The way our business works, we always need an SUV for the highway runs, and by highway runs, I mean around 1,200 kms in a couple or days or sometimes even in one day - and I would be the only one driving it.
My 2012 XUV500 FWD W8 was doing really fine. It had clocked more than 78,000 kms and never gave us any issues - in the city or on the highway - to my luck not even a tyre puncture! Rumours were doing the rounds about the new XUV launching soon. So I had kept my fingers crossed, hoping for a major facelift. My current XUV had clocked just about 80,000 kms by the time the facelift launch date was near. I decided to book the car only if there were major changes to it.
But first a little about my previous XUV 500 Year purchased: 2012
Model: W8 FWD
Kms clocked: 80,150 kms
States Visited: Gujrat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh.
Longest drive in one day: From Mount Abu, Rajasthan to my place in Mumbai - nearly 730 kms in a day, with normal stops for refreshments
Major issues faced: None
Minor issues faced: Many, like TPMS giving out errors on the infotainment system, door open alerts, bonnet open alerts, rattling noises from almost everywhere in the interior, etc.
Any modifications made: None
Warranty claims: They replaced the whole infotainment unit twice and replaced both the headlamps as well. Replacing the headlamps meant that the chrome over it was gone with the headlamps. They agreed and fitted a new pair of chrome strips on the new headlamps. Pretty impressed how smoothly Mahindra replaced such things under warranty with no questions asked. Complete opposite when it comes to VW and trying to claim warranty with them. Even when I had my Polo and recently when I was trying to claim warranty for the spare key which I received with my Jetta, the claim was completely denied. Reasons given were the key was found been rusted from the inside and hence it's not covered under warranty.
After sales service: Most of the time they were good. All the work was carried out on time and a proper description for every job done was given. All in all i would rate them 7/10, which is pretty good if I compare it to my service experience with VW. I would rate VW 4/10. But still, there is a lot of scope for improvement for Mahindra. Also it's kinda weird that they used to charge me sometimes for a car wash that is supposed to be "free of charge" every time you send the car to the service center and also that they wanted me to charge for the pick up and drop service. It was clearly told to me that both these services are provided free of cost. Another problem that I have is that the service advisors frequently keep changing. So you need to hope every time you send the car that a good service advisor would be appointed.
Final Verdict: A very happy customer. Munched 80,000 kms in a time span of 3.5 years (approx.), and I never had any major issue with the car. This was the biggest reason I was not at all worried about going for the facelifted version. I knew Mahindra would solve at least some of the issues with the current version and that was fine by me. I did not even bother looking at other alternatives, since no other SUV provides as many features and butch looks in the under 20 lac rupee category.
A few pics of my previous XUV500. I'll surely miss this cheetah a lot - lots of memories with this car.
Now It was the time for the New Age XUV500. I was eagerly waiting in front of my laptop for the live streaming to start. Dealers were not ready to disclose any information till all the details were officially out! And well, when they were, I was really impressed with the changes made to the front end - I felt the car look much better than the previous one. I loved the interior combination, though i am not really a fan of the beige colour. But it was really better than the previous colors used for the interiors. The 7-inch touchscreen seemed to be good and the sunroof was a plus. Once the details were out, I left for the NBS Showroom at Chowpatty to pay the booking amount.
Time to book the New Age XUV: The booking amount was only Rs. 25,000. I paid it and booked a W10 AWD. They had the white colour on display, which really didn't impress me much. Has to be because I had already owned a white XUV before. I decided to wait and see the other new colour (sunset orange) in person before deciding on the shade for my car. A couple of days later, I got a call from the dealer saying that a sunset orange XUV had just arrived and I could come and have a look. I saw the colour and liked it, but I knew that it would take some time to grow on others and also the colour has many different shades in different lighting conditions. But since I did not want the white and any of the old colours, I went ahead and confirmed the sunset orange.
On-road price: I had booked the W10 AWD and with registration in Mumbai, the price quoted to me was Rs. 19,40,000, which included insurance of Rs. 67,000 for the normal policy + Rs. 7,000 for the 0 Depreciation, which was in short "daylight robbery". I told them that I would get the insurance from outside and they could directly minus Rs. 67,000 from the price mentioned to which they denied, saying that I had to buy it through them only. They agreed the next day when I asked them to cancel my booking. If I were to go ahead with the purchase it would be only if I could get the insurance from outside. They agreed and I was able to get the 0 Depreciation insurance from Future Generali for Rs. 38,000 only.
