[anantpoddar]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Thank you! That was super detailed. I will flush out the washer circuit first.
About the glass spray, do you add it directly to the windshield washer reservoir, or do you use it in manual cleanings?

The Clear Glass Spray is manually sprayed on to the windshield and wiped off with a clean microfiber cloth. You can follow this up with another wipe to remove those smudges and streaks with an absolutely clean microfiber / waffle-weave towel.
Wipe the windshield from outside the vehicle in vertical motion and from the inside with horizontal hand movement; that way you will be able to tell by looking at the smudge patterns (vertical or horizontal) if they are on the outside or inside respectively.

The Clearview concentrate is to be added to the windshield washer fluid reservoir

[Acid Burn]

Hi I am planning to upgrade my headlights for my W8 petrol version. I have attached the screenshot shot for the specifications for the lights. Can you tell me which ones are applicable for me as it mentions high versions and low versions.

I drive on low beams and want to upgrade only my projector lights. I am not really a diy person but can I replace the lights myself?

Reviews that I read said it's plug and play. If so how can I access the bulbs?

I was thinking of installing osram led bulbs in the projectors.

[Acid Burn]

Originally Posted by mihir_m13

hello Guys,

am a new member here on Team BHP and have followed 2 threads very closely - the one on Nexon and this one - ofcourse these are the 2 cars I've shortlisted Nexon XZ+ and XUV W8 - both Petrol and to be honest - its a difficult choice. Both fit my budget and both have their pro's and cons. Putting some questions here:

1. In terms of engine noise (PETROL) in the cabin - how does XUV 300 compare with Nexon.
2. Is the A/c powerful enough to cool the large cabin fast, given that XUV doesn't have rear a/c vents. I am in Baroda and the summers are nasty.
3. What is the realistic Tank to Tank fuel efficiency in city(light traffic) and highways(85-110 Kmps) in XUV

Thank you

I felt XUV 300 is better in terms of less engine noise as compared to Nexon. I had test driven both of them at the time of selection in Dec 2020.
AC is decent enough in the XUV 300
Have attached a screenshot shot of mileage that I am getting in peak Mumbai traffic.

[mihir_m13]

Originally Posted by Acid Burn

I felt XUV 300 is better in terms of less engine noise as compared to Nexon. I had test driven both of them at the time of selection in Dec 2020.
AC is decent enough in the XUV 300
Have attached a screenshot shot of mileage that I am getting in peak Mumbai traffic.

I assume these are Tank to Tank readings (Manual Petrol?). Not great numbers - but like you said - Peak Mumbai Traffic - it couldn't have been much better i guess. I am in Baroda and the peak traffic is far lighter than in Mumbai - so i guess i could expect 1-2 kms more max??

What about highway cruising - i generally cruise at 90-110 - what would those numbers look like?

Thanks a lot though. Tomorrow am getting the first Test Drive of Manual Petrol - lets see how it goes.

[ChevyTeddy]

While my MID now shows 16.4kmpl, the T2T measurement for my XUV300 Petrol AMT (W6) shows 14.6kmpl after a mix of city traffic and highways. Out of the 1600+ kms, nearly 900kms has been on highways and the rest in Bengaluru city traffic. Always with AC on.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Acid Burn

Hi I am planning to upgrade my headlights for my W8 petrol version. I have attached the screenshot shot for the specifications for the lights. Can you tell me which ones are applicable for me as it mentions high versions and low versions.

I drive on low beams and want to upgrade only my projector lights. I am not really a diy person but can I replace the lights myself?

Reviews that I read said it's plug and play. If so how can I access the bulbs?

I was thinking of installing osram led bulbs in the projectors.

For the W8 you would have the low beam projector (H7 bulb) and high beam reflector(H1 bulb) setup.

I recently upgraded the bulbs on my W8(o). I installed an Osram Nightbreaker laser H7 in the low beam projector, and a TVS LED in the H1 reflector.

