[diwakarmuthu]

The quintessential story in most of our homes, just that I relate for this car transition of mine.

I've segregated this across multiple topics for ease of reading.

1. Ah! The Big Brother
2. Deciding on what to adopt / buy next
3. Forget the Hassle, buy a new car
4. The Twist in the Tale – The Younger Brother Stakes Claim
5. My Review
6. Accessories
7. The Unthinkable Happens

[diwakarmuthu]

Ah! The big brother

14 years, 2 months and 20 odd days later decided to leave the garage for good. He had grown old, rusty in some parts and called for some good TLC that I didn’t find VFM. So, the difficult decision was made to leave him for a better home

Indeed, the separation was quite an emotional one, for the Scorpio was my trusted ride and as a family we created wonderful memories, the drives, the joy of brining my newborn in the car and seeing him literally grow inside it for a decade, moving homes, all came flashing in front of me. All things, living and non-living, have a finite lifespan, and all existence transient, this was my moment of transition

In all these years, never once did the car let me down. Over 1 lakh on the ODO, it just absorbed everything that was thrown at it. Only if Mahindra had taken greater body protection care for vehicles used near the shore, rust was its enemy. Twice I removed it and got it painted to keep it fresh.

Cars24 came to the rescue. After checking out multiple quotes, I gave it away to the most competitive one.

[diwakarmuthu]

Deciding on what to adopt / buy next
Simple requirements

• 7 seater, but ok with a spacious 5 seater
• Under 25L for pre-owned and 30L for brand new
• AT Only (Bangalore got me this time!)

I had a few options in front of me:

• Scour the market for VFM offerings in the pre-owned space (Adopt)
• I prefer to hold onto the car for 10+ years, put the money in a brand new car (Buy)
• Company is offering me a lease, why not check that and I can pick something at a higher price point too (Adopt)

They say, “Idle man’s brain is a devils’ workshop” and mine was indeed. There were too many ideas floating on my head, some of which I have already floated in many threads here.

Scour the market for VFM offerings in the pre-owned space (Adopt)

I shortlisted the following cars

1. XUV500 (2019 + model) – The most logical choice in my view. Trusted engine and proven car, so I looked at more than a dozen examples. Took test drives of W8, W10 and W11 models. I skipped the dealers as I saw the same examples getting repeated. The ones I liked got sold before I could get home and discuss. The others had a lot of issues and decided to look on – Budget Range 18L – 21L
   
   
2. Previous Gen Hyundai Tucson (2019 + model) – I saw a couple of examples, low run <30k on the ODO cars. I found one Petrol variant for 24L and when I started to look at the service history, the truths came out, the door, left side rear fender were all changed in an accident, while the other car was maintained poorly, shoddy interiors and more importantly body had so many dents which didn’t warrant the price they quoted. I walked away – Budget Range | Petrol 24L | Diesel 26-28L
   
   
   
   
   
3. Mahindra Alturas G4 4WD – I had to increase my budget, which I was ok for the right car. Some well-maintained company cars were available. I checked a couple of cars, and I loved it instantly. Getting hold of a direct owner car was very difficult and Cars24 quoted a bomb for a car that was not worth that much. As I did not get any more examples moved on – Budget Range 24L-27L
   
   
   
   
4. Kia Carnival (Prestige / Premium Variant) – This was a very interesting proposition, and found a couple of good cars, though from dealers. Though not a huge fan of the van lineage. Considering BLR, the narrow streets and driving I decided to skip this one – Budget Range 25L-31L
   
   
   
5. I glanced at the Germans too as I had the luxury car itch. Merc B-Class and Audi A4 falling right at my budget, albeit slightly old (6-7 years old). Thought long and didn’t want a grumpy German in my garage and decided to let it go

By now 3 months passed with no luck in finding the right car.

[diwakarmuthu]

Forget the Hassle, buy a new car

If I ever end up making the decision to buy a new car, I wanted to buy Indian for whatever that is worth. Call me anything, I prefer supporting home-grown cars for they are competent and world class in some aspects. This narrowed down my search to only three vehicles Tata Safari, XUV700 and the ScorpioN

Thar ROXX had just gotten launched, and it got me thinking with the price points they were launched at. My son was very keen on it for its macho looks. I did a test drive and did like the current offering. But, I was not ready to be a Guinea pig and the wait list would have put me without a car for another 6-8 months. I let go of the decision, maybe the next car would be a true blue 4x4

@Shankar.Balan’s post on the Jimny inspired me to consider and have another car in the garage that will do the highway drives. I loved its cute stance, nimbleness and more importantly was very agile. But, by now my 80+ parents decided to stay with me forever and with it went my decision. Practical difficulties came up and alas, 4x4 is not written in my destiny for now I suppose!

