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Old 17th January 2009, 12:41   #31
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I checked out the Xylo yesterday -(No test drive)

1) Looks better in flesh although there is something funny about the way the bonnet is shaped.

2) The middle row captain seats are fixed, cannot move them back.

3) Driving position is good and the clutch is light. The steering is height adjustable.

4) Interior quality is better than the Scorpio but short of the Innova.

5) Space is good - infact the space and seating position in the 3rd row is KILLER ! Dedicated ac vents for the 3rd row seats and an arm rest too.

6) The engine at idle is silent and it certainly did not "swing" when started.

Now for that TD.
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Old 17th January 2009, 13:11   #32
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Just saw the OD episode on CNBC; Sireesh think the Xylo feels like a "better Scorpio" giving full marks to ride, handling and interiors, the only dislike being the styling.
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Old 17th January 2009, 13:24   #33
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Had a chance to TD the XYLO yesterday for a friend who was considering a used Innova for 8lacs. In no particular order, let me put down the Positives and Negatives.

Positives:

1. This may not necessarily be a positive, more like a neutral point... the XYLO is not really a bad looker. It actually looks better in flesh compared to the pics, the proportions are not too wierd as it was made out to be.

2. Taller seating position: Though it was a bit of a pain to get inside the car/MUV, the taller seating position offers a much better view compared to an Innova.

3. Options/Features available as standard. There are a lot fo thoughtful options added to this car, which will come in handy for the everyday user. Things like 'Puddle Lights', Ability to open (limited travel) the last row windows (fixed on most other MUVs), Heads up display for speed, kilometers to empty, real time fuel consumption, high-speed warning (only for few sec, then goes silent), Aircraft type tray, b;uetooth enabled HU (on top version), etc.

4. Price: That's the best part... the top most version (on road) costs as much as a used (40K run) second hand Innova. This car is definite value for money.

5. FE: The real time fuel indicator said it was returning 14KM/L, even 12KM/L in the city would be good for a diesel SUV.

6. Seats were the most comfortable amongst the MUVs, even better than the Innova, both because of extra cushioning as well as the shape/contour.

7. Engine/Controls: Engine felt quiet powerful, controls like Clutch and gear were light, unlike a heavy MUV. Driving this in the City will be easy.

Negatives:

1. This car has been built for a price and it definitely shows on all the plastics. I can only describe this as 'Utilitarian'.

2. Suspension/Ride: Suspension is very soft and as a result, body roll is very pronounced. The taller stance does not help things either. This cannot be compared to an Innova, which has a more sedan like ride/handling. Unfortunately, yes, the XYLO is like a boat.

3. NVH: The car lacks overall refinement and noise insulation is not up to the mark. Does not matter really as the engine sounds nice/OK when the turbo kicks in. Mind you, that comes from a Petrol head.

4. Access to the third row seats is by folding the pilot seat on the second row, which is not a smooth operation. I can imagine the driver having to get out and help the elderly/ladies in.

5. Only the front seats have forward/backward movement (rails). The middle seats lack this and the last row does not have adjustment for inclination.

6. High speed stability is very bad. You have to remember that this is NOT a Sedan all the time. This vehicle feels top heavy and does not inspire confidence in speeds above 100. The high-speed warning chime does come in handy

These are just the few things we could notice on the short test drive. So where does that leave us? I have asked my friend to go ahead with the Innova as I cannot imagine him doing a lot of long drives in this vehicle (doing 3 digit speeds) compared to the Innova.

Does it mean this car is bad? No way! It's actually far from that in fact. This will appeal to the tourist car agencies as it provides all the features one can think of at a price that is mouth watering. It looks OK, seats 7 in comfort and returns a decent of not good mileage. Since the controls are much lighter, drivers may also like this car as it is easier to handle. This is an ideal upgrade over a Sumo (old version).

I personally feel this car is a threat to Scorpio than the Innova. Mahindra has a reason for not comparing the XYLO to the Innova.

Last edited by quicksilver : 17th January 2009 at 13:25.
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Old 17th January 2009, 15:00   #34
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@ quicksilver : That was a good review. As you mentioned, features seems to be good. But, can we trust the fuel indicator(14 kmpl)??. Well lets wait and watch. Comfortable seats, better view from drivers seat, Features and price seems to be the main positive points.
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Old 17th January 2009, 15:16   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mnhegde View Post
@ quicksilver : That was a good review. As you mentioned, features seems to be good. But, can we trust the fuel indicator(14 kmpl)??. Well lets wait and watch. Comfortable seats, better view from drivers seat, Features and price seems to be the main positive points.
Nope, definitely not. There are other features that are purely cosmetic but add to the fun factor, like the in/out temperature indicator, the barometer (rain/humidity sensor), etc. I am guessing this car should return a avg FE of 12KM/L.
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Old 17th January 2009, 15:20   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mnhegde View Post
@ quicksilver : That was a good review. As you mentioned, features seems to be good. But, can we trust the fuel indicator(14 kmpl)??. Well lets wait and watch. Comfortable seats, better view from drivers seat, Features and price seems to be the main positive points.
Yesterday during my test drive the FE indicated was was 8km/l.The sales guy told me that FE is around 12 in city and 14-15 in highways.He also mentioned that after 3 services only the car will start giving the exact FE i.e around 12-14km/l.
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Old 17th January 2009, 15:54   #37
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Even if it returns 10 to 11 kmpl in city , it is good. Has anybody in tbhp booked the vehicle???
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Old 17th January 2009, 16:30   #38
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Hi,

