[Turbo Diesel]

I went to Nashik on a short vacation where I saw XUV7OO on Mumbai Nashik Highway. I was surprised that I spotted a total of 3 test mules; however, I wasn't able to take pictures of all three. The other two mules were spotted near Mahindra & Mahindra Material Gate, Nashik.

[Moto_Bear]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Mahindra XUV700 LED tail lights design revealed in new spy video.

Attachment 2177333

One has to admit that even though the design looks a little quirky and a little too much Mahindra in terms of styling, I genuinely love the way it curves around the panel. A job well done in my book in the styling department.

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Mahindra XUV700 flush door handles feature revealed and calls it Smart Door Handles.

Attachment 2177471

I just pray that they work 99.99% of the time without any niggle because I would seriously hate to be locked out of my car due to a technical issue. Also, it seems the request sensors are touch based rather than the button press ones that most of us are used to.

Mahindra really has put in thought and effort into this product and for this, I do applaud them. All of this looks really good on paper, so cheers to that. How it works in real life would be an interesting thing, and I hope the word 'Smart' really means something than the usual nomenclature.

[84.monsoon]

M&M really needs Prathap Bose! They make fine products but the aesthetics are all screwed up by trying to over- design. They have a quirky 90s impression of Indian customer aesthetic preferences - where being able to talk (boast) about a product or a design - for example “this SUV is inspired by a Snow Leopard” with friends at a social gathering is more important than how it looks and feels in real life.

Today’s customers are exposed to global products and in this segment (XUV700) have probably travelled the globe and seen places like Italy where one is exposed to the level of importance every manufacturer pays to what impression and emotion the product invokes at a personal level, leaving aside what others think of it. This is where Tata Motors have excelled with products like the Harrier. The Harrier has a consistency, a personality that is flamboyant yet proportional. Elegant yet edgy. M&M has to step out of the 90s living room thinking and into the 20s world of aesthetic sophistication the Indian customer is evolving rapidly through.

Other than the Thar (which is unspoiled by the design cowboys at M&M, due to the need to stick to the roots and also the diktat from top to take some strong inspiration from the Wrangler), all others M&M products look like they are trying too hard to become a conversation piece in the living room. They are not studying the customer, their tastes and personalities deep enough and are not unified by a simple underlying design theme. This means the products end up hap-hazard, too many ideas being tried in the same product, random cuts and creases from trying too hard to impress and designs that neither make a great first impression nor retain appeal through their life cycle.

[AMG1]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

M&M really needs Prathap Bose! They make fine products but the aesthetics are all screwed up by trying to over- design. They have a quirky 90s impression of Indian customer aesthetic preferences - where being able to talk (boast) about a product or a design - for example “this SUV is inspired by a Snow Leopard” with friends at a social gathering is more important than how it looks and feels in real life.

Today’s customers are exposed to global products and in this segment (XUV700) have probably travelled the globe and seen places like Italy where one is exposed to the level of importance every manufacturer pays to what impression and emotion the product invokes at a personal level, leaving aside what others think of it. This is where Tata Motors have excelled with products like the Harrier. The Harrier has a consistency, a personality that is flamboyant yet proportional. Elegant yet edgy. M&M has to step out of the 90s living room thinking and into the 20s world of aesthetic sophistication the Indian customer is evolving rapidly through.

Other than the Thar (which is unspoiled by the design cowboys at M&M, due to the need to stick to the roots and also the diktat from top to take some strong inspiration from the Wrangler), all others M&M products look like they are trying too hard to become a conversation piece in the living room. They are not studying the customer, their tastes and personalities deep enough and are not unified by a simple underlying design theme. This means the products end up hap-hazard, too many ideas being tried in the same product, random cuts and creases from trying too hard to impress and designs that neither make a great first impression nor retain appeal through their life cycle.

I agree with you on most points, especially on the Thar. But in rural UP, especially UP West I can attest that the single biggest talking point of the XUV500 during its initial days in every gathering of potential customers was- 'Will buy Cheetah wali Gadi' or 'Love the Scorpio walon ki Cheetah ...' - Translated to will buy that Mahindra's Cheetah SUV- the door handles were the pride of owners that time!

Scorpio and Bolero sell big numbers in rural areas thanks in large part to the way they look. The moment a Scorpio, Bolero, or even XUV500 leaves the showroom, owners dress up their pride with the shiniest chrome all over. It's the preference that people in the Hindi Heartland have and the same is being catered by Mahindra too. If Scorpio or XUV500 becomes conservative or less brash, I am sure it will not be taken lightly by Rural Customers.
But that's just my personal observations. Opinions may vary and are appreciated.

