[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Chetan, I am sorry but somewhere you miss a basic point - any manufacturer treating any paying customer as a guinea pig is unacceptable!!

(The part in bold, I fully agree)

A LOT of customers who buy 1.5-3L cars buy them by stretching the family finances and cutting on basic expenses like: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2627211

At the same time, it is my opinion (I may be wrong) that the average 10L+ vehicle buyer is nowhere as financially stretched in buying his car (atleast in terms of absolute money in savings etc) as many 1st time Alto/M800/ Omni/ Eon buyers. Think of Do Dooni Chaar

Given that treating any customer as a guinea pig is a crime, treating small car customers can sometimes border on sheer cruelty.

I've also been a cheapest-end-of-the-spectrum customer (if you can call it that) in the past, so I agree with your comments above without question. To clarify, my earlier comment was only in-context to this thread (about a million+ rupee car), and I didn't intend or imply that customers buying lower-end cars should be treated with disdain. A product should do what it says on the box/manual, irrespective of the price tag.

Originally Posted by kzaveri19

I agree, I did not vote, however, If I would have, I would have most certainly voted for the Maruti Swift. Its TRUE VFM backed by PHENOMENAL after sales service.

Did you notice the part where Maruti has intentionally provided insufficient brakes on lower variants, and removed the ABS option from the V-spec models? The new swift is an accident waiting to happen in the hands of enthusiastic drivers.

[drmohitg]

Where has the OP gone anyways? Any updates on your car mate?

BTW offtopic but can we please stop arguing over the TBHP car of the Year award. All the members made there vote and lets respect there choices. If you start dissecting cars in India then almost each one will fall short on some parameter and this includes every car maker. XUV 500 won by a huge margin because it indeed clicked with the market needs.

[sahakar]

Wow, lots of issues cropping up on the XUV.

I guess an unwritten rule is not to buy a new model at least for a year definitely for an Indian manufacturer but I guess also applies to the foreigners too.

Latest updates by the thread owner would definitely help as to whats the status on his car.

Also, can this thread be moved to the Ownership thread. It seems more appropriate there.

Cheers

[MileCruncher]

Wow! Amazing XUV bashing thread. And to top that 95% of the junta here who are raving and ranting have not seen the XUV in flesh, let alone drive in it for short/long distances.

And someone says Toyota is the best! Blah Blah and some more blah!

BTW can we move away from all this rhetoric of why you did and you didn't vote forXUV as COTY and understand what happened to the particular car in question.

Cheers

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Where has the OP gone anyways? Any updates on your car mate?

BTW offtopic but can we please stop arguing over the TBHP car of the Year award. All the members made there vote and lets respect there choices. If you start dissecting cars in India then almost each one will fall short on some parameter and this includes every car maker. XUV 500 won by a huge margin because it indeed clicked with the market needs.

That's the ironic bit, isn't it? The car is a perfect product on paper. If only M&M had paid real attention to quality control & extensive testing, it would've translated to the on-road product too.

@ MileCruncher: I've seen, sat in and test-driven the XUV, and it's an amazing product if you overlook the niggles for a moment. Where I think M&M went wrong was trying to make it too VFM by cramming as much gadgetry into it as they could, and crossed their fingers hoping it would work. I wouldn't mind having that car without the high-end gadgets if the mechanicals are sorted out. I'm still iffy on the design though.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

That's the ironic bit, isn't it? The car is a perfect product on paper. If only M&M had paid real attention to quality control & extensive testing, it would've translated to the on-road product too.

It would be ironic but its too early still to already call it that. I have always maintained this that Indian car makers are still a little behind on the learning curve. Or they are not behind but the other players in the market have an experience in making cars which goes back in decades.

Where I think M&M went wrong was trying to make it too VFM by cramming as much gadgetry into it as they could, and crossed their fingers hoping it would work. I wouldn't mind having that car without the high-end gadgets if the mechanicals are sorted out. I'm still iffy on the design though.

But what piece of that gadgetry is absolutely brand new technology? Its all already present in many cars and Mahindra is not the first to put it except may be the interior lights which are in no ways a complex piece of equipment. There can be no excuse for basic stuff like ICE not functioning in brand new cars. It creates a serious doubt about the long term reliability of the car then.
I agree that M&M should sort these niggles out at the earliest before it starts hurting the image of the XUV. Most people who will opt for the XUV belong to the 2 categories:

1. Who upgraded there budget from Scorpio/Safari: These people may choose to live with the niggles or may not. I say this because the other products in there shortlist are also not totally niggle free. But anyways this would not add to the sales and profits much because of the evident cross-shopping.

