it as more of a soft off-roader that helps in the handling, traction, maneuverability and overall control of the vehicle when driving on not so good indian roads. Also it should be seen as a vehicle that will give the owner peace of mind when unexpected obstacles come up like land slides, slush/mud etc etc. Plus the added bonus of knowing he/she can go to the ladakh/leh region whenever he wants and discover the not so often visited places . For that the xylo 4x4 would make a lot of sense AT THE RIGHT PRICE.

[Cyrus43]

You cant use 4WD on the Roads irrespective of how bad they are. 4WD is NOT meant for Tarmac. Even a Humble Maruti 800 would go to Ladakh without any problems.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

You cant use 4WD on the Roads irrespective of how bad they are. 4WD is NOT meant for Tarmac. Even a Humble Maruti 800 would go to Ladakh without any problems.

Not on Roads Cyrus. Slush, Landslide zones, and uneven dirt trails.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

You cant use 4WD on the Roads irrespective of how bad they are. 4WD is NOT meant for Tarmac. Even a Humble Maruti 800 would go to Ladakh without any problems.

Look at what I said on this thread long back:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Even I am not sure about the purpose of Xylo 4x4. Surely it is not meant for farm duty or offroading. So, this is meant for on-road driving in slushy roads?

In that case this vehicle can't be a part-time 4x4, or else there will be lots of cases of driveline damage caused by incorrect use of 4x4 mode on tarmac. Even Mahindra SA/mechanics are not familiar with proper 4WD usage let alone sales guys. That means Xlyo has to be full-time or on-demand 4WD where no expertise from the user is required.

That means we are talking about central differential with limited slip. The cheapest vehicle with central differential with limited slip is Grand Vitara at 17L ex-showroom price. And there isn't a single Indian car maker that makes a car with central differential with limited slip until now. The central differential with limited slip is a very expensive component, I am told that this component itself costs 6L on the GV. If the Xylo comes with central differential with limited slip, what will be the price tag? And who will buy it in that price tag.

Now that Tata Aria has come out, we see that it does have AWD with LSD, which pushes the price to 15L. If Xylo comes out with similar package, I can't see how they can be significantly cheaper than Aria.

[shankar.balan]

Xylo with 4x4 to me doesnt really make sense unless it is a real time 4WD system like the Honda CRV, Skoda Yeti etc, which electronically detects which wheel is losing traction and delivers more power to that wheel to take it out of trouble.

If that new 5 seater Xylo comes in along with 4x4 it just might become an inexpensive leisure vehicle. But its looks do not go with the "macho" image sought by most SUV/ 4x4 consumers.

Bolero Storm with 4x4 and Crde etc is also not so hot - its handling is downright dangerous. the brakes arent near enough and the controls are wobbly and woollen headed with absolutely no response when needed.

Gearshift in the Bolero was never all that hot - in the Storm it has worsened if that is possible. As a tall person with long arms I still found it extremely inconveniently located and uncomfortable.

the interiors and other comforts are sadly lacking and for the huge price that they are charging, it is better and more sensible to buy the lower end Scorpio/ Safari.

Sorry to Bolero fans out there but I liked my Old Bolero at that time when I had it. But life has moved on and standards and expectations now are much higher!

Our Indian manufacturers like Tata and M&M had better work extra hard to ensure that the evolving needs of consumers are constantly met!

Since Mahindra appears to now own Ssangyong motors, they should simply figure out a way to get some of those nice, well evolved and yet inexpensive 4x4's into India.

These vehicles could be the perfect way to serve this new segment -the mass market SUV/4x4 buyer who wants a good quality, comfortable yet utilitarian, tough, feature loaded yet inexpensive SUV/ 4x4.

Our manufacturers now have to think in terms of making the Safety features as standard - like Airbags, ABS, EBD, Traction Control etc. They should not be waiting for the Government to pass legislation on the same like in the case of seat belts around 12 years ago. 4x4 can be an option and should not be limited to trim level of the vehicle.

