[dockap]

The wolverine, pronounced /ˈwʊlvəriːn/, Gulo gulo (Gulo is Latin for "glutton"), also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae (weasels). It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size. There are numerous reports of them taking on Wolves and even Bears with documented videos available on youtube.I like to think my Wolverine can take on the Audi,BMW,Toyota,Mitsubishi,Ford and Hyundai SUV's.


Wolverine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


M&M may have designed the XUV on the cheetah but i like to think my XUV is more like a Wolverine.

[dockap]

Background and Buying Overview

I had a Optra Magnum LT TCDI since 2007 and I was extremely satisfied with it but for 2 reasons

1.The ground clearance was inadequate for the roads which can get pretty bad during monsoon season in coastal Karnataka and Kerala also National Highway four lane work under progress in these areas. I had managed to rupture the oil sump twice but luckily in both instances the engine did not seize as I stopped the car and the GM service personal came and applied Mseal to the hole in the oil sump and drove the car to the service center to get the oil sump replaced.

2. As I live in a coastal city and also with heavy mining traffic from Bellary to Mangalore port to ship iron ore my car was given a daily under body coating of iron ore as I had to pass by the port everyday this lead to rusting of the wheel arcs and running board area which despite several scrapping and application of zinc primer and paint continued to worsen
Both these reasons made me think of buying a new car with good ground clearance and go anywhere capability. I used to own a Scorpio from 2002 to 2007 which satisfied both criteria so I thought why not buy a Scorpio again. I test drove one in 2010. The ride was fine on good roads but on bad roads my bones started aching from ride quality of the Scorpio so I dropped the idea. All along there were these rumors of Mahindra testing a new SUV which was slotted above the Scorpio later mentioned as the World SUV but my budget was 15 lakhs max and as such the top end Scorpio was costing close to that in Karnataka so I thought that the Mahindra world SUV when released will cost minimum 18 lakhs on road in Karnataka and out of my reach but still I keep reading the spy photos thread on the SUV in automotive forums.

September 2011 Mahindra announce the launch of the XUV and like many other guys I keep checking the automotive site forum threads on the XUV several times a day until the D day arrives on September 28th and watch the launch. Initially I was not very happy with the design of the front bumper and the hump over the rear wheel arc but the next day when they announce the price It overshadows these feelings and I decide to book the car but there is one big problem- Mahindra has launched the XUV in 5 metro cities only so I will have to wait for it to be launched in my city but my magnum oil sump ruptures again on 1st October and I decide I have to get the XUV so I call my Brother in law who lives in Bangalore and tell him to book the XUV and deposit the booking amount in his bank account. He calls me back the next day to confirm the model and colour and I think why not go for the AWD but this would mean overshooting my budget by 1 lakh. I think about it and I give the go ahead to my brother in law to book a volcano black AWD XUV which he does on 3rd October. On 5th October I come to know that Mahindra has stopped booking for the AWD and on 11th October they stop taking bookings altogether and I thank my lucky stars and the speed breaker which ruptured my magnum oil sump on 1st October which hastened my decision to book through my brother in law rather than wait for the launch to happen in my city which has not taken place so far and I don’t think it will happen for the next 6 months at least.

Next starts the agonizing wait. I have booked the vehicle without a proper review released or a test drive so much so I have not yet seen the XUV in the flesh so October end I drive down to Bangalore with my wife and kid and go to Sireesh auto for a test drive but because of the horrible traffic jams near Madivala We manage to reach the showroom at 7 pm which is closing time and have to return without a test drive but the next day we start early in the morning and reach the showroom by 11 AM and manage to get a short test drive which lays to rest a lot of my apprehensions about the vehicle except for the quality of the interior plastics and fit and finish and difficult in engaging second gear. The sales manager is unable to give a firm date of delivery but says AWD deliveries will only start from December. I drive back to Mangalore somewhat satisfied with my decision to buy the XUV. I keep pestering the XUV helpline for delivery date and Mahindra responds by giving an option to switch to the FWD and get faster delivery but I stick to my decision of the AWD and finally they give me a delivery date in March 2012 so I keep reading test drive reports and ownership reviews on the XUV.