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steeroid View Post
Has anyone else test-driven the vehicle and can they confirm that the Xylo is indeed a 'swinger'?
Yesterday I had a ride in a Xylo demo car. I will have a drive later with family. From the showroom to the Kundannoor junction and back. The driver was a prospective customer.

The engine was running when I got in. It was a racket outside, but quite subdued inside. It is noticeable, but fine. I was in the second row bucket seat behind the driver. From there I managed to move to the third row right corner seat. The space was enough, would say better than Innova. The seats are deifnitely contoured better and felt comfortable. Whenever the road dipped about three inches in one or two places in that stretch, it was a noticeable movement. Other than that I felt the ride to be quite pliant. The customer was not racing it and so in those sane speeds it was quite nice and comfortable. The AC was good with the individual vents.

Climbing into the third row would need agility. A little agility would be required to get in and out of all the seats for elderly (similar to Safari). Even in the seven seater, the space in between the seats with their handrests would not allow you to go to the third row. Moreover headroom is limited and so would have to crouch a lot, making it impossible. Folding the seat is the only option. With all the rows up, the luggage space is not much, but with the last row folded it should not be a problem.

I never experienced the 'swinging'!

Last edited by trrk : 17th January 2009 at 16:35.
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Old 17th January 2009, 16:30   #39
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Bijoy seems to like it!

The Xylo factor
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Old 17th January 2009, 22:55   #40
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If the Xylo swings so much how were the Mahindra test drivers ripping it on the expressways?!
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Old 17th January 2009, 23:19   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amit View Post
If the Xylo swings so much how were the Mahindra test drivers ripping it on the expressways?!
I have the very same question. Are we going overboard with the criticism?
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Old 17th January 2009, 23:33   #42
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Just like how the private long distance bus drivers drive those monsters even after over-loading them - stacking the luggage on the roof !

An experienced driver adapts his driving to the behaviour of the vehicle. After that, he forgets that the vehicle even exhibited such traits.
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Old 18th January 2009, 01:57   #43
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I saw the Xylo today at the showroom, and i just hated it! The quality is pathetic. I must say, the new Sumo Grande has better quality than the Xylo. Even the Scorpio is much better in quality to the Xylo. And the car is way too high for normal people to get in get out frequently. Actually have to climb into this car. IMHO... There is no way this is going to effect sales of Innova.

Innova still stands unbeatable, and the best in the segment!
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Old 18th January 2009, 02:09   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Insane Devil View Post
I saw the Xylo today at the showroom, and i just hated it! The quality is pathetic. I must say, the new Sumo Grande has better quality than the Xylo. Even the Scorpio is much better in quality to the Xylo. And the car is way too high for normal people to get in get out frequently. Actually have to climb into this car. IMHO... There is no way this is going to effect sales of Innova.

Innova still stands unbeatable, and the best in the segment!
Interior quality is much better than that of Grande but cant even compare with Innova.

As you said it wont effect the sales of Innova.
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Old 18th January 2009, 21:34   #45
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Handling: I did the test drive today and it indeed felt swinging even at 50-60 kmph, the handling is definetly nervous, not sure how it handles at >100kmph speed.

just to check the shocks i dropped the front/rear end to a small pot hole at around 40 kmph and it behaved like the whole world is shaking.

Engine: The Engine is not refined well as refinment is expected in Crde engines, but the pickup is definetly good.

Interior quality: The dashboard quality is acceptable but the switches, rubber door beedings and really of bad quality, we can see lot of gaps between the door beedings and window glass.

Seats: Seats are soft and comfirtable.

Exterior : Exterior quality is good, paint quality is also good, panel gaps are limited.

VFM: This is a good VFM MUV if we look at the entry level model but top end is not a good VFM (E8), the base model has Power steering, power windows and AC which is a VFM.

-ve - Poor plastics and door rubber beedings
nervous handling
no ABS / Airbag at atleast for top end for the price.
it is tough for ingress/eagress at 3rd row seats.
Engine Noise

-MUKE
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