[amrisharm]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

You cant use 4WD on the Roads irrespective of how bad they are. 4WD is NOT meant for Tarmac.

you cant use 4wd on roads irrespective of how bad they are? could you elaborate more? Are you referring to the "The classic 4x4 transmission wind-up phenomenon"? Is that a case with the xylo 4x4? As i know for a fact the Vitara and the fortuner come with full time 4wd.

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

Even a Humble Maruti 800 would go to Ladakh without any problems.

Originally Posted by amrisharm

Fully agree. Well instead of viewing the 4x4 xylo as a hard off-road vehicle i think we should view it as more of a soft off-roader that helps in the handling, traction, maneuverability and overall control of the vehicle when driving on not so good indian roads. Also it should be seen as a vehicle that will give the owner peace of mind when unexpected obstacles come up like land slides, slush/mud etc etc. Plus the added bonus of knowing he/she can go to the ladakh/leh region whenever he wants and discover the not so often visited places . For that the xylo 4x4 would make a lot of sense AT THE RIGHT PRICE.

I was not talking about the manali leh highway, but places like Turtuk, Panamik in the far north, Karzok, Tsi Moriri south etc etc in the ladakh/ changtang/ Nubra valley. Thats why i said "ladakh/leh region" and not just leh .

[tsk1979]

Fortuner has a center diff, thats why 4wd on tarmac won't make an issue in such cars.

[Torque-ative]

This car is a boat !
The 500 km round trip, made on a brand new Xylo was enough for me to ensure this car stays away from our radar for a long time to come.

[Oreen]

I personally like the rugged looks of the Bolero over that of a Xylo. the Xylo is too high and its rear tries to overtake the front during hard braking. A Bolero can be modified to look like a proper jeep, by adding off-roading sidebars instead of the aluminium steps, shaving off the wheel arches, adding 235/70/16 wheels, and a 4wd.

IMO, that should be the real mod M&M should think of.

[Wild_Card]

Hi Guys

It has being some time that I visited TEAM-BHP... as the mods decided to close the Thar treads... So I cant tell you about what we have done in South Africa....

Well leaving that there... Xylo in 4x4...Mmmmm ..... I dont think so, due a a few technical restrainst it wont be any close to the Scorpio or Bolero. As the Xylo dont have any good angles, both the approach and departure angle is BAD for going off road, then the break angle is also poor. If you need a soft 4x4 for some dirt/mud/snow... maybe it would work..... If you want to buy a 4x4 Mahindra... rather buy a Scorpio/Bolero/Thar... Xylo will be a big NO in my books and waist of money!

[Xinger]

Originally Posted by Wild_Card

Hi Guys

It has being some time that I visited TEAM-BHP... as the mods decided to close the Thar treads... So I cant tell you about what we have done in South Africa....

Please don't let that stop you! You can open up a new thread and call it 'Offroading in SA with the Thar' and mention in bold in the opening post, 'Do NOT speculate on India release date of the Thar in this thread, or the mods will shut it down!'

I think there are many people here who would love to see your Thar offroading pics.

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by nitrous

Kit car makers, if you insist.
But, which car maker IN THE WORLD sells cars with adjustable suspension that the owner can fiddle with?

I see two reasons why they dont:
1. Cost
2. Safety

To name few, Citron -Xantia(personal experience of playing with the height from inside the cabin)

BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

To name few, Citron -Xantia(personal experience of playing with the height from inside the cabin)

BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover.

Ferrari too I reckon...they have adjustable modes for the suspension - hard/soft

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Ferrari too I reckon...they have adjustable modes for the suspension - hard/soft

Right on brother. Enzo has adjustable shocks not just for performance setting but to clear the big speed bumps and to get into the garage where the driveway is a bit elevated.

[rajamuneeb]

Instead of launching a Xylo 4x4 i reckon M&M should have rather worked on the storm 4x4 model. Seriously how many buyers would buy the MUV with a 4x4 knowing fully the limitations of the vehicle. A bolero would have been a better option and given people a choice of owning a 4x4 jeep. Not everyone can afford a Scorpio and Thar as basic jeep doesn't qualify as a family vehicle.