In December 1st week I get a call from the sales executive from Sireesh Auto promising delivery on December 30th and I contact a local broker and fix up a price for my Magnum but decide to wait till I get delivery of my XUV which turned out to be a good decision because the sales executive later says he made a mistake and that delivery will be in March.

In February 2012 after opening bookings of the XUV sans AWD model for 10 days Mahindra announce deliveries starting from 1st march for the new lot of bookings so I send a couple of angry emails to M&M and XUV customer care about starting delivery for people who have booked 2 weeks back and I am waiting for delivery from last 5 months and to my surprise they respond by promising delivery by March 7th. Another reason worrying me was the price hike. On January 1st Mahindra had increased the price of AWD model by Rs 55,000 but I will have to pay only Rs 27,500 since I had already booked the vehicle and now there was rumors of extra tax of Rs 80,000 on diesel cars in the new budget which would mean I would have to shell out another lakh extra but now since I would get delivery on March 7th I would escape any price increase post budget.

After confirming delivery date again from Sireesh auto and getting the VIN number of my XUV I call up a local broker on 2nd March and sell my June 2007 Optra Magnum LT TCDI run 98,000 kms for Rs 4,50,000 with a heavy heart but the expected arrival of the XUV lifts my mood.

I discuss a name for our XUV with my 6 year old son and we decide on Wolverine after X Men Wolverine, one of his favorite films which he must have watched a hundred times.

On 2nd March I do a bank transfer of the ex showroom price of Rs 13,30,000 to Sireesh Auto and tell them to adjust the booking amount of Rs 40,000 for insurance, accessories and temporary registration. Insurance amount quoted was of Rs 48,000 for normal 1st party insurance but I was able to reduce it to Rs 33,500 zero depreciation buy giving them online quotes from the same insurance company.

On 6th March I take the night Volvo to Bangalore along with my wife and son to bring Wolverine home. Luckily for us my sister in law lives walking distance from Sireesh auto. After breakfast and freshen up at her place we take a Rick to Sireesh Auto. My son does the formalities of cutting the ribbon and uncovering Wolverine and taking over the keys.We are stunned to see Wolverine for the first time all shiny and gleaming with a deep wet black look. After delivery we are explained the features of the XUV and given the necessary papers, additional 3rd year warranty and documents for permanent registration of the vehicle in Mangalore. We settle the bill for the accessories and they give us a fuel voucher of 8 liters mentioning that they have already filled 2 liters in the vehicle .We fill up the fuel tank and start the drive back to Mangalore at 1 PM. Reached Mangalore at 7:30 PM with a stop for Lunch in between.The next day went to Sharavu Mahaganapathy temple and got the customary Pooja done with installation of the Indian anti glitch device of a lemon and chillies.

The first two photos below are of my Magnum taken on 2nd March 2012 on the day i sold her. The rest of the photos are of Wolverine taken at the time of delivery and the drive back to Mangalore.

[dockap]

List of accessories installed
Chrome for front grill, fog lamp and tail gate
Illuminated scuff plates
Car fridge
Premium floor mats
Rain Visors
Body side moldings
3M CS35 sun film for the side windows and rear. Garware Icecool shield for the windscreen
LCD rear view mirror with reverse camera
Waxoyl paint protection, cavity sealant and under body coating
Freebies from Dealer - Lord Ganesha idol and car perfume

Cost breakup.
Ex showroom Rs 13,29,500
Insurance( 0 depreciation ) Rs 33,500
Life tax Rs 2,50,800
Registration - temporary Rs 1,500
Registration – Permanent (Broker fee + choice of running no)Rs 3,000
Accessories Rs 50,000
Discounts Nil
Total Rs 16,68,300
Finance Nil

Dealership experience was bad initially after booking but after change of sales executive was good at the time of delivery