So, here is my drive report

XUV700 – Most preferred option. Though the design and shape has grown on me over the years, the test drive did change my mind.



Pros:

• Most sorted drive from Mahindra in my view. Car like in my view, manageable body roll at high speeds while cornering
• An engine I know very well. 2.2 Mhawk, the workhorse that keeps going on. Diesel AWD is a bonus
• NVH levels have significantly improved (I had a 2nd gen Scorpio LX!)
• ADAS – Have been wanting to try it out for long. Looks competent, I am still getting used to it.
• Premium fit and finish, tech, ventilated seats and VFM offering IMHO with all discounts thrown in

Cons:

• Boot space. With 7 onboard, it is literally nothing
• Fit and finish could have been better. Inconsistent panel gaps, some plastics and finishing have rough edges, Mahindra should have spent time on them
• Tech / software issues – I saw the ICE screen freeze in the demo car
• For a 30+ lakh car there is no paddle shifters, auto dimming IVRM or a full size spare wheel (C’mon! M&M)

ScorpioN – It was like bringing in a new pet. A product I know very well, though it is a new generation. The test drive went well



Pros:

• Solid build. BoF with a relatively new shape. I miss the old gen boxy shape
• An engine I know very well. 2.2 Mhawk, the workhorse that keeps going on. The NVH levels are miles ahead of the old gen Scorpio IMHO.
• 4x4 hardware with the tech, so a good combination to have
• Significant improvement in driving dynamics (Believe me if you have driven the previous generation Scorpio, you would understand). I observed significant improvement with ride quality and more importantly body roll is being managed better in the current gen version
• Great VFM

Cons:

• Personally, I was done with BoF vehicles. For all the robustness and abuse, the driving experience isn’t that great. I can’t change the BoF nature, but….
• Boot space. With 7 onboard, it is literally nothing
• Driving in city and turning radius

Tata Safari Facelift – The facelift design literally speaks to you, the facelift looked much better, especially the #DARK was a killer.



Pros:

• Solid build. The Safari name plate evokes memories
• Very good 2.0L engine mated to the 6 speed transmission. The shifts were a bit slow to my liking, but still ok
• Spacious cabin with a very good AC
• Safety, tech, ADAS and sunroof

Cons:

• How the hell do I find the right seating position without my knees pushing into the center console? I couldn’t find after spending nearly 30 minutes trying to find the optimum seating position
• In the demo car, the steering vibration at speeds over 80 was very significant. I thought it could be the occasional issue, but when I enquired with multiple owners, I understood it to be a problem
• Tata’s hit and miss build quality. You never know what you get until you experience one
• Software / UX was a major let down for me personally.
• I felt Mahindra’s after sales were more responsive than Tata’s

By now, all lanes were converging to XUV700. Wifey and Son also preferred the XUV to Safari. I explored all the options and decided on the AX7L AT D AWD

I drove a Black Beast for good 15 years. I wanted a different shade; Mahindra had just launched the Deep Forest along with Burnt Sienna. Deep forest resonated with me, and I had a look at one of the demo cars and was sold on the color

So now for putting the money and making the booking

[diwakarmuthu]

The Twist in the Tale – The Younger Brother Stakes Claim

At this point, I get some information from my company abut CLC programs. Apparently, they had modified it to enable me to lease a new car with some significant tax savings. I explored the options, weighed in the pros and cons and eventually decided to go all in.

Lease agreements were signed, EMIs agreed upon and Purchase Orders were dispatched to Sireesh Auto in Madiwala. I was initially given a 4-6 weeks of waiting period for the new car, however the dealer mentioned that they have one AX7L in stock and I can take it if I want. I asked for a PDI and told the dealer if yes, I would come and have a look.









Armed with the PDI checklist, I evaluated the car from all angles and here is my report:

• November 2024 manufactured
• 25kms driven (Yard to showroom)
• Chassis / Engine number matched
• No dents / scratches or any paint deformities
• Date of manufacture of Tyre and spare
• Sun roof, and all electricals (USB, lights, 12V socket, etc)
• Software version for Adrenox
• Powered seats,

I pretty much ticked off every single checkpoint that was available in the T-BHP checklist

I was satisfied with what I saw and I told the dealer to invoice the vehicle. On an auspicious Saturday in December, the car eventually came home.

Dealer Experience

• Arun from Sireesh Auto helped with the order processing. He is very courteous and ensured that he answered all my queries patiently
• Being an auspicious day, the new car delivery bay was extremely busy. I eventually moved the car before 6PM and completed other formalities. Some planning would have been better here
• I got a coffee mug, microfiber cloth, and a leatherette keychain as parting gift.
  
