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-   -   Gaining a new Vantage Point : My Mahindra Xylo H8 comes home (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/149561-gaining-new-vantage-point-my-mahindra-xylo-h8-comes-home.html)

A place or position affording a good or clear view of something.

Some call it a Vantage Point. I call it the Mahindra Xylo.



Prelude
My Colorado Red Ford Figo Zxi had served me for 3.5 years now without any hiccup. My driving pattern includes a daily commute to my office which is like 10kms away, then every weekend I find a place to visit that is a good 100-200 kms away and then in every quarter or so I take a longer ride of around a 1000kms. My Figo had covered 85k kms and since it was being properly maintained, it looked good for another 85K kms.
Link to my ownership report here (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ford-figo.html)


I gave it everything it needed. The first of things I gave was bump in power. I fitted a race chip and got the power up to 89 bhp. Details here (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ford-figo.html)
Almost everyone in the Kochi team bhp group knows that I loved my car dearly and would take care of it like it was my baby.
It was the pace car for most of our outings. It was like the Figo loved me back, it was like a puppy, always ready to go and he would never give up on you. My feelings for the figo were bordering crazy love.



How it began
Anyways, Oct 2013, My brother decided to come back to Kochi with his family. We had a Fluidic Verna SX, Tata Nano and Ford Figo Zxi and not one car that could carry all 7 of us in comfort. Suddenly we felt the need for a 7 seater. But we did not get a new car, since we never had all of us go to some place together.

Strike 1
In Jan 2014, we had to go to Trivandrum for a temple visit, since Verna was the largest of the car, we decided to take the trip on that. After the trip, we were more or less like fatigued from an All India trip.

Strike 2
Again in Feb 2014, we went on another trip to Calicut but this time in the Figo. This time were not fatigued but cramped for want of space. 6 adults are too much in a figo.

Still we were mulling over to buy a 7 seater or not.

Something Happened!!
My brother and I were passing by a Chevrolet showroom and a black Enjoy caught our eye.

We quickly checked it out and we were smitten by the looks of the car. We ordered up for a test drive.

Now we started thinking of the alternatives and came up with the following
1. Chevrolet Enjoy
2. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
3. Mahindra Xylo
4. Toyota Innova
5. XUV 5OO
6. Nissan Evalia/ AL Stile (Rejected due to the disability to impress the ladies in the house; Read it was boring and boxy)


We were actively looking at a 7-8 seater now.

Chevrolet Enjoy

• The car was good in space.
• The seats were good.
• It behaved like a car and not like an MPV while we drove it.

But

• The gear lever had a lot of play and was not sure slotting like Figo.
• The interiors looked bad and the beige was the only saving grace.
• The engine was sluggish but low end torque kept the show running.
• Even more bad was the NVH levels. There was this propeller shaft noise and the car felt like it was shouting at us for revving it.
• All these were things that we were ready to bear but they offered me a paltry sum in exchange for my well maintained Figo. I could not take the insult.

It was NO, Go Away and Never come back to Enjoy.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
What is a car purchasing decision without a Maruti. Maruti is like the no nonsense decision for many. But is it really ?

• Ertiga is a car first and the whole feel is like that of a car.
• The engine was responsive.
• The steering wheel was responsive too.
• The interiors and whole feel was too good.

But

• The seats were not comfortable particularly the last row.
• We are family of 6 footers and none of us would fit comfortably in the last row.
• Beige would be difficult to maintain.

So out goes Ertiga. Otherwise we like the car very much.

Mahindra Xylo

• Epitome of space. My family was blown away by the space.
• We drove the car around extensively to check how it behaved on bad roads and not so good roads. It was good not great.
• I was also vary of the boat ride so checked it over 80 kms to know if it was tiring on a long journey. We were all comfortable and I could not get the feel of the boat ride.
• The vehicle rolled a fair bit when pushed but then this is an MPV and needs to be ridden like one.
• The NVH was good and the cabin was silent. Surprise for me since we expected this to be bad.
• The pricing was also within budget.
• Service was not a problem since I had contacts in Mahindra service.

