[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by SDP

Do let us know your experience with Infinity when you try them next time.

My XUV had the following things to be looked after -

1) A broken charging point
2) Vibrations under heavy acceleration
3) Thud noise from suspension
4) A strange noise from the engine compartment (probably the siren touching the belt)
5) Check brake grinding noise

I had enough of Global Gallarie. I had vowed never to take my car there anymore. So this time I took an appointment at Infinity Autolinks, which is just a 15 mins drive from my office.

As soon as I entered Autolinks, it was a different experience altogether. Firstly, it was much more spacious and organised than GG. Being a busy day, I was made to wait for almost 30 minutes till the SA came. But after that, everything was smooth sailing. The SA was more eager to hear me out and help me. He was very honest about what can be done and what would be difficult. Infact he was even keen to sit in the car with me to discuss the probable issues, the solutions and after effects. Overall, a very nice and friendly experience.

I gave them the car at about 11:30 am. They have promised to deliver the car tomorrow at 4:30 pm. The job card has about 10 issues mentioned. The best part was that the overall bill estimation is just about Rs. 1000/-. Compare this to GG (Global Gallarie) who is always willing to fleece customers. Moreover, he even threw in a 'general checkup' of my car for free. The checkup includes a check up of all the fluids of the car and a health check up of the tyres, suspension, brakes, etc. It also covers stuff like unnecessary rattling.

GG lost my service booklet and even after repeated reminders, they did not return it back to me. The SA over here advised me on the procedure to get my service booklet back.

A while back, the SA called me to update me on the work being done on my car. The solutions for the issues mentioned by him were -

1) A broken charging point - will be replaced

2) Vibrations under heavy acceleration - mounts in XUV needs re-torquing and greasing at every service as per him. GG has not been doing it. He did it and hopefully the problem will be solved.

3) Thud noise from suspension - the balancer bush is to be blamed. GG had replaced the part earlier, but it was still the older design. These guys claim M&M has come up with a new robust design after numerous complaints from customers. He wanted my permission to install it and that is not covered under warranty. It costs a measly 150 rupees and hence I have go ahead.

4) A strange noise from the engine compartment (probably the siren touching the belt) - needs to be checked thoroughly.

5) Check brake grinding noise - my car already comes with the new design brake pads. So there is no need for replacement. My SA informed me that surprisingly my brake pads have worn in 25k kms. He did mention that it is unusual. But he recommended that there is still life left in it and I can change the pads in the next service.

The good things about Infinity Autolinks is that they are not trying to fleece me. They did ask for polishing services, but did not push for it. My initial impressions with them have been great, merely because of the fact that they are eager and keen to listen to my issues and are making an effort to solve them.

I will update further when I get the car back.

[raj_5004]

Xoovy came back from the A.S.S. yesterday. I am happy as well as disappointed.

I am happy because they have changed the balancer rod bushes and that has eliminated the THUD sound over potholes. Also, they have changed the air filter and that has made Xoovy more sprightly and refined. Feels like a new beast now!

I am sad because my main concerns were unaddressed -

1) A broken charging point - not in stock
2) Vibrations under heavy acceleration - claimed to be because of the choked air filter, but not resolved
3) A strange noise from the engine compartment - same as above

[raj_5004]

My Civic (CeeVee) was a new kid and hence I have been driving her and completely ignoring Xoovy for quite some time. Yesterday, we had to go to Pune and the obvious choice was Xoovy, for drinking cheaper fuel and also for having more space.

Upon comparison with CeeVee, I noticed the following:

1) The XUV surprisingly feels more luxurious. Yes, everything from the feel of the steering wheel to the way the stalks and switches operate to the seats and the driving position, you get a feeling that you are sitting in a more expensive vehicle when compared to the Civic.

2) The availability of torque low down in the rpm means that the XUV can climb speeds effortlessly when compared to the Civic. Of course, 0-100 timing of Civic is faster, but I am talking about the "feel".

3) After replacing the suspension bushes and re-torquing it, the 'THUD' noise of the suspension is eliminated. Surprisingly, the XUV is handling rough roads really well now. I am not sure, but it felt more planted over rough roads.

