[pawann]

Let me start off by saying it feels good to be on this forum. My request for membership was rejected twice and I almost gave up. But I am glad I tried once more.


The Need:
I have an Alto LXI which still runs beautifully but with kids growing up it was becoming increasingly hard to hold them down in the lap while travelling. Hence, we needed something that could accommodate two car seats and 3-4 adults comfortably. Hence sedans were not an option and everything that could seat 7 people and was less than 12 L on road was game. After doing extensive reading on these forums, the choice pretty much boiled down to Xylo Vs Innova Vs Safri Vs Scorpio.


The Selection Process:
I called up the dealers for all 3 companies – Toyota, Tata and Mahindra for test drives. Toyota were the most prompt. They came with the demo vehicle on the same day itself. I took the test drive with some of the friends and were floored by the vehicle. The ride, the handling, the air conditioning was superb. Even the third row seating can accommodate adults though not very tall individuals. But then came the dampener. The OTR price in Pune for so called ‘highest’ variant was 13.6L. The next variant was 11.6L and did not even have a music system! I think it should be criminal to sell 10L+ vehicles and not have a basic music system in it. No discounts and a waiting period of 3-4 months added to the misery. But I still did not rule it out completely at this stage. I wanted to evaluate others also.
The Tata guys never bothered to show up for the test drive despite multiple calls. They had just gone down from 2 dealerships to 1 dealership in Pune and I guess the lone dealer had too much to handle. And I shuddered when I thought about how they will treat me after the purchase if this is the way they are handling me for a Safari (not Indica) test drive. So Safari was out of the door.
Sahyadri Motors in Pune was fairly prompt in terms of offering the test drive. They showed up after 2 days with a Black Xylo E8. The vehicle met our expectations on most counts – the suspension was good, it was really spacious and it has some really nice frills – puddle lamps, follow me home lights etc. I had gone with really low expectations about the quality of plastics after reading on these forums and talking to friends, half expecting the door handles to come off at the end of the test drive. And so was happy when that did not happen! They look slightly tacky but they sure are not coming off. And then came the real winner – 9.4L OTR and delivery in 2-3 weeks. But I was still keeping the option open for Scorpio.
Scorpio was my dream vehicle. I had visions of driving that brute and driving over some of the two wheelers (pun intended!). And 4x4 was on mind. The test drive was as thrilling as I thought it would be. The vehicle was powerful and you get road respect when you are in a black/white Scorpio. But I had to admit it was not as user friendly as Xylo. For starters, the power buttons near the stick shift are a big turn off. No flight style trays and no beating the third row space/comfort in a Xylo. I had to remind myself that I was out in the market looking for a family car and so ‘practicality’ won over passion.
And thus I finally decided to get my Pièce de résistance – a black Xylo E8 with ABS and airbags.

The Booking and the Wait:
I was initially promised a 2-3 weeks delivery time but as the date approached the date was pushed by ten days citing non availability of black color. Since I already had the perfect city car for my daily needs, I was not too perturbed by the extension. But then as the date approached, it was again pushed by 5-6 days saying that there were some issues on the supply side. Now I was beginning to get pissed off since my brother’s family was visiting in the subsequent week and I definitely needed the bigger car. Well as the D-Day approached it was again pushed by 4-5 days saying that car was on it’s way and it will take 3 days for delivery and another 2 days for paperwork. This was really disappointing since I would get it only on the last day of my brother’s visit. But the saving grace was they would be able to accompany me for the ‘Pooja’. So finally after six weeks of long wait, I finally got my baby.

Initial Ownership Experience:
I went for the PDI once the vehicle arrived at the stockyard. One look at the lady in black had me swooning. I had always liked Xylo’s front and side profile though I will accept the fact that it looks boxy from the hind. Anybody who thinks that this one does not look sexy from the front has to be secretly gay! (NOM)


