[throttleAddict]

I recently came across something that would make any car enthusiast's nightmare. I received a photo in a WhatsApp group, showing what looked like an XUV 700’s HUD (Head-Up Display) cluttered with advertisements. At first, I thought it was some sort of glitch. But if this is real, imagine the horror—driving peacefully, only to have ads pop up right in your line of sight!

[shifu]

That is not a HUD. That's the infotainment screen.

While ads on the infotainment screen are BAD, ads on HUD will be suicidal.

@Mods: please correct the title of the thread.

[ashis89]

If I have bought a car, it is mine. That includes the screens, HUDs, speakers and what not. No one has any right to advertise anything on those screens unless I permit them.

Imagine buying a flat and the builder has installed TV screens inside the flat with advertisements flashing across it. Won't be a pleasant sight for the buyer

[bijims]

This has been in talk since the release of the car, but I guess they started using it now only or it hasn't popped up on the Internet community much.

https://www.rushlane.com/mahindra-xu...-12418904.html

Moreover Stellantis has also been under fire for doing the same abroad.

[vedantpatkar17]

Recently, Jeep introduced pop-up ads that appear every time you stop your car, and they received backlash for it. I guess Mahindra did the same thing. I genuinely hope no other brand will follows this trend.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ashis89

If I have bought a car, it is mine. That includes the screens, HUDs, speakers and what not. No one has any right to advertise anything on those screens unless I permit them.

Imagine buying a flat and the builder has installed TV screens inside the flat with advertisements flashing across it. Won't be a pleasant sight for the buyer

Amazon tried this as an experiment almost a decade ago introducing specific models of Android phones that had Amazon ads built in the OS (e.g. lock-screen, etc.) that could not be removed. The phones were heavily discounted and only sold on Amazon(.com).

Under this scheme, I had purchased a MotoG phone that was offered at a very discounted price for $149 (iirc); and had it for ~6 months. The ads experience wasn't that bad; and eventually I traded the mobile for another while it was still in warranty. The overall experiment did not succeed obviously.

[shimoo]

If Mahindra wants to sell our attention to the highest bidder, they better start paying us a monthly subscription. I wonder if the money they got paid for showing this ad is worth the backlash and damage to their reputation.

[carjack3090]

Can I say that I don't actually mind this?

Car makers run on extremely low margin on their cars, especially in a country like ours where cars like 700 are taxed at 48 percent. So advertising revenue can generate them some extra cash flow that can help them be more competitive in an otherwise cut throat industry.

Let's say it can cover budget, thus not cutting cost on leather seats

[Noctis]

Originally Posted by carjack3090

So advertising revenue can generate them some extra cash flow that can help them be more competitive in an otherwise cut throat industry.

This is a car that goes upto 30+ on the road!

I can understand such a strategy for something like a <5l budget offering, but for a brand that is trying to present itself as a premium product this is extremely damaging and not worth any additional revenue it brings.

[Roy.S]

Originally Posted by carjack3090

Can I say that I don't actually mind this?....

Interesting take! Can't say I agree with you but I like the contrarian perspective.

Originally Posted by Noctis

This is a car that goes upto 30+ on the road!

I can understand such a strategy for something like a <5l .....

At 5l the car you get is still being sold at a profit. Ads make sense in absolutely no scenario. The so called Internet of things was hyped up precisely for this reason. To monetize the screens that manufacturers love to put on all devices.

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by throttleAddict

what looked like an XUV 700’s HUD (Head-Up Display) cluttered with advertisements.

With the ability of the car to connect to the internet, I would say this was something bound to happen, if not today, then perhaps tomorrow.

With manufacturers planning to offer subscription based access to certain features, we might have a premium subscription offering no ads. You would continue to receive ads during your free or low cost subscription period.

[Miyata]

Originally Posted by shifu

ads on HUD will be suicidal.

Not fully suicidal, but largely culpable homicidal!

All devices and gadgets are turning smartphone-ish - TVs are already that; Many refrigerators and washing machines are heading there; With touch panels in the cars, the automotives have gone there too.

All devices getting dependent on their respective OS ecosystems are likely to also develop (planned) obsolescence just like most smartphones!

[Vinod_nair]

My 2 car's have basic audio system, non of the touch screen fancy stuff.

I use the mute button to the max, in both, except for Vividh Bharati

[beemer5499]

Originally Posted by carjack3090

Car makers run on extremely low margin on their cars, especially in a country like ours where cars like 700 are taxed at 48 percent. So advertising revenue can generate them some extra cash flow that can help them be more competitive in an otherwise cut throat industry.

Let's say it can cover budget, thus not cutting cost on leather seats

There was a recent thread regarding Mahindra overtaking Hyundai in terms of number of cars sold to become the 2nd largest car manufacturer in India(in terms of sales numbers)

What you might have missed there is that Mahindra has been holding 2nd place in terms of profit since the last 18 months already. And profit is a better metric to compare car manufacturers.

Also, remember Mahindra can never sell as many cars as Maruti but they can earn more since all they sell are SUVs priced from 10-35L with the average price being 15-20L. They ain’t a citroen, jeep or nissan that they need ads or subscription features in order to stay competitive.

[padmrajravi]

I hope that was a bug and not intentional from Mahindra. If it is indeed a feature, that eliminates Mahindra from my list for any future purchases. I will do my bit to penalize this behaviour.