Team-BHP - Mahindra XUV700 Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpm (Post 5194616)

Thanks for the dope, but I was wondering if you happen to know whether Mahindra managed to sort out the intrusion issue on the turbo petrol and some unknown issue on the MX variant (due to insufficient number of airbags) which would potentially prevent the XUV 700 from getting a 5-star rating, as you had reported in an earlier post?

Does the issue still exist, or did they manage to fix the issue before the cars hit production?

Dear rpm,

Yes Mahindra has indeed solved the petrol engine intrusion issue as well as made the necessary changes to the structure of the MX variant of the XUV700 to improve its crash worthiness. These changes were made just before the SOP and that was one of the reasons why Mahindra delayed sending the XUV to GNCAP. So basically all the XUVs produced right from the first day are 5 star rated.

On another note, my sources told me that Mahindra has conducted an in house crash test as well as tear down activity on its competitors viz; Harrier twins, Hector and Compass. Now both the Hector and the Compass were specifically chosen in their diesel specs so as to check the oil filter intrusion issue of the 2.0 Multijet engine. And guess what, they found the exact same issue as I had mentioned in the Harrier thread. Infact after reading my exposé on the forum, they wanted to check how much truth there was in it and they found that the oil filter intrusion is not the only thing which is stopping Tata Motors from sending the Harrier twins for crash test but the entire chassis of the Harrier is full of compromises.

Mahindra engineers found that to save costs Tata have heavily diluted the Land Rover platform and they are certain that even with a different engine the Harrier twins won't score more than 3 stars at GNCAP. In fact when Mahindra had done the same analysis on the Alfa platform they were all praises for Tata but it's the exact opposite for the Omega platform.

Needless to say, the Hector and Compass diesel also have the same issues of oil filter intrusion and they are also 3 star cars at the max.

Mahindra is now pretty sure that the XUV700 will keep its title as the safest SUV in its class for a long time with no competitor from the foreseeable future being able to dethrone it.:thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon (Post 5194641)

The smarter thing to do rather than offer "step-down" editions of variants, would be to launch a new series with slightly fewer or slightly different features. For example, an AX6 that could have everything in AX7 minus the ADAS. Since the ADAS system alone contains over 100 chips as per Mahindra. This would help to work around some aspects of the shortage. I would love a variant like that, as I think ADAS is fundamentally unsuited to the traffic we have in India. The AI in ADAS needs to get smarter to account for the idiosyncratic Indian truck driver and rickshaw wallah.

Even I think that the ADAS feature is expendable. Indian traffic conditions and roads already keep the drivers on their toes and any vehicle autonomy above it will either add to the confusion or make the driver complacent. Credit to Mahindra for bringing such futuristic features in the vehicle but if given a choice I would prefer sacrificing ADAS and maybe EPB as the TD vehicle was constantly facing issues of automatic engagement/ disengagement. Any idea about how much price revision would occur after opting out of ADAS?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram87pune (Post 5194787)

On another note, my sources told me that Mahindra has conducted an in house crash test as well as tear down activity on its competitors viz; Harrier twins, Hector and Compass. Now both the Hector and the Compass were specifically chosen in their diesel specs so as to check the oil filter intrusion issue of the 2.0 Multijet engine. And guess what, they found the exact same issue as I had mentioned in the Harrier thread. Infact after reading my exposé on the forum, they wanted to check how much truth there was in it and they found that the oil filter intrusion is not the only thing which is stopping Tata Motors from sending the Harrier twins for crash test but the entire chassis of the Harrier is full of compromises.

Mahindra engineers found that to save costs Tata have heavily diluted the Land Rover platform and they are certain that even with a different engine the Harrier twins won't score more than 3 stars at GNCAP.

Vow, That is some serious scoop. If I were from Tata, Jeep or MG, I will put all my efforts first into getting the identity of your sources even before trying to strengthen the chasis :D . This can cause serious dent to the sales of the three cars mentioned. And its presence in the XUV700 forum that is one of the hot threads now can cause big trouble for the PR department of these companies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram87pune (Post 5194787)

Mahindra engineers found that to save costs Tata have heavily diluted the Land Rover platform and they are certain that even with a different engine the Harrier twins won't score more than 3 stars at GNCAP. In fact when Mahindra had done the same analysis on the Alfa platform they were all praises for Tata but it's the exact opposite for the Omega platform.

This is very sad, if true. Tata was leading the charge for safer vehicles but seems like a PR stunt when the flagships are compromised on safety. Anyway, I am glad I didn't give in to the seductive looks of the Safari and booked the XUV 7OO - again based on the credible info from Ram87Pune. A big thank you to you.:thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram87pune (Post 5194787)

... So basically all the XUVs produced right from the first day are 5 star rated.

On another note, my sources told me that Mahindra has conducted an in house crash test as well as tear down activity on its competitors viz; Harrier twins, Hector and Compass. Now both the Hector and the Compass were specifically chosen in their diesel specs so as to check the oil filter intrusion issue of the 2.0 Multijet engine. And guess what, they found the exact same issue as I had mentioned in the Harrier thread. ..

Mahindra engineers found that to save costs Tata have heavily diluted the Land Rover platform and they are certain that even with a different engine the Harrier twins won't score more than 3 stars at GNCAP. In fact when Mahindra had done the same analysis on the Alfa platform they were all praises for Tata but it's the exact opposite for the Omega platform...

While Mahindra engineers can give as many scoops on their products, don't you think it's not ethical for them to pass on "scoops" on the competition, especially those in negative shade? Or you positing these as a "claims" from your sources? I really hope you have proofs on the the negative points mentioned, especially since it's come from your sources working in Mahindra or associated with them.