Some photos of Wolverine -
LCD rear view mirror with reverse camera.
16 GB micro USB drive i purchased.
Car fridge which also acts as center arm rest for middle row
The umbrella holder present in both front doors with the hole visible to drain water from the wet umbrella.
DC to AC convertor to charge laptops, tablets and digital cameras in the car. No more dead battery for digital camera on long drives.
Some cleaning and detailing products for Wolverine.
Cleaning kit for wolverine with various brushes and car vacuum cleaner. btw the duster is useless
Emergency medical kit and other things needed in emergency like hammer to break glass, led emergency light, Torch with Mini toolkit, file and scissors to cut jammed seat belts in case of emergency.
3 ton hydraulic jack, electric tape, 2 way gum, spare tubeless tire neck, lighter, electric tape, tire pressure gauge, electric air compressor and tubeless tire puncture repair kit.
After sun film installation and during the paint protection, cavity sealant and under body coating
Garden hose connected to outlet of 2 HP pump in out water well for giving Wolverine his beauty bath.

I have not added routine photos of the interior as they are available in many websites and test drive reviews but if anyone wants a photo of any particular area I will take it and post the same here.

[dockap]

Initial Ownership Impressions-
It took me a few days to be really comfortable with the XUV after driving a sedan for 5 years. The initial drive from Bangalore to Mangalore was a breeze as the roads were pretty good except for a small stretch in the ghats. I even got to try out the cruise control on the 4 lane stretch in Nelamangala. The XUV is a real eye catcher because of its standout design and also the novelty factor which wont last long considering the number of bookings it is garnering.

Exteriors and Design: looks, style, and design totally new compared to other vehicles available in the market. Build quality varies- panel gaps are ok, plastic parts develop scratch marks easily, the suspension feels bad when going over potholes and bumpy roads, paint coating seems like the layer of paint is very thin or single coat because even small stones while driving will cause the paint to chip off and expose the body. Special design elements / inspirations are from the cheetah as advertised by M&M but i like to refer to my XUV as Wolverine.

Interiors and Features: Interiors design is again totally different from the seat design to the dash and ac vents, quality, fit and finish is good compared to the test drive vehicle I drove in October. A/C is a chiller in fact even in this hot coastal area in summer during noon my wife sometimes asks me to switch off or increase the temperature on the climate control because it is so chilling. The vehicle has pillar mounted AC ducts for 2nd and 3rd row with separate blower control for 3rd row. Ergonomics is ok. The seats look spacious and inviting but the leather and cushioning is pretty hard but manageable. Leg space is huge in the front and second row. 3rd row is good for short people or kids only for long distance drives. Audio System with 6 inch colour display is pretty decent at low volume and has audio, video playback, with Aux and USB in along with built in Bluetooth, Satellite navigation and Vehicle info display like Vehicle milage, tyretronics, alarm info, service alerts along with reverse sensors and reverse camera input. If you are an audiophile you will need to change the stock speakers and add an amp, sound processor and sub woofer. There are individual reading lamps for all seats, Dashboard layout is good and center console does not hit your left knee like in some sedans. Boot space is nonexistent with the third row seats up, Ingress / Egress is OK for normal adults but children and elderly will need installation of the side foot steps to get in and out of the vehicle.

Engine and Performance: Engine Responsiveness is good , Acceleration with 0-100 figure of 12.8 seconds is good better than many small to midsize sedans, almost all hatch backs available in India, Turbo Lag is minimal, Braking feels inadequate but does the job finally, Clutch is pretty decent , Torque is good, Fuel Efficiency right now with 100% AC, lots of idling and mixed driving of city and highway for my AWD XUV is 10.5 as checked with tank full to tank full method after 3,000 kms, Gearbox is 6 speed manual / Gear Shifts are ok except for 2nd gear which can be pretty hard to engage sometimes. I have used the AWD lock only a couple of times when I had to climb and turn on a steep incline on a mud road and I had no problems but as for the AWD on demand I cannot make out when it get engaged and disengaged.

