[ramki.grandhi]

Dear all, here is the review of my Mx diesel after using for 6 months.

Previous car: Skoda Fabia 1.2 petrol.

My previous threads on car buying
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-...-v-tucson.html (New C2-segment SUV (Creta, Seltos) vs used Premium SUV (CR-V, Tucson))
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-...da-kushaq.html (Buy Ford EcoSport, or hold on for Skoda Kushaq?)

Why XUV700 MX Diesel?
I wanted a big and nice car, as this might be our last car before the entire world shifts to EV. In general, I prefer petrol cars for their smooth ride, but at the time of booking, I wasn't sure whether I should book a petrol or a diesel. Mahindra's turbo petrol engine's long-term reliability was unknown. Given that Mahindra is well known for diesel engines, I've opted for diesel. Though I've got enough budget for AX7, I felt MX offers more VFM and offers less tech(which I like). I work with multiple screens all day, so I decided it was fine not to have another large screen or complicated technology when I drive. I promised myself to cancel the booking if the XUV700 doesn't score well in NCAP or if Mahindra doesn't send the XUV700 for crash tests before my car's delivery.

Booking experience:
As we all remember, the booking experience was a complete mess. But the sales guys at PPS Mahindra were able to get my booking done in the first 25,000 slot, which gave me price protection. Just like for anyone, I didn't get any updates for a couple of weeks. And after a month, I got a chance to test drive it.

Delivery experience
I got my car allotted 2 months earlier than the promised date. I was in my home town and down with Covid. PPS sales team is kind enough to hold my car for 2-3 weeks, i.e., till I come back to Bangalore. They've promptly arranged PDI and taken care of the rest of the process smoothly.

What went well with PPS:

1. They got my booking in first slot, which saved me some money.
2. PDI was easily arranged.
3. They held my car for 2-3 weeks, as I was out of station.
4. They helped me with the process of getting a fancy number.

What could've been better with PPS:

1. They've taken me to their stock yard for PDI. On the way, near the stock yard, on the completely empty road, I've casually observed multiple Kushaqs, Taiguns, Thars being super rashly driven. They were intentionally driven at high rpm, trying to do hard braking or sharp U turns, which resulted in partial donuts. I've asked my driver(pps employee) what's wrong with them. He said he didn't know. I thought some groups of friends were casually having fun with brand new cars. After reaching there, I realised that this stock yard is common between PPS Skoda/Vw/Mahindra. And the guys having "fun" with cars are working for pps. A couple of guys were checking whether Thar could take up the curb, while others were cheering. I've asked my driver to handle my car carefully. He just laughed it off and asked me not to worry. After PDI, I took this up with the sales team, and they promised to take care of it. I might be wrong here, but I've got a feeling that if a new car from PPS has 150 kms on it before delivery, it is safe to assume that the car was abused for atleast 40-50kms.
2. Given that I was sick and couldn't spend more time on delivery etc, I trusted PPS blindly and they convinced me to go with them for insurance. It's the biggest mistake I've made so far. More about this in last point.
3. First service was decent, and the PPS service didn't charge anything. But Koramangala branch was deep inside a small lane. The lane is so small and two XUV700s doesn't fit side by side. While I was going, an autorickshaw came from the opposite side and touched my side mirrors. My car was left with a small scratch and I was left with harsh words from the auto-driver for bringing a big car into a small lane.
4. My car met with a very small accident. A pea-sized stone hit the windshield at 60-70kmph. I applied the brakes and the auto behind me hit the boot. As a result, the windshield developed a minor crack and it was growing slowly. The boot lid had some scratches. I went to PPS service Nagawara for repair under insurance. And "the drama" started. Reliance insurance team says they've approved the claim, but PPS says we are still waiting. This whole fiasco lasted for 13 days. They are not talking to each other like lovers who went through the worst breakup. I ended up wasting a lot of time on calls. It was a one-day job, and PPS kept the car with them for 13 days, with very little response to phone calls. This was during the Bangalore floods and I was worried. Finally, after 13 days and 45 phone calls, they've informed us that car was ready for delivery. But during delivery, they made me wait 3 hours. I was just sitting there and looking at my car. During these 3 hours, PPS service staff went for breakfast, tea, and lunch as well. When I asked for delivery, they just said, "We are working on it." After 2.5 hours, I was frustrated, tired, and hungry and wanted to leave without the car. Then I found the CRM number written on the board. There were 3 levels of CRM, and I guessed that the bottom two levels were useless. So, I called the top guy (Lokesh). *BOOM* Car was ready in 5 mins. After the payment and everything was done, they stopped me again because, after the boot repaint, they forgot to put the XUV700 logo. I was tired and mentioned that it's okay to not have a logo. But they insisted that it would take just 5 minutes, which lasted another 45 minutes. People who think Skoda service is bad, should visit PPS service in Bangalore. After the car was delivered, I've observed minor problems. a) Brand new windshield was greasy and my vision was compromised. It took a lot of effort from the car wash shop to make it look clean. b) Rear seats are dirty and doesn't fall down when I pull the lever c) Because of the ceramic coating, the body's shine was preserved, but when I touch the car body, I feel it is rough and grainy. Somehow the smoothness is gone at some places, not just at painted areas, even at headlights. d) They damaged the number plate (replaced with a new one later). On top of all, they've audacity to demand for 5 star in feedback form.