I also recollect you had a fair share of wrong information in the past (some of those were about Harrier / Safari ?) whereas a certain gentleman had got all those scoops correct.

While am not defending TATA completely & have my doubts why they haven't tested both cousins yet, I'll not take the comments from Mahindra engineers on a TATA at 100% either. Unless they have an identity on the forum. But yeah, that's just me.

I took a long-ish test drive of the AX7L diesel AT today.

On the big ticket items such as ride quality, refinement, power, space, comfort, fit-and-finish etc, people with a keener eye and a lot more driving experience under their belt have already written a lot and I can't find anything worthwhile to add.

Therefore, I will mention a few minor things that I found noteworthy:

1) My mother, who is a senior citizen with knee problems was able to get into and out of the car without needing any help (She is 5'2). I think most people will not need the (very overpriced) side-step.

2) The car is 1 m longer and 20 cm wider than my current primary vehicle (a Maruti Ignis) and I deliberately drove it on the narrowest roads around my house. Not once did I feel under-confident or anxious about scraping anything. The lightness of the steering and the ubiquitous cameras make it a breeze to drive. Anyone who otherwise likes the car but thinks that it is "too big for day-to-day use in the city" can rest easy. It is about as easy to drive as a hatch.

3) I switched on cruise control and drove the car on a section of Bangalore's outer ring road that is notorious for its traffic. It worked like a charm. It auto-braked and accelerated at roughly the same points at which I would have. I did not feel the urge to intervene for several km.
The car moves automatically even after coming to a complete standstill if the vehicle in front starts moving in a few seconds. If it has stopped for more than a few seconds, it needs a gentle tap on the accelerator to get going again. I am fairly certain that I will use this feature every day.

4) The third row will probably end up being used more than I had initially assumed. My son (4'6") was seated in the third row for the entire duration of the TD. He was perfectly comfortable there and replied in the affirmative when asked if he would be ok in the third row during the 6-8 hour drives that we do once every few months from Bangalore to coastal Karnataka. Infact, he said he likes it more than the second row since he can adjust the blower speed (and by adjust, he means 'keep at full blast') in the third row but not the second.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious (Post 5194859)

don't you think it's not ethical for them to pass on "scoops" on the competition, especially those in negative shade? Or you positing these as a "claims" from your sources? I really hope you have proofs on the the negative points mentioned, especially since it's come from your sources working in Mahindra or associated with them..

No manufacturer will provide proofs of how a competitor's product is inferior officially to reach the public domain. But I don't see anything unethical in discussing about this. Even keeping that aside, there is no need to take Tata's side and call them a saint when the circumstances don't tell the same story. For a brand that trumpets their safety ratings and parcels every car to crash tests, their flagship products haven't seen the same treatment whereas M&M have done so. The same GNCAP which has picked up random cars earlier haven't picked up the Harrier or Safari. Hence, its a case of guilty until being proven otherwise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram87pune (Post 5194787)

While I'm happy with my XUV700 booking but it is difficult to believe that Tata would compromise quality of their premium segment offering and damage their brand value.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram87pune (Post 5194787)

Now both the Hector and the Compass were specifically chosen in their diesel specs so as to check the oil filter intrusion issue of the 2.0 Multijet engine. And guess what, they found the exact same issue as I had mentioned in the Harrier thread.

So the issue is with the way the engine is designed? Or the way TATA and others have compromised on the platform?

If the engine (oil filter) design is causing the issue and the same is applicable to Hector and Harrier as well - how is the Compass 2.0 MJD a 5-star rated Euro NCAP product? Basic design is unlikely to change for each market, right?

Or are you/they suggesting that all three of the competition - Harrier, Compass and Hector - are structurally compromised for the Indian market?

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioholic (Post 5194867)

For a brand that trumpets their safety ratings and parcels every car to crash tests, their flagship products haven't seen the same treatment whereas M&M have done so.

Agreed. When Tiago, Tigor (electric too!), Altroz and Nexon are all tested and carries safety as their primary USP - leaving the flagships alone untested, it surely raises a lot many questions!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 5195094)

This was specifically called out by ram87pune as engine issue with RHD cars and not LHD cars.

Compass definitely does not have structural issues, but the multijet engine is the root cause for Jeep not testing it for India market.

In case of Safari, the derived LR D8 platform has been converted from all aluminium to steel one. It may be case of how much percent of high tensile steel may have filtered out in process to make it cost effective for Indian market. TAMO has lot of royalty to pay because twins have lot of outsourced components compared to Mahninda. Again this is my understanding and I could be wrong about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 5195094)

If the engine (oil filter) design is causing the issue and the same is applicable to Hector and Harrier as well - how is the Compass 2.0 MJD a 5-star rated Euro NCAP product? Basic design is unlikely to change for each market, right?

Or are you/they suggesting that all three of the competition - Harrier, Compass and Hector - are structurally compromised for the Indian market?

IIRC, the issue is only in RHD vehicles using the 2 litre MJD. The Euro tested vehicle was probably a LHD. In RHD vehicles (I remember reading this on the Harrier thread), the issue is that the engine components enter into the driver's footwell area creating issues with the safety scores. This will be applicable to all RHD vehicles using the 2.0 MJD.

As per a post from user Avinash on the Facebook group "Mahindra XUV 700 Club India", his order tracking grid has been updated and shows as per the below image.

I was supposed to get delivery on 9th November and as per the dealer, the vehicle hasn't even been dispatched from the factory yet. Point to note, the Chakan factory is barely 3 hours from Mumbai. My tracking grid still stuck at "Booking Complete".

Any BHP-ian has checked their tracking grid online and has it moved ahead?