[getsurya]

Firstly, congratulations on your Red XUV!

I want to thank you and appreciate you for your immaculate writing style. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire thread.

Happy Motoring!

[Mudhalaipatti]

Spent some quality time with Sita last time, giving her the much needed shower. She was baked in the sun, with dust topping, for almost 3 full days. I shall post a detailed write up of the car cleaning process, shortly. However the one thing that struck me most were the brake rotors.

These were the two brake rotors/disks on the right hand side.





These were the two brake rotors/disks on the left hand side.





Only the right hand side ones were clean. I mean it had been subjected to mechanical forces. Both the rotors on the left side had rust formation. An indication of the absence of abrasive forces. Does it mean that braking was applied only to the right side wheels ? Does it mean that differential braking was applied all along ? Does it mean the loading on each wheel and the energy supplied to each wheel was different ?

[Mudhalaipatti]

Update on 1000km drive



It was a visit to the dancing Shiva, in Chidambaram,TN on Sunday and it was a pleasure as usual, for me and Sita. The route taken was Thindivanam-Pondy-Kadalur-Chidambaram, as against the earlier Villupuram-Panruti-Vadalur-Chidambaram route. This route was fabulous, of-course barring the drive through the town. Sita was at her best on the highways as this vehicle is built for the long tarmac. She can munch miles without a whimper. Subjected her to something that I hadn't done till now. Got her near the red line, went past 120kmph. Briefly, only briefly. On the Thindivanum-Pondy stretch took her beyond 140kmph, but had to stop short of 150kmph, as the speed governor came in to place. Yes the grand master is the speed governor as well, on most trips. Even at 140, the vehicle is asking to be pushed further. The air drag and the subsequent movement at high speed is phenomenally controlled. Feels like travelling in a tank, rock solid, except that this tank is flying like a missile.

Handling & Ride

Sita's wheels are badly misaligned and it shows on highways. My right hand pained all night, after prolonged hold. This has become a number one priority now.I thought I could live with this till my first service, but then, I'll have to do this wheel alignment outside.

Now the handling of tight corners and high speed curves. Can't appreciate this vehicle more on this aspect. Even when you wobble your steering wheel on corners, where there are potholes/humps on the road, the vehicle doesn't sway, under the influence of your steering movement. It stays it's course, that is it stays on the curve. Some intelligent steering/wheel management I believe.

However the same couldn't be said about the suspension. The vehicle tosses the occupants, if there are less than 4 adults in the cabin. The ride is uncomfortable on normal undulating roads. Leave alone pot holes travel. This is my first trip with less than 4 adults and the ride was definitely bumpy. If I had perhaps reduced the tyre pressure, the ride could have been pleasant, but I might have compromised on FE. This vehicle doesn't like to travel light, that's for sure.

Braking
I thought I could test the effectiveness of the brakes consciously. Our good hearted bikers and broad minded truckers helped me tremendously in testing the brakes to the fullest possible extent. My vehicle atleast has no braking issues, as I mentioned earlier. It's not spongy and doesn't demand a big foot. It was just right. My braking was usually from 80 kmph to almost 20 kmph in less than a few seconds. The fact that I didn't kill anybody on this trip is a testimony to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Sita relaxing after a sprint.



Drive Comfort
The lumber support, head restraint, plush seats, steering adjustment, I haven't never felt so comfortable on long drives. The dead pedal is such a boon. Similarly there's this pseudo-dead pedal, more like a design, to rest your right foot, when you are on cruise control mode. Sita drove like a automatic on auto pilot.

The passengers shuffled between the passenger seat and the second row seat. They too felt the acres of space on the 2nd row. But were not comfortable there, as the vehicle was tossing them quite a bit, especially the bridges on our national highways tossed them quite heavily.

Disclaimer:It's not advisable to have kids on the front seat. Children are best secured in the second row seat, with seat restraint. If possible shove a hippo in to the vehicle to 'load' the Cheetah. This should make the ride less bumpy and make the kid happy.

