[rs_cockpit]

I have been driving AX7 D AT for the past 10 months and haven't really had any major issues as such. The only two issues that I have come across so far is the football noise in the boot sometimes and eSIM connectivity issue. While the first one is manageable and does not bother me much, we have a workaround for the SIM connectivity issue to disconnect the battery terminal for few mins and reconnect.

Rest everything is very good and I am really enjoying my ownership experience with this machine.

[sbm]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

You are not alone my friend, I am having similar thoughts and confused between Seltos/Elevate 1.5NA CVT variants vs XUV700 AX5 AT (diesel/petrol) and agree with everything you have listed. XUV definitely feels more premium and should serve you for longer time.

I also took a back to back test drive of Tata Safari and XUV and felt XUV is the better choice and is better sorted overall.

I am still confused between AX5 and AX7 since the later costs roughly 4 lakhs and is not VFM (considering premium features are in AX7L only)

and since the 3rd row of XUV is pretty useless, it is better to save that 70K and go for AX5 5 seater.

If you can live without cruise control in AX5, only accessory that is a must have is reverse camera (Why Mahindra ) .

Four lakh is a large amount, especially if you are extending your budget from the Creta/Seltos range.
I have been using the AX5 DMT for the last year, and the only things I sorely miss are push-button start and automatic climate control, as I was used to them in my Baleno. Rest cruise control is pretty useless on our highways (except expressways may be), auto IRVM is not available even in the L model, and leather seats you can get installed for around Rs. 10,000. I'll suggest you go for AX5 if you feel that 4 lakhs is too much.

[Amrit@wheels]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

You are not alone my friend, I am having similar thoughts and confused between Seltos/Elevate 1.5NA CVT variants vs XUV700 AX5 AT (diesel/petrol) and agree with everything you have listed. XUV definitely feels more premium and should serve you for longer time.

XUV700 and Seltos/Elavate CVT 1.5NA are two VERY different types of vehicles. XUV700 is a very powerful cruiser but a fuel guzzler whereas the other two are calm and composed but fuel efficient. Unless you hit the highway on daily basis for long hours, XUV700 is an overkill. If your usage doesn't warrant it, skip it and go for Seltos/Elavate and use the saved money on fuel.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by sbm

Four lakh is a large amount, especially if you are extending your budget from the Creta/Seltos range.
I have been using the AX5 DMT for the last year, and the only things I sorely miss are push-button start and automatic climate control, as I was used to them in my Baleno. Rest cruise control is pretty useless on our highways (except expressways may be), auto IRVM is not available even in the L model, and leather seats you can get installed for around Rs. 10,000. I'll suggest you go for AX5 if you feel that 4 lakhs is too much.

Exactly the reason I feel XUV is a better upgrade here. I would have convinced for AX7 if it came fully loaded. Mahindra is playing a game here with another Luxury pack which is around 6 lakh more than AX5 (even that does not have auto IRVM)

Originally Posted by Amrit@wheels

XUV700 and Seltos/Elavate CVT 1.5NA are two VERY different types of vehicles. XUV700 is a very powerful cruiser but a fuel guzzler whereas the other two are calm and composed but fuel efficient. Unless you hit the highway on daily basis for long hours, XUV700 is an overkill. If your usage doesn't warrant it, skip it and go for Seltos/Elavate and use the saved money on fuel.

Agree, I started with 1.5 NA CVT for a single car strategy but realised it may be better to go for XUV and keep my alto k10 for city duties. I did not mention the turbo petrol variants because then the choice becomes pretty obvious as the price is dangerously close to XUV/Harrier.

So my usage is mostly for weekends only, roughly 10-12k per year but mostly long drives.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by meetgds

Hi guys, I'm looking for a new SUV (petrol, automatic) and have narrowed down to XUV 700 AX7 (don't have budget for the Luxury pack) and MG Hector Plus Savvy Pro.

If you are going upto ax7, please purchase the L model, it's worth it. You'd keep the vehicle for a long time and you'll forget about the price soon, but the car will make up for it. AX7-L AT ofcourse.

If you aren't looking for a more involved driving experience hector will also do, now it has some significant price cuts that make it more attractive. For your usage pattern XUV could be overkill.

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

I am still confused between AX5 and AX7 since the later costs roughly 4 lakhs and is not VFM (considering premium features are in AX7L only)

.

The plan is to sell mostly just the L models, others are there to fill the price band as well as to make you wonder why not XUV instead of some other cars. It has worked, most bookings are for the L models without a doubt, which I think should be your preference too, it will be worth it in the long run.

[hummer]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

You are not alone my friend, I am having similar thoughts and confused between Seltos/Elevate 1.5NA CVT variants vs XUV700 AX5 AT (diesel/petrol) and agree with everything you have listed. XUV definitely feels more premium and should serve you for longer time.

I also took a back to back test drive of Tata Safari and XUV and felt XUV is the better choice and is better sorted overall.

I am still confused between AX5 and AX7 since the later costs roughly 4 lakhs and is not VFM (considering premium features are in AX7L only)

I didn't consider Seltos due to safety rating, eliminated Elevate due to cramped rear seat. Considering Toyota HYRYDER NEODRIVE for it overall all-round offering (+ that T badge).

