[Behemoth]

This is the sequel to my earlier thread:
Battle of the unequals: Skoda Yeti vs Honda Civic
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...km-driven.html

The Year is 2111 (yes! this story takes place in the future 100 years from now!)
Mankind is no longer what we knew it to be. Man has fused into a part android and part biological lifeform and these two systems coexist with each other in perfect harmony. The cities have evolved into protected, shielded and barricaded safe-zones, where the civilized inhabitants live. Outside the cities lie the netherworld lawless areas, where there is no law and most of the areas are deserts with extreme temperatures. Scavengers roam these deserts in search of helpless victims to loot and they believe in no laws or civilization.
Life in the cities is however much better. The entire cities are protected by an electromagnetic shield which protects the cities from harmful UV rays from the sun (the ozone layer was depleted in 2051, after the massive CFC gas leak which took place in 2050 from an industrial unit.)
It also retains the cool air to keep the temperatures within 27 Degrees, inspite of the outside temperatures reaching 80 Degrees.

Life in these "Modern" cities is very different from what mankind was used to.. Almost every thing is done virtually including the process of procreation ! There are no physical meetings and most people spend their time in the protected environs of their homes and interact virtually with their colleagues and peers over Virtual conferencing.
Man seldom travels outside his home and it is only the adventurous types who dare to venture outside the protected confines of the "Civilized world".
Transportation too, has evolved to a completely different level and Man and Machine fuse together as one.
It is not the man who owns the machine , but the machine which Possesses the man! Fuel costs have skyrocketed after the recent energy crises and the only source of fuel is Biologically generated diesel from waste and plant matter. The cost of fuel is now 3,790 Rs /L for the bio-engineered diesel - fuel efficiency is of utmost importance and every car manufacturer is pushing the limits on how to achieve more fuel efficiency from their vehicles, while delivering a thrilling driving experience for the drivers.

The technology on the machines have evolved to a much higher levels and there are tons of electronics in the cars to take care of creature comforts and ensure safety of the occupants. Cars have evolved to a new level of X-breeds - part SUV part Sedan and use so much technology to be driven as compared to the mechanical automatons of yesteryears.

Car technology has just taken a massive leap - once you sit inside the XUV5OO, you feel as if you have been transported 100 years into the future - so bold and futuristic is the design of the XUV, both inside and outside!

Let me introduce to you the two challengers which will be facing off with each other in the subsequent days and years and vying with each other for drive time and adventures:
The "Black Behemoth" A.k.a Skoda Yeti (a battle worn T1 model and the winner from the previous challenge of "Battle of the unequals")
and the new challenger - The "Silver Cheetah" A.k.a XUV 5OO - T5 model - which is the latest prototype in transportation technology.

Both have very high levels of futuristic technologies built into them. The Behemoth follows a high technology inside but very simplistic interface and less interaction with technology approach. The Cheetah follows a very flamboyant and open approach with its technology - just see the number of lights on the instrument console, the buttons on the centre console, the MID display, the mood lighting, the LED interior lights - all demand attention to the technology used in the Cheetah!