Link to my post about this: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5120224 (Mahindra XUV300 : Official Review)

As for the DIY part, yes. The bulbs are very easily accessibly, and the installation is indeed plug and play. It only gets a little bit complicated if you opt for LED or HID, which are physically larger.

[Acid Burn]

Originally Posted by mihir_m13

I assume these are Tank to Tank readings (Manual Petrol?). Not great numbers - but like you said - Peak Mumbai Traffic - it couldn't have been much better i guess. I am in Baroda and the peak traffic is far lighter than in Mumbai - so i guess i could expect 1-2 kms more max??

What about highway cruising - i generally cruise at 90-110 - what would those numbers look like?

Thanks a lot though. Tomorrow am getting the first Test

Drive of Manual Petrol - lets see how it goes.

Yes mostly these are tank to tank refills except some odd rs.1000/- refills.

My travel consists of daily 2.30 to 3 hrs drive for a 35 km stretch.

On highway from Mumbai to Pune I have received around 14-15 kmpl though it got averaged when I reached Mumbai traffic.

Originally Posted by ashishk29

For the W8 you would have the low beam projector (H7 bulb) and high beam reflector(H1 bulb) setup.

I recently upgraded the bulbs on my W8(o). I installed an Osram Nightbreaker laser H7 in the low beam projector, and a TVS LED in the H1 reflector.

Link to my post about this: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5120224 (Mahindra XUV300 : Official Review)

As for the DIY part, yes. The bulbs are very easily accessibly, and the installation is indeed plug and play. It only gets a little bit complicated if you opt for LED or HID, which are physically larger.

Just a question ideally should not be the led fitted in the projectors and the halogen in the reflectors?

As various videos I saw said that led in reflectors should be avoided as it might cause on coming traffic issues.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Acid Burn

Just a question ideally should not be the led fitted in the projectors and the halogen in the reflectors?

As various videos I saw said that led in reflectors should be avoided as it might cause on coming traffic issues.

Great question.

First off, the projectors are designed for halogen beam spread pattern. LEDs do not have the same 360 degree beam formation, and hence you might have wrong throw, causing it to spill over into the oncoming traffic. Projectors are far more reliant on a 360 degree spread compared to the regular reflector, since the regular reflector is not a perfect sphere.
Also remember, your low beams will be operational full time whenever there's low light.

By comparison, the high beams are to be used only as a pass light, or on unlit highways. Where, some obvious aberrations in the spread patterns will not convert into a total nuisance.

I wouldn't say that my above logic is 100% scientific or fool-proof, but going by the following 2 facts:

a. LED in low beam will definitely cause some pattern malformation, and low beams will be operational full time.
b. Beam malformations in high beam are a bit more acceptable than on the low beam, since we would ideally be running the high beam sparingly.

I was more comfortable with having the halogen in the projector, since it has the perfect cut off shape designed, which I wanted to preserve as is. Having an LED there wouldn't guarantee the shape would be retained, and that was a deal-breaker for me since the low beam would be operational full time within city limits.

Also I never put on the high beams in the city limits (Not exaggerating. I never do). I only ever use them as a pass light, where I shine it for hardly a second. For a second long flash, the aberrations in beam patterns are far less likely to have any substantial negative impact.

Now based on my current experience, I did not find any weird hot and cold spots in the LED reflector spread pattern. So I must have been lucky there.

Feel free to add your comments to my logic.

[Rollingwheels26]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to buy W8(O) diesel Manual and had the following queries-

1) The ICE sound quality is pretty mediocre. Mahindra does offer few options for audio upgrades as part of accessories but I am clueless about which option to go for. Please note I prefer to do this with MAhindra rather than go outside so as to avoid even the slightest chance of warranty voiding.

2) Similarly the lights are also pretty mediocre since i do highway driving and high speed visibility is paramount to me. Would changing the high beam and low bulbs be enough ?

3) I am planning to upgrade the tyres from R17 215/55 to R17 215/65 to improve sidewall width for better comfort. Any idea if this will void warranty or affect the passive safety features (ABS/EBD/ESC) adversely ?

