[mihir_m13]

Originally Posted by Nepster88

Team,

How is the AC of Mahindra XUV 3.0 1.2 Turbo Petrol(the normal variant) ?

I am quoted 13 lakh for 2022 manufactured W8(O) 1.2 Petrol on road, and may get little more discount.

• Will the AC effective for temperatures as far as 45'-46' C ? This is a must, considering the scorching summer.
• If I replace only speakers, will it void warranty ? I hated the audio quality, sounds crackle on high volume, and not at all clear on low volume. Great Speakers is a must, I'm okay without amplifier or subwoofer, cannot sacrifice the remaining bootspace.
• Any way to increase FE ? If I cruise at 95-100, will it give me any better FE on highways?

Things I liked:

• Rugged looks, cabin space, light color interiors, I know Dashboards's a miss, but that's okay for me
• Drivability, power and pickup,
• Solid build, even though fit and finish is okay, not great, but overall it feels super solid fortress!

Against this, I'm considering Breeza, Or I can increase the budget to 15 and buy Skoda Kushaq.

The A/c is okay - really. For it to be effective in peak summers - you'll have to run it on full blower. Earlier I had swift petrol with 4 blower levels and on level 2 it was good enough. But with XUV the cabin being huge low blower speeds just won't be enough.

To make the a/c more effective - you could consider getting a thick plastic curtain behind the front 2 seats when only the front seats are occupied. I've not done it but i've seen this being done in my cousin's tata sumo and it was quite effective.

Considering everything in totality - i'd say XUV is more VFM than Skoda.

[deepCarLover]

Before I share my experience here, first a big shout-out to this forum, it's creators and members. For without them, it would be difficult making choices and gathering information related to these mean machines. A big thank you to all the contributors.

So, the search for a new car started as offices have started opening gradually and day to day commute was getting difficult with increased unpredictability of cab aggregators (read multiple cancellations, longer waiting time etc.) Thus, the decision to buy our own car.

Our search criteria:

1. A sub-4 m SUV (since we already have hatchbacks and sedans in the family and have driven them enough).
2. Budget of max 15 Lakhs.
3. Automatic, since majority of our driving is going to be in the city, and Pune being one city where we can sometime find speed breakers at an interval of every 100 meters. (Not kidding here. It's true for many parts of the city, though not everywhere.)
4. Petrol car (since we don’t yet know how much we are going to run as its our first car in the city). It would be used mostly for office commute and occasional out station trips.

The cars under consideration were Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet and Mahindra XUV300. I will share my opinion about each one of them based solely on my test drive(s).

Brezza AT:

• No of test drives taken: 4

• Likes:

i. Very refined and reliable 1.5L NA Petrol engine

ii. Good mileage, all thanks to the smart hybrid system

iii. Feature rich car (ZXi & ZXi+ variants)

iv. Comfortable seats & Good cabin space

• Didn’t like much:

i. I felt it struggled in the mid-range. The power delivery was not immediate due to NA engine.

ii. Suspension not smooth enough in the bumpy roads.

iii. Long waiting period up to 5-6 months for AT transmission (Though the sales executive said it could be delivered in 3-4 months, still too much for me). Hence this was a deal breaker.

Venue DCT:

• No of test drives taken: 3

• Likes:

i. Really loved the 1.0 L Turbo engine

ii. Quick power delivery

iii. Ample features with most options (all possible combinations of iMT, DCT, Petrol, Diesel)

iv. Smooth gear shifts due to DCT

• Didn’t like much:

i. Seats were not comfortable enough for me.

ii. Cabin is not very spacious compared to the competitors.

iii. Not enough room in the rear seat for 3 people.

iv. Poor ride quality as the suspension didn’t absorb the undulations on the road well. This was the deal breaker here.

I didn’t test drive Sonet considering it similar to Venue based on multiple reviews & discussions on different forum.

Nexon:

• No of test drives taken: 0

My cousin owns this car, and I don’t really like the stance of it. I feel it looks more like a raised hatch back. Also, headroom in the rear seat appears to be less. The AMT transmission and engine refinement is not up to the mark.