To give some background on the acquisition process of the "Silver Cheetah", we had booked the Cheetah on Oct 1 when the bookings had just started - the variant booked was W6 Silver. Initially we had planned two XUV5OOs (one for us to replace the Civic and one for my brother to replace his ageing Tata Safari.) But finally we decided that let's go with one first and test out the mettle of the XUV5OO and once it is proven well, we will take the plunge for the second XUV5OO in March-April.
The decision for the XUV was taken very quickly and there was no competitor / alternative that was even considered as we did not have any equivalent Car/ SUV in the same price range. We were completely sold for the XUV5OO and it was love at first glance and it was as if the Car had chosen us and not the other way round!
After an initial delivery date communication of Feb 17, 2012, we tried to expedite the delivery through some key people in Mahindra and were successful in getting the date advanced to Nov 27, 2011. We were waiting anxiously for the delivery, when on Nov 7th we got a communication from Sterling Motors that our XUV was in production and was expected to be dispatched from the factory on the 9th. It was dispatched as promised and landed at the Mahindra showroom yard on 14th Nov. We took the delivery on 16th Nov evening from Sterling Motors Gurgaon. 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. The Display piece was a Sep-2011 manufactured unit (pre-launch) and it must have been badly abused by the 1000s of people who had been thronging the dealership since launch on Sep 30th. Also, any subsequent production units would also have some product improvements already implemented in them, which the pre-launch units would not have. The amount of interest that the XUV has generated in such a small amount of time is unmatched and very few launches in the past few years have gotten this level of response and bookings so fast. The last examples I can recall are the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Figo!
Everyone has been literally shocked by the Value for money positioning that Mahindra has offered with the XUV - to give a relative comparison, my brother had bought his Tata Safari almost 4 1/2 years back for close to 12 Lacs on road. Now, the XUV has been procured for an almost same price (12.2 on road) and offers much better technology and features and fit finish than what the Safari offered. If we also factor in the time value of money, we are actually getting the XUV at Rs 9 lacs at 2006 price levels (an approximation with 6% interest factor!), which further leads us to believe that either the Safari was overpriced at that time or the costs for the Safari were much higher! No offense to Tata loyalists (even I am one!) but there seems to be a major gap in the way Tata has priced/ costed some of its products.

Coming back to the Silver Cheetah, the delivery was taken at 5:30 pm and was a cordial affair, with an unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a demo of the car by the Sales engineer. We also did a full inspection of the car as per TBHP PDI checklist and were satisfied. It was getting a little dark and since all of us had come straight from office, we did not bring our Camera and took only a few pictures with our Mobile cameras - Over the next few days we will be taking many more better pictures of the Cheetah.
After taking the delivery, we went to the Temple to get the Puja done and the Cheetah was formally anointed.

So after the formal induction of the Silver Cheetah to the family, let us begin the duel between the Cheetah and the Behemoth!

Some of our initial observations and experiences:

1) Engine, drivetrain and driving thrill : The Cheetah's engine is very quiet and refined. Comparatively, the Behemoth's engine is much more noisier ! The NVH dampening on the Cheetah is much better and one is very well isolated from the engine noise even in higher rpms. However as the engine is new, it seems a little bit constrained in terms of response and will take some time to open up in the run-in period. It also seems that Mahindra have detuned the engine a bit for better FE and reduced the torque in the 1000-2000 rpms for better FE. There has been an engine ECU update on the XUV, which was implemented on the XUV recently and the Cheetah should have already had this applied at the factory - we will still recheck this again.
The Behemoth's engine feels much more open (having completed 14,000 kms in one year so far) and is very eager to respond and surges ahead. Even the Behemoth's engine had an Engine ECU update applied last month and it also had the same effect of flattening the torque curve a bit along with the AC effectiveness improvement. In the Behemoth, it has also improved FE for me by almost 5%. Earlier I was getting 14.5kmpl-15.5 Kmpl and now I am getting almost 16.6 to 18 kmpl.
It seems all manufacturers are now tweaking their engines for better FE and lower lowend torque (both Diesel engines and Petrol engines) to improve mileage. This does reduce the driving thrill and one has to push the accelerator more to get the expected response from the engine.

The Cheetah's engine is a smooth and powerful unit and able to pull the vehicle quite well. We will not push the engine too much in the first 1000 Kms, and only after the run-in period is over, will we stretch it to its limits. Subsequently, we will also attempt to do some comparisons on the acceleration with the Behemoth. The Current Mileage that the Cheetah is showing on the MID is 11.3 Kmpl over the 40 kms that have been covered in 1 day.

The Gearbox of the Cheetah is quite smooth and at least in our car, it did not display any hesitation in putting in 1st and 2nd gears like some other users had complained. There is also no vibration in the gear lever at all!

2) Interior space and Interior finish: The Cheetah in Silver comes with Black and Plum interiors, and we actually like this combination more than the Beige and Brown interiors. Mahindra has done a lot of improvements to the fit and finish of the XUV even since launch and the improvements in the interiors are very well visible. In fact, they have changed the colour of the interior centre console to a dark reddish brown from the initial plum colour and this looks much richer than what the Plum colour was looking when I had first seen the demo vehicles. However, there is now a colour mismatch between the door inserts and the AC surrounds, which are still in the old Plum colour! We would have liked if they were also in the same brown colour as the centre console. Have any other XUV buyers also observed this colour difference?