  
  
  
  
• It is appalling that many in the showroom are unable to explain a feature properly. I had to cut off significant part of the conversation knowing that bluffing wouldn’t help out

The younger sibling takes its rightful place in the garage

[diwakarmuthu]

The Drive

Given the in-depth reviews by TBHP legends, I will concentrate on my own impressions, including aspects I particularly enjoy and dislike, as well as the modifications and accessories I have implemented or intend to incorporate.

The Good Things

2300kms later, I am listing some key ones. I am sure this list would keep adding as the car grows on me!

• A SUV having the soul of the sedan. Good GC and AWD is added bonus
• The Deep Forest Color. I was apprehensive, but I love it now. Especially when the car is clean, it just pops out
• Once you step in, you get to understand some of the premium features and luxury (for me at least) on offer. The seats are plush, it is a snug fit for me and I got the right driving position. The cabin experience is pretty good too. Dual zone climate control, blower for 3rd rows are pretty good too
• The exterior is still growing on me. So as other look at the car, I continue to invest in loving it
• The Tech – One of the first things I did when I took delivery was to switch off all the tech and just keep the basic drive mode only. A world of difference for me personally as the AT slotted in nicely and made me grin
• Steering – A world of difference from the previous gen Scorpio. Super light and at times. No effort is required. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more weight while on the highway.
• Drive modes – Zip, Zap, Zoom and Custom – I have set it in Zap mode now, but on a highway, tried the Zoom mode and the acceleration was really peppy and you laugh. What else I do I want? But, keeping economy in mind, I guess I will use Zip and Zap for city rides and potentially see if I can do a custom setting to ensure optimum performance and economy. I guess I will keep experimenting till then
• Sunroof – Alexa open…..goes my son the moment we hit the ghats. He loves showing it off.
• NVH levels are refined. Until you 100kmph, you hear a slight grunt inside the cabin, after you cross 110, I observed some additional sound. It cuts most of the outside noise
• ICE – You do get overwhelmed at first, but then you start to look at all the details and start setting it to my preferences. Speakers are crisp, the ICE screens are haptic and responsive. Sound quality is competent though.
• Mechanicals – A known devil for me. I am surprised at how Mahindra have refined the 2.2 Mhawk in its current iteration. The power distribution is linear and on the highway you hit 100kmph instantly. Overall a fun car to drive for me.
• Adaptive cruise control – A very useful feature for the highway and I have used it only once for a 20km stretch.

The Not So Good things

• Luggage space – With all 7 on board, you can probably put a couple of duffle bags or small suitcases. Sunroof variants can’t have a roof rack too.
• On ghat roads, the AT takes an awful lot of time to shift from 2nd to 3rd. Also, without hill hold, the car goes very fast on the decline, at times throws a scare at you
• White interiors – Mahindra doesn’t give any options for upholstery. I would have preferred a semi dark theme, potentially in tan or some other shade that would have complimented Forest Green. The roof liners, door pads, hand rest and dashboards are all places where it can get soiled easily. My glove box has a pack of wet tissue stored always
• Overall fit and finish. Across half a dozen cars that were prepped for delivery along with my car, I observed inconsistent panel gaps. Even my dashboard has a minor gap in the front of the dashboard
• The shiny gear console. The shiny material is a dust / fingerprint magnet and more importantly as you keep and take your keys, phones, documents, etc, it attracts scratches.
• No option to disable auto start. You need to remember to switch it off
• The electric parking brake. It automatically gets enabled while parking, but when you put in D, you need to physically disable it. When you disengage the parking break, it leaves an annoying sound
• The 360 degree camera – You can set only two cameras at a time. Why can I add all sides along with front or rear camera?
• Blind spots – The A pillar requires careful maneuvering. You can easily miss a bike or an auto that can sneak in
• Rear view – Very poor. Maybe I am comparing to Scorpio, but the IVRM shows only a small portion. I am relying on the camera for turning into narrow lanes and reversing
• Mahindra has provided a smaller spare tyre.

The happy faces on delivery. Never has a car come so quickly in my experience. Maybe the market slowdown, the news about the automakers having excess inventory and year end all played out I guess



The front design grows on you. As someone who loves minimalist design, it is slightly over the top IMHO, but it grows on you gradually. The headlights have a decent throw, cornering function helps especially in narrow turns and tight parking spots.



The interiors look premium and have good materials. If I have to nitpick, it is the quality of plastics from Mahindra. The interior ones tend to lose color quickly and we need to have it polished from time to time.


The face grows on you. Guess you begin to admire the design slow and stedy


The side profile brings some clean lines and extends out towards the rear. Not sure what advantage you get by having those inward design lines towards the bottom of the doors.