Appreciate the help ! Thanks in advance !

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

Hi everyone,

I am planning to buy W8(O) diesel Manual and had the following queries-

1) The ICE sound quality is pretty mediocre. Mahindra does offer few options for audio upgrades as part of accessories but I am clueless about which option to go for. Please note I prefer to do this with MAhindra rather than go outside so as to avoid even the slightest chance of warranty voiding.

Speaker changes do not void warranty as they are just plug and play and require no modification in either the doors or the wiring. So I would recommend checking out the best automotive accessories dealer of your city, and getting it done there. That way you will have the most variety of options. Most natural sounding speakers will be treated paper cone. Hertz, Audison are a couple of brands that do offer this. Sony, Pioneer, JBL will mostly offer polypropylene cones.

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

2) Similarly the lights are also pretty mediocre since i do highway driving and high speed visibility is paramount to me. Would changing the high beam and low bulbs be enough ?

Yes. Changing the bulbs makes all the difference in the world. You can check a couple of posts above, there is some discussion going around this very topic. I myself switched to Osram nightbreaker laser halogen in the low beam, and TVS LEDs in the high.

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

3) I am planning to upgrade the tyres from R17 215/55 to R17 215/65 to improve sidewall width for better comfort. Any idea if this will void warranty or affect the passive safety features (ABS/EBD/ESC) adversely ?

Tyre upscaling will not affect warranty. However, I do not see much benefit in going from 215/55 to 215/65. Plus it will change the odometer, FE reading, since the perimeter of the tyre will be larger. It won't affect the passive safety features. Plus you would be running the risk of the tyres rubbing within the wheel well while turning.

[Rollingwheels26]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Speaker changes do not void warranty as they are just plug and play and require no modification in either the doors or the wiring. So I would recommend checking out the best automotive accessories dealer of your city, and getting it done there. That way you will have the most variety of options. Most natural sounding speakers will be treated paper cone. Hertz, Audison are a couple of brands that do offer this. Sony, Pioneer, JBL will mostly offer polypropylene cones.

Thanks that is certainly helpful. Do you suggest changing all 4 speakers only or the tweeters as well ? And any other components to be added ? Sorry am a bit of novice when it comes to ICE

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Yes. Changing the bulbs makes all the difference in the world. You can check a couple of posts above, there is some discussion going around this very topic. I myself switched to Osram nightbreaker laser halogen in the low beam, and TVS LEDs in the high.

Just saw the posts. Thanks again ! Will get a similar set up. Is the throw of TVS LEDs suitable for highway driving in your experience ?

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Tyre upscaling will not affect warranty. However, I do not see much benefit in going from 215/55 to 215/65. Plus it will change the odometer, FE reading, since the perimeter of the tyre will be larger. It won't affect the passive safety features. Plus you would be running the risk of the tyres rubbing within the wheel well while turning.

The main purpose is to increase the sidewall width for better comfort. Bangalore doesnt have the best roads . Am thinking of either 215/60 (increase in diameter over OEM by 23mm or 2.3 cm) or 215/65 (increase in diameter over OEM by 43 mm or 4.3 cm). Please note the tyre width will remain same (215) so the chances of tyres touching the wall during full steering turn lock should be 0. Thoughts ?

[Rollingwheels26]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Has anyone done/Does anyone know of any visual modifications to their cars?

It's been a few months, and sometimes I find the plain white visual bulk of the car a bit... too vanilla.

I am considering some mild visual tweaks. Maybe on the front fenders, maybe on the hood. Has to be mild though. Not considering full part wrap or anything along those lines.

Definitely going to wrap the top halves of the ORVM black.

Any thoughts/suggestions/inputs welcome.

Check out the skid plate extenders from the m2all website ( https://www.m2all.com/mahindra-genui...dd-on-kit.html ). They certainly help improve the front and rear look. OR you could add the sporty kit which adds the extenders (?) to the sides as well ( https://www.m2all.com/mahindra-genui...-of-4-pcs.html ).