The showroom visit experience was poor as the sales people appeared least interested in attending to the customers. Upon arrival, we were asked to wait for 30 minutes till a sales advisor could see us. We could see many sales people roaming around here and there and just chatting with each other but no one came to attend to a waiting customer. Probably a typical show of Tata’s sales team. We ultimately walked out of the showroom expecting a call back since we had filled the enquiry form but that never happened. However, I have heard from a lot of people that it is the most value for money car in this segment.

XUV300 AMT:

• No of test drives taken: 5

• Likes:

i. 1.2 L Turbo engine with best in segment torque

ii. Best in segment wheelbase which leads to comfortable seating space in second row

iii. Best in segment safety

iv. Most comfortable ride quality with sufficient features

v. Proper SUV like stance.

• Didn’t like much:

i. Lowest in segment boot space. Manageable for me.

ii. AMT features in 2nd base and top trim only. Its not available in 2nd top trim.

iii. Limited color options to choose from (just 3 in AMT)

iv. Excessive omission of features despite the price rise in lower variants.

After all the test drives, we were tied between Brezza and XUV300. However, the ride quality, performance and safety trumped over mileage and reliability, and we zeroed down on XUV300.

I know AMT is a compromise here since the lower gear shifts are not very smooth and it appears confused sometimes. I hope we can get used to it with time.

Cutting down of features in W6 (2nd base) variant was a huge disappointment. Some important features such as adjustable head rest for rear passengers, rear spoiler, 60:40 split rear seats and touchscreen infotainment system have been removed. Absence of height adjustable driver’s seat is a major miss. So, we had no choice but to opt for W8 (O) variant which is on the higher side of the price spectrum. And even this variant hasn’t been spared the feature omissions: 3-point seat belt for 2nd row middle passenger, request sensor on passenger side front door, ajar lamp on door etc. have been removed. Don’t really know what Mahindra was thinking while removing them. But I fell for its ride quality and comfort. No other car comes close to it in the segment.

So, from this car hunting experience what I have learnt is that no car is perfect. None. We just need to find the right compromise based on what we are looking for. XUV300 ticked majority of our checkboxes and we booked the W8(O) Petrol AMT on 10 January, 2023 and awaiting the delivery. The sales team said the official waiting period in Pune is 7 weeks, but they would try to deliver it as soon as they can. I had also made two bookings just to ensure that I get the car as early as possible.

Delivery update
Received a call from the SA on 22nd January, 2023 that the vehicle would arrive in the stockyard within 2-3 days so we should keep the payment ready. I told her that I would make the payment only after I conduct the PDI and she agreed to it. Next I got a call on 25th January, 2023 that the vehicle had arrived and I could come for PDI.

I reached there with the PDI checklist that I had downloaded from team-bhp and made sure to cover as many points as possible. The SA kept waiting patiently as long as I did the inspection. I checked the VIN to ensure it was freshly manufactured and all the features were working as expected. Though I wanted to test drive the car, but couldn't do so since the SA said we couldn't take the car out of the stockyard. But I was satisfied with whatever inspection I could do.

Grin on my face after completing the PDI.


I made the payment then and there and asked the SA to get the vehicle delivered ASAP.

Amount paid to the showroom:

Ex-showroom Price: 13,06,001
TCS @1%: 13,060
RTO: 27,000 (approx. for BH-series)
Total: 13,46,061

Dealership discount: 25,000
Final payment made: 13,21,061

FASTag

The dealership quoted INR 600 for it. However, I checked online with a few banks and found the price to be lower. However, I got it from IDFC First Bank for just INR 99 with 99 balance in the FASTag. So technically I got it for free. I ordered it immediately from their website and got it delivered to my address in 4-5 days.

I know it's a small amount, but the point is why should we pay even an extra penny to the dealer.

Insurance

I had purchased insurance online from Acko. The price difference was huge between what was quoted by the showroom and what I got from Acko. I took a RTI, Zero_dep coverage with couple of more add-ons for INR 25,307. The showroom quoted close to INR 52,000 and said after some discounts they could bring it down to max INR 46,000 which was still good 20,000 more than Acko's. For the record, we have been using Acko for insuring another car in the family for close to 5 years now and haven't faced any issues related to claims etc.