Fuel Efficiency
I have come to accept the fact that the DTE/FE shown on the infotainment system has a significant margin of error. However mine was more or less accurate. I used the figures shown on display and calculated by tank-fill method.
Tank Fill Method - 15.26 kmpl
FE - 15.4 kmpl

On the last 1000km, around 600km was on city roads, with AC on and mostly crawling traffic. The 400km was mostly on 4 laned highways with minimal breaking and a cruising speed of around 90kmph. The FE shown on city roads was 13.2 kmpl and the FE shown on the trip to Chidambaram was 17.6 kmpl. Not bad for a red monster. This is with 4 adults max. A long drive with 7 adults would show the FE when fully loaded.

Further reiteration of the likes of Sita. She likes open roads and long trips. Not congested city roads.

Power
Now the power. Boy oh Boy, I was 'taken aback' by the power of this vehicle. The power-weight ratio is commendable. Overtaking is such a stress free experience with Sita these days. I don't bother to do a distance-speed-time calculation for the oncoming traffic and then initiative a overtaking maneuver. I do this now with minimum fuzz and maximum comfort. The other guys can't believe I completed the maneuver, before they could protest. And mind you, I haven't floored the pedal till now. It's only half press and the vehicle is already flying like a rocket.

AC
I have talked about this earlier. Just one word - unbelievable. I walk a polar beer in her home territory, but not give company to Sita with her AC on.

Sita on the banks of Kollidam



Grip & Tyre
The whole trip was on dry land and I can't imagine any stress or test on the tyres on such friendly surfaces. Let's see how it behaves on wet roads.

Insulation
While the sound insulation is great, the air insulation is not great. When I drive with just my left hand and place my right hand on my thighs, I get a whiff of hot air on my hand. Can't figure out from where it is, but definitely noticeable hot air flowing from somewhere. Have to check the dashboard insulation and recheck the door beeding.

Others

Chidambaram temple has played such an important role in South Indian history, politics and religion, can't possible imagine the grandeur of this place in those days. Must have been truly monumental. The best practice about this place is the absence of cages, rails or queues. You get to view the lord on a high pedestal. Standing below gives a good view for everyone. No hustling, bustling.

I usually avoid the parking slips, by parking on the North side. The other sides are usually crowded and getting a parking space is challenging. But this time there was a 'akkul bag' guy on the north side as well. Gave him my piece of mind on robbing Shiva and his devotees by these so called parking charges. I have made it a practice not to pay a single penny to anyone around temples collecting parking tickets. I would rather drop my offering in a 'undiyal'. These are goons running this business.

By the time I left Chidambaram, it was alomst noon and wanted to try my luck with Jayaraman mess. Puthur Jayaram mess appears to be quite popular among travelers. I googled to find that he's closed on Sundays. But thought why not give it a try. As expected it was closed. Not to be lost on the taste buds, I pulled in to Pondy for the famous 'Kamarkattu'. Got a place to park just near 'Kumar Stores' and 'Gunasekaran Pillai'.





The smaller kamarkattu from Kumar stores costs Rs.2.5, while the slightly bigger ones from the Gunesakaram Pillai's was priced at Rs.4. The kamarkattus were being made fresh when we ordered and the smells is intoxicating. Asked the packing ladies the ingredients, got a cold stare as a response. This could mean only one thing. It's trade secret. Btw what is it made of really? Groundnut and Jaggery right ?

The grand master did shopping in the Sunday market and we we were back on the highway as night fell.

Night Drive and Head Lamps
The high seating position on Sita helps a lot during night drives. You are not bothered too much by the oncomig vehicles' high beam. However if the oncoming vehicle is a truck on high beam, can't help it. But most buses and trucks are sensible on this and drive on low beam. The throw of the lights was different for the 'flash headlamp' operation and the 'high-beam'. I found that the flash throw was longer than the high beam throw. Aren't the same lamps used for both operations ? How is the throw different. Or was it my perception ? Can't decide.