About the rear, I don't know what to say. I guess the designers have inspired from the Germans and Japenese!

[diwakarmuthu]

Accessories

From the showroom

• Scuff plates – I opted for the simple version, did not want the illuminated version
  
  
  Ignore the dirt. I didn't get enough time to clean before taking pictures.
  
  
• ICE Screen protector – I found that it was cheaper in the showroom, hence fitted. But the installation is a shoddy job, I can see some airbubbles already. Will get them fixed separately

Not sure if you can see the film. The airbubbles have disappeared now, guess it is looking good for now



Outside the showroom

• Side foot rest – I opted for CTRACK all black one that complements the Deep Forest shade. Priced around 12k, half of what the dealer had quoted
  
  
• Rear crash guard – I decided it is required for BLR traffic and also if I have to used ADAS, I decided to have it as an insurance

Future Plans

• Dashcam – I am in a dilemma right now. While it provides insurance over road rage, I am not sure its other benefits. I love to make travel videos, so if I get a good one for recording some of the driving videos, I may go for it. Right now hooked to the Dashcam / DVR thread. Do throw your comments about it?
  
  
• Sun film – Still in two minds. I want a film for the front and back windshield alone so that I don’t have to invested in powered sunglasses (I wear prescription power)
  
• 5D Mats – I love the PVC options that are available, will be adding one when it comes on sale. After significant research, I finalized on a brand called Prevento which looked very similar to QPO, but came out a bit cheaper.
  
  Kindly ignore the dust as I keep visiting my construction site and it keeps picking up dust irrespective of how much I clean!
  
  
  
  
  
• Blackout grille and rims. I just feel Mahindra should have given this as standard, it would have looked much better IMHO

[diwakarmuthu]

The Unthinkable Happens!

Towards the end of the year, I am in Coorg enjoying the weather and the resort that was deep inside a plantation. It was just an hour post our check in and the car was parked in the designated garage. I thought I had parked it a place where I felt it would remain safe.

The park was on an incline and another car was making its way to the park. The driver potentially misjudged the incline and stepped on the accelerator a bit hard and lost control and hit directly on the rear door. A car that had just done around 800kms, with one broken door. I was broken literally.

I decided to bring the car back to Bangalore and have it serviced. Post insurance formalities, a new door has been changed and painted. But I will always feel bad about it for it wasn’t a mistake of mine.

But as they say everything happens for a reason. On 21st December, I had just crossed the Neelamangala toll an hour earlier and later that evening I heard about the gruesome accident.

In Tamil we have a proverb that loosely translates as "To escape by the skin of one's teeth". I kind of take it forward thinking it could have been anyone.









It was difficult, but the whole rear door was replaced and painted.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Jupizire]

Congratulations for acquiring the best looking vehicle on Indian roads! Everytime I see an XUV7OO on the road, I glance at it again and soak in those 2 seconds of delight.

By the way, reading the title I thought your elder brother has gone onsite, leaving the XUV and the garage to you!

[Utopian]

Somehow, despite XUV been on our roads for quite some years, I have never seen this shade of army green. It complements the design really well. I feel you can also try a render with blacked out grills. I am sure it would look even better.

Wish you many happy journeys with the car.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by Utopian

Somehow, despite XUV been on our roads for quite some years, I have never seen this shade of army green. It complements the design really well. I feel you can also try a render with blacked out grills. I am sure it would look even better.

Wish you many happy journeys with the car.

This colour is called Deep Forest, not a popular colour on the XUV7OO, but a popular one on the Scorpio-N.

[IamNikhil]

Welcome diwakarmuthu to the XUV 700 family!

[aastiksaluja]

[*]Mahindra Alturas G4 4WD – I had to increase my budget, which I was ok for the right car. Some well-maintained company cars were available. I checked a couple of cars, and I loved it instantly. Getting hold of a direct owner car was very difficult and Cars24 quoted a bomb for a car that was not worth that much. As I did not get any more examples moved on – Budget Range 24L-27L

Attachment 2737013

Congrats on the new purchase. XUV700 is a potent machine, and I hope it serves you well.
I was happy to see you considering the above gem as it probably is one of the most underrated cars in terms of the VFM package it was in the last six years.
Sadly, the dealer was trying to rip you off, as is the case with all dealers inflating the pricing for all segments. For the budget range you mentioned, you could have easily got a 5-year-old immaculate piece with close to 50K on the odo, which is a breeze for this car.

[sunilarkt]

Dashcam is a must. I have seen few videos of folks intentionally jumping in front of the car to extort money (Happened in Bengaluru), they run away as soon as they see a dashcam.