During the PDI, I noticed a couple of fresh drops under the engine bay. The touch and smell told me that it was oil and not water from AC/wipers. I became tensed as I have had previous bad experience with engine leakages. But it was brushed off as an overflow while unloading by the dealership guys there. I was not sure it was a big enough reason to reject delivery so I asked them to go ahead with the registration. In the first few days of ownership, I noticed a foul oil burning smell whenever I rolled down the windows and drops below the engine bay when the vehicle was parked. I took it to the Mahindra service station. One guy slid under the vehicle, reappeared after 5 mins and declared that it was a case of a loose nut which was causing a leakage in turbo mechanism. I was relieved that it was not anything serious. But I was thrown off the by the fact that you can have a loose nut in a brand new car. But then I recalled a discussion about desi Vs Videshi manufactures. The general consensus in that discussion was that you should be prepared for ‘minor’ issues in the initial period of ownership when you buy desi. Apna Bharat Mahaan!!
Accessorizing a beauty like this can be a tricky issue. My opinion has always been that the buck tooth steel finish Mahindra logo is like an icing on the cake. And when I see people driving around with hideous front guards that badly mutilate the front profile of the car, it breaks my heart. So after careful consideration, this is what I decided to get for my baby

1. Front guard
2. Rear guard
3. Luggage carrier
4. Seat covers
5. Reverse camera
6. Sun film for the windshield (based on recommendations from T-BHPians)

I also got door mats, door visor and sun film for the side window from the dealer.

What You Will like About Xylo:

• The high seating – The majestic view of the road that you get will be an exhilarating experience especially if you have switched from an Alto to a Xylo [FONT=Wingdings][/FONT]
• The feel of the thick steering wheel in your hands. Now when I drive Alto, it feels like a toy car
• The chunky gear knob – It will shock you first but then starts to fit nicely in your hands
• The Power – For a vehicle of it’s size, it can accelerates very well and is responsive
• The air conditioning – Excellent with separate ducts for rear seat passengers
• The space – Can seat 8 adults comfortably
• The Stereo – Decent sound. Can take in a USB stick as well
• The running cost – It’s gives me an average of 11 for in city driving and AC always on. That works out cheaper than my Alto.
• The DDAS information system – I find the distance to empty and gear information screen very useful
• Flight style tray – whoever thought that these were frills with no practical usage never had to prepare feed for two one year olds inside a car. My wife simply loves these.
• The puddle lamps – nice and soft light. A great help when parking on kaccha road
• The water bottle pockets in the front doors
• The nice thud sound when you close the doors
• Easy folding middle seats in a 60:40 split

What you won’t like

• Due to it’s height, ingress / regress is not exactly easy for ladies and senior citizens
• Thick A pillars obstruct view while driving
• The rear windshield does not offer a good view while reversing. You have to rely completely on the reverse sensors which are of limited use since their range is only 120 cm. So you can’t reverse at decent speed. A reverse camera is an absolute must for this vehicle unless you don’t mind running over couple of things. I would highly recommend one where the screen sits on your dashboard over the one where it snaps on to your rear view mirror. I personally got the second type. But my rear view was not tight so it would start tilting downwards with the additional weight of the reverse camera screen. I had to get my rear view camera changed.
• The boot space is zero. So a luggage carrier would also be a requirement.
• The rear bench needs quite a bit of strength to fold. You can forget about your wife handling it.

The Quirks

• Little hard to deploy reverse gear on a cold start. You have to do a bit of juggling around for 30 secs before you are able to deploy the reverse gear
• Same is true for the second gear in the first couple of mins of driving. After first couple of mins of driving, everything is as smooth as silk.

[sandeep3in]

any idea of the expectedmileage on the highways ?

I would also be interested in the stability of the vehicle at good speeds on highways(say 100 to 120 kmph).

Xylo in black looks too good .

[ajay0612]

Honest review and beautiful pics. Congratulations on your new vehicle. Xylo indeed looks & feels more like a family vehicle than a typical SUV. We might see that bunny tooth grill replaced by normal looking grill soon (similar to that of genio pickup).

[DMehta]

Great choice and a great review pawan. I have been an admire of the xylo and the e8 abs and airbag version will be a strong contender for my purchase if my next car is a diesel and it most likely is going to be.
Have great fun with your baby. the car looks great. i am not a big fan of the front and rear guards but if it satisfies you, great! Looking forward to some great travelogues with this mile muncher eh? Anyways, the xylo's engine is much more responsive than the innova and much more refined.
Time for some interior pictures!
PS - Welcome to Team Bhp and congrats on your first post

[pawann]

Originally Posted by sandeep3in

any idea of the expectedmileage on the highways ?

I would also be interested in the stability of the vehicle at good speeds on highways(say 100 to 120 kmph).

Xylo in black looks too good .