Am planning to get the first one added to my car along with side chrome line on the doors. I saw the side chrome line fitted on a demo car and it looks damn good and improves the side look ( https://www.m2all.com/mahindra-genui...rnish-set.html ).

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

Thanks that is certainly helpful. Do you suggest changing all 4 speakers only or the tweeters as well ? And any other components to be added ? Sorry am a bit of novice when it comes to ICE

So for the front, you need component speakers. If you purchase any component speakers, they come with their own tweeters, which are obviously better quality than the OEM ones. So you're better off replacing both.
Component speakers on the front, and coaxial on the rear should do fine. 6.5" speakers are a direct fit.

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

Just saw the posts. Thanks again ! Will get a similar set up. Is the throw of TVS LEDs suitable for highway driving in your experience ?

The LEDs work great on the highways. No dark spots that I could notice.
I recently did a trip where we drove through forest roads at night. The LEDs did a marvelous job of lighting up the road.

Originally Posted by Rollingwheels26

The main purpose is to increase the sidewall width for better comfort. Bangalore doesnt have the best roads . Am thinking of either 215/60 (increase in diameter over OEM by 23mm or 2.3 cm) or 215/65 (increase in diameter over OEM by 43 mm or 4.3 cm). Please note the tyre width will remain same (215) so the chances of tyres touching the wall during full steering turn lock should be 0. Thoughts ?

Your calculations do sound about right. I understand your concerns with bad roads. While the width is remaining the same, the height is increasing to some extent. My only concern being, is their enough clearance within the front wheel wells to accommodate the additional height. I suppose there should be. I'm just voicing what factor you might want to consider while upgrading.

[Aditya_Dhull]

Hi Ashishk29,

Thanks for your replies and your guidance. I took your recommendation and upgraded the headlights. I got OSRAM ones. And wow! The difference is like day and night. I got LED Fog lamps and Osram HIDs for the Low Beam. I ran out of money so will fix the High Beam bulbs next month. The high beam lights actually are not as bad as the low beam ones.

I also changed the main windscreen wipers while i was at the store. Again, what a massive difference from the stock wipers. These clean much better and leave fewer marks or streaks. Anant Podar is right about the grease and contamination part. New wipers + Washer fluid will help. Also, sometimes small leaves and tiny flower petals get stuck in the wiper blades and cause marks on the screen too. The car cleaner sometimes misses this and I've made it a habit to clean it myself once before sitting in the car even morning.

Overall, I'm really enjoying driving this car. It feels planted at high speeds and the AMT is such a huge comfort in the Mumbai traffic.

I tried to keep the tyre pressure to 35 or 36 PSI too after reading your post, but that totally changed the feel and comfort of the car. So now i'm back to 34 PSI and prefer the ride quality at this tyre pressure.

I'm leaving for Jaipur this Friday with my wife and our dog to meet our parents. We're doing Mumbai>Udaipur>Jaipur and back in a span of 2 weeks. While in Jaipur we plan to drive to Ranthambore with my parents. It'll be a long road trip and hopefully a safe and enjoyable one. Looking forward to share my experience from the trip when we return.

Cheers to all and thanks again for all the conversations here.

Regards
Aditya

[Duckdoc]

First 10000 kms initial ownership review of a 2021 XUV 300 W8Opt MT Diesel

After having owned a Honda City for 11 years(https://www.team-bhp.com/news/3rd-ge...ars-13-lakh-km) I was looking for a fun to drive car from around Nov 2020. Having been biased toward sedans, I have always been fascinated by only one set of cars and that is the Skoda stable, from the Rapid to the Octavia. I've admired the build quality and more importantly, the absolutely fantastic high speed handling which I've seen on the highway. Moreover, on a visit to the Czech Republic 10 years back, in conversations with the locals one could sense the immense pride they had in Skoda. On telling them that it is owned by Volkswagen, the retort was that the Germans were just helping in marketing, quite understandable given the history with their powerful neighbour. The pride in their country and the workmanship from the Java days had a positive energy to it and having been a fan of their countryman, the late Vaclav Havel and the composer Antonin Dvorak being a family favourite, I had a soft corner for anything from this lesser known country.