I do not drive with my fog lamps on, not alteast in Chennai. We do not have mist in this part of the world and in this part of the year. But I see most of the guys behind luxury wheels, having fogs on. Does it add to the 'cool' factor. Umm. I don't want to risk switching on anything in my vehicle, that's not absolutely necessary. Let Mahindra sort out the headlamp/electrical issues and then I shall have more confidence on the electricals.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with Sita, especially with my ego getting massaged regularly by the looks she gets. Shall keep you posted for further developments. Additional long drives coming up soon.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Update on 1000km drive
....

Thanks for the detailed report!

...
This vehicle doesn't like to travel light, that's for sure.
...
If possible shove a hippo in to the vehicle to 'load' the Cheetah. This should make the ride less bumpy and make the kid happy.
...

Bang on! I anyways don't use the dumbells and plates. Might be a good idea to dump them in the car!

Fuel Efficiency
I have come to accept the fact that the DTE/FE shown on the infotainment system has a significant margin of error. However mine was more or less accurate. I used the figures shown on display and calculated by tank-fill method.
Tank Fill Method - 15.26 kmpl
FE - 15.4 kmpl

On the last 1000km, around 600km was on city roads, with AC on and mostly crawling traffic. The 400km was mostly on 4 laned highways with minimal breaking and a cruising speed of around 90kmph. The FE shown on city roads was 13.2 kmpl and the FE shown on the trip to Chidambaram was 17.6 kmpl. Not bad for a red monster.
...

Fantastic FE!

...
Night Drive and Head Lamps
The high seating position on Sita helps a lot during night drives. You are not bothered too much by the oncomig vehicles' high beam. However if the oncoming vehicle is a truck on high beam, can't help it. But most buses and trucks are sensible on this and drive on low beam. The throw of the lights was different for the 'flash headlamp' operation and the 'high-beam'. I found that the flash throw was longer than the high beam throw. Aren't the same lamps used for both operations ? How is the throw different. Or was it my perception ? Can't decide.

When on hi-beam, both the low and high-beams are ON. When 'flashing', the low-beam turns OFF and hi-beam comes ON. (I am getting a bit confused, might be exactly opposite). So the illumination in these 2 scenarios is different.

..
I do not drive with my fog lamps on, not alteast in Chennai. We do not have mist in this part of the world and in this part of the year. But I see most of the guys behind luxury wheels, having fogs on. Does it add to the 'cool' factor
....

More than the 'cool' factor, its about visibility of YOUR own vehicle. If your vehicle is better visible to other drivers and other road-users, the chances of an accident reduce significantly.

Have fun with the red Sita!

[Columbus_500]

Originally Posted by sumitdongerkery

Thanks SDP. I would like to hear more on this from our fellow XUV owners. If what we are agreeing is true than this DIS is highly indicative and not really a metric to gauge your driving efficiency (it almost works like 1 or 0)

Cheers!

Hi Sumit. I had this question for my RM when I went in for the first service. He mentioned that the DTE is not calculated based on the average fuel efficiency, but instead based on the amount of fuel in the tank. At this moment, I asked him what fuel efficiency does it use to convert the litres in the tanks into kms on the road. To this, his answer was that Mahindra uses a fixed value for this.

I am not sure if this this has much truth in it, because quite frankly it seems quite weird to not use the average fuel efficiency to calculate the DTE. So if 778 is the cap and assuming Mahindra official tank capacity of 70 litres, it must be using a fixed mileage of 11.1kmpl!

Another thing, he also did mention that the average fuel efficiency takes the average from the last 500km range. Again, anyone else heard any such stuff from their service folks?

[Mudhalaipatti]

Originally Posted by Columbus_500

Hi Sumit. I had this question for my RM when I went in for the first service. He mentioned that the DTE is not calculated based on the average fuel efficiency, but instead based on the amount of fuel in the tank. At this moment, I asked him what fuel efficiency does it use to convert the litres in the tanks into kms on the road. To this, his answer was that Mahindra uses a fixed value for this.