The fabric seats in Black and Plum colour, are quite comfortable and are not too soft and provide good cushioning. The seating posture in the Cheetah is also comfortable and has many adjustments to reach the perfect seating position. There is also Lumbar support adjustment and driver seat height adjustment. The amount of legroom in the Cheetah is phenomenal in the first and second rows and one 6 footer can sit very comfortably behind another 6 footer in the driver seat (physically checked, as my brother and his brother in law are close to 6 feet). The headroom is also good and there is a good clear space above even the middle row passengers heads. There is also zero Transmission hump in the second row which is very good for middle row passengers.
The third row seats are quite smallish and actually good only for kids (adults will not be able to sit there more than 60 min!) or for keeping luggage with the seats folded down.
The dark interior colours do give a perception of slightly less space than what there really is (visual effect of dark colours on human perception).
In the Behemoth, the Leather seats have weathered very well in the past one year, and stood even the roughest abuse from my son and even my dog. We had recently gotten the interiors cleaned professionally and the seats are as good looking as there were on the day of delivery one year back. The space in the Yeti is also commendable for its small size and 4 passengers sit very comfortably with ample headroom and legroom (in fact headroom in Behemoth is more than the Cheetah - will also take some seat to roof and floor to roof measurements soon). It is only when you have to seat 5 people that it becomes a little tight.

3) Ride quality and suspension:The Cheetah's suspension is tuned more for comfort and is on the softer side. There is a small amount of roll and wallowing over undulating surfaces and one does get a boaty feel (though it is much much less that the earlier Safari). We also appreciate the ride quality of the Behemoth now and it has one of the best ride and handling for a X-over SUV. Even though it is slightly stiff at lower speed, the benefits of better handling are clearly visible.
The Cheetah literally floats over surfaces and sometimes feels a little disconnected from the road surface. We are yet to take it at higher speed over rough terrain, and will test it out over the weekend.
The suspension of the Cheetah absorbs the road imperfections well and the cabin occupants are well isolated.
The Tyres fitted on the Cheetah are JK Tyres Elanzo , which seem to be specially developed OEM tyre for the XUV by JK. In tread pattern, they are like most HT/S type tyres for SUVs and asymmetric in tread design. We are planning to change the steel wheels to alloys subsequently when we have a good range of choices available.

Steering on the Cheetah is quite light, though it feels a little vague and disconnected, especially at high speed. In the Behemoth, the steering is also light but very accurate. Also, at higher speeds, the Cheetah's steering doesn't weigh down as much as I would have liked.

4) Boot space and versatility: Boot space in the Cheetah is quite good if the 3rd row seats are folder down. My guess is that it should be around 800L from floor to ceiling - however will measure the exact dimensions over the weekend and compare with the Yeti.
The 3rd row seats fold flat and are 50:50 Split. The 2nd row seats are also split folding (70:30). Both the Cheetah and the Behemoth are equally versatile when it comes to seat flexibility.
When the 3rd row seats are up, there is very little space in the boot of the Cheetah and max 2 laptop strolley bags can be accommodated.

5) Airconditioning and heating: This is one area where the Cheetah completely trumps the Behemoth. The Cheetah has split front and rear airconditioning and vents on 2nd row B-Pillar and also on the C-Pillar. There is a separate blower control for the 3rd row vents and a separate evaporator control (Rear-AC) button for the 3rd row air conditioning. It is also a full fledged Automatic climate control system and shows all the settings on the MID in graphical view. The cooling is very good and much better than the Behemoth's.
Also the vents spew air at a good speed even in the 3rd row so there will be no dearth of cool air anywhere in the Cheetah (even in the third row.) In the Behemoth, cooling is comparatively slower and takes more time to cool especially in the rear.
We have not yet tried the heating and will be trying it out over the next few days as the weather gets cold.