I am sure The expected mileage on the highways is 13-14 kmpl. Being in the run in period, I have not touched 100-120 kmph yet but I don't see any issues in cruising at that speed. You might have seen some posts where people have compared Xylo's swaying with the Titanic just before it went down. I wouldn't go that far but it surely isn't the type of vehicle where you make hair pin bends at 80 kpmh. The braking with ABS is pretty good. So high speeds are not an issue unless you try to make sharp turns.

[2500cc]

Hey pawan congrats on your new baby..you have mentioned a very valid points why one consider Xylo. Its a true VFM in its class today. Do mention more about the ride from the seniors perspective.

[shishir_bn]

Originally Posted by pawann

The Quirks

• Little hard to deploy reverse gear on a cold start. You have to do a bit of juggling around for 30 secs before you are able to deploy the reverse gear
• Same is true for the second gear in the first couple of mins of driving. After first couple of mins of driving, everything is as smooth as silk.

Congrats on the buy Pawan.

Keep the engine in idle for about a min after a delayed stop of about 5-6 hours or during the first start in the morning. When the Engine is in idle, just press the clutch 5-6 times. After this the slotting of the gears will be very easy(just a crude old method).

Originally Posted by sandeep3in

any idea of the expectedmileage on the highways ?

I would also be interested in the stability of the vehicle at good speeds on highways(say 100 to 120 kmph).

Xylo in black looks too good .

Mileage in the city is almost 11/12kmpl and on highways it is 15-16kmpl. and as Pawan told you cannot take a hair pin bend in any of SUV's or MUV's without an amount of risk. But at 100-120kmph it is steady and doesn't sway as mentioned by many.

[Torquedo]

Many a congrtulations Pawan on the new BUY !!

One of my friends recently landed up buying the Xylo instead of the Innova, thanks a price differential of close to about 2L for a feature to feature comparison between the two.

Happy Motoring !!

[mmxylorider]

Finally, eh! . Nice review.

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Keep the engine in idle for about a min after a delayed stop of about 5-6 hours or during the first start in the morning. When the Engine is in idle, just press the clutch 5-6 times. After this the slotting of the gears will be very easy(just a crude old method).

I slot into one of the odd gears first , mostly 3 - and then reverse is a buttery smooth fit. No idea why? but works for me.
I find moving to 2nd a bit hard. I've discovered double clutching makes it easy. Will look at experts take on this workaround.

Originally Posted by shishir_bn

Mileage in the city is almost 11/12kmpl and on highways it is 15-16kmpl.

That mileage is amazing! On my recent NH4 trip, I got about 11.5 with AC low 100%. 15-16 would be an achivement. I'm pretty lightfooted.

[amitwlele]

Congrats Pawan. Crisp Review. Black colour looks stunning. Please post interior pics as well.

Also did not quite get your comment about the mileage being at par with your Alto.

[pawann]

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Congrats Pawan. Crisp Review. Black colour looks stunning. Please post interior pics as well.

Also did not quite get your comment about the mileage being at par with your Alto.

The comment was about the running cost rather than the mileage. One tank full of Xylo costs me Rs 1950 and runs for 550 kms. That works out Rs 3.55 / km while a tank full of Alto costs me Rs 1750 and runs for 425 kms. So that works out Rs 4.1 /km.

Thanks for the kind comments. I will be posting the interior pics soon.

[amitwlele]

Yes i gathered what you were referring to after posting my question. But the details were helpful.
So i guess one more person joining the gang of people tracking the diesel subsidy and the threads discussing the same on T-BHP

[camchennai]

Congratulation Pawann on your new XYLO, your review was crisp and honest.

Thanks for bringing up the review and request you to update the thread with few interior pictures

Also what is the OTR price and were you able to get any discount??

[ghodlur]

@pawann

Congratulations on the buy and nice review.

Xylo was on my wish list when I was test driving for a new car. Sadly the cost was over my budget.

The MUV looks mean and menancing in the black. The gear knob shock was too hard to digest. I must the MID was really cool.

Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

[ACM]

Congrats Pawan

That is a nice looking front guard that you have put up, it actually adds to the front looks. Am not a fan of the rear guard of this or any kind but it is about each ones choice.

That loose turbo nut defect should not have occured. It could have caused a significant loss in engine oil and further complications later.

Enjoy the drive, do keep the kids only in the rear / mid row bench.