Ride and Handling: Comfort levels and seating position is good on smooth roads, seats although big and spacious are a bit hard. On bad roads and when going over potholes the suspension lets out thuds and whole vehicle wobbles like it will come apart any time. Otherwise NVH Levels are pretty good Maneuverability is pretty decent for such a big vehicle, Steering light is good at low speeds but does not weigh down enough at high speeds, low speed no problems and high speed behavior is pretty close to a sedan expect for some minimal body roll and screeching of tires when taking turns and emergency braking , It’s a breeze to drive in the city and a pleasure to drive on the highway on good to average roads. I have not yet done any off roading and I don’t think the XUV is built for any serious off roading but should be able to handle mild to moderate off roading without any problem as demonstrated in the Desert Storm 2012 where it roared past Grand Vitaras, gypsies, Toyotas and Mitsubishis etc at 160+ kph in the desert. The tires are adequate especially the Bridgestone’s but if one can afford it then I think its better to switch to broader profile tires.


Additional comments- I am using the XUV as a 5 seater with the last row of seats folded but sometimes when there is a need to use the last row it would have been better if M&M had given a sliding mechanism for the second row seat to free up some leg space for the last row.
Installation of a reverse camera is a must unless you want to run over some kid or reverse into some two wheeler . I have also installed a LCD rear view mirror because every time I start the car it takes at least 20 seconds for the infotainment system to boot up and then display the rear view from the camera whereas I get almost instantaneous display of the rear view on the LCD mirror.
For USB drive you need to purchase a micro USB drive otherwise you will not be able to close the cover of the console as the normal USB drive protrudes out.

Plus and minus points of the car and any shortcomings and early niggles faced
To many plus points overshadow the niggles. M &M have given so many features in the XUV that you will only find in a 40 lakh + vehicle. If I have to list all the features I will need another page. I especially love the cornering lamps, auto wipers, built in Bluetooth, satellite navigation and steering mounted controls. The hill descent control especially the hill hold control is pretty useful when going up steep ramps like in malls with stop go traffic and the electric auto folding ORVM’s. The front doors even have umbrella holders with an outlet for the water from the umbrella to drain out.

Shortcomings - The suspension is bad when going over potholes and on bumpy roads

Niggles faced so far-
Car failed to start on 2 occasions. I removed the key from the ignition waited for a minute and tried again and it started. Seems like it’s a known issue.
The steering Column rubs against your left foot when taking turns at crawling speed with the clutch depressed.
The entertainment system has stopped responding a few times and I have to switch it off and restart it.
Notchy second gear- sometimes it difficult to engage second gear.
Car alarm sounds randomly when parked without any intrusion attempt.
Grinding sound from the brakes.
Driver side ORVM hits the window beading in closed position.


Dealer experience if any – I live in Mangalore so I cannot visit the service center which at present is at Bangalore for any small niggle for which I have to wait for the 1st service which is yet to happen so I cannot comment on the service experience yet.

Any modifications planned in future – Speaker-Components-Amp+ Sub woofer ( I have these already from my previous car will get them installed shortly )

The last set of photos are taken at Someshwar beach Ullal, Mangalore where we had gone as my son wanted to do some kite flying. The area Wolverine is parked is the Southern tip of Karnataka state and on the other side of the river Kerala state is visible. There are several small islands in the river which joins the Arabian sea in the background. This is the same place where we had a Mangalore Team BHP meet around 3 years back and 2 BHPians including a Mod managed to get their vehicles stuck on the beach.

[_raVan_]

Congratulations on your AWD XUV As you said, every brilliant product has its own shares of niggles, but in here, the pros outweighs the cons. Be sure to go through the niggles excel sheet provided in the official XUV thread, and hope you will be able to solve them at the right time. Also, about the entertainment system conking off, do you have the latest firmware version?

[skanchan95]

Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another!

Congratulations and wish you many happy miles and memories with your Wolverine

The underbody coating comes with limited warranty( 3 or 5 years, I think). It should take care of underbody rusting. Please do have it checked from time to time for layer peel offs to prevent rusting.

Originally Posted by dockap

Dealer experience if any – I live in Mangalore so I cannot visit the service center which at present is at Bangalore for any small niggle for which I have to wait for the 1st service which is yet to happen so I cannot comment on the service experience yet.

Isn't there a Mahindra dealer near Kottara Chowki, Mangalore? I have seen Scorpios and Xylos on sale there or they don't sell/service XUVs?