6) Lighting (exterior and interior):This is also another area where the Cheetah Aces over the Behemoth. It literally rips the darkness away with its strong lights, which have good throw and beam consistency. The high beam and low beams can be switched on together and are really very effective at night. We are planning to change the low beams to HID Xenons (Philips / Osram) as the headlamp assembly for the low beams is a projector unit and can effectively work with HID Xenons very well.
The interior mood lighting is also nice, though it looks a bit Disco-esque with its red glow. The map lights with their Bluish white LEDs are a little bit too bright and cause a bit of discomforting glare.

6) ICE: One more Ace for the Cheetah. In the W6 variant which we have, the screen is a monochrome non-touchscreen display. However the graphical display is very good and we found the sound to be quite good. We had asked the Sales engineer, he said that it is a Kenwood OEM unit. The variety of settings is quite good and even though I am not an audiophile, I felt that the system is capable of a lot more than what the speakers can deliver. An upgrade of the speakers should be able to deliver much better sound results.
We also checked the Bluetooth phone pairing and it works like a charm. The HU is also able to play MP3 from the USB smoothly and displays the playlists. All AC settings are visible on the HU display and it is also the central display for all vehicle information like Fuel efficiency and alerts and reverse parking sensors. It is a fully integrated unit with the car electronics (Probably CAN network). Users who are looking to upgrade even the HU would lose a lot of functionalities - so please reconsider this! It also seems to have a built in sound processor to create virtual surround sound - called Mahindra Moods!
The sound of the Cheetah's system is also punchy and carries a decent amount of clean bass without vibrations, but lacks a little clarity in mid and high ranges. Adding a few extra tweeters may improve the SQ. However Sound quality is very subjective and I like my music clean and natural rather than thumpy! The Behemoth's music system scores 10% higher than the Cheetah's on Sound Quality, but loses out a lot in terms of other missing functions like no Bluetooth Connectivity (on the Swing system which I have in my Ambiente).

7) VFM, Cost of running and service experience!!: The VFM proposition for the Cheetah is undebatable and the price/ size ratio is also very good in Indian mentality. The overall package that it offers for the price at which we got is well worth it.
The Yeti however seems highly overpriced now in retrospective, considering that we had paid almost 16.6 L on road for it! However the build quality of the Yeti is very good and what it lacks in size, it makes up in nimbleness, power, FE and ease of driving.
I might give 1 Lac extra for global quality + 1 Lac for 4x4 and ESP and electronics + 50K for leather seats, and 14.5 Lacs would be a more reasonable onroad price for the Ambiente in Gurgaon.

As of now it is too early to comment on the costs of the running for the Cheetah, but we expect the mileage to be in the range of 12-13 Kmpl in mixed driving once the engine is bedded in.
The service experience for the Behemoth has already been shared on my earlier thread.
We hope that the Cheetah will not require too much service - though it may have to undergo a series of firmware updates as a result of product improvements in the next few months.

8) Others:
Some more +ves:
The ORVMs of the Cheetah are amazing. Compared to the Behemoth piddly ORVMs they seem like a blessing - they are very wide and have a good field of view. However, the inside rear view mirror is miniscule and view is extremely narrow - will need a clip on IRVM soon! The visibility of the rear is also restricted by the 2nd and 3rd row seats and the small size of the rear hatch. The reverse sensors are good though and aid in parking in tight conditions.
One thing I loved about the Cheetah is the size of the rear door windows and the fact that they open fully all the way down. In the Behemoth, the windows are much smaller and open only 60%.

Some -ves of the Cheetah:
1) When the clutch is pressed and the steering wheel is turned, the universal joint of the steering column rubs against you foot! This can get quite unnerving if you are not prepared for it. Only way is to press the clutch from a low place than what you would normally do in other cars!
2) Another aspect which we did not like too much is the Moustache design on the rear tailgate - it really looks out of place!

3) The driver side door on the Cheetah does not close too easily and needs a lot of effort / force to close it - need to get it adjusted!
4) The Cheetah's brakes are a little "Woozy" and lack bite and response - probably due to being new. The Monster's brakes are much more effective and responsive.


Verdict: The XUV5OO is a X-breed SUV which has raised the bar for all vehicles and shown that an Indian manufacturer can make world class designs and produce them well. It is also powered by a very proven and capable engine and makes a very strong story for itself.
If the Yeti was a 9/10 on my earlier scale, the XUV has just walked in and raised the bar to a 15 point scale and scored 11/15 !