Ofcourse XUV7OO is IRRESISTIBLE package, I am not looking for 7 seats anyway (70k savings), how did you decide on petrol / diesel in XUV7OO?

[Amrit@wheels]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

So my usage is mostly for weekends only, roughly 10-12k per year but mostly long drives.

That translates to roughly 1000 kms/month. That is way too low for a BS6 diesel. You're almost guaranteed to run into DPF issues every now and then. A decent petrol motor is still your best bet.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by Amrit@wheels

That translates to roughly 1000 kms/month. That is way too low for a BS6 diesel. You're almost guaranteed to run into DPF issues every now and then. A decent petrol motor is still your best bet.

That is my biggest worry with diesel. My running will be less and due to bulky size of XUV, it can’t be my week day office driver. However my drives will be on weekends but 100-400kms on highways so wouldn’t it be the ideal scenario for DPF burnout ?

I am unable to convince myself with petrol AT which is a guzzler. Which is why I was exploring cars having smaller petrol engines but not happy with their space. I find hycross to be bit too overpriced for what it offers.

[hummer]

My run would be 10k kms per year (approx. 800km per month), would you recommend diesel? DPF issues?

Is it impossible to extract atleast 10kmpl in city with XUV7OO with best driving practices?

I have test driven almost all mid size SUVs, there is no BEST PICK which meets all my needs, thinking between XUV7OO (P/D) and HYRYDER.

Harrier bookings starting officially on Oct 6th, hope they launch petrol variants also along with facelift.

[S.I.N.G.H]

Mahindra XUV700 - 35000 km Review

The Buying Experience

9th Jan 2022 - The day we welcomed our beast home - The mighty XUV 700 AX5 D AT. Covid was still prevalent, but we went ahead to get home the beast! One of the thrills was that this was one of the early deliveries in my vicinity, hence was excited to turn some heads.

Residing at Delhi, we picked the vehicle from the Lochab Mahindra, an amazing dealer from Rohtak. The first drive home was a breeze. About 100 kms of express way gave us a feeling of that the vehicle is capable of. A flick of the pedal and we were awe struck with the response!

The odometer reads 35k kms now.

Likes
1. Power
2. NVH (except the noisy suspension - then)
3. The ride quality
4. The vehicle built
5. The infotainment
6. Beautifully, huge sunroof
7. Low maintenance cost (till now - except the early brake pad wear)

Dislikes
1. The tyres - The vehicle is cappable of more. Tyres create a wheel spin when pulled in the sports mode.
2. No reverse camera as a standard fitment. Bad quality of the OEM accessory
3. No cruise control
4. Early brake pad wear (front - about 20k kms)

Being an enthusiast, wanted to have some hands on some quick DIY's.

1. The first one being the screen guard. At that time, OEM screen guard was not available, hence picked up one from Amazon. The quality was very good and easy to installed as well.
2. OEM rain visors - Quick DIY install on a free Sunday!
3. Soon, I bough 4 TPMS sensors and installed in the vehicle. One of the very few AX5s with the TPMS active now without any tampering at all.

Made a clip of the activity and posted it online. Sharing the link incase someone wants to see -

https://youtu.be/qo1Lm9zAqi8?si=JKiUvn3D53VyEPxG

https://youtu.be/clywdI_o5cM?si=IqeWdQM314an1HpR

The Service Experience

My old association with the brand - Though the brand has worked very hard on the brand image overhauling, not much has changed at the workshops. I own a Scorpio S10 too (1.25 lakh km done). The service experience for the XUV 700 was not too different. The service advisors were busy upselling.

The current experience - The hassle started with multiple trips to the workshop for software updates, though the first one was through a home visit by one of the dealers, henceforth I visited the workshop! Going to the workshop in the morning with the smallest of the jobs and not returning back before day end. Repeat issues coming up. With every software update, the tech guy forgot to reactivate the reverse camera accessory which made the camera non functional till the time it was reactivated .The front suspension noise being the most irritating of all. But really happy with the speed with which Mahindra as an OEM has rectified the issue and got the solution to customers retrospectively.

https://youtu.be/ddr1gBs_fQk?si=wMoyGVGnJOHC54oA

Solving this, we took the car for multiple trips to Amritsar, Nainital, Manali, Rohtang Pass, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Kasauli, Jaipur, Jim Corbett and many others! The drive was a breeze. Except the buggy infotainment, there wasn't much of an issue until 20k kms when the front brake pads got worn off! A vehicle with no ADAS, not aggressively driven, 20k is less for brake pads to get worn out. Being an engineer and from the automotive industry, this seemed to be an early wear. Nevertheless, being a wear and tear item I did not bother too much and got it replaced.

The Irony with NVH

The major issue started at about 25k kms when the driver side door started to rattle along with the rattle from the tweeter pod and air cutting noise from the sun roof. Surprisingly, in none of the services had the sunroof was checked by the dealer for any lubrication or cleaning. This is surprising as it might cause pre mature failure of the rails, which would later be put on the customer citing operating in dusty conditions.