[CEF_Beasts]

XUV700 instrument cluster and touchscreen upclose. After seeing this, all I can say is competitors beware you don’t know what is going to hit you in the coming months!!





https://www.instagram.com/p/CRJ7fNxA...dium=copy_link

[petrol_power]

Yes, the long-ish screen set up is awesome.

But the gear lever knob is old style, cannot be compared to new models like C5 etc. AC Air vent & AC control panel is old fashioned. From earlier interior spy shots, the entire dashboard is very conventional except for the longer interconnected screens.

Exterior design is neither revolutionary nor fresh. Side looks pretty boring and front is below average. Rear looks decent though.

I guess its main advantages may be engine and features, and not design. Design is also very important factor these days, at-least in premium segments.

Even though I could not get a hold of the Auto gear box in Jeep Compass Diesel, I went for a test drive again to see if that can be managed, only because of the awesome design in both interior and exterior. A good design can do wonders.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

Yes, the long-ish screen set up is awesome.

But the gear lever knob is old style, cannot be compared to new models like C5 etc. AC Air vent & AC control panel is old fashioned. From earlier interior spy shots, the entire dashboard is very conventional except for the longer interconnected screens.

Those knobs look gaudy with too much chrome and thick markings (red/blue).
Gear knob seen in the previous spy shots was looking more modern (pic below). I am hoping that these are still pre-production models and the final product will have some of these things ironed out.

[car_monarch]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Mahindra XUV700 flush door handles feature revealed and calls it Smart Door Handles.

Attachment 2177470

Attachment 2177471

Attachment 2177472

https://Youtu.be/ma2knWB3SLQ

I don't understand what's the value add in these handles than adding unreliability and a part which is more likely to fail! Innovation just for the sake of having one, to brag about and which solves no problem!

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

Yes, the long-ish screen set up is awesome.

Quite evident that it's actually two screens spaced apart on a long black panel and not a long screen as what was first rumoured.

There seems to be a lot of shiny black bit between the two screens, but it's only evident when they are switched on.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

XUV700 instrument cluster and touchscreen upclose.

Good. Good. Everything looks good as expected.


Until I saw the tachometer. The damn chinese reverse tacho!!!

Hope it is configurable, like every digital display should.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by car_monarch

I don't understand what's the value add in these handles than adding unreliability and a part which is more likely to fail! Innovation just for the sake of having one, to brag about and which solves no problem!

If it fails, it is going to cause not only inconvenience but embarrassment as well :(. Imagine a crowd waiting to see the smart handle popping out as the owner approaches but the owner can't even get in to the car . I would think 1000 times before putting such tech in to a product (especially with the positioning Mahindra has) and test it 1 million times.

[octane_100]

The dumb smart handles would only make my anxiety go through the roof. I am usually a little paranoid about things failing in my car especially when I am away from the city, but this feature would take it to a whole new level!

Just imagine an emergency or a hostile situation and the door handles just won't pop out!!

[karthick_b]

Originally Posted by octane_100

The dumb smart handles would only make my anxiety go through the roof. I am usually a little paranoid about things failing in my car especially when I am away from the city, but this feature would take it to a whole new level!

Just imagine an emergency or a hostile situation and the door handles just won't pop out!!

Many carmakers come with a safety mechanism like a manual release probably if the battery dies or the Motor gets jammed. I'm sure Mahindra could have thought over the possible case of failure.

[octane_100]

Originally Posted by karthick_b

Many carmakers come with a safety mechanism like a manual release probably if the battery dies or the Motor gets jammed. I'm sure Mahindra could have thought over the possible case of failure.

I am sure of that, you definitely won't be locked out. But the question is in an emergency situation would you have the time to do the work-around if the primary system fails? In any case, I'll wait till I see more details to comment further

[r0ckstar.1]

Originally Posted by octane_100

I am sure of that, you definitely won't be locked out. But the question is in an emergency situation would you have the time to do the work-around if the primary system fails? In any case, I'll wait till I see more details to comment further

Absolutely, wait till you hear more details. I wonder if the above concern be echoed if it were from a different manufacturer, such as a Hyundai or a Volkswagen? Is it because we don't trust our desi manufacturers to pay attention to details or the process of manufacturing (design/build/testing/prod)? I am sure the Mercs, BMWs and RangeRovers of the world have their share of niggles in their products. But they don't get such pushbacks..because of the branding. I think we should be more supportive to our Indian brands. It's all part of a product maturity. It's no different to new Software products getting into production. Every use-case can't be simulated in a lab environment.