However the Cheetah will need to prove itself over time, especially with its electronics and the battle will continue.
We will continue sharing further updates pictures and comparisons of the X-breeds in the next few days!

Regards,
Behemoth

[Behemoth]

Hi Everyone,

The Battle now moves to the next level with the entry of the XUV5OO in our family!
This is the new thread I have started for the comparison between our XUV and Yeti.

Regards,
Behemoth

[Swanand Inamdar]

That is one enviable battle that the cars are fighting, Behemoth! Congratulations on the purchase. XUV sure has blown away minds of every car enthusiast out there. What with the pricing and the features.

Good to read the new comparo between the "Black behemoth" and the "Cheetah".
Wish you many safe miles with all the 3 beasts in the garage.

As usual, my request remains the same - more pics. Interiros, exterirors, posteriors et al .

[ajay_satpute]

Amazing writeup. Superb collection.

I knew that the XUV is a wonderful product, but never imagined it would trump the Yeti in most aspects. It puts the XUV high-up in the SUV/Cross-over/MUV rankings in India. I had also commented on the XUV thread that even Toyota must be worried about their own Fortuner's sales after looking at XUV's superior quality and superb price. Fortuner costs exactly twice as that of the XUV and XUV has much much better interiors compared to the Fortuner. So for a not-so-enthusiast, XUV would make a lasting impression in first attempt. What say Behemoth?

[shankar.balan]

great comparo
thanks!

I would also have bought the XUV without batting an eyelid. But I find that its too large and wide for our bangalore roads.
the yeti fits the bill as a compact littlebeast so I chose that and am going with it.

cheers
happy motoring with both your monsters!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

That is one enviable battle that the cars are fighting, Behemoth! Congratulations on the purchase. XUV sure has blown away minds of every car enthusiast out there. What with the pricing and the features.

Good to read the new comparo between the "Black behemoth" and the "Cheetah".
Wish you many safe miles with all the 3 beasts in the garage.

As usual, my request remains the same - more pics. Interiros, exterirors, posteriors et al .

Thanks Swanand!
Your wish will be fulfilled very soon with a lot of pics of the new Cheetah. We had originally planned the photoshoot in this weeked, but home renovation, & family urgencies just did not leave enough time! Definitely on the cards for next weekend.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Amazing writeup. Superb collection.

I knew that the XUV is a wonderful product, but never imagined it would trump the Yeti in most aspects. It puts the XUV high-up in the SUV/Cross-over/MUV rankings in India. I had also commented on the XUV thread that even Toyota must be worried about their own Fortuner's sales after looking at XUV's superior quality and superb price. Fortuner costs exactly twice as that of the XUV and XUV has much much better interiors compared to the Fortuner. So for a not-so-enthusiast, XUV would make a lasting impression in first attempt. What say Behemoth?

Thanks Ajay!
Both have their strong points, and the Yeti definitely has better build quality and fit finish. However the XUV just takes the cake in terms of features and overall package, at that price point (or even at a 1L higher price than current price). In fact, all cars in the 10-15 Lac price bracket will be affected by the XUV - it is now upto Mahindra now to deliver on that promise. Competition is always good and in the end the customer wins, with better choice and better prices.
Yes, the XUVs interiors are very good, but Toyota still has a very strong following for its reliability and ruggedness - but I am sure every new Fortuner buyer will think, is it worth 10L extra over the XUV?

For a Car enthusiast, the XUV is less thrilling / involving to drive than the Yeti and may not be the first choice.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

great comparo
thanks!

I would also have bought the XUV without batting an eyelid. But I find that its too large and wide for our bangalore roads.
the yeti fits the bill as a compact littlebeast so I chose that and am going with it.

cheers
happy motoring with both your monsters!

Yes, today's cities really make driving / parking for large vehicles very challenging. In Delhi, space is a nightmare and parking is a big challenge. Fortunately in Gurgaon it is not yet that bad.
The Yeti is a great choice and will serve you very well !