4) Infact on the express highway, I was driving it at an average speed of about 130-140 kmph and it displayed great poise, something I was not expecting. Even the small undulations at that speed was dismissed off with great overall stability and cushioning. I now feel that the XUV's suspension is tuned for higher speeds than low speed. Infact, it felt better than the Innova at these speeds. The car felt very planted and exuded great confidence in me.

5) The XUV felt effortless at 140 kmph in sixth gear at 2400 rpm, with lots of juice left. Also, I noticed more cars giving me way on the highway with some flashing.

6) Cornering/handling on the curves (ghats) was also fantastic, for an SUV. It held its line and body roll was well controlled.

Fuel Efficiency:

My XUV gives me 9 kmpl within the city, with 100% AC. My city driving is harsh since our office is located just 4 kms from my place and its a inner jam packed road. So the engine does not even reach it's operating temperature. It rarely goes into 3rd gear!

With 20% city driving and 80% highway driving and with AC, the FE was 13.5 kmpl. This is with quite a heavy foot on the express highway.

The 140 bhp XUV is giving me better FE than my 102 bhp Innova, which used to give me 8 kmpl in the city and 12 kmpl on the highways!

Overall, though the car has shown a few tantrums like a fused headlight and still has a few issues, but these are easily outweighed by the merits of the car. This car is for those who wish to enjoy all the luxuries at a budget price and hence willing to live with a few niggles. Those wanting to buy a fill-it-and-forget-it car, needs to look elsewhere (To-Yo-Ta!).

[nitinralli]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Overall, though the car has shown a few tantrums like a fused headlight and still has a few issues, but these are easily outweighed by the merits of the car. This car is for those who wish to enjoy all the luxuries at a budget price and hence willing to live with a few niggles. Those wanting to buy a fill-it-and-forget-it car, needs to look elsewhere (To-Yo-Ta!).

I so agree with you on this point. Though XUV have and it seems will always have niggles, but these small things can be ignored. The amount of VFM this car has, i dont see it in any other segment.

EDIT: Talking of fused bulbs, do you have to rely on A.S.S to get it replaced or your local garage guy is able to replace it?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by nitinralli

EDIT: Talking of fused bulbs, do you have to rely on A.S.S to get it replaced or your local garage guy is able to replace it?

I had heard Mahindra had new bulbs with higher wattage rating, hence I went to the A.S.S. to get the newer bulbs under warranty.

[Mudhalaipatti]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Overall, though the car has shown a few tantrums like a fused headlight and still has a few issues, but these are easily outweighed by the merits of the car. This car is for those who wish to enjoy all the luxuries at a budget price and hence willing to live with a few niggles. Those wanting to buy a fill-it-and-forget-it car, needs to look elsewhere (To-Yo-Ta!).

Can't agree more. For the price point, the XUV tries to deliver luxury. The fit and finish and the overall plastic quality is something that's not seen often. However I get a feeling that M&M is sourcing most of it's components from Chinese suppliers. I had a look at some plastic components and the finish is something that our Indian OEMs have managed to do within the cost perimeters of XUV.

[raj_5004]

Semi-long term review:

My car has almost done 25k kms now and its time I can post an extensive review of my ownership experience and my impressions on the car.

Every XUV owner will have something to complain about... it can be related to the car itself or it can be about the service. Some complaints maybe about serious issues and some maybe about minor niggles.

In my case, the experience has been pretty positive. My car has had its share of minor niggles but nothing too serious. However, someone else may look at it in a different perspective. So, I will jot down all the negative aspects I think of the XUV. Please note, not all in the below list are niggles, some are just negative aspects of the vehicle.