2. The other group is who choose the XUV over the Fortuner and other 20L SUVs. Now this group I believe got attracted because of the sheer amount of gadgets combined with the SUV design. These would be the people who most likely will be booking the W8. If the cars don't deliver on a hassle free and luxurious ownership experience then the sales may take a hit on this front ( including the After Sales experience).

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

It would be ironic but its too early still to already call it that. I have always maintained this that Indian car makers are still a little behind on the learning curve. Or they are not behind but the other players in the market have an experience in making cars which goes back in decades.


But what piece of that gadgetry is absolutely brand new technology?......

1. I haven't written XUV off by any means. What I find disapponting is the half-baked product by a company that apparently has global ambitions, and had potential to be a 'game-changer' (as GTO says). As for going up against rivals with decades of MUV experience, that should've pushed M&M to being extra meticulous in their testing, instead of rushing the launch.

2. As for gadgets, they've never been M&M's strong point. One of my friends has a 2008-model Scorpio Vlx, and the TPM system keeps malfunctioning regularly, despite multiple attempts to fix it. He's fallen back on the trusty manual method now.

M&M (or any other manufacturer, for that matter) need to understand that gadgets alone don't make for a world-class VFM product; hassle-free functionality is equally important.

3. Someone upgrading from Scorpio might tolerate the niggles (though they shouldn't have to), but a potential 20-lac MUV/SUV customer wouldn't tolerate malfunctioning components left, right & centre.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

As for going up against rivals with decades of MUV experience, that should've pushed M&M to being extra meticulous in their testing, instead of rushing the launch.

+1. I always believe that the launch time of a car is in the hands of the car maker. They should launch it only when they are sure that its hassle free. In this case so many early owners of the XUV on the forum are reporting malfunctions including the official TBHP review. This is not acceptable.

M&M (or any other manufacturer, for that matter) need to understand that gadgets alone don't make for a world-class VFM product; hassle-free functionality is equally important.

I was under the impression that the Scorpio was relatively niggle free. As far as your statement is concerned there is a reason that the Innova manages 5000 units/month even without providing some very basic gadgets.

3. Someone upgrading from Scorpio might tolerate the niggles (though they shouldn't have to), but a potential 20-lac MUV/SUV customer wouldn't tolerate malfunctioning components left, right & centre.

Exactly what I said in my post above. People who are used to Maruti, Toyota, Honda etc. ownership experiences would not take this lightly. When you pay 15L you expect that much more.

[samm]

I had seen XUV5OO in flesh before and it look great and with all those gadgetries, it appeared to be a great product. This weekend 4 of us went with a purpose of considering it as a buying option. You know, when the perspective changes what you look for also changes. We were not very particular about test drive, though we did book one. For cars in that range, we first look for build quality and ruggedness and it must last for a lakh of km without falling apart.
We were considering a used TFort or a new XUV, but the build quality and the plastic quality of the XUV didn't give a reassuring feel of lasting some running. We checked out 2-3 of them including the display car, and we found some door lock not working on the display model, and for a couple of brand new cars lying outside, some plastic beading around wheel arches were loose and coming off. Having flimsy plastics around wheel arches where it will be subjected to stress due to various factors looked funny to us. Looked like it could be pulled of with fingers. Overall the plastic quality is average. Not good enough for a 15L car.

We also checked out some used TForts at around 18-20L at Toyota Trust. They had run around 60K km, and they were still in great shape. There is absolutely no gadgetry, no fancy stuff inside, but very sturdy and gives no feel of falling apart.

I think M&M needs to seriously consider their build quality if this is to cause any serious challenge to its competitors in the long term. We loved XUV, but will we buy it? Need to think again!

[TaureanBull]

I was going through this thread and the XUV bashing which went through in this thread. I dont disagree with the niggles and problems faced by XUV 5OO but the SUV has been accepted by the masses and the volumes speak for itself. Commercial success of the vehicle is a proof that the problems and niggles carried as 'part and parcel' are acceptable to the people.

Although I dont have any intention to disregard the OP but I think this thread was purposefully created for XUV bashing. The OP might have some personal interests. The OP has posted six times in the forum and the last one being the starting post of this thread. That leaves a lot of questions to be answered.

[raul]

The XUV story is in real danger of souring. There are way too many complaints. Most cars have issues, but with XUV the sheer numbers of reports are disconcerting.

Not everyone is having a hard time, forum members like Satya who have used their XUVs extensively over long distances and tough conditions remain upbeat about the vehicle's capabilities and reliability. Others not so.

This is a learning experience for Mahindra, QA, design, and a number of things need to be reworked to play in this segment where customer expectations are huge. At the moment it does look like the launch was rushed and more testing and reliability fixes were needed.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by hell yeah

Dear members,

I got the delivery of my XUV 500 W8 in moondust silver color on 30th November 2011 amidst pomp & splendour. ...