RTO

This process took the most time. My documents were not in place so the registration was delayed.
First, I wanted a BH series registration for which I had taken the required documents from my office (Form-60 with office address in more than 4 states), but the dealer's RTO team said some information was missing in the letter and I had to re-do it.
Second, even though I had local address on Aadhar, that wasn't sufficient. The RTO team wanted some more documents such as electricity bill and Index-2. Since these documents were not in my name I had to get a registered rent agreement.
Third, the process for BH-series registration is still manual in Maharashtra. After filling up all the forms online, the dealership sends all the documents in-person to the RTO and it has to be approved by the RTO inspector. Only then the registration number is generated.

All this process took a good 15 days and on 9th February, 2023 I received the message from Vaahan portal with my registration number. I was elated to see that message and immediately called the SA to make arrangements for the delivery.

Final Delivery
Having read so many posts to get the delivery in bright day-light, I asked the SA for delivery before sunset. The vehicle was readied by afternoon and we took the delivery in by 4 PM. Got a goodie bag from Mahindra during delivery which contained a keyring, a microfibre cloth, a coffee mug and folder for documents and a box of Ferrero-Rocher chocolates. That added extra sweetness to the whole process. The delivery process was smooth and didn't take long. We distributed some sweets and headed straight to the accessories shop

Car ready for delivery:



Performing the Puja:


That mandatory pic with the new car:


The goodie bag:

[ProLearner]

Congratulations! The XUV300 is a wonderful car, and in my opinion also it offers the best seating comfort. Wish you many happy kilometers with it!
The design and the red look really good.

Originally Posted by deepCarLover

And even this variant hasn’t been spared the feature omissions: 3-point seat belt for 2nd row middle passenger, request sensor on passenger side front door, ajar lamp on door etc. have been removed. Don’t really know what Mahindra was thinking while removing them. But I fell for its ride quality and comfort. No other car comes close to it in the segment.

I had read a thread here about the feature deletions. This is disappointing that the price keeps on increasing, and they delete features even on the top trim.

Some of the deletions since launch I know of are-
Knee Airbag
Rear Boot lamp
The Larger alloy wheel (The new, smaller design is a bit busy)

[Jaisalmeriya]

Congratulations on the new wheels. Wishing you happy mile munching in such a capable car.

[kmlnths]

Hello Guys, After an intense Search for my first car I have narrowed in on the XUV 300 but still a small confusion with respect to which engine should be chosen.

My daily drive is around 30kms per day and monthly would amount to 1000 kms on average.

I love both the Diesel and the new 1.2 Tgdi. Which would be better for the long running of the car (first car sentiments you know). With respect to E20 norms being introduced is there an upgraded Engine from MnM for the same ? And will this have an impact on the engine life.

Your suggestions will be very helpful guys.

[Sj_241]

Hello guys,
A big shoutout to you all for keeping this page active, helps us learn about the car passively.
I own a Bs4 W8 (o) AMT 2019 end model and have clocked 43k on odo.

Quick Question: The manual doesn't speak of AMT Hydraulic oil change interval, anyone got it changed, if yes:when?

Cheers!

[PetroHeado]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

My daily drive is around 30kms per day and monthly would amount to 1000 kms on average.


Your suggestions will be very helpful guys.

Hey, Feels good that you too have narrowed down on the XUV300. Be it petrol or Diesel you are at the right place. The engine refinement + the Ride quality are unmatched by the competition with what the XUV offers.

To get straight to the point, my suggestion is that your average daily drive is well above the Diesel requirements. And I feel the Diesel would be the best bet here. Even with the added price, I am sure you would always smile when you see that healthy FE numbers on your display and the engine is a super refined unit. Since your average daily ride is well above the threshold the usual BS6-related diesel engine saga will not rise. And even if it does, it just calls for a 1/2 hr spin and unleashes those sleeping horses under the hood.

The TGDI too is a good buy, but my bet will be on the Diesel engine. We can have all the fine driving this little cheetah and still save some fuel.

Eager to know updates on your purchase.

Have a good day!

[krishnakumar]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

My daily drive is around 30kms per day and monthly would amount to 1000 kms on average.

