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Old 15th November 2014, 16:31   #6796
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by sridharp77 View Post
Guys one question is there any change in the suspension setup in W8 FWD and W8 AWD in XUV.

One more query has anyone been able to increase the thigh support for the second row seat in XUV. This was the first thing that my wife told after we did a test drive of the XUV. She said it was way less than our existing support in Punto. I have booked W8 AWD and expect the delivery in another week or so .
Yes there is a change in suspension setup in AWD. I saw this on the diagrams posted up at the service center for both AWD and FWD only vehicles.

I don't have a picture, I will try to get one if I visit the service center again.
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Old 15th November 2014, 23:14   #6797
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

^^ Is the AWD suspension more stiff, compared to its FWD variant?

Also is there any difference in pickup/torque, between XUV FWD & AWD(while in AUTO/default mode).

Last edited by Twiny : 15th November 2014 at 23:25.
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Old 17th November 2014, 18:42   #6798
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

Hi All,
Took Delivery of my Cheetah last week, 10th Nov, Monday to be exact; sorry for not updating, was very busy. Will update some pictures soon.

Anyways, I took leave on Monday and delivery was pretty smooth. Showroom experience was okay-ish, nothing great. Had to wait till late evening to receive the temporary registration certificate (That was my mistake and I was informed before it will be around 6' O clock for the TP to be ready but I wanted to get the delivery on that day itself). It has already clocked around 80 kms with ~9.5 efficiency during PDI/delivery.

Got the vehicle back home and took the next train to Bangalore. This weekend again went back home. I did around 170 kms in total. Now ODO shows around 250kms with ~10.5 mileage.

Quick observations:

Like
1) Coming from the old Zen, the size really needs some getting used to. Then again I am being over conscious as it is still new.
2) The seating position is awesome and gives you a commanding view of the road; while coming back yesterday was driving Zen again and felt like I was sitting on the road level. I always loved to drive Zen, but I guess it will be difficult for me going forward.
3) High speed stability is confident inspiring and it glides over many of the potholes that I am used to near my place. In many cases, no need to slow down at all.
4) Breaking, steering etc. is again great. Steering is very light during slow speeds and weighs up nicely during high speeds.
5) Cruise control is nice, though couldn’t use it continuously at a stretch on the SH/NH stretches that I drove; it really gives you gaps to relax the muscles.
6) Follow me home/Lead me to vehicle, and puddle lamps are really great (When you unlock the vehicle in dark surroundings, the lights turn on). The static bending head lamps are another nice touch in the curvy village roads in my area.
7) The mirrors and the sensors seemed to be good enough, at least for the time being, to get the job done. Reverse camera can wait. Side steps, on the other hand, might get priority.
8) The road manners of everyone seemed to be suddenly better. I guess, no one wants to mess with a guy in the SUV, even when he is wrong .
9) You also get the ‘respect’ from everyone especially from the masculine side; most of them get a second look at the beast.

Don’t like
1) This is said many times before; quality is not something you would want to write home about. Flimsy plastic that flexes on touch, though it might last the normal wear and tear.
2) Slotting into the second gear seems to be difficult, mostly due to the lever/seat position. I am used to the lever close to my hand in Zen, but in XUV it is further away to the left from the seat and since I moved the seat to the front, I have to move my hand more to the side than I am comfortable with.
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Old 17th November 2014, 23:18   #6799
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by vjjustin View Post
Hi All,
Took Delivery of my Cheetah last week, 10th Nov, Monday to be exact; sorry for not updating, was very busy. Will update some pictures soon.
Glad to know that your beast is home... You will surely get used to the change from Zen to XUV. All the very best. Enjoy your drive, and drive safe !!

-Vivek
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Old 17th November 2014, 23:24   #6800
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vjjustin View Post
Hi All,
Took Delivery of my Cheetah last week, 10th Nov, Monday
2) Slotting into the second gear seems to be difficult, mostly due to the lever/seat position. I am used to the lever close to my hand in Zen, but in XUV it is further away to the left from the seat and since I moved the seat to the front, I have to move my hand more to the side than I am comfortable with.
Congrats for your new beast.