But

• Taxi image was a problem.
  Let me explain
  The other day I was parked in front of my wife's office and was waiting for her. A guy opens the door and hops in and says lets go. I was confused and asked him "Sorry but Who are you"? He then looked at me and felt that he was in the wrong ca(b)r. He apologized and hopped out. Taxi image :Frustrati
• Bad mileage was another deterrent.
  cabbies regularly report 10-13kmpl which is a sharp drop from the 17-22kmpl on my figo.

mhawk


So Mahindra Xylo was on cards but it could lose to anyone on the list.


Toyota Innova

• Legendary!! The name was a legend.
• The interiors were ok.
• The ride was good.
• Taxi image was there but not pronounced as in Xylo.

But

• Price was prohibitive and not VFM (for me)
• I hated the gaping mouth looks of the new Innova.
• I was looking at pre worshipped ones. The older innovas were very costly, some as costly as the new ones.

Innova, inspite of being the best, lost out mainly because of the price tag and stinginess on the part of Toyota in providing any equipment of worth at a low price tag.

XUV 5OO
This one checked all the boxes.
Kochi Bhpian dhanushmenon had just bought one and I like the car so much. I took a test drive and I was like WOW!

• Superb looks
• Super interiors
• Excellent Power

but

• Over my budget. I was even ready to bear a larger hole in my pocket.
• Everything in this car was great except for the fact that a full sized adult could not fit in the third row. Family rejects it since the reason why we want a big SUV is because we want space for 7 adults and then XUV compromises on that very fact.

So, How was the decision made?

• Out of the 5 choices Xylo was the only one that fit our space requirements and came within our budget.
• XUV5OO appealed to the heart but lost out to my brother, who flatly refused to sit in the last row of XUV5OO.
• Innova appealed to the head but lost out to my bank balance and my definition of VFM.

XYLO came at At 10.6 L OTR in Kerala. We were getting a lot of bang for our buck. We had ABS, Airbag, Alloys, MID, USB/Aux Audio system, Arm Rests,Split AC etc. And Believe it or not, we decided to buy the H8 version for the want of Multi Info Display and Arm rests.

Xylo it is


It is said that if you love someone dearly you should be prepared to let them go. So with a heavy hear I let my Figo go.
Reason why Figo was the one who had to go.
It was the oldest in the stable.
It had a good resale value of 3.2L for a car that did 85K kms in 3.5years. Meaning that I would have to shell out less for the Xylo I get.

Loans and Procedures
The car was purchased from KTC Mahindra, Kochi. They were new and and the service was excellent. I booked for the car on Mar 17th and got the Xylo on 28th Mar 2014. They arranged for my Figo to be exchanged and gave me a good deal as well. I parted with my Figo and waited for the Xylo. With a heavy heart I let go of my Baby in lieu of a Tusker. Mahindra First Choice guys inspected the figo and arranged for the foreclosure of the Figo Loan, transferred the balance amount as my down payment for Xylo. It was great service from Mahindra First choice.
Since the Kerala Taxes were slated to increase on the 1 Apr 2014, I got my car registered and delivered on 28 Mar 2014.

Posting some pics here.

Ready for delivery


Kochi Bhpians at the delivery time.
myself, naveen_raju, aswin.ajith,speed demon, vaisakhr, rajoy123,deet_john along with the xylo.


Interiors

• First Thing SPACE SPACE SPACE!! Everyone is a car. All happy, I am happy.
• The seats are comfortable and has good cushioning.
• There is lumbar adjustment for front seats.
• There are integrated handrests. Boon for the long drives. But the angles could have been better.
• Air conditioner is split and there is a vent for all the rows with volumn and direction control. The rear AC can be controlled separately. There is a AC High and Low option guess that decides how long the AC compressor should run.AC is not a bone chiller like Figo but does is comfortable. No complaints whatsoever. The odometer has a mode in which it would give you the number of kms run with AC on. I think it is more targeted towards the Taxi segment but still you have a number.
• Boot space is really limited and it would be a struggle if all 7 had big bags or strolleys.
• There is a box for keeping the sunglasses. And it is spring loaded and opens slowly (damped also). Love it.
• The vanity mirrors on the co passengers sunvisor have lights on them. My lady loves it. Previously our Linea had it.
• The steering wheel is scorpio style rather than the Xylo style. Love it!!
• The quality could definitely have been better. Plastics feel low grade.
• The styling is not great and would have loved to see a better design for the dashboard.
• One cannot close the door from the drivers seat. BIG Problem. Let me explain. When you have a fight with your better half and she decides to get out of the car. Previously, on my figo she would slam the door so hard I would get a heart attack. On a Xylo, she gets out and leaves the door wide open. I dont know if it because it takes a lot of effort to shut the door or if she wants me to get down from the car and close the door. But like all ladies she gets her way in any case.