However, each time my head turned toward Skoda, it was firmly pointed away by my colleague and fellow bhpian, because of the infamous service record of the local dealership. I am a bit of a dreamer but my colleague is a no nonsense, feet firmly planted on the ground sort of guy and immensely well informed that finally his words that I would be donating a significant part of my salary to the local Skoda dealership finally got through even to me.

Brief thoughts of the 5th gen City were there but didn't like the idea of a longer overhang in front. This is when he suggested the XUV 300 with its impressive safety features especially all seats getting the 3 point seat belt. I personally like a car for the engine, acceleration and ride quality, hate bling and not too bothered about gizmos so I started taking a closer look at this. I was also not too bothered about the boot space as the kids had grown up and in the process of leading their own individual lives.

I read almost everything about it, especially the reviews from South Africa and was getting more and more interested. I did 4 test drives. This being the first time I drove a diesel car, I drove it it like my City, with 1 gear lower than ideal for acceleration and the SA said she had never heard the engine sound like this. I was very impressed with the NVH, the acceleration and the quick time to get into triple figures. I was in favour of a petrol engine but the dealership mechanic who has been with cars for 35 years advised me to go for the diesel version for Mahindra and so I plunged into 3 unknowns for me, diesel, CSUV and Mahindra. I actually told him that I would be buying a Mahindra only because he's the head mechanic.

This is the stage when I finally told my wife about the XUV 300 and she asked me, 'What about the Thar?' I then realised the hard to explain, almost hypnotic, mesmerising effect the Thar has on people including me and more pleasantly surprising, my wife. I told her that it is the most impractical car ever made and someday when it's 5 door with a bigger boot we can entertain thoughts of buying. Well, the thing which helped decision making away from the Thar was the waiting period.

Now the next thing was the colour about which I was not too bothered, but the rest of the family wanted Napoli Black. So I finally booked a XUV 300 MT W8 Opt because of the 7 airbags, in the first week of Feb 2021. I finally managed to convince the family about the difficulty with this colour with all the dust around and the final decision was a Dual Tone Aqualmarine for which I wrote an email the following week to Mahindra.

I knew that in all likelihood this would be my last MT, but the AT I would own has to be DCT or TC with paddleshift so I was comfortable with this choice.

I got the VIN number and knew that it was manufactured in Feb 2021, and the car was delivered to the local stockyard 3 weeks later. However, there was a delay of a week for the HU to arrive. The mechanic told me that he would do the PDI and it is one of the greatest things of being in a small tier 2 city that one can trust people like him.

It cost 14.80 lakh OTR, I didn't want any chrome added and just skid pads for the back and sides. The dealership did an underbody coating and 3 M sun film for the glass as a good will gesture and I was grateful.

So, finally after RTO registration and underbody coating the car arrived home at 8.30 pm on 12th March. I insisted on not having the ribbons and cheap chocolate, but the delivery guys arrived at home with a ribbon on the bonnet apologetically saying it was toward a photograph for their bosses, and I insisted on removing the ribbon immediately, thereafter. The next 5 minutes was spent ripping the plastic over the seats before the shocked delivery guys and I told them I hate sitting on slippery plastic and like to be comfortable when sitting. Having already planned a 50 km trip that night to visit our relatives, we set out. My right hand kept hitting the annoying voice assist on the steering wheel and from that day I have been able to stay clear of this.

The next month being state elections, it was stopped multiple times. I had stuck printouts of the RC PDF from Digilocker on the front and back and there were no issues. The RC as a card and HSRP arrived a month later. The first 1000 km servicing was done 3 weeks after buying.

I did follow the running in instructions but not to the letter as I was enamoured by the turbo.

First impressions:

One look and it doesn't look or feel like a Mahindra and you know that they've definitely upped their game.

The light colour of the interior and upholstery gives a pleasing appearance. Surprisingly, it is easy to clean, at least so far.