Fancy number selection: It was the second time that I had gone to the MH 03 RTO - first time experience was for
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...pest-blue.html. Hardly took me 15 minutes and I was out with the receipt of the same number i.e. 7778 as my Jetta. Attaching a pic of the numbers which were available with their prices.
Notice how some numbers are priced - really not worth the price.
Delivery time: I was quoted 1.5 to 2 months at the time of booking, but eventually got the car in about 20-25 days only. Rest of the amount was paid and the delivery day was eagerly awaited. Odometer reading on the delivery date was 167 kms, which I found to be fishy! Upon asking about the same, I did not get a proper answer. I let this one go, since I did not want to spoil a good occasion for my mom and dad as well as me. Anyways, the car was looking and running fine. I mentioned about this during the Mahindra feedback call, but obviously, never got a call back.
The beast is ready to hit the road and partner up with the other beast which is already on the road stupid:
There she is.
Accessories installed:
1. Head-up display
2. Body side black strip
3. HD black and beige 7 piece mats
4. Rain visors
5. Body cover
6. Mahindra official car charger
7. Fender decal sticker
A small review of the head-up display: 
It has several features like,
1. Shows the speed of the vehicle (it's exactly what the speedometer shows)
2. Attention warning can be set (shows ATT in yellow color once you cross the set speed)
3. Speed limit warning can be set (shows warning in red color once you cross the set speed)
4. An option of "Data" which displays 4 numbers - I am yet to figure out what is it. (it's not RPM)
5. Brightness can be adjusted (from 1 to 7)
6. Fairly visible during the day
7. Looks really good from the evening towards the night
8. Volume for the attention and speed limit can be adjusted (1 to 3)
Usage pattern: Mostly on the highways, but sometimes in the city as well with my family. But it will be a mile-muncher just like my previous XUV. So, mainly on the highways from one state to another. Mostly my highway trips are at least 300 kms one side, which at times also goes up to 600-700 kms in a day.
Initial impression:
I have driven the car for around 1,500 kms till now and I can easily say that Mahindra has done a great job overall. Following are the things that I liked and didn't like about the car.
What I liked:
Front end looks much better
Suspension feels better now at low speeds
The same engine, which is even smoother now
Interior quality is improved in most places
7-inch infotainment system is amazing
Sunroof, keyless entry system
Blue lighting is much better than red
Rear view camera with guided lines
What I didn't:
No automatic
Would have loved headlamp washers and xenons
Engaging 1st gear is a pain, hope it goes away after the 5,000 kms checkup
Vibrations while accelerating on gear knob in 4th gear
Spare wheel isn't an alloy
After sales still scares me
Looks: The major change was at the front end and well, I really like it - much better than the previous versions. The side and rear profiles almost remain the same and I think it was a good idea that they did not the touch the design at the side and rear, since it was all okay! I like the chrome strip on the side profile. Alloys if not very good, aren't really bad as well. The chrome strip seems to be holding on well, especially in all the rain here in Mumbai. Also the new headlamps even during the day, without the light guides on, still manage to look pretty good. Also, have to mention the sunset orange color is attracting a lot of attention on the road (I hate getting attention though). Love the muscular new bonnet, but its a pain to judge the distance while going through narrow lanes or places. You need to be extra careful. The butch looks of the car makes sure that maniac auto drivers stay away most of the time and also the road presence is really good - unlike the Jetta which just blends in, more like an assassin if you know what I mean. Sure, I would have loved the light guides to be day-time running lights. It would have actually looked really good but well, maybe in the next update. Also would have liked it if the rear didn't have an AWD sticker. I would have liked AWD written just like how Mahindra and XUV500 are written.
Fender decal, a sticker on both the sides. Also notice the alloy design.
The 2 stickers that say a lot.