Can you clarify where this 30kms per day drive will be done? If it is in crawling city traffic, then I'd advise against getting a BS6 Diesel due to the DPF issues

However, if the 30km run involves a few good stretches where you can maintain 50-60kph speed, then Diesel will have no concerns. For added measure, you can do a short trip every weekend (the exhaust system needs about 20-30mins of continuous 60kph+ speeds to clear the soot accumulation).

I had two close scares with DPF alert when I used the car exclusively for short city commutes in crawling traffic for a period of 2-3months (no highway runs during this period). One time, I just did a park regen and within 10mins the DPF was cleared and the other time, a 15min drive on the highway cleared the error. So it's not a major headache as such but really depends on how you're using it.

But overall an excellent car and an even excellent power unit - this diesel mill.

[kmlnths]

Originally Posted by PetroHeado

Hey, Feels good that you too have narrowed down on the XUV300. Be it petrol or Diesel you are at the right place. The engine refinement + the Ride quality are unmatched by the competition with what the XUV offers.

To get straight to the point, my suggestion is that your average daily drive is well above the Diesel requirements. And I feel the Diesel would be the best bet here. Even with the added price, I am sure you would always smile when you see that healthy FE numbers on your display and the engine is a super refined unit. Since your average daily ride is well above the threshold the usual BS6-related diesel engine saga will not rise. And even if it does, it just calls for a 1/2 hr spin and unleashes those sleeping horses under the hood.

The TGDI too is a good buy, but my bet will be on the Diesel engine. We can have all the fine driving this little cheetah and still save some fuel.

Eager to know updates on your purchase.

Have a good day!

Hello PetroHeado, Thanks for the detailed explanation on why diesel would be a great choice for my needs, much appreciated I am still yet to take the TD of the TGDI too I hope it doesn't change my mind. Cheers to you and For sure cant wait to update my First car Purchase. Hoping to be Part of the Cheetahs Diesel tribe soon !

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Can you clarify where this 30kms per day drive will be done? If it is in crawling city traffic, then I'd advise against getting a BS6 Diesel due to the DPF issues

However, if the 30km run involves a few good stretches where you can maintain 50-60kph speed, then Diesel will have no concerns. For added measure, you can do a short trip every weekend (the exhaust system needs about 20-30mins of continuous 60kph+ speeds to clear the soot accumulation).

I had two close scares with DPF alert when I used the car exclusively for short city commutes in crawling traffic for a period of 2-3months (no highway runs during this period). One time, I just did a park regen and within 10mins the DPF was cleared and the other time, a 15min drive on the highway cleared the error. So it's not a major headache as such but really depends on how you're using it.

But overall an excellent car and an even excellent power unit - this diesel mill.

Wow that was very well explained, My 30kms per day for now includes 20km in the highways where 70kmph+ can be done with ease and the rest is a congested traffic for 10kms. And what do you think will be the future of the Diesel engine in the upcoming E20 era. Just skeptical with all the other manufactures stopping their Diesel in favor of turbo petrol's will it be a problem down the line will diesel cars be a rare breed ? Just curious to know where we will end up.

[krishnakumar]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

And what do you think will be the future of the Diesel engine in the upcoming E20 era. Just skeptical with all the other manufactures stopping their Diesel in favor of turbo petrol's will it be a problem down the line will diesel cars be a rare breed ? Just curious to know where we will end up.

Based on the running you said, you should be totally fine with the Diesel mill and you’ll love it. Reliable FE figures, relaxing highway drives and enough torque to make any overtaking move.

I personally feel Diesels will be put to death in the lower segment cars very soon, in the next 5 years or so. We have already seen this trend happening for many manufacturers with the latest being Honda kicking out the Diesel option for the 2023 City. Mahindra and Tata will likely hold on to diesels for longer considering they have a pedigree in Diesels but with their active focus on EVs, its definitely a ticking bomb. This is one of the key reasons why I went with a Diesel engine.

[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

My 30kms per day for now includes 20km in the highways where 70kmph+ can be done with ease and the rest is a congested traffic for 10kms. And what do you think will be the future of the Diesel engine in the upcoming E20 era. Just skeptical with all the other manufactures stopping their Diesel in favor of turbo petrol's will it be a problem down the line will diesel cars be a rare breed ? Just curious to know where we will end up.