MODS: please merge this post to my preceding post. Could not edit as 20 minute Edit limit had expired.

[HappyWheels]

A nice write up, Doc!

So, all that wait amounted to this - worth it, isn't it?

The amount of features packed into this machine and the price at which it is being offered is quite an achievement for M&M.

Wish you safe and happy miles ahead!

[Meer]

Congratulations Dockap, wishing you a satisfied and happy ownership of the Wolverine!

Your Optra has been maintained very well, does not look 5 years / ~ 1 lac kms old at all and that too with the kind of roads you had to travel, hats off to you!

Request you to keep adding your experiences to the official XUV thread.

Cheers...

[Ketan]

Congratulations on your new ride, XUV 500 AWD makes sens for the kind or practical usage you mentioned. I'm sure Wolverine is going to satisfy all your needs/exepctations.

I understand you should have M&M service center at Mangalore that you can go to for any issues (unless they are not trained for the vehicle and says they cant handle any service requests, which may be a case until they launch it in Mangalore).

You chose a very good color (even I feel the front grill is bit overdone, but dont know if its going to grow over the period of time), Wolverine wears a striking looks in this color. Wish you many more happy miles with your Wolverine.
Drive safe.

[dockap]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Congratulations on your AWD XUV

Thank you, I will have to wait for 1st service to sort out the niggles and update the firmware as i live in Mangalore and service is done at Bangalore.

Originally Posted by Ketan

Congratulations on your new ride, XUV 500 AWD makes sens for the kind or practical usage you mentioned.I understand you should have M&M service center at Mangalore. Wish you many more happy miles with your Wolverine.Drive safe.

Thanks, There is a M&M service center at Mangalore and that is where i got the paint protection and under body coating done but since the XUV is not yet launched in Mangalore i will have to go to Bangalore for servicing.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Isn't there a Mahindra dealer near Kottara Chowki, Mangalore?

Thanks, They will check the under body coating every time the vehicle goes for service. There is a dealer but i have to wait for official launch of XUV in Mangalore to get it serviced here

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

A nice write up, Doc! So, all that wait amounted to this - worth it, isn't it? The amount of features packed into this machine and the price at which it is being offered is quite an achievement for M&M. Wish you safe and happy miles ahead!

Thanks man, I am happy i followed your advice and waited for the AWD instead of switching to the FWD to get quick delivery and yes it is a huge achievement for an Indian manufacturer to introduce so many features at such an amazing price.

Originally Posted by Meer

Congratulations Dockap, wishing you a satisfied and happy ownership of the Wolverine!

Thank you, main reason for selling the Optra was the rust problem which was getting worst day by day. I will definitely keep adding my experiences to this and the main XUV thread.

One more night photo of my 2 Indian black beauties, Vista QJD and XUV500
( I keep looking for excuses for taking photos of Wolverine )

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by dockap

I have not added routine photos of the interior as they are available in many websites and test drive reviews but if anyone wants a photo of any particular area I will take it and post the same here.

Congrats on your purchase. Wishing you many happy kilometers on you XUV5oo.

May i make one request - I would like to see the switch / button / Lever that activates the AWD. Could you kindly put in a photo of the same.

[arup.misra]

Congrats on your Wolverine. Wish you have a trouble free ownership for many many years.

Did you get to use the AWD yet? How was your experience.

[aviorp]

Congratulations on owning this Black Beauty, dockap. Your Optra is an immaculately well maintained car. Shows your love for cars and you already seem to be gearing up to maintain the beast, with the set of cleaning/waxing products. Wish you miles of happiness. Please do post some pics of the interiors as well.

[rohitbagai]

Congrats for the AWD. If I remember correctly I saw the pics on Facebook wall when you took delivery. Nice actual indepth points that you have highlighted in your review. Wanted to know was the billing done at Bangalore address or Mangalore address as dealership here is not billing to a city where it's not yet launched.

[getsurya]

Hi Dockap,

Congratulations and your car looks awesome in black! I only wish M&M provides the options of some 'theme' settings on its red lcd panel display!

Good car there, Happy Motoring!