Engine in city & highway: 140 PS with 330 Nm of torque continues to shine in terms of performance, but this time with much more linear acceleration. Even though there isn't a much of a turbo push-back in the seat, the car speeds up really well. Also comparing it with my previous XUV, I found the engine to be much smoother now. It's really a better cruiser - 100 kph in 6th gear with hardly any engine noise filtering in the cabin is pretty good. The hydraulic bonnet lifter is a very good add-on as well. Previously the bonnet was really heavy to lift, especially during those sore biceps days after heavy workouts stupid:. Driving in the city is effortless. Turbo lag is really less - it never hampers driving in the city and there is always enough low end power to help in stop and go traffic. Driving on the highway is a breeze too, The mHawk engine can do 100 kph with the RPM just ticking around 1,900. Engine noise really, really low and at a point, it's hardly heard inside the cabin. A proper highway cruiser. Downshifting on the highways is really never needed. Even if your doing 80 - 100 kph in 6th gear, the car responds quickly and no downshift is required most of the time. A gem of an engine, with good amount of power, pretty refined by diesel standards and returns good fuel efficiency as well. Engine noise is on the higher side during early morning cold starts and it does seem a little rough for sometime. But it settles down as the engine starts warming up and eventually it's hardly audible at low RPMs with light music on.
AWD: I haven't really got a chance to try the AWD system at its limit. Surely in the near future, but for now it does provide a lot of traction, I gave it the pedal to metal treatment a couple of times from the stand still and I could not feel any traction loss and the ESP light too never blinked. AWD version by default sends 60% of he power to the front wheels and 40% to the rear, which can also be made 50-50% by pressing the AWD lock button. One day when I had really missed having an AWD version of the XUV was when I had visited this lovely place called Saputara which is located just at the Gujarat border. To reach the hill top there you need to climb a really steep road. Many of the hatchbacks owners had opted to park their car down and walk up, where I could see other XUVs and Fortuners easily going. Since my previous version of XUV was a FWD, when I tried to climb the steep road, I could feel the traction loss and the wheelspin. Also it was raining a lot that point of time and I had to actually take more effort than I expected to climb it. When i finally reached the hill top, I could see a few other XUVs and Fortuners there and all of them were AWD. Decided to remember this moment in my mind while buying the next car.
Handling & suspension: I can feel more confident around the corners in the New Age XUV compared to my previous car, body roll too has reduced a little bit, but it surely is still present. As Mahindra said, tweaks have been made to the suspension and it can be felt specially for those people who have driven the previous XUV extensively. While going over small potholes at low speeds now, the suspension seems to take it in a much better way as well. I am yet to check the high speed stability, if there has been an improvement there as well. Overall, there is surely an improvement if not huge leap. For now, I am pretty happy with the suspension and ride quality in the city, but I really hope it stays like this and I don't have to send the car to the service center every now and then.
Steering: Feedback is good. The steering itself is a little too meaty for my liking, but yes it does suit the character of the car. Buttons are of cheap quality and I don't really like using them. But anyways, have to use the buttons to operate the cruise control. It also has buttons for the audio source and telephone controls, which i don't really use. Also at some places of the horn pad has to be pressed a little more than at others. Horn on the other hand is really okay. I will upgrade it soon.
NVH levels: Better than my previous XUV. Also the engine noise is fairly reduced, keeping the RPM under 2,000 and cruising, the engine is hardly audible. The engine noise in the first and second gear has reduced. Previously, first gear used to seem really rough, it isn't that much of a case now. Overall, it is improved from the earlier XUV. Tyre noise and wind noise increases as the speed increases, I felt the wind noise was the same as the previous XUV. I was actually checking if all the windows were rolled up completely again and again to make sure everything was okay on the inside. Overall, if I compare it to Jetta, it still isn't up to the mark. But on its own, it's still good.
Start-stop system: It needs a special mention here now. The previous XUV while using the start stop function would really shudder a lot during the process, and my dad always wanted me to keep it off because of the vibrations and noise that was filtering in the cabin every time it was in action. To my surprise, in the New Age XUV, the system works in a more silent way, especially when the engine goes in standby. Also, it seems that the AC still throws out cool air when the engine is in standby mode. It wasn't the same in previous XUV. Xan someone else also confirm in their New Age XUV?