Positives of the XUV700 MX Diesel

1. Car is well planted at any speeds.
2. Diesel engine is less noisy than I thought.
3. Diesel engine is super efficient.
4. Boot space is top notch for a 5 seater.
5. Steering feel is decent and easy to drive.
6. Superior braking with 4 discs.
7. The seat fabric quality is pretty good.
8. Overall, interior quality is good.
9. Car has good road presence.
10. During initial 2 months, at least 4-5 unknown people randomly asked me about the car in general, they were surprised when I mentioned "base variant".
11. Even base variant has steering mounted controls, touch screen/audio system, 4 disc brakes, arm rest, led lights in cabin, rear ac, Android Auto, driver seat height adjustment, etc.
12. Given the mileage and tank capacity, a full tank's range is a big plus.
13. Door handles look fancy, but I'm not sure about durability.
14. Most of the components inside the car are exactly the same as AX5, which gives premium feel to Mx users.
15. Horn is nice and loud.
16. This is a comfortable 5 seater.
17. Car remote can be used to turn on/off headlights.

What could've been better in XUV700 MX Diesel

1. ESP is missing for such a big car. I wish Mahindra could've skipped touch screen, speakers and given ESP in MX.
2. The arm rest on door pads doesn't have a cloth cover. Because of this, it is hard to do leather upholstery on doors.
3. Suspension is a mystery.
4. While power and torque are adequate for most cases, I had to downshift often while driving up Tirumala hill, with 5 people and full luggage.
5. Braking is superior but there is lot of brake dust and I doubt if these brake pads are durable like my Fabia's.
6. Highbeams are pathetic, I had to upgrade.
7. Wipers get the job done, but could've been better.
8. Tires are noisy and offers average ride quality compared to Yokohamas on my previous car.
9. New users will have tough time closing and opening handles.
10. Start/stop system is stateless and annoying.
11. MX petrol has same tune as top variant but not MX diesel, I don't understand the reasoning behind this annoying decision.
12. Clock gets reset randomly and shows wrong time. Even after multiple adjustments, it goes wrong again.
13. My 13 year old Fabia has one touch window up/down, I miss it XUV700
14. The rear wiper is another miss, I wish the government mandated this.

Things mahindra could've done better

1. Booking transparency.
2. Accessories availability and pricing. Accessories are crazy expensive, for locally made. For example: Luggage cover is around 14k, wheel covers are priced at 5k, sharkfin is at 4k, alloy wheels are at 70k including hub caps, etc.
3. Mahindra should've provided regular and relevant updates to customers who are waiting.
4. Still not given Android Auto to MX and no ETA
5. Their support is literally clueless. I feel sorry for them, as they've say sorry whole day.

Accessories and extras

1. Floor mats.
2. Wheel covers.
3. Ceramic coating.
4. Underbody anti rust coating.
5. Rear view camera.
6. Seat covers.
7. Fog lamps.
8. Blaupunkt damping 3.0 for doors.
9. Steering cover.
10. High beams upgrade to OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER LASER H7.
11. Car cover (This is 4k, still doesn't have a cotton lining inside)
12. Slightly fancy number.

Open questions

1. After first year, can I move to different insurance, even after having 3 years of 3rd party with reliance?
2. Is it advisable to go with Dieseltronic or ECU tuning to get higher power?
3. Can brakes upgrade break warranty terms and conditions? Want to try Brembo or equivalent.
4. In last 6 months of usage, I didn't feel brake judder even once, is this normal in a car with ABS?
5. Is it worth upgrading to Bosch wipers?
6. Which Mahindra service center is best in Bangalore?

