Accessories for my XUV700: OEM seat covers & aftermarket steering cover

Not recommended if you are going for a lower (MX, AX3, AX5) variant. Your best option is to go aftermarket.

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Finally managed to get the seat covers and steering cover fitted on Saturday, the 17th. Took the entire day to get the work done as the boys weren't used to working with 700s and were fumbling a lot during the removal of seats and fitting them back inside (especially the tumbling 2nd-row seat which took an hour to get fitted back!). The OEM Art leather Deco stitch seat covers look semi-decent in their bucket-fitting avatar but I am not satisfied with their appearance and overall quality. The foam and the leather thickness aren't as good as Autoform's. Let's see how long they last before I switch - maybe just go for the Nappa leather option. Again, depending solely on my mood.

Work starts.

All seats removed.

Finished front passenger seat.

Steering cover chosen.

Stitching in progress.

Better pics of the OEM Black Deco-stitch seat cover set

Front seats - under the evening sun.

Rear seats - likewise.

Front seats - in the shade.

Rear seats - likewise.

Rear armrest.

They aren't black, but more in the ash grey shade. As can be judged from the headrest fittings, they don't sit flush either (except for the last row headrests). I have noticed two more issues - the tumbling rear seat doesn't tumble completely after the seat cover fitment, and the rear armrest doesn't close in fully into its section. Overall, I am not impressed.

Not recommended if you are going for a lower (MX, AX3, AX5) variant. Your best option is to go aftermarket. I am sticking with them for now.

Steering cover by Autoform.

Stitching pattern.

After a long pending body wash.

Alloys sparkle at their best when they are fully clean.

The XUV is a wonderful machine. Despite its dimensions, it's easy to drive the lumbering Mahindra within city confines. My only grouse is the initial shift from 1st to 2nd gear which is tough and keeps me very apprehensive during the start of any journey. It makes me think if I should have extended my budget and gotten the AT instead.

Except for the minor niggles related to the resets of the USB drive every now and then, and Google Maps disappearing and reappearing from Android Auto on its own, everything else is smooth. No suspension noise, no football in the boot, and no scratches/scrapes so far (touchwood!).

Mechanically, it's a very sound machine. Electronics - let's just say that they still have a long, long way to go.

I have switched to driving in the "Zip" mode in the past few days. Zap mode is overkill for driving inside city limits, especially on the roads filled with the recently-concluded festive season crowds.

Next update will be the Apple CarPlay flashing and (hopefully) a resolution to the power-folding ORVMs issue, which will make the AX5 a more rounded-off variant.

I hate having the dummy ORVM folding switch on my driver's door, knowing that it is useless for now. The techs and the CRM say that the BCM module of the AX5 doesn't support power-folding ORVMs and that the front door harnesses of the AX7 won't help, even if they are installed.

But then again, they said the same thing about the OEM AX7 reverse camera too, didn't they? And we all know how that went.

I am determined to make this work, by hook or by crook. Wish me luck.

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