* The most irritating part while driving Xoovy is that it vibrates like hell under hard acceleration. Some owners tell me that its normal and its called 'torque steer'. However, this is different and I feel its definitely not normal. The A.S.S. claimed its because of a clogged air filter and replaced the filters, but that did not solve the issue.
* According to the A.S.S., the brake pads of Xoovy have worn out. Although I have not physically inspected brake pads, it is difficult to believe that it has worn out at 25k kms.
* Khad-khad noise from front suspension over potholes - the A.S.S. claims its due to worn out balancer bar bushes. My older A.S.S. had replaced these bushes but the noise re-appeared. The new A.S.S. claimed that M&M has introduced a more robust design and that has been put in my car. As of now, there is no noise from the suspension.
* The suspension of the XUV is nothing great at low speeds. Though it handles bumps really well without bouncing around, it cannot deal with potholes. It crashes into them and shakes the whole car. So, low speed ride is nothing to talk about. The upside is that high speed ride is great. As speeds increase, Xoovy has an unmatched poise and stability and simply dismisses off irregularities on the road.
* Even in the internal air-circulation mode, sometimes outside smell does seep into the cabin. In my car, this happened after the older A.S.S. touched the AC for servicing.
* Low beam bulbs in Xoovy has fused twice. I have read that M&M has come up with better bulbs and the problem has not re-appeared in my car. I also read that when the headlights are in 'Auto' mode, the cranking off the engine causes a voltage spike which fuses the bulbs. If this is true, it is clearly a design flaw.
* The low-beam intensity is really poor, especially for unlit highways, high speeds and rainy conditions.
* In my car, the child lock used to automatically lock the doors. The A.S.S. had to replace the entire lock set.
* This does not happen often but sometimes, unused seatbelts keeps on hitting the door panel/pillars which is irritating.
* I have installed OE Reverse camera from the A.S.S. but the display takes time to load (about 2 seconds). Also, if the system is booting (just started the car), it takes longer.
* While the USB is connected, the OE user interface is not the best. Moreover, the playback goes back to the first song in the list whenever you switch off the car.
* The temperature gauge is useless, it shows all blue lights permanently and hence its impossible to figure out if the engine has reached optimum temperature.
* Since the 2nd row seats can not be slided back and forth, the 3rd row becomes cramped. It is not rocket science to keep the seats on rails.
* The BlueSense app displays the actual pressure and temperature of the individual tyres. However, this information is not available on the display which just shows 'OK'.

Phew! Now that I am done with all the negatives of the vehicle (to keep critics happy!), lets move ahead with the positive aspects of the vehicle -

* Whenever I drive the vehicle, the enormous torque at low rpm coupled with the comparatively lower kerb weight brings a smile on my face.
* For a SUV, the steering feedback and handling is great, which gives the driver the confidence to drive at higher speeds than usual. Also, the rigid chassis with its monocoque construction makes it great for high speed cruising.
* Initially, I was not a big fan of the 'cat whiskers' on the front bumper and the bulge on the rear fender and boot. However, it slowly grows on you. From the front, I guess the best design element are the headlights, minus the LEDs. However, when a XUV with the LEDs and low beam headlights tail gates you, it looks really powerful and imposing. Similarly, the tail lights are quite cool and look great when lit at night, with its '3' like design. Finally, from the side view, the best design feature is the strong shoulder line and the 17" alloys on the W8. Overall, if you avoid some quirkiness, the XUV is quite a handsome vehicle. Overdone? Yes. Ugly? Far from it.
* For an on road price of 16 Lacs, I could not have a 7 seat crossover with the features the XUV has. You name it and the XUV most probably has it. Infact some unique features which I never expected are cornering headlights, MMI navigation with touch screen display, curtain airbags, ESP with roll over mitigation, hill hold, hill descent control, rear disc brakes, puddle lamps, etc. Compare to this the Fortuner which is almost twice as expensive.
* The XUV's cabin has a lot of feel good and premium touches which cannot be mentioned in words and has to be experienced in real.
* The mHawk engine is one of the most refined diesel engines. Since it has a 6 speed gearbox, even at speeds of 130 kmph, the engine is at a lazy 2000 rpm. That puts it right in the turbo range, which means even at 130, a simple prod on the throttle means that the car pulls cleanly. It also means that the only noise you hear at this speed is the tyre road... the engine is all but silent. Finally, it also helps in the fuel efficiency.
* We rarely use the third row. Space in the front two rows is amazing and you can literally stretch your legs on long drives. This is one car (apart from the Xylo and Innova) in which I can push the driver's seat all the way to the back while driving, without worrying about rear seat passengers.
* I would like to conclude this by saying that buying the XUV is one of the best decisions we made and we do not regret it one bit! I have had some friends criticizing the car and badmouthing it quite a bit, but in the end I am happy as the owner of the vehicle and I think that is what matters the most.

The A.S.S. experience has not been great. Earlier my car used to go to Global Gallarie in Thane. They were pathetic and simply incompetent in solving problems. Then I sent my car to Infinity Autolinks. They are a little better since they are ready to listen to your issues patiently (unlike Global Gallarie), but even they are not capable of solving the issues in the first visit. I must mention that support from M&M has been outstanding always. They are always keen to please you and do their best to ensure that customer satisfaction is maintained.

