Mahindra XUV700 Review

sunilkm · 21st August 2021, 20:42

Looking for some advice. I am waiting for Nexon XZA+(S) Petrol delivery and OR price is 13.6L in bangalore. Now I feel it is overpriced for CSUV when looking at XUV700 initial pricing. In fact all the CUSVs looks to be overpriced now.

Have been driving petrol manual hatchback for 15yrs. So preference is petrol 5 seater ( MX or AX3 ) and like to keep vehicle for long. Not in hurry for new car and can wait.
Is it wise to cancel Nexon booking and buy XUV700 by extending the budget ?

SNA411 · 21st August 2021, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

I'm sorry, I don't really have any clue about the FE of the manual petrol XUV700. I just guesstimated the figure of 6 based on feedback from petrol T Fortuner and petrol T Innova users in my friends circle. XUV 700 is in a similar bracket.

Smaller wheels and badging apart, MX and AX seem similar from the outside, so street cred will not be compromised.

Well, this Innova Petrol owner seems to be getting good FE, so I guess driving style matters. https://www.team-bhp.com/news/real-w...-crysta-petrol

And the MX does not have LED DRLs. Which are a massive giveaway.
I have no idea how it will look without LED DRLs though. Given how big and bright they are, I suspect it may look better.

But then, I'm not in the market for such a big car anyway.

84.monsoon · 21st August 2021, 20:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedalmasher_20

I am shocked by the fact that even though the XUV700 has a plus point in terms of power and torque figures and considering the fact that the Safari weighs 1825kgs, which is more that what XUV700 weighs, the Safari wins the 0-60kph, 0-80kph, 0-100kph, 0-120kph and 0-140kph acceleration tests..!! Is there some sort partiality that is being practiced by the YouTuber or do you guys believe the test results??

These test results do not seem credible at all for me. Evo India did a vbox test of the XUV700 Diesel Auto and that managed 9.88 seconds.the equivalent manual should be even faster. Generally the MTs manage to shave off 0.5 - 1 second in acceleration time over equivalent TC autos. This is also a very similar result we saw between the Thar Diesel MT and AT. So my guess is that the AX Diesel MTs should be able to do the 0-100 run in 9.25 seconds or thereabouts. The petrol MT will probably do it in sub-9 seconds !

One possibility is the reviewer is speaking about the MX diesel MT model which has a detuned engine.

venkyhere · 21st August 2021, 20:55

Saw the discussion and debate on 0-100 timings.
Why is this relevant to cars/SUVs which are not track machines ? Who is doing a fast-n-furious style boyracer drag from the traffic lights in the real world ?

Apart from the torque curve on offer and the degree of revv-happiness of the engine, the gear ratios, their spacing with neighbouring gears, etc all affect the 0-100.

Something like 1/4 mile time or 1/2 mile time is a slightly better yardstick.

Even otherwise, I fail to understand why non-racer type car buyers care so much about "how many seconds to... ".
What we should really care about is the 'driveability' , which is again a function of torque spread, revving nature, gear ratios. And how the engine reacts to the throttle when there is significant 'load' (all seats occupied + full luggage). That's what matters in real world.

Such useful info can be gleaned only from a test drive and has to be experienced by oneself. It can't be understood by munching some numbers and throwing them over the wall into the debate pool that social media platforms have become. The peak torque and peak bhp are produced only at one particular rpm or over a narrow rpm band, when the engine is presented with the 'commensurate load' on the crankshaft, so as to produce these numbers as the output. During the rest of the situations the engine is making nowhere near the peak torque or peak bhp.

The system is non-linear , we don't have mathematical modelling that can present a simple rule-of-thumb-back-of-the-paper calculation , to determine the driveability by sitting on an armchair. A huge amount of effort is put in by OEMs to enhance driveability. The engine maps and gear ratios are not just picked from a bin, a lot of time and testing is done to get it just-right for the real world.

sridhar-v · 21st August 2021, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manojah

A newbie to Team BHP but not to cars.

So, I have an question for all of you. I am 56 years old, have driven all sorts of cars for about 40 years or so ( including Maruti 800, Zen, Swift, Scorpio and currently have an Eco sport, and I10 Grand and 7 year old Thar) but have never owned an Automatic.

So, now looking at XUV 700, maybe the AX5 or 7 version automatic. So, for a 56 year old, how easy would it be for somebody who has driven manuals only to switch to automatics and would I miss lack of paddle shifters ( I suppose they make it life easier in an automatic drive ) in the XUV 700.