Will keep you posted on the developments!

Cheers,
Rup

Dear hell_yeah,

Any further updates on your XUV5OO?
Do you still have the car or sold it?

Thanks
SDP

[doble u]

thank for bringing this up. My dad wants to change his old workhorse(SX4) to something bigger to accommodate our increased family and the option is between Innova and XUV. While I have been advocating XUV due to its spenldid looks and gizmotry. My father, on the other hand, has his heart set towards the Jap cars (he faced such a torrid time with Palio that he did not allow me to even test drive Linea when I was buying my car). However, the more I read about the failures of M&M and Tata the more I feel constrained and it feels like that even though we may boast of having multiple options while choosing, the essential choice falls between MS, Toyota, Honda and probably Hyundai

No wonder MS is still ruling the roost!

[hell yeah]

Dear Comrades,

My sincere apologies for having gone incognito for over 2.5 yrs... and it feels great to be back on the forum after fighting some battles on personal and professional front!

While I write this post, I know that XUV 5OO have won more & more awards, have changed the face of M&M both in domestic and international markets and are riding high & soaring.

Apparently they also launched a limited edition Xclusive with some cosmetic additions like sunroof etc. and if one was to believe the grape vine, they are launching a facelift in a few months.

Coming back to my problem child, well I have been trying to discipline it and watching it grow. What I mean is, I havent sold it, have done 85,000 kms already and still waiting for an upgrade!

In the meantime, went off-roading, did forest trips, highway journeys and oh well yeah drove it around on pot-hole ridden roads of Mumbai. So while I just am happy with the car, it definitely has a price to it!

My visits to service centres continue. Until last September, the car was under warranty and hence my interests were covered:

1) My music system was replaced atleast thrice
2) Chiller box was replaced twice
3) Entire centre console was replaced once
4) AC parts had to be replaced twice
5) They have not been able to do anything about the door on the passenger side
6) Gear box was replaced once
7) Brake pads were replaced twice (that owes to the wear and tear and usage I presume)
8) Shock absorbers have not been of great quality since day 1
9) Dash board has been replace once and the storage space above the console has been replace thrice
10) LED lights had to be replaced once (within 3 months of buying the car) and headlights twice (once it was done for free on my insistence and once I had to pay)

Wow... almost a brand new car with all the above replacements!!

Having listed everything above, I still have kept the car because:

1) Its awesome to drive
2) The overall ride quality is great
3) Its spacious. We go for long drives with minimum 5-6 adults and 2 kids and with no crunch whatsoever
4) Mostly its me who does all the driving - 800 kms at one go at times and have never felt tired
5) Fuel economy is 17.1 kmpl and at times touches 19 kmpl.

To sum it up, as I mentioned earlier its my problem child - though it has problems I love it and at times at a price. Recently got 80,000 kms service done which costed me Rs 21,000/- as had to replace certain parts as the warranty has expired.

M&M is definitely committed for customer satisfaction. Mr Anand Mahindra's immediate response is a testimony to the fact that they take customer satisfaction seriously. In fact when I was going through all these problems earlier, as a compensation M&M fitted a carrier and side steps in the car, accessories worth almost Rs 40,000/-.

From experience, IMHO the same customer service is somehow not trickling down in the system, at the service centres and dealerships. I have moved to Ahmedabad since a year and the service quality is no different from what I experienced in Mumbai.

Again I repeat, that probably I was the lesser fortunate one to get a defective car from the word go... but am not complaining as I know that for the price tag, this is the best SUV in the market (better than Innova owing to the plethora of features XUV has bundled in). However price tag cannot mean a compromised service quality and standard, especially in the competitive world today! Or maybe I am victim to a certain Indian way of thinking - "itne paise mein itna ij milega!!" (pun intended)

I aint no expert but this is my personal opinion.

Cheers,
Rup

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by hell yeah

1) My music system was replaced atleast thrice
2) Chiller box was replaced twice
3) Entire centre console was replaced once
4) AC parts had to be replaced twice
5) They have not been able to do anything about the door on the passenger side
6) Gear box was replaced once
7) Brake pads were replaced twice (that owes to the wear and tear and usage I presume)
8) Shock absorbers have not been of great quality since day 1
9) Dash board has been replace once and the storage space above the console has been replace thrice
10) LED lights had to be replaced once (within 3 months of buying the car) and headlights twice (once it was done for free on my insistence and once I had to pay)

I am not much of a smiley guy, but this calls for and

They might as well have just given you a new car and that would be it. In any case this does not instill too much confidence in M&M engineering, though your positive comments on the customer service surely take away some pain.

I should hope that over all these years M&M have rectified most, if not all, of the niggles.