Interior quality & design: The waterfall design on the center console was always pretty good and the engine start-stop button is placed at a good position if not great. But if you see the dashboard design, there isn't any other practical position where the button could have been installed. Interior quality has improved at most of the places. The instrument cluster cover is now hard plastic, which really doesn't make any noise. I haven't notice any rattling noises from the cabin till now except from the 2nd row seat belts. I hope it stays like this. The blue lighting looks uber cool and much better than the previous red colour. Hate the colour of the selected buttons though. Hardly visible during the day as well. Also, the blue lighting makes the interior really beautiful towards the evening. Passengers in the second row get a really great view in all of the blue lighting, the dashboard and also the sunroof.
Fuel warning on the instrument cluster is a new.
Also notice how the sunroof helps in filling the cabin with more sunlight.
Removed the middle headrest for a better rear view.
Safety: The safety department remains the same. Except the new ESP 9 everything else remains the same and for the good! 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, etc. always makes you feel sale and in command every time, especially on the highways. Since I have already traveled a lot in my previous XUV I can easily comment, this car will respond the way you want it to, thanks to the safety features it has on offer. The ESP especially is a life saver and should be made mandatory just like ABS. I have myself faced situations where I was travelling at about 90-100 kph and I had to brake hard and change the direction of the vehicle as well. I must say that the ABS and ESP came out to be just so very helpful for me to avoid a sure shot collision with an idiot who had left his broken down car in the first lane without any lights on, that too during the night. All of this happened while I was in total control of the car. For a second, I saw the ESP light flickering and the ABS in action could be easily felt. Only thing which was scary was the way the tyres were making noise, which actually scared the passenger and a few other people nearby more than the whole braking and avoiding the car incident.
Braking: I love the way the new brakes feel. Very less travel of the pedal is required for the brakes to start coming into effect. While driving it for the first few kms, I was almost thrown out of the window :uncontrol since I had pressed the pedal really hard (I expected it would work the same way as my previous XUV). But now all it takes is a slight jab! Comparing it to the Jetta, I have to say the way the brakes work in the Jetta is just amazing. Still, I am glad Mahindra has worked on the braking issue of the XUV as well and has actually managed to do a good job.
Space & comfort: There's acres of space in the first and second row. Since we are a small family, we never use the third row of seats and it's always kept folded down and that space is used for luggage during long trips. The beige colour too has really improved the way the cabin looks - much more premium and upmarket. The space in the second row is just amazing, a flat surface too helps a third occupant feel welcome. Front row too is spacious. Never does it feel congested in the car, even if there are 5 adults sitting. I have not really used the 3rd row but looking at the space, it would just be okay for the small kids.
Tyres & alloys: The same Bridgestone Duelers - I would rate the dry grip to be a good 8/10, but in the wet, the grip level goes down a notch for sure. Tyre noise is a little on the higher side, but when you brake hard, be ready for people around to stop and look towards the car! It makes a lot of squealing noise. The same tyres came in my previous XUV as well. I had changed them when I had clocked 50,000 kms, even though they could easily go on for another 5,000 I think. But I decided to change them in advance, since I believe in keeping the tyres in really good condition if the car travels on the highway a lot, especially during the hot summer. Alloys look good, but I liked the previous alloys of the W8 model more. They were more meaty looking and used to suit the car well.
AC: Still a bone chiller, just like the previous XUV, also it seems that the fan noise even at higher speeds is a little less. Cools the cabin in no time. The throw from the second row blowers is just about okay. I used the rear AC as well to cool the complete car sufficiently and then i switch it off. Throw from the first row is more than enough. Also, I have noticed the air vents in the front row gets wet just around it, I'll post a picture of it the next time I notice it. I did not observe anything like this in my previous XUV. Flow of air in the third row is better than that in the second row actually. Also keeping the cooler below the armrest shut makes the airflow in the second row a little better, I tried doing this with a passenger sitting in the second row and he agreed the flow increased a little bit as soon as I shut the cooler below the arm rest. Others can confirm as well, if they can also notice some difference.
Fuel average: I have been getting around 9-10 in the city for now. Hoping it will improve after the 5,000 kms servicing. But, also being an AWD, I am not expecting the same figures that I had received from my previous FWD version. Also it seems that the average fuel efficiency that can be shown on the infotainment system is set maxed at 16 kpl. Previously it used to go up to 18 kmpl. Obviously such figures can't be trusted, but just curious to know. Other New Age XUV500 owners, please report if you can see the infotainment system showing any figures upwards of 16 kmpl. In my previous FWD XUV, I was getting about 14-15 kmpl in tankful method while driving on the highway at speeds around 100-120 kph, which was pretty decent, since I never turn off the AC at any point of time. If I can get at least get 14 from my current AWD on the highway, I would be more than happy and I think I will be able to achieve that much.