See the scorpio like steering wheel.


Exterior styling & design

• The car looks bulbous and boxy and curvy at the wrong places. Its more or less like looking at a former beauty queen. There are some good angles but you dont go WoW!!. I am yet to figure out the angle from which the Xylo looks best.
• In a crowd it will not turn any heads. It is a taxi that anyone will happily ignore.
• I love the headlamps on the xylo. No, not the way they function, I like the way they look. I really love the chrome highlights on the lights.

Need to spruce up the looks with some visual modifications. Suggestions are welcome.

From our parking lot. Thats our Nano.


Engine and Performance

• Engine is a 120 bhp Mhawk engine. I think a detuned version of the scorpio mhawk that produces 125 bhp. The Xylo pulls like anything. Engine is refined but there is a certain amount of clatter that filters into the cabin. At higher speeds it is not audible unlike Innova which is gruff at 100kmph.
• Driveability is excellent and turbo lag is non existent. The car pulls from 1000 rpm. In the city it is great to drive this around even with its bulk.
• Xylo reaches 100kmph mark pretty effortlessly. I think it could beat some of the hatchbacks in a drag race.
• I try and maintain the rpm below 2500 rpm. And at 100kmph the engine feels lazy at 2250rpm and there is no theatrics or drama.
• Even with 7 on board and AC on I felt that the Xylo is powerful enough to handle everything.

mHawk

Fuel efficiency

• This was one of the compromises that I was prepared for. My figo used to give me 17-19kmpl in the city and 20-22kmpl on highways with AC on.
• Xylo gives me 12kmpl consistenly.
• The average fuel consumption on the MID shows 16 and even 20kmpl during long highway runs but the truth is the Full tank mileage has been 12kmpl and 11.98 kmpl. This is a combination of a weekend drive and a drive during the whole week. I had mentioned my driving pattern in the beginning of the account. I hope that the mileage will improve after the first service.

Suspension & ride quality

• I was scared of the boat ride that many predicted. To be honest, I was equally surprised that Xylo does not ride like a boat. Verna does but Xylo does not. My family loves the suspension and ride. Most of the time, my family starts sleeping the moment they get in since the car is so comfortable.
• The 15 inch wheel along with the 75 profile tires absorb all the bumps and undulations on the road and keeps the passenger comfortable.
• There is definitely a roll when you take high speeds into a corner but you can bend the rule of physics you cannot break them.
• Do not try this at home unless you are alone in the car. Reach a T junction, start turning to left and then suddenly apply brakes. There is a wavy effect. Soft suspension combined with the Anti roll causes that effect is my assumption.
• Xylo does not give you a sense of speed unless you are looking at the speedo. So what happens is that most often than not you see a speedbreaker but your calculation of stopping distance/time would be off since the Xylo is carrying more speed. This means then the driver would have to apply the brakes a little more harder and then people are thrown to the front. This had been a cause for discomfort. Now I keep an eye on the speedometer as well.
• Xylo is not a great handler but on smooth roads it sticks well to the road and can do fast turns. There needs to be some planning for driving a Xylo, sudden turns and stops will affect its composure.
• Brakes are OK but I feel they need to have more bite. They need to inspire more confidence in the driver. The ABS also deploys a tad too fast.

How to put luggage in the 'so called' boot of Xylo?

1. Open the boot lid
2. Flip the backrest of last row of seats
3. Stuff the soft bags on the back side of the backrest
4. Close the boot lid
5. Enter the Xylo's third row and flop open the backrest of the third row seat and lock it in position.

