[Vivek Menon]

In my opinion, AWD makes a XUV a crossover, otherwise it's a glorified van.

Thank you for the writeup. Good to hear from someone who actually drives an AWD. I was also contemplating whether to go for AWD or not but guess now things are more clear. Hopefully Mahindra would price it correctly!!

[damodar]

Is the XUV700 suspension too soft? See how the front end dives when passing that broken section of the road. Even the rear seems to be too soft.

https://youtu.be/0AsaZND0Neg

[rpmmachine]

Originally Posted by damodar

Is the XUV700 suspension too soft? See how the front end dives when passing that broken section of the road. Even the rear seems to be too soft.

Also note that, there is only one person inside i.e. Driver and no one else in freedom drive.
What will be the effect on same with 7 persons onboard i.e with more 550 kg approximate?

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

Now returning to our "developing country" roads. Where you may need to take detours off-road due to an accident, traffic jam or just because the two truckers ahead haven't seen each other for a long time and decided to catch-up, in the middle of the road!

You are talking as if 2WDs are getting stuck here and there every minute in India!

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

Or that hairpin climb on loose gravel or slush in Spiti, Ladakh or the western ghats. Where in a FWD you would have to use momentum, potentially damaging your underbody. AWD is worth its weight in GOLD!

You mean a FWD with high ground clearance and torque is incapable of going to such places? Has no one with a 2WD SUV gone there? AWD is not infallible as you seem to suggest. A 2WD can do 99% of what the AWD can do, the benefits of AWD are negligible. 4WD and not AWD is worth its weight in Gold in my opinion.

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

In my opinion, AWD makes a XUV a crossover, otherwise it's a glorified van.

Good to know that the XUV without AWD is just a glorified van. With AWD, it's an overglorified van

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

Obviously, the person putting his hard earned cash down, needs to decide what is right for him.

Exactly. Let those who want to spend more money on an AWD decide if they really need it or not. I found some videos that might help such people:

http://youtu.be/S7MqAdBI5eo

http://youtu.be/FVrFULf-2wA

http://youtu.be/7Otlc0n6SiQ

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

I can re-assure you that AWD/4WD are tools that a good driver can utilise if he/she is going off the buttersmooth tarmac.

I agree with 4WD not AWD. In my opinion, for most of the people most of the time, AWD is Unnecessary. If someone thinks it's absolutely necessary, he is free to buy it. Who's stopping him?

[ValuableRecluse]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

You are talking as if 2WDs are getting stuck here and there every minute in India!



You mean a FWD with high ground clearance and torque is incapable of going to such places? Has no one with a 2WD SUV gone there? AWD is not infallible as you seem to suggest. A 2WD can do 99% of what the AWD can do, the benefits of AWD are negligible. 4WD and not AWD is worth its weight in Gold in my opinion.



Good to know that the XUV without AWD is just a glorified van. With AWD, it's an overglorified van



Exactly. Let those who want to spend more money on an AWD decide if they really need it or not. I found some videos that might help such people:

http://Youtu.be/S7MqAdBI5eo

http://Youtu.be/FVrFULf-2wA

http://Youtu.be/7Otlc0n6SiQ



I agree with 4WD not AWD. In my opinion, for most of the people most of the time, AWD is Unnecessary. If someone thinks it's absolutely necessary, he is free to buy it. Who's stopping him?

Nice to have opposing points of view.
Thats what makes a forum interesting.
Unfortunately, you appear to be forming your opinion on random videos hosted on social media.
All I have posted above is from my own experiences over the last two decades.

You may not agree with me, and thats also ok.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

In my opinion, AWD makes a XUV a crossover, otherwise it's a glorified van.

Obviously, the person putting his hard earned cash down, needs to decide what is right for him.

Thanks for sharing the 'first hand experience' which is very valuable.
Coming to the AWD system being offered on XUV700, do we have more details? Is it the same AWD system that was present on XUV500?
I am assuming (and hoping) that it will have 2 modes:

• Auto mode in which the car drives as FWD most of the time and only when there is a slip it channels some power to the rear wheels
• 'Engage AWD' mode which channels the power to all 4 wheels. If there is electronic differential lock, it is even better.

Does anyone has more information?

[footloose]

The AWD is on demand, i.e.you have to push a button to activate it.

[2himanshu]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

I think AWD is unnecessary for a soft roader like XUV 700 because of the additional cost….

Originally Posted by Guna

I guess people would look at their usage and decide if AWD will be necessary (Like in my case I certainly do) and this is not something you need to Google up and decide (or advocate)
Mahindra has made a smart move by including the AWD variant which would draw buyers who would have otherwise gone to other brands (like Safari). For those who don't require AWD, they can simply go for a regular FWD variant.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I have to disagree here, as a owner of two Ladder on frame 4WD's and one AWD Softroader, I must say for my basic travelling needs AWD will do 80% of the stuff my full fledged 4WD's do.

AWD definitely helps in lots of tricky situations that can have snow/slush, or even something as simple as an incline on a smooth surface.