Thanks for reading, some pictures below

1. Windshield picture was included to show greasiness left by PPS.
2. 40KMPL photo was taken during Tirumala downhill travel.
3. 22.9KMPL photo was taken on a 250 kms highway trip, with 5 people and full luggage.
4. 14KMPL ecosense screen photo was taken during city drive.

[amahale]

Originally Posted by Mjbharat4u

Same here as well. I have received the call from my SA that my vehicle has been allotted but it has not yet dispatched from the factory till today. I however have received my vehicle's Chassis number though.

Originally Posted by KageSama

That's interesting. I still haven't gotten any details yet. He said tomorrow we'll know more (I've already has over a weeks worth of tomorrow's lol).

Just curious to know when you made your booking and what variant. Thanks

[KageSama]

Originally Posted by amahale

Just curious to know when you made your booking and what variant. Thanks

Mid July MX Diesel. Petrol was/is available for immediate delivery, but I chose diesel because the running cost wasn't working out for me.

[haribalram]

Originally Posted by amahale

Just curious to know when you made your booking and what variant. Thanks

My dealer (Sireesh, Hosur Road, Bengaluru) provides a monthly update on CPD - Customer Promised Date.

Can owners please help with what happens on that *date*? For e.g.,

1) Does the customer get notified that they may get their car soon? Like the 2 gentlemen who got notified (with or without VIN details) but waiting for the shipment to the yard / dealer?

2) Is it the date on which you get the billing details, for you to request a PDI and initiate payments?

3) Heights of optimism, is it the actual delivery date?

Thanks.

[me_sid]

I have a question boys from Mumbai, how is your experience with NBS Andheri? I will answer to this once I have the vehicle in hand.

Originally Posted by haribalram

My dealer (Sireesh, Hosur Road, Bengaluru) provides a monthly update on CPD - Customer Promised Date.

As per my experience:
I got notified by the dealer with the VIN details. And checked out to be a September 2022 vehicle

Apparently here in Mumbai they ask for full payment prior to PDI, which didn't happen earlier.

Depends on the model though, I guess the lower end variants are more readily available, as one of my friend got a AX5 within 20 days, or he was extremely lucky! I booked in April, and the vehicle was there 'in the yard of the dealer" on October 11th. I did however made a few calls to some people that I know, otherwise during booking it was showing March 2024 then June 2023!

[nasir88]

Originally Posted by iPratik519

For the 1st question, I don’t think there is a solution. Once you press stop, car will shutoff and you’ll have to press it again to bring up the infotainment system.

This is surprising, and if true puts AX7 variant owners at a disadvantage!

As a AX5 owner (which has a dumb key system ), I just move the key 1 click down, which shuts down the engine but keeps infotainment (and blower) running.

[Mjbharat4u]

Originally Posted by KageSama

That's interesting. I still haven't gotten any details yet. He said tomorrow we'll know more (I've already has over a weeks worth of tomorrow's lol).

They generally have an excel file which has all the details. Once they get a chassis number, they have shipment tracking site where they can track the vehicle. If the vehicle has departed from the plant, there will be an estimated delivery date mentioned as well.

[Mjbharat4u]

Originally Posted by amahale

Just curious to know when you made your booking and what variant. Thanks

AX5 D - booked it last Nov.

[Solo84]

Originally Posted by haribalram

My dealer (Sireesh, Hosur Road, Bengaluru) provides a monthly update on CPD - Customer Promised Date.

Sir, you can write a mail to customercare@mahindra.com directly with copy of payment receipts and booking number, from there they shall connect you to the respective Area Sales Manager. He or She can only provide you the correct information. Also M&M is very active on twitter and they respond within 12 hours. In my case i faced the same issue and got connected with ASM handling Kolkata. I did my PDI yesterday evening, and delivery is scheduled on 21st Oct 2022 ( Friday)

[yuvmudapa]

Originally Posted by haribalram

My dealer (Sireesh, Hosur Road, Bengaluru) provides a monthly update on CPD - Customer Promised Date.

I took delivery from this showroom. The date is the estimated delivery date. Every month, due to changes in Mahindra's system, the delivery date may change, so the showroom provides the CPD to keep the customer updated. If you are lucky you may get the car earlier than the date provided.

[haribalram]

Originally Posted by yuvmudapa

I took delivery from this showroom. The date is the estimated delivery date. Every month, due to changes in Mahindra's system, the delivery date may change, so the showroom provides the CPD to keep the customer updated. If you are lucky you may get the car earlier than the date provided.