I am not sure if this this has much truth in it, because quite frankly it seems quite weird to not use the average fuel efficiency to calculate the DTE. So if 778 is the cap and assuming Mahindra official tank capacity of 70 litres, it must be using a fixed mileage of 11.1kmpl!

Another thing, he also did mention that the average fuel efficiency takes the average from the last 500km range. Again, anyone else heard any such stuff from their service folks?

This can't be any farther from truth. When I did a PDI of the vehicle, there was hardly 10 lts of fuel in the tank and FE was 9kmpl.
After my first tankfill, I didn't reset the FE and it slowly climbed up, all the way till 13.2 kmpl.
During my second tank fill, the FE was 18kmpl, but after a while settled for 15.2 kmpl. We'll have to accept to the fact that the FE calculation is only an indicative figure and not a closer to accurate figure. The most reliable would be the tank fill method. Again, here you'll have to make sure that it's the same bunk and the same nozzle.

Now it's time to review a product. The single most expensive purchase, after the car. I couldn't stand Sita getting a dust shower every day and I didn't have the luxury of time to clean her every day. And so a car cover deemed fit. But I have my apprehensions about a car cover. I still believe that a car cover does more harm, than good with continuous usage. But the Grand Master was also convinced that we should give her some protection from the elements and so ended up buying this, after quite a bit of a research. It costed Rs.4250 and was not exactly inexpensive. The product arrived on time and here are some of the unpacking shots.





The cover that you see below the cover, is the cover for the cover.

Now some photos of the cover on Sita.






Snug fit isn't it. I didn't expect the fit to be perfect for XUV.

I had to be extra careful in putting on the cover and taking it off, as there are good chances of scars on Sita. As advised by the manufacturer, I put on the cover from the back and then proceeded to the front. One nice touch is the presence of a tag, that you can mark the front side and the back side of the car. Saves the frustration.

I have used the cover for 4 times now and have tested the cover under some extreme conditions. Before I go to my review. Let's demystify the claims of the manufacturer.

Claims

Made of three layers, 100 % waterproof material - Can't see or feel 3 layer. It's water resistant to some extent. It repelled the due and mist. But two large bucket full of water on the cover and there was water seeping in slowly through some stitches. Don't think it can withstand our monsoon.
Coverite's premium fabric - What exactly is this fabric. Some cellulose based one or something like tyvek ?
Protects your vehicle against wet, humid and dusty climates - Oh yes absolutely. I had parked Sita on the road, well it is a dirt road with mounds of dust flying around. If you stand there for a few minutes and shake your head, you could gather dust in a pan. This thing reppelled almost all of it. Sita was spot clean under the covers. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it prevented the dust from settling on the cover.
Resists moisture, fungus and expels stale odour - Sita is still officially a new car and a new car smell is all I get. So can't comment now.
Air ventilation system to allow the cover to breathe yet keep out all the rain and dust - This might be the Achilles heel in our conditions. In monsoons this opening could well be a seepage point of water. Let's put this to test during our monsoon season.
Solid sealing on all seams - Perfect. The seams are well stitched and helps keeping the covers tightly on.
Keeps vehicle cooler, dryer and dust free, as it is unaffected by exterior climatic conditions - Absolutely.
Uses reinforced side grommets for cover tie-down - I would not recommend using a chord to tie this down, as in our windy conditions, the chord could scratch the paint from the doors. If you really must, you can use a nature material, that doesn't scratch.
UV stable materials ensure a long life - Really ?
Length Upto (in inch):192 - Fits the XUV perfectly well.

Now I bought this product from carkhana at Rs4250 and then I realize there's a cheaper option here.

Some other user feedback from the US of America here.

For a car cover of this size, the weight is negligible. And so carrying it is not a pain. However folding it to fit in the carry bag, is a struggle. You'll have to find a really really clean floor to fold it. If the floor is dirty and if you are exposing the inner part of the cover, there are high changes of some dust getting picked up by the cover and subsequently damaging the paint.