Sunroof: Works like a charm and really smoothly. Honestly, I wasn't expecting it to operate very smoothly, but well, it does and looking at the quality of the sunroof, it really looks durable. Also, it has been raining a lot here in Mumbai and I am happy to report even after a week of heavy rains that no water leakage of any kind was noticed from the sunroof! Phew! Also, it does help a lot to make the cabin feel a lot more alive. It's worth having a sunroof during the monsoon, but I highly doubt I'll be using it during the summer. Also, as soon as the sunroof closes, the outside noise is instantly cut which makes you feel that it is of good quality.
Gearshifts: Still notchy. I am having a tough time engaging the 1st gear from a complete halt. I have to either slot the car in 2nd and then in 1st or pick up the car directly from the second gear. All the other gears are just okay. Also, I am facing an issue - accelerating the car in the 4th gear makes the gear knob vibrate a lot, which is really weird. It happens only in the 4th and 6th gears. It doesn't vibrate in any other gear. Planning to get it checked out during the first servicing. After driving the Jetta with its manual stick, I actually hate the gearshifts of XUV, but I can't really say because both are really different cars. Gearshifts in the Jetta are just amazing, which might also be the reason why I hate the gearshifts in the XUV. Anyone who hasn't driven a Jetta MT might actually find the gearshifts in the XUV to be OK, if not very good.
Driving position: The New Age XUV500 comes with a 6-way electric driver's seat, and I am glad it's a 6-way unlike my Jetta's 12-way. Jetta's 12-way takes a lot of time to find the correct position to drive and it's always a pain to set it every time someone else drives it, since no memory function is given. On the other hand the XUV's 6-way is really basic and is actually good. One can always find the desired position quickly without any fuse. Also, the driving view from the XUV is really commanding and gives you a better view of the road ahead. This is where the Jetta takes a hit, since it's a low slung sedan. It doesn't really shine in this area. Driving on the highway in an XUV helps in keeping a good view of the road ahead and adjusting the speed or lane changes accordingly as well.
7-inch touchscreen & speakers: The user interface is really good, touch response is awesome, calling screen looks really premium and the navigation is really spot on and works as it should, without any delays of any kind. Also, after you set a destination, the navigation will always display the nearest fuel pumps with the number of kms the fuel pump is away. Another cool thing is the navigation actually guides you to be in which lane, so that you can change the lane in advance, depending on whether you need to take a right or a left later on. I am currently using a 16 GB super small USB which works well and doesn't look out of place as well. Bluetooth streaming works like a charm too. Pressing the music button on the center console switches the source of music as well - comes in real handy at times to switch listening to music from the USB to my cell phone or vice versa. Speakers are a little different as well the clarity is better this time around, but the bass is really weak. Haven't tried watching videos yet. A yellow icon on the top right side will always be displayed if the driver is not wearing the seat belt.
Using the smallest USB possible, USB slot doesn't look out of place now.
No function takes away the full screen now.
Looks really cool, especially when the surrounding is not well lit.
A pic of the HD mats, Set of 7.
Headlamps: New headlights look really good. The light guides are really attractive even in the night when the low beam is active. But the throw from the low beam is strictly average, just like before. But yes, the fog light has improved and it does make a difference on the road. The high beam is really powerful, just like before. Even during the day, it helps in getting noticed by unaware drivers around. I am planning to get the low beam upgraded sometime soon, since I really did not find it adequate for the highway runs in the night. As for the high beam and fog lamps, they are pretty good and useful.
Issues/niggles faced:
1. Lounge lighting flashes randomly
2. Vibrations on gear knob while acceleration in 4th gear
No more issues or niggles faced till now.
Here is a small comparison of both my cars - New Age XUV and VW Jetta Highline TDI MT showing which one is better in which areas. Please note: It is completely my view of both the cars after driving them back to back several times, and I have tried to keep it really simple for everyone to get an hint of what both the cars have to offer. Some of the points are debatable, but I have taken an overall view of the points mentioned and selected the suitable car which provides it in a better way!