The doors close with a solid 'thud' and there is a feeling of solidity about the build.

Things which I had to get used to:

It took 5 minutes to get used to the long gear shift and clutch travel. The gear shifts slot in well, though occasionally there is an issue shifting from 5th to 4th.

I had to raise the seat to get the maximum underthigh support which was kind of counterintuitive as I am tall.

As it is slightly wider than what I was used to, took a few days to have the confidence to squeeze through tight spaces.

Having used engine braking extensively in my previous sedan, here on down shiftng there is not much reduction in speed but requires much lighter use of the brakes than otherwise.

There is a blind spot because of the ORVM and A pillar which one needs to be aware of.

There is a sudden sharp bite to the brake and one has to be careful in city traffic. It becomes better after a few kms of driving each time.

After a week or so, got into the habit of upshifting gears just before the turbo kicks in for a smoother, nicer drive.

I did stall a few times at low revs in low gear and one has to downshift to avoid this happening.

The Start/ Stop function has to be disabled each time and now it is routine to do that on starting the vehicle. Having said that, everytime I had forgotten to disable and the engine switched off at traffic lights, it always started without any hesitation on pressing the clutch.

There is a single chime at 80 kmph and is continuous at and over 120kmph. While some may find it annoying, I didn't mind it so much as with the NVH and acceleration being great, it remains a useful reminder before getting into dangerous speeds.

The ORVMs close only one way and I'm still wary of it getting swiped by bikers.

Ride and handling:

Whether in the city or highway, it is comfortable and car like to drive. I use the 'Normal' steering mode in the city and the and the more weighted 'Sport' on the highway, though there is a lack of feedback to the steering.

While it is assured at curves and there is no body roll, on the highway at speeds one has to slow down a bit on curves, as you can feel a bit of uneasiness.
Straight stretches at speed is handled well and it just eats up bad stretches.

Things I wished I had known before buying:

The car comes with 215/55/r 17 tyres, and the spare is 205/60/r16, not a big deal as most cars now are like this, but this change could have been communicated.

The heated ORVM feature had been removed.

The rear middle seat belt had been changed to a lap belt

Absence of a boot lamp.

When the dealership doesn't tell you about deleted features and the company silently cuts features, initially you keep searching for more unpleasant surprises.

The story of the seat belt:


One of the main reasons for buying the vehicle was the 3 point seat belt for all seats and its absence for the rear middle seat was an unpleasant shock and remained a grouse for a few months. While I could live with the other cost cutting measures, this was something I found hard to stomach.

At this time there was this sensational post (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...-seatbelt.html (XUV300: I converted the lap-belt to a *safer* 3-point seatbelt!)) and got this done as well. I remain truly grateful to @Goandiaries for this. Thereafter, I truly started enjoying this vehicle.

Comfort:

For someone with a dodgy back, I find the driving position great and relaxing. This is one vehicle where 3 average sized guys can sit comfortably at the back. On top of it, my son all of 185 cm can sit comfortably behind me. Besides, with the suspension and longer wheelbase they don't feel thrown around even on bad roads.


Other points:

The headlights I felt were just about adequate and I had no problems recently driving back from Chennai late at night in pouring rain with foglights on, when a lot of cars had actually stopped.

The defogger also worked well.

I really appreciate the autodimming IRVM and the auto wipers in front as well as the rear wiper.

Having a TPMS for the first time, it has become a sort of obsession. I try to keep the cold tyre pressure just above 34 psi and on highways and bad roads at 36. I've gone over numerous potholes and unmarked speed breakers without problems.

I was never a fan of the sunroof and thought of it only as a marketing gimmick. However, a few months after buying this, I slid the inner lid exposing the glass on top in pouring rain and the cabin just lit up and it was a sight to behold. Now, it is not uncommon to do this at night on the highway.

The AC was better than expected and though there are no rear vents, there has been no complaint on this count from the rear even in summer.

The music system could have better but can live with it. Once in a while, the Android Auto gets disconnected, unfortunately usually when navigation is required.