Overall it's an expensive car over. But without other viable alternatives, this one seems the only available option.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

...
Now it's time to review a product. The single most expensive purchase, after the car. I couldn't stand Sita getting a dust shower every day and I didn't have the luxury of time to clean her every day. And so a car cover deemed fit. But I have my apprehensions about a car cover. I still believe that a car cover does more harm, than good with continuous usage. But the Grand Master was also convinced that we should give her some protection from the elements and so ended up buying this, after quite a bit of a research. It costed Rs.4250 and was not exactly inexpensive. The product arrived on time and here are some of the unpacking shots.
...

Thanks for the detailed review. Any shots of the inner lining? How soft is the inside?

Don't recall your shopping list, but didn't you pick up Jopasu duster?

[Columbus_500]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

This can't be any farther from truth. When I did a PDI of the vehicle, there was hardly 10 lts of fuel in the tank and FE was 9kmpl.
After my first tankfill, I didn't reset the FE and it slowly climbed up, all the way till 13.2 kmpl.
During my second tank fill, the FE was 18kmpl, but after a while settled for 15.2 kmpl. We'll have to accept to the fact that the FE calculation is only an indicative figure and not a closer to accurate figure. The most reliable would be the tank fill method. Again, here you'll have to make sure that it's the same bunk and the same nozzle.

Hi Mudhalaipatti.. I think you mistook my post to be about fuel efficiency rather than the DTE calculation, which was what I was actually writing about.

Regarding your point about FE, I can't agree more with you. I have had severe variations in my fuel efficiency between actuals and the value displayed on the screen.

PS: Congrats on getting Sita!! Wishing you miles and miles of safe adventure ahead!

[Tapish]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Snug fit isn't it. I didn't expect the fit to be perfect for XUV.
Overall it's an expensive car over. But without other viable alternatives, this one seems the only available option.

Hello Sir,

Amazing review of the cover. Congratulations on the new car as well.

The cover that you see below the cover, is the cover for the cover

This one takes the cake

Cheers,
Tapish

[Mudhalaipatti]

Originally Posted by SDP

Thanks for the detailed review. Any shots of the inner lining? How soft is the inside?

Don't recall your shopping list, but didn't you pick up Jopasu duster?

SDP, I do have a Jopasu duster. I intend to prevent dust accumulation. I'm shifting places and shall post pics of the inner lining, once the dust settles.

Update on 2000KM run
It finally hits me. The brakes are spongy. Pedal travel more. Bites less. Going to get new Bosch brake set in the next 1 month during my first service. M&M, you did this to your 2013 manufactured cars as well. *sigh*.

Hill hold is something that doesn't come up if i'm on a ramp or a gentle slope. I tried this on my new parking lot. Will get it investigated when I visit the service center next.

The heavy bumper 2 bumper driving condition has taken a toll on the clutches. The play that I get in my 20k run Indica is showing up on my 2k run XUV. Got to get this replaced as well during my first service. Any idea if there's a new design or just replacement with a new set ?

The vehicle rattling is something that's getting me nervous. It shudders like a tractor. Perhaps the engine mounts are at fault. Got to check that too.

Enough of complaints. What I'm loving is the linear power delivery of this vehicle. What this means is that the acceleration in the first, second and perhaps the 3rd is not great. But after the 80kmph mark, it's a rocket. Some may find the turbo kicking in when you are in the 2nd gear and hovering at around 1800 rpm. As you'll have to upshift and then loose the turbo, only to kick in later. The turbo kick in 2nd gear should take you back. Not so much in higher gears though.

The respect this vehicle commands on road is phenomenal. Everyone makes way for the Cheetah on road, including the notorious Chennai Sand Mafia Lorries.

The last FE figure is 13.8 for the 200 odd kms in City traffic. Lower, much lower that the 15.2 that I got during the first 1500km. Let me drive even more sedately and see the FE. While filling fuel, I noticed the front and rear tyre pressure of 28. Bumped this up to 32 for front and 30 for rear to see if this results in the improvement of the FE. I'm travelling with 6 adults for the last 100km. Hope the additional load compensates for the stiff ride and makes the ride even.

