[ACM]

Behemoth - Nice Comparo

Will keep an eye on this one.

I guess in the long run it will be all about the XUV managing to keep niggle free vs the presumed better electronic component reliability levels in the Yeti and of the Composure of the Yeti (almost car) like vs the SUVish XUV though it is a monocoque. And finally the driving pleasure.

The XUV has it's quirks but will be noticed much more on the road both in terms of numbers and its presence and unique visibility quotient.

[AutoIndian]

Great write-up & thanks for bringing up this comparison, makes sense when it comes from a single owner of both vehicles, eliminates the subjectivity.

As you rightly said the 5OO is more of a family car & suitable for long drives. The Yeti being smaller in size, looks nimble & more suitable for intra-city trips. Wish Mahindra can, in future, bring in the XUV 4OO, with reduced dimensions, suitable for a family of 5 & price it just under 10 lacs OTR. Many hatch owners planning to upgrade to a sedan would simply gobble up the product. I for one would definitely do so. The upcoming Renault Duster & the Ford Ecosport fit my bill perfectly.

[vijit.gangwar]

Amazing write up, read the total post without breathing. ever think of taking up screen writing for movies?

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by GTO

Great comparo! The Skoda Yeti has a level of finesse that Mahindra will take atleast 20 years to match. However, the XUV500 more than makes up for that with its absolutely VFM pricing. Heck, everything from the Yeti to the Fortuner suddenly looks over-priced.

I think the XUV500 is a well-rounded product. Mahindra has to only ensure that its reliability is consistently good.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks GTO! I have always been very impressed with your detailed reviews and it feels great to get this compliment from you!
Mahindra have a sure winner on their hands - they just need to tread carefully in the first few months, and seeing current responsiveness from Mahindra, they are seriously trying hard!

Originally Posted by SDP

Behemoth,
Fantastic writeup and a very detailed comparison. A comparison coming from an owner who has both the contenders in the garage - it can't get more objective than that!

You have mentioned that the fit & finish of the XUV has improved as compared to the TD vehicles. Any more details around this and snaps would be highly appreciated.

PS: the initial portion of your first post reminded me of a Stalone movie - Judge Dredd! Well written.

Thanks SDP!
Yes, it is a unique position to be in, and we end up evaluating our cars very critically! Because of a strong competitor / contender standing next to it, the comparison is very visible! Even the XUV has changed the reference standard for the Yeti in many areas.
(Yup, now when I think of it, it is very similar to Judge Dredd!)

Originally Posted by dkaile

Congratulations on the Cheetah. The silver does look very well finished from the outside. Some detailed interior shots of the 'new' interiors would be most welcome. Saw a few on the road yesterday for the first time on my trip to Delhi. The headlights do look super bright though it did look a size minus than what I had anticipated. Hope it will hold its ground after the initial buzz is over and doesn't end up as a poor man's Toyota...

Great comparo BTW.

Yes, detailed pics will be on the way soon and hope to give you some pics of previously unseen areas of the XUV too! Even in the interiors, the finish has improved dramatically over the initial pre-launch units - and it is visible.
You will actually be surprised that in the inside of the XUV there is a lot of space than what it appears from the outside! There is generous cabin width and even headroom in the middle row.
The effort that Mahindra has put in the XUV is commendable and it is a pathbreaking design, both inside and outside.

Originally Posted by ACM

Behemoth - Nice Comparo

Will keep an eye on this one.

I guess in the long run it will be all about the XUV managing to keep niggle free vs the presumed better electronic component reliability levels in the Yeti and of the Composure of the Yeti (almost car) like vs the SUVish XUV though it is a monocoque. And finally the driving pleasure.

The XUV has it's quirks but will be noticed much more on the road both in terms of numbers and its presence and unique visibility quotient.

Yes, keeping our fingers crossed! The Yeti has proven electronics (been in international markets for 4 years now and is a decent success in Europe 100 K units sold so far!). The XUV on the other hand is experimental in its technology (that's also one of the reasons we took the W6 variant with lesser technology)!
Driving pleasure is higher in the Yeti, it is a responsive, chuckable machine, which gives you a thrilling drive. The XUV comparatively feels a bit sedate and domesticated!

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Great write-up & thanks for bringing up this comparison, makes sense when it comes from a single owner of both vehicles, eliminates the subjectivity.

As you rightly said the 5OO is more of a family car & suitable for long drives. The Yeti being smaller in size, looks nimble & more suitable for intra-city trips. Wish Mahindra can, in future, bring in the XUV 4OO, with reduced dimensions, suitable for a family of 5 & price it just under 10 lacs OTR. Many hatch owners planning to upgrade to a sedan would simply gobble up the product. I for one would definitely do so. The upcoming Renault Duster & the Ford Ecosport fit my bill perfectly.