The FE was around 14.5 kmpl in the city and 17.5 on the highway.

My daily drive for work and back is about 14 kms and manage to drive in 6th gear at least for a few hundred metres and haven't had the DPF clogged warning so far.

The rear parking camera is alright in daylight but at night is dim and grainy.

Memorable trips:

Being cooped up for a year and with the looming second wave and lockdown, decided to get out for some fresh air, more to remain sane than anything else.

Beaches

So, the day after the state elections on April 6, set out for a beach tour in the heat of summer like 'mad dogs and Englishmen'.

There were 4 members in the family and decided to visit the beaches south of Pondy for a week.

The first stop was the historic ancient port town of Pompuhar, a place I've passed by but never got to visit till now. The ancient port city destroyed by a tsunami in the 4th century AD is the setting of 2 Tamil epics Silapathikaram and Manimegalai. The priceless ancient artifacts from about 2200 years back housed in the dilapidated, run down museum, speaks volumes of our apathy and lack of interest in our history.

The next place, a few kms away was the old Danish settlement Tharangambadi, later ceded to the British. The old governor's residence adjacent to the sea and now a hotel is a place we've stayed multiple times. Tharangambadi means, 'place of the singing waves' is a place I like precisely because there is not much else in this one horse town, where even the single ATM may not function. Sitting on the verandah with a book and the sound of the waves in the background is my way of destressing. I have to mention, a few years back while staying there, my wife and I were the only inhabitants and at night with a powercut and no lights, the sound of the howling wind, lashing rain and plaster falling from the high roof could have put a ghost tour of an English castle to shame.

The next stop were the beaches of Rameswaram, and it was surprising that one could find a sheltered bay without waves with only our family on the beach and swim peacefully hundreds of metres into the sea.

Tiruchendur was next. I had heard number of stories over decades, of the filth on the beach adjoining the famous Murugan temple and was pleasantly surprised that it was clean and well kept.

Manapad is less well known and the leeward side of the triangular rock face jutting into the sea was beautiful and dotted with shoals and dunes.

I then had to make quick time to see the sunset at Sunset Point in Kanyakumari but to the disappointment of the hundreds who had gathered, the sun decided to hide behind clouds at dusk that day.

After staying the night with relatives at Palayamkottai there was a short trip to Port Trust beach at Thoothukudi, again a sheltered bay but a bit crowded with fisherman and their boats.

After a trip back to Tirunelveli, it was back home on the delightful highway. Tirunelveli to Madurai is one of the best stretches in Tamil Nadu where cruise control could be employed, though I've never used this feature so far.

Kallanai:

I've made 3 trips to Trichy but on one in late July decided to visit the historic Kallanai after seeing the rare sight of the Cauvery in full flow. Having been there more than 20 years back I was taken aback at the crowd visiting, though the upkeep was much better than what I could remember.
Built by the legendary Chola king Karikalan, it is the oldest water regulatory structure in India and the 4th oldest in the world.

However, driving the XUV there on the dam was a feat by itself with mm separating vehicles from the opposite side with ORVM closed.




3 point seat belt for the middle passenger, much to my relief






Priceless treasures at Poompuhar


The dilapidated museum


Bungalow on the beach, Tharangambadi


View from the verandah of the sea at night


8 centuries old temple with Chinese architecture to attract their mariners apparently


Flamingoes in the far distance, Dhanushkodi




Deserted beach at Rameswaram


Pamban bridge


Tiruchendur beach with the famous Murugan temple in the background







Manapad


Kallanai




Thus, exactly 6 months after buying this car it went for the 10000 km sevicing and is back

So, for someone who half expected the glove box or something similar to fall off, it just didn't happen. There were no clutch plate or suspension issues and no rattles at all and all sensors work well. So, this decision to go into 3 unknowns, diesel, Mahindra and CSUV seems to have been worthwhile, at least, so far.

With the XUV 300, Mahindra seems to have got the basics right with the engine, comfort, build quality, ride and handling. It also seems to have sorted out reliability issues and inspire confidence, being niggle free.