Even i faced this 2nd gear slotting problem which got rectified when i reported this issue to service center.
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Old 18th November 2014, 08:27   #6801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vjjustin View Post
2) Slotting into the second gear seems to be difficult, mostly due to the lever/seat position. I am used to the lever close to my hand in Zen, but in XUV it is further away to the left from the seat and since I moved the seat to the front, I have to move my hand more to the side than I am comfortable with.
This is a reason I am not comfortable with driving it. Will again take a test drive. Have also taken a test drive of Duster, its way better than XUV to drive. Now have to decide on final choice.
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Old 18th November 2014, 13:16   #6802
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by BoneCollector View Post
This is a reason I am not comfortable with driving it. Will again take a test drive. Have also taken a test drive of Duster, its way better than XUV to drive. Now have to decide on final choice.
I too faced a difficulty while taking a test drive of the XUV. The problem seems to be from a combination of our seating position and the hand-rest rather than the positioning of the gear lever itself - just my thought. I felt that the hand-rest was interfering with the way I place my left hand - particularly for the shifts to second and third gears. But, have to say that I could find a relatively comfortable position after driving it for around 10-15 minutes.

Looking at the duster, I feel the ride quality is better compared to XUV. But, at an OTR price of around 13 lakhs, it is missing some basic features that I would have liked to have in my next upgrade.

-Vivek
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Old 18th November 2014, 14:14   #6803
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by vivekkr_99 View Post
...All the very best. Enjoy your drive, and drive safe !!

-Vivek
Thanks Vivek. I am very tempted to drive at ridiculous speeds (as per my definition, 80+ is too fast) and for the first time touched triple digits in the ODO. So, I will seriously take the ‘drive safe’ part.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PMK-MoJo View Post
Congrats for your new beast.

Even i faced this 2nd gear slotting problem which got rectified when i reported this issue to service center.
Thanks, PMK-MoJo. Will report this to the service center, let’s see if they come up with something.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BoneCollector View Post
This is a reason I am not comfortable with driving it. Will again take a test drive. Have also taken a test drive of Duster, its way better than XUV to drive. Now have to decide on final choice.
I am not sure about how the Duster drives; but apart from the gear slotting, everything seems great in XUV. As already said, high speed stability, great steering and breaks and the high seating position (compared to Duster in particular), powerful engine etc. makes it great to drive around, especially if you do long drives. I really enjoy driving XUV, no doubt. Not to mention the gap in the feature list.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vivekkr_99 View Post
The problem seems to be from a combination of our seating position and the hand-rest rather than the positioning of the gear lever itself - just my thought. I felt that the hand-rest was interfering with the way I place my left hand - particularly for the shifts to second and third gears.

-Vivek
Now when I think about it, that is also a plausible reason, the hand rest could also have a role in this; I guess.

Another issue I faced is the ranges of 2nd and 3rd shifts are too less. We need to downshift too often, or else the engine comes to halt. Add the delay once in a while in slotting into 2nd gear; I had my car halted couple of times in the middle of highways. Though some of it is my mistake; as it is run in period, to maintain the rpm limits, I am going easy on the pedal and not pushing the accelerator hard enough.
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Old 18th November 2014, 20:01   #6804
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by vjjustin View Post
Thanks Vivek. I am very tempted to drive at ridiculous speeds (as per my definition, 80+ is too fast) and for the first time touched triple digits in the ODO. So, I will seriously take the ‘drive safe’ part.
Being from Trivandrum, I know the pathetic state of our roads and even pathetic road sense shown by our fellow drivers. Nothing wrong being even a bit over-cautious until you are dead sure of the vehicle's capabilities, braking distance, turning radius, corners etc. It is more about getting a feel of the car - I went through the same phase when I graduated from my zen to Verna.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vjjustin View Post
Now when I think about it, that is also a plausible reason, the hand rest could also have a role in this; I guess.

Another issue I faced is the ranges of 2nd and 3rd shifts are too less. We need to downshift too often, or else the engine comes to halt. Add the delay once in a while in slotting into 2nd gear; I had my car halted couple of times in the middle of highways. Though some of it is my mistake; as it is run in period, to maintain the rpm limits, I am going easy on the pedal and not pushing the accelerator hard enough.
Yes, stalling the car in 2nd gear was one thing the sales guy warned me when I took the test drive. As you said correctly, we need to downshift to 1st, when coming to a deadstop. But, in the third gear, I think it can pull effortlessly from even low speeds - from ~20 kmph
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Old 19th November 2014, 08:44   #6805
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yes the clutch pedal sank and also talked with the dealer but he insisted that due to slippage the Clutch and pressure plates have got overheated and that they stand no guarantee if something happens
Skler yesterday my XUV in the middle of my drive to home also did the similar the clutch pedal sank and refused to come up. Did you manage to speak to the CC and get it resolved? I'm going to take the car to the ASS any advice ? Mr W8 has done 63000 and is 3 yrs old
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Old 19th November 2014, 10:48   #6806
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by AGwagon View Post
Skler yesterday my XUV in the middle of my drive to home also did the similar the clutch pedal sank and refused to come up. Did you manage to speak to the CC and get it resolved? I'm going to take the car to the ASS any advice ? Mr W8 has done 63000 and is 3 yrs old
So according to me there must be a leakage in the Slave cylinder and that's the reason there is no pressure and the Clutch pedal has sunk in completely. I have not driven the car (can't drive it anyway). The car needs to be towed to the ASS on a Flatbed, however, M&M is asking me to bear the towing charges.

