[Jo-G]

We all know that being at the right place at the right time makes the big difference be it people or product. Feeding a hungry person is different from trying to feed someone who is already finished a full course meal. M&M came out with the XUV to a hungry Indian market and almost conquered a segment of the SUV market. Knowing the market requirement and coming out with products matching it makes the difference. Now, IMO the automotive market in India is slowly transitioning from the "manual" transmission to "auto" and it wont be long that the manual would be history (from my own experience in other markets) especially with the building up traffic situations across the country, and people getting to experience the convenience of auto gears (starting with Celerio and Alto) at the lower end of the segment. Hence, if M&M brings the XUV Automatic earlier than the Tata Hexa Automatic, it may repeat the earlier XUV success.

[SDP]

Most existing owners find the 'facelifts' not better looking than their own model. Obviously there is some amount of bias involved.

Even after a conscious attempt to keep the bias aside, I would say the new front looks feminine as compared to the more aggressive/muscular one earlier. The curved S shaped LED and the fog-lamp assembly especially looks - for the lack of a better word - Hyundaish/fluidic. Same with the hood. Those 2 creases on the earlier one added character. Now those are gone and instead there are bulges towards the edges. The new alloys are so-so.
Having said that, the new rear looks better. The real improvement the facelift offers is in the interior design and quality (except the poor choice of Beige shade)... and hopefully the suspension.

BTW, people who took a test-drive, does the steering column still foul with the left foot when turning the steering? This is a complaint from owners right from day 1 of the XUV. Hope M&M has sorted that out at least now.

[autohead115]

Originally Posted by nerd1200

Visited Seerish Auto here in Bangalore this afternoon. Below are a few pictures of the car, Bangalore pro=ice list (new and old) and the Brochure.

PS- Pardon the quality of the images, were captured using my cell phone.

Wow looks really good in pearl white. I wasn't impressed until i saw it in white, i guess the tacky foglamps housing was to blame, just hate that, but looks less intrusive in white. Overall a good product, would surely find some cross-shoppers from fortuner given the W10 variant now adds more "premium feel" to it.

[Travelator]

Originally Posted by SDP

Most existing owners find the 'facelifts' not better looking than their own model. Obviously there is some amount of bias involved.

Oh so much of a common view on the facelift. It really feels a good bit less masculine after the facelift from the front. I had really hoped to see more colours being added. Specifically moss green and dark copper colors. would have added to the rugged beast looks that this behemoth has had.

To me, the front bumper has started to look uglier as well with all the cuts and curves added to it.

[pineapple_ameet]

Just Test drove the fresh new 'W 10'. Liked all the bells and whistles but while test driving, found the gearstick to be having HUGE amount of play. I drive a sedan (civic), and found this to be a really annoying/unpleasant experience. Is it just me, or others too feel that a vehicle of this price surely can have a better gear shift feel. Is it the same case in the older XUV's too?
Also, I was told that since the sunroof is an 'electrical component', it's not covered in the warranty. If it goes kaput, be ready for hefty charges.

I went with high hopes, but i guess it will take a while for somebody like me to shift from a 'go kart' stance & feel of a sedan to an upright stance of an SUV. (no offence, but I felt as if I was standing and driving this one)

[BlueEyes]

I like the overall package M&M is offering with 2nd gen XUV. I mean which other SUV offers these features below 20L?? I have no doubt that lot of Fortuner buyers would take a serious look at this upgraded XUV.

Originally Posted by SDP

The following are exclusive to the top-end W10 variant:
1. Sunroof
2. Logo projection lamps on ORVMs
3. Push button start-stop
4. Keyless entry and Smart key
5. Voice messaging system
6. Brake energy regeneration
7. Electronic steering lock
8. Power-adjustable driver seat
9. Window chrome lining
10. Illuminated scuff plates
11. Sporty Aluminium pedals
12. Reverse parking camera with dynamic assist
13. Driver express-up window and anti-pinch

Not bad at all for 80K INR additional.

+one on this, certainly not bad for extra 80K you pay. Most of them might appear gimmicky but I believe reverse parking camera and power adjustable driver seat are good for vehicle this size.

But again no product is perfect. Start/stop button placement looks horrible, not sure how much of an inconvenience this is would be for a regular user, will wait for ownership report on that. And abundance of chrome around fog lamps, what was M&M thinking while designing those Only in the pearl white those fog lamps looks less intrusive.

Originally Posted by Prithvi

Its high time they have an automatic version in the XUV 500. Badly need in our congested cities. Why cannot M&M bring out an automatic version? I they do so am sure more people will buy it. Even an automatic SCORPIO should be available.