What I want more
These are some of the things that I miss in a Mahindra Xylo

1. Bluetooth Stereo
2. Steering wheel mounted Audio controls
3. Adjustable headrests on the 3rd row
4. Puddle Lamps

Initial Niggles

• The pivot bolt that holds the door was loose and was making a noise. Instantly rectified.
• Quality of the parts in Xylo is not at par with Figo. There is a visible nut aor screw or bolt everywhere it is not desired. There are markings on every single panel, plastic or metal with wax or chalk. More seen on the dashboard panel gaps/joints etc.
• The child lock was not working on the first day. IT was a loose screw.
• Height adjustment on the front seat not working. Rectified now.
• Front windshield Wiper does not wipe properly from the first day. Some part of the windscreen that is supposed to be wiped does not get wiped since the rubber of the wiper blade does not make contact with the windshield.
• I hope there are no more.

Comaparing with the Figo

Please note : Thats not my figo

Since my figo was more or less like my baby, a comparison would be biased at best. I mean Xylo did never appeal to the heart but we just needed it in the family. It was not like that when I bought the Figo. I loved it when I drove the figo for the first time and I was in love with it for all the while I had it.
Xylo is like a pet elephant, how much ever you loved one you would not want to put it inside your house. Figo was like the labrador puppy who is just adorable and who will be around all the time. Biased?? Oh yes I am.

Some points of comparison
1. The gearbox and shifting the gears in the figo is superb. Xylo Gearshift feels kinda hard but it is sure slotting and needs a little getting used to.
2. The seating in the figo was low but the visibility on to the road was excellent.
Xylo makes you feel like you are on an elephant and the visibility is excellent.
And you are seated high up too.
3. Steering feel and dynamics of the Figo are way different and better than a Xylo. You just cannot compare them.

4. Space in the figo was good for a hatchback Xylo is more or less like 2 figos together. Xylo trumps Figo

5. Xylo swallows speedbreakers and potholes alike. With figo I had to be careful not to scrape the underbelly. POint for Xylo.

6. Figo has bluetooth, good audio system and costs half the price of Xylo. Now thats a serious one. Xylo has space, MID and safety (ABS, Airabags).


I love driving and Xylo is not a drivers car. It is not a bad car, just not like a Figo. Xylo has just begun to get my attention with its space, visibility, power and presence. It is stable on highways and feels very comfortable. In the end that is the expectation from a Xylo.



I hope I will like it in the years to come. I know I have a long way ahead.

Neat, detailed, crisp and to the point review. Thoroughly enjoyed reading.Superb pics too. It was great to join you and your family for the delivery. Has the race chip gone into the Xylo engine bay? Is this possible ? Enjoy the baby elephant and keep the odo ticking like there s no tomorrow :D Also wishing you miles and miles of happy ownership on the new Xylo.

What a fantastic write up figo_mba.
Now that the tusker has come to your stable, I think you should request the mods to change your handle to xylo_mba (I know that's not possible :D )

Many many compliments to your detailed review and the gripping writing style.
I reckon you should pen in more articles.

Having driven a figo, the driver's car and a SUV sized vehicle in close quarters, I can very well relate to your comparison levels.
I too echo your thoughts.
For short drives, city commute and whenever I want to enjoy a drive, it's still the figo is prefer over the XUV.

Lovely review again Prashob.
Wishing you many many more happy miles to come.
Happy motoring.

Congrats Prashob. Report is brilliantly concise and unbiased. All that a prospective buyer would want to know . Regarding the comfort, I too was surprised as I got a chance to sit in the third row for continuous three days in chennai.It was just awesome. Previously I had a bad experience with an old gen xylo when we went to gavi where I almost puked due to the body roll. Hence I was wary to sit in the new one too. But this time the story was just the opposite. Further not even once we had to put the ac to the max. And that xylo had crossed 1lac km as as well. Really impressed. I know that 1lac km milestone isnt very far from you.
Once again wishing you happy motoring.

Excellent review mate, and good pictures too!

I will miss your Figo man, it was simply a pleasure to see it taking on the twisties on our group drives.

But now, the tusker beckons! clap:

Turn the Xylo's handsome nose towards the highway, and I'm sure you'll come to love it just as much as you loved the Figo.

Here's to a million miles of motoring from a higher vantage point! :D

Thanks for your kind comments and for being there on the special day.
Race chip has not yet gone in but I have checked the port for the Rail sensor and it looks promising. Planning to install once the running in is completed. Might not take much time.