The ASS GM Mr. KK Chauhan at Sri Durga Automobiles, confirms that the job is covered under warranty, however, they tell me since the vehicle is old, I need to bear the towing cost. I want to ask the fellow BHPians, if there is indeed a mechanical failure which is covered in the Extended Warranty, why is the customer being asked to pay any incidental expenses associated with that problem. My car may have been in any part of the country where it could have been miles from a ASS, would I then been asked to pay for the tow then also. I have put in a complaint and M&M CC, anywhere/anything else should I be doing?

Also first Skler's car and then mine, is there a pattern here? Thanks for the help in advance.
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Old 19th November 2014, 12:44   #6807
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AGwagon View Post
The car needs to be towed to the ASS on a Flatbed, however, M&M is asking me to bear the towing charges.

The ASS GM Mr. KK Chauhan at Sri Durga Automobiles, confirms that the job is covered under warranty, however, they tell me since the vehicle is old, I need to bear the towing cost. I want to ask the fellow BHPians, if there is indeed a mechanical failure which is covered in the Extended Warranty, why is the customer being asked to pay any incidental expenses associated with that problem. My car may have been in any part of the country where it could have been miles from a ASS, would I then been asked to pay for the tow then also. I have put in a complaint and M&M CC, anywhere/anything else should I be doing?
Towing comes under Road Side Assistance and not under warranty. Standard road side assistance is for 2 years along with the car after which it has to be renewed. I doubt if Mahindra will listen to this request and if they do, it will deserve an applause for sure.

I have heard few cases where the clutch pedal sank in and they didn't cover it under warranty, blaming the driving style of the driver, good they didn't argue on warranty issues atleast.

Last edited by rahul_kej : 19th November 2014 at 12:52.
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Old 19th November 2014, 18:12   #6808
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by AGwagon View Post
So according to me there must be a leakage in the Slave cylinder and that's the reason there is no pressure and the Clutch pedal has sunk in completely. I have not driven the car (can't drive it anyway). The car needs to be towed to the ASS on a Flatbed, however, M&M is asking me to bear the towing charges.

The ASS GM Mr. KK Chauhan at Sri Durga Automobiles, confirms that the job is covered under warranty, however, they tell me since the vehicle is old, I need to bear the towing cost. I want to ask the fellow BHPians, if there is indeed a mechanical failure which is covered in the Extended Warranty, why is the customer being asked to pay any incidental expenses associated with that problem. My car may have been in any part of the country where it could have been miles from a ASS, would I then been asked to pay for the tow then also. I have put in a complaint and M&M CC, anywhere/anything else should I be doing?

Also first Skler's car and then mine, is there a pattern here? Thanks for the help in advance.
I agree with Rahul here. Towing is included in Road side assistance plan for which they charge around 4/5K for an year, thats why i didn't took it from M&M cause its way too much.

Also as rahul said, you are lucky that they admit this clutch fault and going to do it under warranty. There have been cases where they refused to cover it.
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Old 19th November 2014, 20:34   #6809
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Hi! All, Mahindra is just the face of RSA. Actual service are being provided by Allianz global Assistance. The same company who is also one the promoters of Bajaj Allianz group. AGA is the same group which provides RSA to Merc, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet and Hyundai. Nobody can do the job better then them. Having said that there will be service issues but bare minimum. I recommend them even for B2C support. Till the time the vehicle is covered under RSA by Mahindra or XYZ manufacturer the service provider cannot deny support. For XUV the maximum years of RSA coverage underwritten is 5 years since date of purchase. So all XUV owners having vehicle older then 2 years should either buy RSA separately or opt for Insurance policy from a co. Which is providing free of cost RSA along with Insurance policy. Eg., Bajaj Allianz

Last edited by carzealot : 19th November 2014 at 20:43.
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Old 20th November 2014, 23:06   #6810
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Did PDI of my Purple AWD today. Delivery of the vehicle expected after registration on Saturday. Can't wait to get my hands on my cheetah. ...

Last edited by sridharp77 : 20th November 2014 at 23:11.
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