The last row adults are complaining of lack of leg space and I'm not surprised. What they are surprised however are the provisions - the lights, AC controls. I'm told that AC is polar like at the rear as well. Good for them.

Another long trip is coming up this weekend and I expect to cross the 3k mark. Shall post a feedback on 3k with pictures.

[sumitdongerkery]

Originally Posted by Columbus_500

Hi Mudhalaipatti.. I think you mistook my post to be about fuel efficiency rather than the DTE calculation, which was what I was actually writing about.

Regarding your point about FE, I can't agree more with you. I have had severe variations in my fuel efficiency between actuals and the value displayed on the screen.

PS: Congrats on getting Sita!! Wishing you miles and miles of safe adventure ahead!

Guys... This only indicates that fuel efficiency and DTE has absolutely no relation which is actually absurd. Then the DTE is a redundant information. Also capping the fuel efficiency to 18KMPL doesn't make sense. Just wondering what prompts Mahindra to have such configurations.

Anyways I will get these questions answered when I visit the service station for my cars first service

Cheers...

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

...
Update on 2000KM run
...
Hill hold is something that doesn't come up if i'm on a ramp or a gentle slope. I tried this on my new parking lot. Will get it investigated when I visit the service center next.
....

For the HHC to work, its important that the vehicle comes to a complete stand-still with clutch FULLY depressed. So even after the clutch has disengaged (and you are sure that the engine won't stall), you need to press further on the clutch pedal till it can not go any farther.

The heavy bumper 2 bumper driving condition has taken a toll on the clutches. The play that I get in my 20k run Indica is showing up on my 2k run XUV. Got to get this replaced as well during my first service. Any idea if there's a new design or just replacement with a new set ?

You planning to get your clutch replaced?

[Mudhalaipatti]

Originally Posted by sumitdongerkery

Guys... This only indicates that fuel efficiency and DTE has absolutely no relation which is actually absurd. Then the DTE is a redundant information. Also capping the fuel efficiency to 18KMPL doesn't make sense. Just wondering what prompts Mahindra to have such configurations.
Cheers...

This morning, when I had the last fuel bar blinking, I was shown 28km DTE and my FE was hovering around 12kmpl. That means I had only around 2-3 L of fuel. The tank then gobbled up 70L. I had confirmed the tank capacity to be around 75L. That leaves a fuel margin of around 3L, which translates to close to around 35 additional km. So effectively when DTE was showing 28km, it's anywhere around 70km. This is around 60% margin of error, which I believe is unlikely and so the fault could well be in FE calculation and along with it the DTE.

Originally Posted by SDP

You planning to get your clutch replaced?

Thanks for the tip on HillHold. I shall try that.

Perhaps I'm over reacting on the clutch part, but not very happy with it either. Replacement or some fix, will get to know from the engineers.

[sumitdongerkery]

[quote=Mudhalaipatti;3058455]This morning, when I had the last fuel bar blinking, I was shown 28km DTE and my FE was hovering around 12kmpl. That means I had only around 2-3 L of fuel. The tank then gobbled up 70L. I had confirmed the tank capacity to be around 75L. That leaves a fuel margin of around 3L, which translates to close to around 35 additional km. So effectively when DTE was showing 28km, it's anywhere around 70km. This is around 60% margin of error, which I believe is unlikely and so the fault could well be in FE calculation and along with it the DTE.

There is always some reserve fuel which is not considered while arriving at the DIS stats. In my Octy i had done 10+kms after the DTE was zero. From the service station I understood that there is some reserve fuel in every car which is not considered for DIS calculations.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

...
Perhaps I'm over reacting on the clutch part, but not very happy with it either. Replacement or some fix, will get to know from the engineers.

Is it that the play is too much? or the clutch is too hard? Has the play or the hardness changed over the period of ownership?

Sorry for asking more questions. Just trying to understand the problem better.