Yes, in 2012, there will be many more entrants in the X-over category esp. the Duster and the Ecosport, which will give worthy competition to the Yeti and the XUV. The XUV4OO is also on the cards, though we don't know yet when it may get released.
The more the options the better for all of us!

Originally Posted by vijit.gangwar

Amazing write up, read the total post without breathing. ever think of taking up screen writing for movies?

Thanks Vijit! Interesting suggestion : maybe should start considering alternate careers !

Thanks everyone!

Regards,
Behemoth

[nitinralli]

Congrats on your silver streak. Mine too is on the way this Thursday same as yours,W6 silver.

One thing i wanted to ask if you know. Do you know the PCD for XUV? I am sure you would be going in for Alloys sooner or later, hence you would need to know this. I too need to have after market alloys but i don't know what PCD it comes in. I cant imagine myself driving without alloys

[Gerardfdz]

Behemoth you mention

The delivery experience was not so smooth as my brother had to spend almost 6 hours at the dealership as they were initially trying to push the Display unit (same W6 silver) to us instead of the new car. After a lot of running around and checking of the documents / DCs we traced the new car and insisted that we get the new one and not the display unit

How was it possible to change the vehicle, once all the documents are in your name?
I too should be taking delivery shortly and have a bad gut feeling!
Every time I've asked the dealer for the vehicle details, they evaded giving me. Yesterday finally it was given, but when my relative went to see the vehicle at the workshop to do the PDI he was told it is already sent to the showroom!
There has been a vehicle on display with the same colour lying in the showroom since launch. I just hope it is not the one!
Regards

[SushilBajpai]

Originally Posted by Gerardfdz

Behemoth you mention

How was it possible to change the vehicle, once all the documents are in your name?
I too should be taking delivery shortly and have a bad gut feeling!
Every time I've asked the dealer for the vehicle details, they evaded giving me. Yesterday finally it was given, but when my relative went to see the vehicle at the workshop to do the PDI he was told it is already sent to the showroom!
There has been a vehicle on display with the same colour lying in the showroom since launch. I just hope it is not the one!
Regards

You should look at the date of manufacture and the number of kilometers on the odometer. Don't accept the vehicle if it has done anything more than 100 km or so. Typically this figure should be around 50 km.

I don't recall the mileage clocked by behemoth's vehicle on delivery, but that should provide an indication.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by nitinralli

Congrats on your silver streak. Mine too is on the way this Thursday same as yours,W6 silver.

One thing i wanted to ask if you know. Do you know the PCD for XUV? I am sure you would be going in for Alloys sooner or later, hence you would need to know this. I too need to have after market alloys but i don't know what PCD it comes in. I cant imagine myself driving without alloys

Hi Nitin,

We have not yet explored the Aftermarket Alloys option - Maybe we will start looking after a 2-3 weeks. Even I am not too sure about the PCD size! It is mentioned on the inside of the alloys, so we can't even see it unless the wheels are taken off! Do let me know in case you are able to find out.

Originally Posted by Gerardfdz

Behemoth you mention

How was it possible to change the vehicle, once all the documents are in your name?
I too should be taking delivery shortly and have a bad gut feeling!
Every time I've asked the dealer for the vehicle details, they evaded giving me. Yesterday finally it was given, but when my relative went to see the vehicle at the workshop to do the PDI he was told it is already sent to the showroom!
There has been a vehicle on display with the same colour lying in the showroom since launch. I just hope it is not the one!
Regards

Hi Gerard,
The VIN number allotted to a customer is normally never told to the customers by the dealer and is displayed only on their Mahindra World Dealer management system - start with this - ask them to show the order details and the vehicle details against your order on their system.
Then, verify the Delivery challan they would have received for the vehicle to check the physical delivery date of that specific VIN#.
Don't take a vehicle which has been manufactured in Sep-2011 - these are all pre-launch vehicles and being used mostly for display.
Also, check the physical condition of the vehicle:
1) All seat polythene covers should be present
2) Steering wheel, door handles, seats should be clean and unused (for display vehicles they start to look worn out)
3) Odo should not read more than 100 Km (in our case the ODO read 75 km)
Also, do go through the detailed TBHP PDI checksheet for other aspects to check before taking the delivery.

All the best!
Regards,
Behemoth

[Behemoth]

Hi Everyone,
Uploading pics which I had taken over the weekend of our two X-breeds! Uploading multiple posts due to 10pics per post limit.

[Behemoth]

Set 2 of Pics:

















The offending steering joint which rubs against the left foot when the clutch is pressed is visible in these two pics.

[Behemoth]

Set 3 of Pics:

[Behemoth]

Set 4 of Pics:

[Behemoth]

[Behemoth]

Set 5 of Pics:

[Behemoth]

Final Set!