My friend has the XUV500 AWD W10, which accompanies us on our cycling tours and you immediately feel the grip and traction go up several notches as soon as AWD is manually engaged on inclines, rocky path or slush. The system is not needed on highways, but if one likes mountains, it is good to have, and nice of Mahindra to offer it, cheers!

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

Nice to have opposing points of view.
Thats what makes a forum interesting.
Unfortunately, you appear to be forming your opinion on random videos hosted on social media.
All I have posted above is from my own experiences over the last two decades.

Random videos? You mean all those who host videos on social media are inexperienced fellows? Are there any specific videos that you could share that might help people form a different opinion?

By the way, why is forming an opinion based on videos unfortunate? Who says that one should not form an opinion based on videos? There are a lot of videos out there and one can gain a ton of information. There is no such rule that says only experienced people have the all the authority to impart knowledge. Unfortunately some people think otherwise.

Originally Posted by 2himanshu

The system is not needed on highways, but if one likes mountains, it is good to have, and nice of Mahindra to offer it, cheers!

4WD is necessary, AWD is not

On a lighter note, I would like to share a random video about a random guy:

http://youtu.be/LsPi7qIL4qY

[vroomsome]

The only reason I would choose the XUV over a Safari is for the AWD. Think TATA missed a trick by not offering AWD. Wish Mahindra offers this as an option on more trims. If only XUV had sliding middle row seats. No manufacturer gets it completely right when it comes to 6+ seaters in India, do they!?

[ValuableRecluse]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Random videos? You mean all those who host videos on social media are inexperienced fellows? Are there any specific videos that you could share that might help people form a different opinion?

By the way, why is forming an opinion based on videos unfortunate? Who says that one should not form an opinion based on videos? There are a lot of videos out there and one can gain a ton of information. There is no such rule that says only experienced people have the all the authority to impart knowledge. Unfortunately some people think otherwise.



4WD is necessary, AWD is not

On a lighter note, I would like to share a random video about a random guy:

http://Youtu.be/LsPi7qIL4qY

Going by that reasoning, 5 years of medical school isn't required just watch a video or two and you're ready for surgery. Or watch a couple of videos and you can land the next airliner!

While you can gain a lot of information by watching a video, you will only have an opinion for yourself by trying it out, or else you'll just blindly follow that you tubers opinion.

By the way, why do you think a 4WD is far superior to an AWD?

And, when you refer to a 4WD, which one is it? Permanent or part-time.

Are there any advantages of an AWD over a 4WD?

I want your opinions.
Please, no more video links.

[APB98]

Originally Posted by damodar

Is the XUV700 suspension too soft? See how the front end dives when passing that broken section of the road. Even the rear seems to be too soft.
https://Youtu.be/0AsaZND0Neg

https://youtu.be/ijWqvxTcX6c

In this video, this person does a small test of the suspension from inside the cabin with 2 people on board (From 8:23). The potholes were pretty big but according to his words it handled it amazingly well. He says the suspension is neither too soft nor too stiff. Only a test drive can give us the correct answer.

[vinodvaddi]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

By the way, why do you think a 4WD is far superior to an AWD?

And, when you refer to a 4WD, which one is it? Permanent or part-time.

Are there any advantages of an AWD over a 4WD?

Mahindra kitted XUV7OO with AWD, probably because AWD is better suited for road-oriented urban cars. 4x4 is better suited for off-road use.
Mahindra, in the future, may have a complete spectrum of four-wheel transmissions distributed across the range (Thar, Scorpio, and XUV 700).

[footloose]

Knowledge transfer from Mahindra Racing\

Speaking about the specific areas where the racing division is assisting Mahindra, the Team Principal said, “The first area, where we can really help, is composites. We understand our composites better now. Even in regular production, Mahindra is starting to increasingly look at composites.” An instance of the automaker’s contemporary approach is the Mahindra XUV700, whose tailgate is made of a composite material, instead of pressed steel.
“The second part is that we are working on the safety of high voltage. Traditionally, Mahindra worked with low voltage, but as you move up the voltage systems, the safety standards change,” commented Gill.

For reference, Formula E race cars are built on an 800-1,000V system, while Mahindra Electric’s legacy products like the eVerito sedan used a 72V architecture. The company is, however, gearing up to move to a 300V+ architecture with its upcoming products like the eXUV300. “So, we help work on the safety systems there,” said Gill.

Excerpts from an interview with Mahindra Racing’s Team Principal Dilbagh Gill for some insight

[Vivek Menon]

It would have been lovely to see Mahindra airing TV commercials of XUV 700 during IPL. IPL coincides with anticipated launch date and could have given PAN India publicity for the new vehicle. I understand that interest for XUV is already over the roof and they might struggle with vehicle deliveries but extra hype won't be a bad idea..Isn't it!!

Any idea if Mahindra is planning anything of that sort considering the full page ads and freedom drive is already creating the buzz among the public ?