Regards,
Behemoth

[drchernish]

Congratulations for the cheetah,its looking killer.Mahindra are going to have a problem with this vehicle-how to make enough of it....a problem which any manufacturer would love to have.Well done Mahindra.I am also in line for xuv just waiting for the automatic to launch.And please some more pictures please.Enjoy.

[SushilBajpai]

Congratulations Behemoth! Wonderful write-up too. Look forward to the unfolding of the battle.

Will both cars travel to Leh - or would the place be reserved for the one that wears better set of boots?

I am sure Skoda would be anxiously reading your thread too.

Drive safe.

[contessa]

Congrats Behemoth on your new Cheetah. You review gives a very good perspective on the two cars.

Enjoy

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by drchernish

Congratulations for the cheetah,its looking killer.Mahindra are going to have a problem with this vehicle-how to make enough of it....a problem which any manufacturer would love to have.Well done Mahindra.I am also in line for xuv just waiting for the automatic to launch.And please some more pictures please.Enjoy.

Thanks DrChernish! Yes, this is a good problem for any manufacturer to have! We hope that they will be able to increase the supplies to much higher levels. I feel that a monthly sales of even 4K per month is also possible, as it will eat away quite a lot from sedan sales too.
The Automatic is currently not in the radar till Jun-2012, plus as the demand for all high volume variants (W6, W8 non-AWD) is much higher, they may not want to focus too much on lower volume variants (AWD, Auto). In fact, AWD supplies are also extremely short and most people who have booked W8 AWD version have been given delivery dates of Mar-2012 (this is what we came to know from Sterling). In fact my choice was the W8 AWD, but my brother was fine with W6.
Will share many pics on the weekend.. (unfortunately on weekdays we get back late!)

Originally Posted by SushilBajpai

Congratulations Behemoth! Wonderful write-up too. Look forward to the unfolding of the battle.

Will both cars travel to Leh - or would the place be reserved for the one that wears better set of boots?

I am sure Skoda would be anxiously reading your thread too.

Drive safe.

Thanks Sushil!
Plan as of now is to take both cars to Leh, but subject to the Yeti getting better boots. We have time till June - hopefully some options should be available by then!
I do hope that Skoda follows our threads and takes it positively and can learn from the experiences that we share with regards to their cars.
One aspect I was very pleasantly surprised by Mahindra is the proactive approach they have taken for problem resolution - it is very quick and if required, they also come to your house to resolve the issues (I believe Pankaj has already experienced this.). On the other hand, with Skoda, you need to take the car to the dealerships and find a much more lackadaisical approach - often they react as if "There is no problem with you car, the problem lies in your driving style!" - which was what happened when I was following up with them for the AC cutting off problem.

Skoda cars are good in their technology and build, but no car is perfect and every manufacturer must understand this. Whatever problems surface (however rare) and how they address them, determines a customer's satisfaction in the long run.

From my experiences, even most Japanese/ Korean manufacturers have a hypothetical problem rate of 3 per 100 per year / (instead of 1 per 100 per year for Germans), but the fact that they react very quickly to resolve and correct the issues, keeps their customers very happy.

Originally Posted by contessa

Congrats Behemoth on your new Cheetah. You review gives a very good perspective on the two cars.

Enjoy

Thanks Contessa!

Regards,
Behemoth

[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!

[_raVan_]

Congratulations on your XUV Behemoth! And I liked your comparison between the two. What about driver fatigues over long drives? Also, on which points does the Yeti beat the Cheetah?

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Congratulations on your XUV Behemoth! And I liked your comparison between the two. What about driver fatigues over long drives? Also, on which points does the Yeti beat the Cheetah?

Thanks _raVan_!
We haven't yet taken the Cheetah on long drives, but I feel that it will be more comfortable over long drives, as it has a softer suspension and better noise insulation.

The Yeti is much better than the Cheetah on several parameters:
1) Overall fit finish and build quality
2) Driver thrill and involvement in driving
3) Engine response (low rpm torque) and acceleration
4) Steering accuracy
5) Fuel efficiency (consistently 16-18 for mixed use vs 12-13 for the Cheetah)
6) Small size and nimbleness in cities (very good front visibility and small turning radius - 5 m)

Overall, the Yeti is much more a driver's car, while the XUV is a good family car!

Regards,
Behemoth

[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.

[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.