Thanks for the comments dhanush. I would want my handle to remain figo_mba and not xylo_mba. It quietly reminds me that my first love is always the Figo.

On a long trip everyone tells me that Xylo is not comfortable. It is true if you drive the Xylo like the figo. Both require different type of driving styles.
I have got a hang of it, so my family does not let anyone else drive the Xylo when I am there because they just cannot sit comfortably if the Xylo is driven like the figo which is what others do. I have more to learn and I will share my experiences here.

Fantastic review Figo_mba and congrats on your purchase. Your review reminded me a lot of our buying decision exactly a year ago (Oct 2012) - although the options then were few.

Not with this color - Silver and White Xylo's are the ones which are mostly used as taxi's because these colors are easier to maintain. Your car will definitely stand out as a private car :)

My suggestion is to keep it stock. Since you travel long distance with 6 people on board - you will not be flipping the last seat - hence boot space will be limited. You could install a good roof carrier - although it maybe a problem since you have a basement parking.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3276653

Heartiest congratulations figo_mba on bringing home the tusker:thumbs up. The car is a real VFM in the MPV segment. Its evident by your writing that you let go of the figo with a heavy heart, I guess the memories will linger for some time. The pics of the tusker have come out good and now it will be time to test the Xylo on the longer runs.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Nice review! Enjoyed reading it.

How is the gear lever to hold, and is shifting into 2nd/1st stiff? I once drove my neighbour's Xylo (3 year old, 40K kms, well maintained) on a day trip, 100km one way. I found that you need to be careful about how you hold the gear lever and how you shift into 2nd/1st, otherwise your left wrist aches. Is this the case with your new Xylo as well?

Great write up. :thumbs up Thanks for sharing with us.

The vantage point from Xylo is something else when compared to the Figo. I am quite sure your son will cherish the view. :)

Have fun travelling!

Hey, hearty congratulations on the Xylo. Wishing you unlimited happy and safe miles with the MPV.

This colour really looks nice on the Xylo. I must say you've taken a really well thought out & calculated decision with very clear cut requirement list. Many people often enter the showrooms with an original list of requirements. Then get blown away with the features, looks, status factor & end up buying a car that actually doesn't fit the original requirement specifications on the shopping list. So great that you managed to make the ends meet.

Any plans to spruce up the ICE with a sub-woofer or something? Would be good in the Xylo I think.

Its really a very VFM & practical vehicle & I'm sure you'll have a happy time travelling together. Keep the updates coming!

P.S. - a really detailed & informative write-up. Thanks for that!

We all miss the Red Riding Hood who used to lead the TBHP rides. But she left you for a good cause :thumbs up. Congrats and wishing you happy and safe miles ahead. Tusker has a company in upcoming rides.

Good to know you had contacts with TVS. They are a nightmare to any Mahindra owners. I even think of driving down Bangalore and give to India Garage. Now since my car is out of warranty, I have a good private workshop (ex TVS guys) in Kottayam who does well for Mahindra. My cousin's scorp is taken care by them since couple of years now.

Cab story is real fun. But yes it carries a Taxi image. Do you really care about it? I am sure you wouldnt once you are in the cockpit of Xylo where you dominate the roads.

Surprised to hear Xylo now lacks puddle lamps and adjustable head rest in third row. My Tusker has them.
At 10.6L OTR, Xylo is palace on roads. Not sure whether there is any competitor. Innova is not in this league with its pricing :D.

Scorpio style steering wheel? Need to feel it while we meet next time.

No puddle lamps? No adjustable headrest for third row? Tusker has them! Why on earth should they take these features out in new models?

Excellent review! Really enjoyed it. You very aptly summarized the dilemma of a 'Proper MPV' buyer. Eventually it boils down to Innova or Xylo. Innova is getting dearer with every passing upgrade, which make Xylo even more attractive proposition. Enjoy your new ride :-)

Congrats on the Xylo, I can imagine the driving correction you had to do shifting from Figo to Xylo, I had the same think although to a lesser extent when changing from Zen to Manza. I always did not like the looks of the Xylo but that mHawk engine is probably the best MUV engine out there.

Seeing the OTR its so tempting to buy the Xylo in KL :)