I am 63 years young now. I started driving 4 wheelers from the age of 25. I have driven all manners of cars over the years. And some commercial vehicles during my time as a QC engineer(on their test tracks) in an Auto manufacturer.
In 2008, at the age of 50, I got my first AT car - a Santro AT. I immediately was at ease in driving the same. It took a few weeks to overcome the habit of pressing the clutch while braking. And to get into the habit of not shifting a gear lever. We had a Ford Fusion MT at that time. I never liked to take out the Fusion, particularly in the city. And whenever I did take it out I used to forget to press the clutch while changing gears.
In 2015 we replaced the Fusion with a Grand Vitara AT, so those muscle memory issues are not relevant now.

The main issue you will face is that once you get used to an AT gearbox you will not prefer to drive a MT vehicle. And if you have to drive one you will have to be extra careful of clutch and gear shifting actions. You will manage, but with some attention.

Paddle shifters are not really required as the gear box shifts can be modulated with accelerator position. And the XUV box will have tiptronic function so that you can do some gear rowing.

Hayek · 21st August 2021, 21:33

Just spent some time with the video reviews of the XUV700 (Autocar, Overdrive, Evo India). And I must say I found the interiors to be far better in some of those shots than the impression I carried from the photos in our review.

A few interesting points I noted:

1) There were ~65 cars in the media convoy to the test track - just amazed me, I never realised there were 65 auto journalists / influencers in the country.
2) The absence of even a sport mode for the transmission in the Petrol Auto. While there is a manual mode which holds the revs to the limit, I would have expected a sport mode even if drive modes were not available.
3) The test track was truly astounding - didn’t realise that from just reading our review - while I am an old fogie who likes reading more than watching, seeing the cars go around the rest track at 160-170 kmph gave me a much better impression about the high speed stability of the car than reading about it.
4) Watching the adaptive cruise control and the pedestrian brake test in action was amazing - even if u have actually driven a car with adaptive cruise control, it does not cease to amaze. And watching the ADAS stop on a dime near a pedestrian dummy was amazing too.
5) The last row seems almost as bad as that in my Tiguan Allspace. And the boot space with 7 seats up is even worse than that in my car.

Overall, my impression of this car as a truly worthy effort by Mahindra was reinforced. Hope the cars works well and they are rewarded by massive sales.

naru80 · 21st August 2021, 21:45

Curious to see which variant/fuel type will turn out to be the most popular.

IMHO, i really don't see too many takers for petrol, considering the double whammy of high fuel prices and lower FE. As has been pointed out earlier in this thread, buyers under the 20L bracket do care about mileage. If I'm not mistaken, even the Innova petrol at a higher price bracket doesn't sell too much (compared to diesel).

As far as diesel goes, maybe the lower tune base variant will sell in big numbers. But AFAIK, the base variant wasn't the bestseller in XUV500. (also, forget space/power/value, after spending ~15L, I wouldn't want a poverty spec dash).

My pick would be the diesel AX5 (since we Indians seem to be crazy about pano sunroofs).

But Mahindra has not revealed the prices for diesels AX series. The real excitement for me will be when those prices are revealed.

Till then, MG Astor looks interesting too...

wadewilson · 21st August 2021, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moto_Bear

Having multiple Mahindras in my family, I can very well relate. See with Mahindra products, the infamous one-year-wait-policy is logical and prudent. Having owned the XUV5OO since 2011, I can very well comment that the AWD was a major headache at that time requiring us to go to the service center multiple times for a single issue. The XUV7OO offers a lot more tech based features and I mean well but most probably the first buyers might as well be called Beta testers

. Currently having Toyotas, Suzukis and a Mahindra in our stable, you can easily pick the odd one out in terms of reliability. So all I'll say is, calculate the risk before you jump the gun, unless you're a Mahindra owner and know the process too well

.

P.S Owned Mahindras for as long as I remember so niggles are my daily thing.

Thank you Moto_Bear for taking the time to write about your experience with Mahindra products especially with regards to the XUV5OO which you owned.

Regarding the one-year-wait-policy, I was thinking that perhaps for this 3rd generation XUV5OO (XUV 7OO), one could skip the waiting. I'll list my reasons for the same down below:

I'm excited and can't wait to have it in our garage
As you've pointed out in your reply that there was an issue with the AWD which became a major headache. I feel that by now, since the XUV 7OO is essentially an improved version of the XUV 5OO (which has gone through its share of faceliffts), hopefully, Mahindra might have learnt to properly mate the automatic and AWD properly. I think that since the XUV 5OO was their first foray into an AT+AWD combo, it might have caused the issues (though I have no idea, other knowledgeable members can pitch in whether the XUV 5OO was the first car by Mahindra to have an AT+AWD combo).
While Mahindra does rectify issues in the assembly line itself if they find major issues in the first few batches of cars, I feel that the danger of a niggle raising its head one day or another in the future is an inevitability. For example, in my Hyundai Creta, the rear camera came on while I was driving (not a niggle but it was surprising) - after a reset of the car, the ICE started to respond normally. Of course, waiting for a year is the prudent thing to do since if any major issues come out, then we won't have to face them. But I'm hoping against hope for things to go well with the XUV 7OO.