Originally Posted by pgsagar

INMO, if it ain't an automatic, it ain't a car. Call me lazy or spoiled or both. M&M says AT version will be out soon. Really? How soon? 5/6 years? These guys really disappoint me.

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Seriously yes... Although Mahindra has taken efforts to put in some new tech, an AT version is sorely missed. I like the dynamics and quality of the car but a clutch is a no for me considering my drive is 80% city.

Also hope they have fixed some of the niggles associated with the car. And they could have put in real DRLs instead of this look alike type parking lights.

Obviously, this would have been grand re-launch if M&M would have included AT. I just read this XUV 500 review by Sid Patankar of NDTV:

I would have liked to see Mahindra offer an automatic variant right from word go on the upgrade.
That is a miss, because there is potential there to capture a growing demand for an auto box. But Mahindra engineers I spoke to promise me that a modern and capable automatic gearbox is coming our way very soon. I expect that variant to debut around the festive season, or at most the Delhi Auto Expo in February next year.

I pretty much read all his reviews and I trust his sources as most of them have turned true. So lets hope when Mahindra brings AT version at Q4 this year it won't be a disappointment as Scorpio.

Link to the full review: http://goo.gl/zXIqfQ

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by jvk84

Micro hybrid is standard on all models. It would have been nice if they provided more details on how it works.

Not really an useful feature, according to me. I must say it is one of the least-used features in my XUV.

When invoked, the Micro hybrid function will keep an eye on the engine RPM and it stops the engine when it idles for a predetermined period. For e.g. the MH can stop the engine when you wait for a signal to turn green. Just depress the clutch and the MH will turn the engine on automatically. It saves fuel for sure BUT:
- a lot of load will be put on battery to restart the mHawk engine frequently.
- all other power loads will also from the battery
- no AC without a running engine

[Guna]

I was curious to check out the face-lifted car in person and I managed to drop in at a dealership in Bangalore.

I personally like the black-beige combination for the interior. It looks good and upmarket at first glance. But you get closer and all the flaws in the plastic molding stand out. Black plastic parts are shiny in some places and look very patchy. Wonder why they could not just stick to a leather-like texture which is very common instead of the wooden grain type of texture which looks cheap IMO.

I am attaching couple of pictures where you can see the uneven surface glossiness and the unfinished edges (they almost looked like they are painted in black with some paint still dripping).

I also feel that the interior panels are made in too many pieces which only increases the problem of panel mismatch etc.

I was seriously considering the XUV but the texture on the interior itself will be a deal breaker for me (of course along with many other minor irritants).

[sumithb]

Originally Posted by Guna

Black plastic parts are shiny in some places and look very patchy. Wonder why they could not just stick to a leather-like texture which is very common instead of the wooden grain type of texture which looks cheap IMO.

I am attaching couple of pictures where you can see the uneven surface glossiness and the unfinished edges (they almost looked like they are painted in black with some paint still dripping).

The shiny patches might just be because of uneven polish applied by the showroom guys. The same thing happen to my cars when I get them back from the workshop after servicing.

The unfinished edges certainly look ugly though, why can't they get such basic stuff right

[ajnagpur]

Originally Posted by Guna

I am attaching couple of pictures where you can see the uneven surface glossiness and the unfinished edges (they almost looked like they are painted in black with some paint still dripping).

I also feel that the interior panels are made in too many pieces which only increases the problem of panel mismatch etc.

I was seriously considering the XUV but the texture on the interior itself will be a deal breaker for me (of course along with many other minor irritants).

Completely agree with you.
This is one of my griefs with XUV from day one. The surface of dashboard alone is a mix of 3 textures at least.

That is done in a very bad taste by Mahindra IMO. at least they should've fixed it & used single texture all over to give it a classy look. My Figo for example being not so expensive car in comparison to XUV but still has uniform texture all around & Dashboard looks classy with the texture used by Ford.

[jvk84]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Not really an useful feature, according to me. I must say it is one of the least-used features in my XUV

Thanks for the clarification. I was curious because some of the newer versions of micro-hybrid cars internationally can provide torque assist - i.e. they uses their electric motor to improve the torque of the car in lower rpms. Without it, just the start-stop micro hybrid is not worth the extra cost and extra load on battery IMHO.

[sudeep.pandya]

Originally Posted by pineapple_ameet

Just Test drove the fresh new 'W 10'. Liked all the bells and whistles but while test driving, found the gearstick to be having HUGE amount of play. I drive a sedan (civic), and found this to be a really annoying/unpleasant experience. Is it just me, or others too feel that a vehicle of this price surely can have a better gear shift feel. Is it the same case in the older XUV's too?
Also, I was told that since the sunroof is an 'electrical component', it's not covered in the warranty. If it goes kaput, be ready for hefty charges.