1. Comfort =
XUV500 - While being in the car or getting in and out of the car. In the XUV500, it's more comfortable being inside as well as getting in and out from the car. Don't get me wrong, the Jetta is really spacious too, but the XUV500 being an SUV, the Jetta doesn't really stand a chance.
2. Drivingpleasure =
Jetta - Has to be the Jetta hands down. The way she handles around the corners, the crisp acceleration, lovely manual gearbox - everything that makes me, the driver, smile. Jetta is a driver's delight. You can keep revving it all day long, especially on the highway, where the roads for most of the part are well maintained. Downshifting is super fun.
3. Seating capacity in comfort =
XUV500 (5 adults comfortably + kids as well) - Jetta has a floor hump at the back, which actually makes the 5th occupant feel unwelcome. On the other hand, the XUV500 with its flat floor and acres of space in the second row makes 3 adults sit comfortably in the second row as well. Plus the 3rd row is okay for small kids too.
4. After sales service =
Mahindra (XUV 500) - For me VW service centers have been a real pain to handle during the time when I had a Polo and even during the 1st year servicing of my Jetta, where it took them in total 8 days for the 1st year servicing to be done. On the other hand, Mahindra has been really okay if not good, but yes, better than VW. Lot of scope for VW to improve in this area and Mahindra too have lot of work to do. I hope this time around the after sales has improved just like their vehicle.
5. Features =
XUV 500 - Now both the cars have features which the other one doesn't. For instance, Jetta gets DRLs, bi-xenons and headlamp washers, which the XUV doesn't. On the other hand, the XUV500 gets a start-stop system, ESP Off switch, better infotainment system, sunroof, etc. The feature list of the XUV500 is longer, though I really like the bi-xenons and headlamp washers (which come really handy during the monsoon highway trips) in the Jetta.
6. Price =
XUV 500 - XUV 500 is cheaper. The New Age XUV500 AWD W10 cost me nearly Rs. 19 Lac on-road. On the other hand, the Jetta cost me nearly Rs. 21 Lac. So basically, I got a sedan with less features, less space, more expensive maintenance and also paid nearly Rs. 3 Lacs more for it. Well, I would guess those Rs. 3 Lacs goes in the driving experience that the Jetta offers.
7. Built to last =
Jetta - German build quality, nothing can come close. From the way the doors close to the interior quality, everything is built to last. While the XUV isn't anywhere near the German quality, in my previous XUV the interior of the car did still hold on better than I expected it too. Of course, i had to ignore the usual rattles from the cabin. I have not faced any new rattles in the New Age XUV. Hope it remains the same.
8. Cheaper to maintain =
XUV500 - After looking at a few friends' bills of their VW and Skoda cars, I can easily say that I had spent a lot less in driving and maintaining my previous XUV for 80,000 kms! XUV500 is hands down cheaper to maintain. Also, I see Mahindra has kept a huge chart of their commonly used spare parts for their car with their prices. Transparency in prices is good to see and the customer sure does feel confident. I did not see any such thing at any VW service centers.
9. Spares availability =
XUV500 - I had to wait for 2 weeks for a broken fuel cap to be replaced under warranty for my VW Polo. Many more such incidents have happened with people I know who had their either Jetta or Passat at the service center for more than a month due to non-availability of spare parts. On the other hand, most of the spares were always available with Mahindra and if not, they would just ask for 2 days for them to arrive. VW directly starts their waiting time for parts to arrive from 8-10 days, which anyways goes on to be much more most of the time.
10. Modification scope =
Jetta - Well, I have got the Highline version, which comes with most features. But if you plan to buy a lower variant, you can always keep adding features which will keep your interest in the car for a long time. For me, I have still planned for a head unit upgrade (Dynavin, RNS 510), self parking 2.0, performance mods, body kits, etc. favours the Jetta hands down. On the other hand, no such major things on the XUV500 apart from the usual accessories available from the dealer and aftermarket shops. Also the modification scope helps you to keep the car for a longer period of time without getting bored of it. Just like how I am planning to use the car in stock condition till I am bored of the power and the gizmos. Once i am bored of the Jetta, I can always add such major features, which would make me retain the car for a bit more longer and enjoy it to the fullest.