I bought a Petrol XUV 300 AMT recently after consulting with some folks from Tata/Mahindra/Marelli. I was advised to go for a Petrol engine if monthly usage is less than 1500 kms. And that BS6 diesel engines may encounter DPF related issues down the line if the vehicle is not used regularly at higher speeds to clear the related filters. In addition to diesel engine being expensive I was also told that maintenance of diesel engine is more and there is a higher probability of more cities banning diesel engines after 10 years going forward. Since my running was low and I intend to keep the vehicle for 10 years at least, I went for the petrol engine. Hope that helps!

[kmlnths]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

I bought a Petrol XUV 300 AMT recently after consulting with some folks from Tata/Mahindra/Marelli. I was advised to go for a Petrol engine if monthly usage is less than 1500 kms. And that BS6 diesel engines may encounter DPF related issues down the line if the vehicle is not used regularly at higher speeds to clear the related filters. In addition to diesel engine being expensive I was also told that maintenance of diesel engine is more and there is a higher probability of more cities banning diesel engines after 10 years going forward. Since my running was low and I intend to keep the vehicle for 10 years at least, I went for the petrol engine. Hope that helps!

Did you manage to get the turbo sport version or the normal version how's the refinement levels until now after your purchase would be very helpful if you could share your mind on the same. Thanks a lot for the reply still to decide between the petrol and diesel hearts I guess both wont disappoint me.

[WindmillsFly]

Finally, got delivery of my XUV 3OO and it’s fantastic. Went for the W8 optional, diesel manual variant in white color. Booked in Jan 9th, got delivery on March 4th.

[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

Did you manage to get the turbo sport version or the normal version how's the refinement levels until now after your purchase would be very helpful if you could share your mind on the same. Thanks a lot for the reply still to decide between the petrol and diesel hearts I guess both wont disappoint me.

Don't think Turbo Sport has AMT version. But the car is running fine. No issues of any kind at all. This is the safest sub 4m car with a very good combo of engine/gearbox having a good amount of interior space (wheel base of 2600 mm). One cant go wrong with this in my opinion.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

And that BS6 diesel engines may encounter DPF related issues down the line if the vehicle is not used regularly at higher speeds to clear the related filters. In addition to diesel engine being expensive I was also told that maintenance of diesel engine is more and there is a higher probability of more cities banning diesel engines after 10 years going forward.

I have personally used my Diesel 3OO extensively in city traffic, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, heck I've even sat in the car idling for like half an hour a couple of times while waiting for my better half (summer evenings. Couldn't bear sitting outside).

I am yet to get the DPF regen even once. My mileage currently sits at 17000km.

Diesels are no longer expensive over petrols, considering both are turbocharged now. My last full servicing was roughly the same cost bracket as what I paid for my previous petrol car. Plus I have 2 team-mates with petrol 3OOs, and I've seen their service figures in the same neighbourhood as mine.

Cities banning, yeah that might be the case, but I don't see most cities doing this in the next 5 years at the very least. Bangalore might do this in another 5 years maybe.

Originally Posted by kmlnths

I love both the Diesel and the new 1.2 Tgdi. Which would be better for the long running of the car (first car sentiments you know). With respect to E20 norms being introduced is there an upgraded Engine from MnM for the same ? And will this have an impact on the engine life.

Your suggestions will be very helpful guys.

I might be biased, but I found the diesel on the 3OO to be the more fun option. It's a boon to drive in cities thanks to the diesel low end pull, and it has loads of grunt in the mid range to keep it cruising on the highways. Diesel + cruise control = match made in heaven.

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

I had two close scares with DPF alert when I used the car exclusively for short city commutes in crawling traffic for a period of 2-3months (no highway runs during this period). One time, I just did a park regen and within 10mins the DPF was cleared and the other time, a 15min drive on the highway cleared the error. So it's not a major headache as such but really depends on how you're using it.

I am surprised! I do highway runs max once in 2 months. For that matter, my last highway jaunt in the car was maybe 2 months back and even that was hardly 30-40km. And I've never seen the DPF light until now ever since I purchased the car. Not sure if I'm just lucky. Especially considering that my regular usage is 100% city. And my office commute involves the busiest area of Pune, i.e. Hinjewadi.
I feel like the whole DPF thing has a YMMV factor to it somehow.