I went with high hopes, but i guess it will take a while for somebody like me to shift from a 'go kart' stance & feel of a sedan to an upright stance of an SUV. (no offence, but I felt as if I was standing and driving this one)

Yes, the shift action/quality is far from seamless, I remember mu Qualis had better gear shift quality.

This standing thing happens if you stick to sedans for too long. Even Wagon R feels like truck after driving low slung sedans.

[supertinu]

As SDP pointed out, its hard for an existing XUV owner to comment neutrally on the facelift, and even more if its someone like me who bought 2 months back knowing there was a facelift coming . But nevertheless let me give my take at what I like and what i dont. Its all subjective opinions from me and may not represent mass opinion.

Likes - What I would have preferred having on my XUV

• New headlamps. Current ones are good too but extra bling never hurt

• Updated infotainment - Bigger screen is always nicer, current one seems a tad small to me, hoping the newer one has capacitive touch and also more graphic/animated UI

• Blue lighting in place of red - I am neutral on this one but I think blue is more contemporary than red

• Suspension improvements are always welcome. Current one is pretty decent as well so any updates would be for better

Dislikes

• Updated front design - Makes it look bulky in my opinion. Older one is more aggressive and at the same time makes it look sharper. Those whiskers which ppl hate actually helps in breaking the bulk of the front

• Interior color updates. From the pics it seems that the plastic material and texture are same with color changes only. The light beige all over would have been a deal breaker for me. I actually chose silver color to get the black interiors. The black/brown combo on dash and seats actually looks better than single color beige all over. I also miss the faux pa wood finish in the center

Overall I am happy I got the car in march end with all the extra discounts. With budget anyways stretched for W8, I would have to shell close to 1lac more now

Originally Posted by ajnagpur

That is done in a very bad taste by Mahindra IMO. at least they should've fixed it & used single texture all over to give it a classy look. My Figo for example being not so expensive car in comparison to XUV but still has uniform texture all around & Dashboard looks classy with the texture used by Ford.

I also own a Figo and agree that Figo's interiors feel better put together than XUV anyday. However Figo is also hardly classy in my view. The silver finish in the middle and silver accents around the ac vents always seemed tacky to me and they made it worse by making it blue later. OT here

Originally Posted by Guna

I also feel that the interior panels are made in too many pieces which only increases the problem of panel mismatch etc.

I was seriously considering the XUV but the texture on the interior itself will be a deal breaker for me (of course along with many other minor irritants).

Guna, one area where I would suggest not to look skin deep is the dash plastics and finish. In all other areas XUV would surprise you but it certainly falls short on this aspect. Every car has a compromise in some area, this is what I believe is XUV's achilees heel

Originally Posted by sudeep.pandya

Yes, the shift action/quality is far from seamless, I remember mu Qualis had better gear shift quality.

This standing thing happens if you stick to sedans for too long. Even Wagon R feels like truck after driving low slung sedans.

Sudeep, totally agree that coming from Sedans shift on XUV is long and notchy. But its way better than Qualis or Innova for that matter. I remember on Qualis how the entire huge stick vibrates all over in lower gears. Shift on XUV has no vibrations across the rev range and gears and it smoothens with usage as well. Mine after 2K km is better than when i bought it.

[acidkill]

Originally Posted by BlueEyes

Obviously, this would have been grand re-launch if M&M would have included AT. I just read this XUV 500 review by Sid Patankar of NDTV:



I pretty much read all his reviews and I trust his sources as most of them have turned true. So lets hope when Mahindra brings AT version at Q4 this year it won't be a disappointment as Scorpio.

Link to the full review: http://goo.gl/zXIqfQ

Boss, cheers to you if this auto variant is launched in october like you say.. I spoke to one dealer. They also told me an auto is coming on diwali. I can surely wait a few more months for diwali launch but not until Feb 2016. I have already placed my token advance but I'm still ok to sit out for 5 months. My wait continues I guess

[sbala]

Visited Sireesh Auto here in Bangalore and took a long test drive for about 20 KMs.

* I didn't notice much change in the suspension, at least during my test drive. Its sporty and stiff.
* No noise inside the cabin during driving. Lot better than earlier version.
* Liked the new interiors. Looks airy and roomy because of the beige everywhere.
* Start/Stop button, though positioned differently, i didn't feel any issues with it. I used it at least 4-5 times today. It is just the matter of getting used to it.
* Touchscreen is bright and its responsiveness is wonderful. Loved playing with it.
* Stability is really good at high speeds, especially cornering.
* Overall a nice package.