Overall, do I recommend the XUV? Obviously yes. The car has so many strengths that a few compromises (in terms of niggles) is totally worth it. If you do not fall in my line of thinking, then the best option for you would be to buy the costlier Innova.

[raj_5004]

This is how Xoovy shines in the dark -

[raj_5004]

Drove Xoovy to Nashik yesteday. My mom is scared of high speeds and hence I was limiting my top speed to 100 kmph, rarely till 110 kmph for overtaking. It was relaxed cruising in 6th gear. Surprisingly, Xoovy returned a FE of 15.8 kmpl!

While coming back, we were late and I was driving a bit "enthusiastically"! The FE dropped to 14 kmpl.

Two random shots of Xoovy -

[raj_5004]

After trying my luck with the pathetic service centres of Mahindra in Mumbai, namely Global Gallarie (Thane) and Infinity Autolinks (Sakinaka), this time I gave my car to G3 (Goregaon). For readers who want a one line review -

G3 Motors is simply the best A.S.S. for XUV in Mumbai.

I gave my car to G3 on the 24th and got my car today, that is the 30th. The issues to be addressed were -

• Rattling on heavy acceleration
• Spongy brakes
• Siren automatically goes off
• Faint squeaking from all doors and instrument cluster
• Broken charging point
• Rubbing noise from the bonnet

As soon as I reached G3, I was made to wait for an hour! But things went smoothly after that - I met the relationship manager, Mr. Yeshwant. A nice chap who is very helpful. Not very talkative or buttery like other RMs, but gets the job done. I told him my issues and he soon introduced me to Mr. Dileep who he said will accompany me for the test drive.


Dileep drove my car for about 5 kms and noted my complaints. According to him, the rattling was because of a loose boot hinge. He confirmed that the brakes were indeed weak. Additionally, he felt the AC was not performing at its best, though I felt it was fine. He quickly traced the rubbing noise to a loose tensioner belt.



The braking complaint took a long time to rectify. Initially, they thought brake bleeding would solve it. But that dint work. Then they found out that my front brake pads were the old ones and not the new Galfer ones. They replaced that. That also dint work. They again did bleeding. Still, no luck. Finally, they replaced the master cylinder and that did the trick. They were ready to replace the brake booster if the issue still remained. Throughout, I was updated through telephonic calls that what is being done on my car and I have them total leverage to work on my car without any time limit because I felt these guys were genuinely trying hard to get the job done to perfection.


They even changed the AC evaporator because they found a tiny leak. Everything was done under warranty. Here, I must mention that with most A.S.S. I have experienced, if there is any fault with the AC, refilling of AC gas and compressor oil is charged to the customer. These guys did not charge me for anything. Even the AC blower and the filter was removed and cleaned.



The hood switch for the sensor was also changed under warranty. All door settings were done and additional padding was done to eliminate squeaking.



I got my car today and I am a very happy and satisfied customer. The parts that they changed in my car -

• Automatic tensioner
• Front brake pads
• Brake master cylinder assembly
• AC evaporator assembly
• Hood switch
• Freelub 650 - 500 ml (brake oil)
• AC gas
• AC compressor oil

Labour was mentioned for the following -

• Brake bleeding
• Front brake pads change
• Brake master cylinder change
• Bonnet switch
• AC blower clean
• AC evaporator change
• AC purging and charging
• Auto tensioner replace
• AC filter clean
• Instrument panel padding
• Tailgate aligning
• Four doors adjusting
• IP top cover - RHS (No idea what this is)
• IP top cover - LHS
• IC flashing (No idea again!)

Total bill amount - Rs. 0/- (absolutely nothing!)

They dint even charge me for nuts, washers or even any kind of labour charge for additional items like solving squeaking noises, door setting, etc.

Differences noticed in my car:

• Braking has tremendously improved - brake bite is sharp and much more confidence inspiring
• No more squeaking noises
• AC performance has improved
• Rubbing noise from the bonnet is gone
• Rattling from the boot still exists

Good points for G3:

• They are very good when it comes to problem solving.
• They do repeated test drives to ensure that you are returned the car only after the problem is thoroughly solved. My car went for multiple test drives, they drove it for 37 kms over a span of 6 days.
• One of the rare M&M A.S.S. where customer satisfaction is given importance.