Originally Posted by Solo84

Sir, you can write a mail to customercare@mahindra.com directly with copy of payment receipts and booking number, from there they shall connect you to the respective Area Sales Manager. He or She can only provide you the correct information. Also M&M is very active on twitter and they respond within 12 hours. In my case i faced the same issue and got connected with ASM handling Kolkata. I did my PDI yesterday evening, and delivery is scheduled on 21st Oct 2022 ( Friday)

Many thanks to both of you. It clarifies my doubt about the definition of CPD. One can expect a callback from the dealer notifying the vehicle assignment, couple of weeks before the CPD. My latest CPD is Jan 7th '23, few more weeks to go and testing the limits of my patience .

[Rohan24]

Originally Posted by KageSama

My SA called earlier this week on Monday that he's expecting the car to be dispatched from the factory soon and it would be in BLR in 5-6 days. The whole week has passed but there's been no change in the status (no engine number, no chassis number.

Originally Posted by Mjbharat4u

Same here as well. I have received the call from my SA that my vehicle has been allotted but it has not yet dispatched from the factory till today. I however have received my vehicle's Chassis number though.

Somewhat similar case here. We booked the AX7 D AT in Midnight Black, from Hare Krishan Mahindra, Mulund in May 2022. Got a call from the SA in the last week of September that the vehicle has been allotted and will reach the dealer soon. The dealer asked to complete payment formalities so that the delivery is not delayed. We demanded the VIN number of the allotted vehicle and initiated the payment once we received that (1st week of Oct), although in hindsight, ideally should have done this only after completing the PDI.

The VIN indicates that the car was manufactured in the month of September. So, I Now it has been more than 2 weeks since the dealer sent us the VIN and the car has not yet reached the dealer's stockyard. My dad is following up with the dealer every day and the dealer also has been very helpful and transparent about the whole issue. There are a few other vehicles as well that they have not received from the factory(so he says). He also showed that our car's status had not been updated in their internal tracker as well and that it showed the car to still be at the factory, despite being promised delivery on 12th October approximately. He also got in contact with the Dispatch Head at the factory, in our presence, who said that they are facing some logistics-related issues at the moment. The Dispatch Head has since stopped responding to phone calls. So now I'm worried as to when the car will be dispatched, and when would we be able to take delivery. This is a bit of a downer because the XUV is a brilliant product but such experiences reflect badly on the company. I know this is not a big issue and would not have been as worrisome had we not initiated payment from our end, but anyway. Fortunately, the dealer has been very helpful and transparent and has been responding to calls. I guess the only option right now is to wait and hope that the car arrives soon. :/

[KNL_Bandi]

Originally Posted by Sandegov

My XUV came with MRF tires and I went ahead and got them changed next day after delivery to Michelin Primacy SUV+ same size at Madhus. Wanted a grippier softer compound with silent highway drives and better braking, they are on the pricier side

Just wondering how much was the trade-in - cost details please?

[KageSama]

Originally Posted by Rohan24

I guess the only option right now is to wait and hope that the car arrives soon. :/

Thanks for this detailed note. Does help bring some perspective about what's really happening and put my mind to ease.

Still no news from my SA. I'll post once I get confirmation about the vehicle leaving the factory.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by haribalram

Many thanks to both of you. It clarifies my doubt about the definition of CPD. One can expect a callback from the dealer notifying the vehicle assignment, couple of weeks before the CPD. My latest CPD is Jan 7th '23, few more weeks to go and testing the limits of my patience .

This last mile is the most difficult part to bear.

In my case the CPD was 10-17 June, 2022. Right from 10th. I was expecting a call from the dealer but days passed by and there was no call. On 20th June, which was Monday, I wrote a short mail to head of CRM letting her know my frustration. On 21st I got a call from the Pune plant and I was told that a car, which had just come out from the production line has been allotted to me. The dealer confirmed the allotment on 22nd morning and thereafter, every movement of the car i.e. the loading date, the despatch date from plant and the expected date of receipt at dealership was informed to me over phone. The car landed at the dealership on 29th June and I was immediately called for a PDI. Finally, delivered on 01st July, 2022.

Sometimes you need to create some noise to get attention.

Originally Posted by Rohan24

I guess the only option right now is to wait and hope that the car arrives soon. :/

Please tweet the whole issue to Mr. Anand Mahindra and tag rajesh664 and anishshah21 stating all the facts. Customer complains forwarded by the Chairman's office gets top priority.