11. Exclusivity on road =
Jetta - The earlier XUV500 became really common on the road and in no time even the New age XUV500 will be. On the other hand, it's been almost 10 months with the Jetta and still I can see people pointing out towards the car and giving it a second look. Now the New Age XUV500 is better looking and attractive in the sunset orange colour, so the attraction is there, but it won't last much once it gets common. Thanks to the sale figures of Jetta, I am sure it won't be common anytime ever. If you are planning to get any of these cars and if you need some exclusivity too, you need to tick the box in front of the Jetta in this department.
12. Better engine, suspension & transmission =
Jetta - Has to be the Jetta hands down, XUV500 and Jetta both have the same number of horses - that's 140, with torque figures too being almost similar with the difference of only +10 for the XUV500. But, the XUV500 is an SUV and the Jetta is a sedan, and the way the Jetta makes use of that power and torque is amazing. With the slick 6-speed gearshift, really good suspension, driving the Jetta is way way more fun. I can hardly wait to see how the Jetta would feel while it's churning out around 170 horses and 380 Nm of torque under the hood. Even the stock figures makes you smile every time you drive it, though I am just waiting to get bored somehow of the current power, so that I can go ahead and remap or add a tuning box to the car. I'll do it probably after I complete the 2nd year servicing and also when I get better shoes for the car.
As you can see, being a desi brand, XUV500 as many advantages. But for me, every time I am driving alone or plus one, I always prefer the Jetta because of the smile that's pasted on my face while driving it. XUV500 doesn't even come close to what the Jetta offers in terms of driving pleasure.
But, every time I go out with my family, It has to be the XUV500, specially now, when my niece wants to go out in the car which has a sunroof. It's a complete family car.
So anyone looking to buy any of these machines, needs to first narrow it down based on their needs. Both the cars are really good in their segments. If anyone wants me to compare both the cars in any other way, please feel free to post here and i will gladly try and help out in the best way possible. But, please make sure you have your criteria set, since that would play a vital role in selecting a car.
Any questions/suggestions are always welcome.
Congratulations on your new acquisition. One of my favorite SUV's. What an amazing review & the comparison with Jetta.
Also regarding the 1st gear issue, I am shocked Mahindra has still not fixed the issue as yet. The heads-up display is awesome. I was shocked that you rated the service of Mahindra better then that of VW:eek:. I was't expecting that.
You have done a great job in capturing the essense of the car in your detailed write-up:thumbs up.
One of the best user reviews ive read on this forum. Would love to know more of the awd useage on the xuv.
VW service does have a bad reputation. How difficult is it to deal with Mahindra service. This is the one thing that keeps me away from looking towards a Mahindra.
I too am looking for an AWD. And have heard that an AT xuv is on the cards.
5 stars to this review.
Loved the way you compared Jetta and XUV500. Build quality and dynamics is why one would buy a german car. XUV on other hand, ticks all the right boxes. Amazing machines both of them.
Top Class Review :thumbs up
Congratulations for the new ride.
This is probably the first ownership of 2015 XUV.
Definitely the new XUV looks better than the older one and few irritants are also removed. Most irritating was the reflection of faux wood on the windscreen.
Comparison from a person who has enjoyed both the versions is what I was looking for and found it here. Excellent review and very well written. Helped me immensely. Waiting for Diwali time to proceed with the booking.
One question. What shoes is the new version wearing ?
Congratulations on the purchase and thanks for a super detailed thread! Overall fit and finish quality on the new XUV is great and the blue ambient lighting is definitely more positive than the old red one. There's still a lot of room for improvement, but the new age XUV shows that customer inputs aren't falling on deaf ears.
Having driven the new XUV extensively, I was blown away by the features on offer, not to mention the great driveability. Quite shocked to see that the entire infotainment system had to be replaced on your old steed. Hopefully that won't happen again. Overall, this SUV is a brilliant package, but after-sales and quality control will definitely have to feature on Mahindra's priority list, given how the competitor list is now a lot more robust than it was when the model was introduced.
Nice review mate. And the Jetta vs XUV comparo was bonus. Really liked it - though it is a bizarre comparison, still makes an interesting read. Wish you endless happy miles of driving!