Bad points for G3:

• My reverse camera is not working now. They did something to it!
• They kept my car for 6 days, they could have solved the boot rattling too!

[dean5545]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

• My reverse camera is not working now. They did something to it!
• They kept my car for 6 days, they could have solved the boot rattling too!

6 days for sorting out the rattles?Any specific reason why they took so much time?For a single car owner like me this kind of delay will send my entire weeks schedule for toss.

Edit: just read the list again they carried out alot of work but still it shouldnt exceed 3 days.
My wild guess is waiting for part replacement under warranty increased your time,is that the case?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by dean5545

6 days for sorting out the rattles?Any specific reason why they took so much time?For a single car owner like me this kind of delay will send my entire weeks schedule for toss.

Edit: just read the list again they carried out alot of work but still it shouldnt exceed 3 days.
My wild guess is waiting for part replacement under warranty increased your time,is that the case?

Yes, the tensioner belt is not a fast moving item. It had to be ordered, which took 1 day. Also, for changing the AC evaporator, they had to open the dash, which again took one day.

However, the above did not delay things, maybe the open dash would have. They took time to diagnose the issue with the brakes.

[SDP]

Raj, the experience with G3 is indeed heartening.
Let me try them the next time I have a issue.

Where exactly is the service center?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by SDP

Raj, the experience with G3 is indeed heartening.
Let me try them the next time I have a issue.

Where exactly is the service center?

Its in Goregaon, opposite Oberoi mall on the Western Express Highway. Take the second left below the flyover (first left after the signal) into a small lane and then take the first left. G3 will be on your right.

Refer map below, dont take the Veer Savarkar road (which is left from the signal), you will get stuck in traffic. Instead turn left into the small lane after that.

Marked in the map below as 'A' -

[raj_5004]

Once again, my older A.S.S. - Global Gallarie tried to cheat me. I had taken an oath that my car will never ever go to Global Gallarie again, but unfortunately I had to send my car there today with the chauffeur since the reverse camera was kaput.

As mentioned above, the reverse camera stopped working since the day my car came from G3. They had opened up the dashboard to do some A/C work. So, I was sure that while refitting the dash, they either cut or removed a wire connected to the rear camera. Common sense, isnt it? No so with Global Gallarie.

First, my car went to their A.S.S. at about 10 am with prior appointment. The service executive called me to tell me that the camera is kaput. I requested them to open the dash and check the wiring as I am 90% sure that the camera is fine and it is just some wiring mistake. The SE went on to tell me that the camera is in the rear bumper and has nothing to do with the dash! Of course, I did not ask her how the front screen displays the camera image then... since it was pretty useless.

Then they sent my car to their showroom, which was quite some distance away, because the accessories guy sits there. My car reached there at about 12. After about 15 minutes of checking, the guy came to the conclusion that the camera is kaput and I will have to install a new one for Rs. 4500/-. He graciously agreed to give a discount of Rs. 1000/-. I spoke to him on the phone and the conversation was as follows:

Me: The camera is fine, please open the dash and check the wiring.
Accessory guy: No sir, I have checked the camera in another car, it is not working.
Me: Are you sure about this?
AG: Yes sir, when you come here, I will show you in another car.
Me: Okay then, start the work on my car. Fit the new camera. But, before that, connect the new camera on the existing wiring and check. If it still does not work, then this is clearly a wiring mistake and not the camera's fault.
AG: Will do sir.

My chauffeur did not have the required cash and I had to drive down all the way from Powai to Thane with the cash. When I reached there, it turned out that they connected the new camera on the existing wiring and it indeed did not work!

Thankfully, they opened up the dash and found a wire was spliced. They re-joined the wire and taped it and voila! The reverse camera started working absolutely fine. The same camera which these guys were claiming to be kaput after having tested on another car.

This whole work took less than 15 minutes. But my car was with them from 10 am till 3:15 pm. Not only did they make my car wait there for 5 hours for a 15 minutes job, but they also tried to mislead me that the camera is not working. If I had not insisted again and again on checking the current camera, they would have pocketed 3500 from me and installed my old working camera on a new car and charged 4500 from him!

Very very poor service from Global Gallarie, as expected. This is not the first time they tried to cheat me. The last time, they were successful though.