Got the vehicle checked 3 times between 25k and 35k kms. The door noise immediately reappears in a day or two after visiting the workshop. The air cutting noise in the vehicle is very uncomfortable in cabin.

The vehicle sounds like an old Bolero. The worse was when during the last visit I sounded all this to one of the dealer service leads and also to one of the representatives of the OEM through email as well (Not taking names or designations as the aim is not to get them in trouble). The door noise reappeared and the worse part was that the head liner had grease stains

Again escalated over email, the dealer called back. The surprising part is that I could not visit the workshop on the designated date. Ever since, neither the dealer nor the OEM representative has bothered to check if the issue is resolved. The no show of the customer was not a concern for them at all.

This time, I am not too keen on sending the vehicle for a hit and trial. Either the door latch is faulty of the door beading is fouling against the body and making the noise. The sunroof is also making noise, specially while opening in hot temperature. I just hope this is addressed by them professionally this time. The plush and comfortable experience of the vehicle is turning sour day on day now.

Talking about our enthusiast groups now

As a group, we managed to get together 100 XUV 700 owners and go for drives. The families joined and met on Sundays at places close to Delhi. Talking about the experiences, the models and variants each one drives, mods and much more. We named the group as CountingXUVs! Thankfully, this has more than 250 owners now. Will write more about this in another thread as there is too much to discuss.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

That is my biggest worry with diesel. My running will be less and due to bulky size of XUV, it can’t be my week day office driver. However my drives will be on weekends but 100-400kms on highways so wouldn’t it be the ideal scenario for DPF burnout ?

I am unable to convince myself with petrol AT which is a guzzler. Which is why I was exploring cars having smaller petrol engines but not happy with their space. I find hycross to be bit too overpriced for what it offers.

Given you are about to spend ~30L, fuel costs wont worry you much

Its as easy to drive as a hatchback, all controls are very light and effortless, enjoy the music and reach office in comfort. As long as once in a month there is some highway driving is involved, you`d be fine especially if its an AT, avoid idling the vehicle especially when it is cold, that is about it when it comes to DPF.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Given you are about to spend ~30L, fuel costs wont worry you much

Its as easy to drive as a hatchback, all controls are very light and effortless, enjoy the music and reach office in comfort. As long as once in a month there is some highway driving is involved, you`d be fine especially if its an AT, avoid idling the vehicle especially when it is cold, that is about it when it comes to DPF.

That makes sense. Currently my running is 50-50 City 1000km + highway 1000km and I plan to retain my Alto k10 for at least 50% of the week day city drives. However since the gap between petrol and diesel XUV is not much, I am tempted to stick to Mahindra strength(diesel). Being a Toyota owner, I might be biased towards hycross gx(non hybrid) over XUV petrol AT considering 10 year ownership window.

[SamarthaLS]

I have noticed gear being hard during cold run especially shifts from 1st to 2nd and downshifts from 3rd to 2nd to be very hard and doesn't slot it easily in my XUV700 AX7L D MT, after some time it seems normal and gear feels smooth. Is it normal or something that I should be worried about?

[Amrit@wheels]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

That is my biggest worry with diesel. My running will be less and due to bulky size of XUV, it can’t be my week day office driver. However my drives will be on weekends but 100-400kms on highways so wouldn’t it be the ideal scenario for DPF burnout ?

I am unable to convince myself with petrol AT which is a guzzler. Which is why I was exploring cars having smaller petrol engines but not happy with their space. I find hycross to be bit too overpriced for what it offers.

You're very likely to regularly encounter DPF issues with that kind of running. It requires prolonged highway runs at fairly high RPMs to avoid the soot build up. All in all, that kind of running doesn't warrant a diesel at all. You're better off looking at slightly smaller vehicles with a Petrol motor.

Originally Posted by hummer

My run would be 10k kms per year (approx. 800km per month), would you recommend diesel? DPF issues?

Is it impossible to extract atleast 10kmpl in city with XUV7OO with best driving practices?

800 kms/month is way too low for any diesel vehicle, let alone the most powerful one in its category. You can extract 10 kmpl in city with the XUV700 diesel but its almost impossible with the petrol. It hardly delivers 8 kmpl in city conditions. I'd suggest you go to for NA or hybrid Petrol motors over a turbo.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by Amrit@wheels

You're very likely to regularly encounter DPF issues with that kind of running. It requires prolonged highway runs at fairly high RPMs to avoid the soot build up. All in all, that kind of running doesn't warrant a diesel at all. You're better off looking at slightly smaller vehicles with a Petrol motor.

Isn't it the other way ? He does not plan to use it for short office trips. He only has 100-400KM highway runs. That is the perfect setup for DPF equipped car. DPF causes issues only when you have short city trips that does not allow engine to reach proper temperature. If all your running is 100km highway run at a stretch, even if that is once in two weeks, you will never have DPF issues.

For eg, my cousin used to drive his Fortuner for his 6 KM office trip and a 150 KM hometown trip once in a week or two. He faced multiple DPF issues. After a bit of research, he stopped using it for his 6 km office trip. Now, he uses his small car for the office trip and the Fortuner only runs the 150KM hometown trip and occasional office trips. No more DPF issues.