I do have a few questions about the engine which is used in the XUV 5OO since it also powers the XUV 7OO. I'll list them for clarity's sake:

Is the engine robust and would it be last long if maintained properly? The reason I'm asking is because I'm completely new to the Mahindra ecosystem.
Is the engine loud enough to be heard inside the cabin even when driven sedately? Though a few reviewers of the XUV 7OO did mention that the engine noise didn't seep much into the cabin.
How much mileage are you getting on your steed? The reason I ask is because the XUV 7OO's figures haven't been outed yet (I think) and having the XUV's real mileage would enable me to make a calculated guess.

[EDITED] - Just remembered something, there were numerous reports of rusting in XUV 5OO, I hope your car is doing fine?

CrAzY dRiVeR · 21st August 2021, 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayek

1) There were ~65 cars in the media convoy to the test track - just amazed me, I never realised there were 65 auto journalists / influencers in the country.

Usually media events are conducted over a period of 4 or 5 days. Some companies have around a dozen cars in the fleet, and some of the more expensive brands keep only 5-6 cars shared between teams.

Since this was a single day 'freedom drive' event and too important to give shared cars for such a small drive - Mahindra may not have had any option but to cough up 65 cars.

Would have been quite a sight on the roads though!

Guna · 21st August 2021, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manojah

So, now looking at XUV 700, maybe the AX5 or 7 version automatic. So, for a 56 year old, how easy would it be for somebody who has driven manuals only to switch to automatics and would I miss lack of paddle shifters ( I suppose they make it life easier in an automatic drive ) in the XUV 700.

It will take only few days to adjust and you will wonder why did you not shift to an automatic earlier

. There will be occasions where your left foot searches for the clutch and the left hand reaches the gear stick whenever you have to quickly slow down but you will overcome it in some time.
Lack of paddle shifter is not a big deal as you anyway get a manual mode (using the gear lever). I had a Honda City with paddle shifter and now an i20 with manual overdrive but I hardly find a need to use them as you would learn to modulate the accelerator itself to upshift or downshift.

RavenAvi · 21st August 2021, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwildrd#1

Could you please confirm if AX5 diesel will be available in 5 seater variant. Also how much premium one can expect on similar diesel AX variants over petrol for 5 seater variants.

Yes, there will be a 5-seater AX5 diesel available.

Anywhere between 75K-90K. Mahindra is trying hard to wrap the entire 7OO lineup within, or just a smidge over, 20L ex-showroom. So, rest assured, the pricing will be good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadewilson

But, I wanted to ask, whether it is better to buy when the car prices are low (introductory price) or to wait for Mahindra to introduce an AX9 variant which may or may not come?

Did your insider reveal any information regarding whether the AX7 would get ventilated seats, Auto IRVM and front parking sensor as an option? Thank you

Whenever a new car is introduced, it's prudent to wait at least 6 months for the niggles from the first few production batches to be ironed out. More so for Mahindra & Tata, as we have come to see, that there is a tendency of lack of QC in the initial production batches. That's why I myself have decided for Q3 2022 - a year from now. Even though the prices would have seen at least 2 revisions by then, at least you will have the extra peace of mind that your car belongs to a later production generation with (hopefully) better QC and improvements to the initially reported niggles.

As for a possible AX9 in the future, the current-gen XUV5OO had a full variant range from W3 to W11(O). It's a given that Mahindra will add more variants in the years to come, and there will be at least 2 more variants introduced in the future.

Ventilated seats and front parking sensors might be included in the official accessories list upon launch itself. No clarity on the ECM/auto-dimming IRVM yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Is the engine robust and would it be last long if maintained properly? The reason I'm asking is because I'm completely new to the Mahindra ecosystem.

Sharing from my own experience of owning the 5OO between 2017-18, and from feedback of several other 5OO owners with whom I am in touch:-

The mHawk is a jewel of an engine. If maintained properly, it should last a lifetime without any serious issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadewilson

Is the engine loud enough to be heard inside the cabin even when driven sedately? Though a few reviewers of the XUV 7OO did mention that the engine noise didn't seep much into the cabin.

Only over speeds of 100+ you will notice the booming sound of the diesel. Below that, not so much. Only if you stand outside near the bonnet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadewilson

How much mileage are you getting on your steed? The reason I ask is because the XUV 7OO's figures haven't been outed yet (I think) and having the XUV's real mileage would enable me to make a calculated guess.

Inside the city with AC on all the time, anywhere between 10-12 kmpl. On the highways it shall be around 14-15 kmpl. If driven with a steady speed of around 80-90 kmph, the FE increases to 17 kmpl max. These are of course the numbers from the 5OO which I owned.

wadewilson · 21st August 2021, 23:12

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