My Mahindra XUV700 AX7L AWD has been with me for 8000 km / 3 months.

BHPian avi01gupta recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Detailed and necessary ownership review for anyone buying the car as well as existing owners!!

My ownership started with my fair bit of niggles with the drive modes not working in the first week and infotainment going blank within the 2nd week of ownership. The silver box was replaced, and although the process took longer than necessary the guys at MASS were very courteous.

I have completed the following trips in my car:

1. Delhi-Binsar-Delhi
2. Delhi-Mussoorie-Delhi
3. Delhi-Agra-Delhi (Two times)
4. Delhi-Patiala-Delhi

I have encountered and been to a few soft off-road trails and done steep climbs to reach hotels. I will list the pros and cons of my ownership experience below

Pros

• The engine is an absolute Gem that accelerates blissfully and has plenty of power in low-end and mid-range. (Top end is severely lacking)
• The car is a mile muncher and does high-end triple-digit speeds with absolute comfort
• When on steep inclines and climbs there is absolutely no drama by the wheels, it climbs up effortlessly, AWD does its job very well. Took it on a mild offroading trail where there was no road just small stones and a steep incline, No issues at all
• The infotainment screen is the best and most well-put piece of real estate
• At 140km/h expansion joints and minor road, undulations do not bother the car at all
• Virtually no body roll in hills
• Brakes are to the point and sharp

Cons

• This is important and necessary to know
• Fit and finish are substandard
• The console above the driver's head which houses the Sunroof switch rattles on bumps and idle
• The roof lining around that area has gotten a bit loose.

Basically, when u push the roof upwards you can hear the gum sticking noise and then unsticking (Please also advise what to do here)

There is a slight creaking noise near the front right side around the accelerator pedal on bumps and acceleration when the weight of the car shifts backwards

Is it something inside? or the suspension? I have yet to sort these out with the service centre. it is a metallic creak as if some metal joint is flexing.

Brakes noise and suspension noise are there from the start and has learnt to live with them.

Conclusion

• The car is a commendable attempt by Mahindra and despite minor issues, they have gone very far in terms of what they are actually providing.
• The high-speed stability and driving dynamics are on point.
• But my advice is a genuine one.
• The headache with this car about what issue might come up next is a bit annoying. I can handle it for the most part but for the people who love absolute mental peace and hassle-free ownership, this car is not for them YET at this stage in the production cycle.

I would advise a person who has a good Volkswagen dealership nearby, does not have an issue with petrol and can add Rs 8 lakhs more to consider the Volkswagen Tiguan AWD.

While I absolutely love the car, if I had 10 more lakh rupees to spare and my running was less I would have gone for the Tiguan. Currently owning the Polo I can vouch for the material quality and QC at VW.

If Mahindra can up their game in fit and finish there is absolutely no contender to this car.

What I think why this is like this, is not because of the price but because the material being used in the top model which costs 30L and the base model which costs 15L OTR is the same and therefore material quality is bound to be low with respect to 30L

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There are a few inconsequential features which I have ignored for now, as these do not factor in anyone's purchase decision.

BHPian tarunjain recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Given the overlap between the two cars, this confusion is inevitable for many of us. While the difference in ride and handling will be known in couple more days, starting this thread with a list of missing features in Scorpio-N compared to XUV 700 (the ones highlighted in red are missing in Scorpio N).

There are a few inconsequential features which I am not sure whether they exist in Scorpio N or not (like IntelliControl, MicroHybrid tech, etc.). Have ignored these for now. I don't think these features anyway factor in anyone's purchase decision.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

More than features, it's a body-on-frame vs monocoque comparison here. The monocoque XUV700 will offer better ride quality, superior handling and be more car-like to drive. On the other hand, the Scorpio will be more robust, abuse-friendly, overload-friendly and (odds are) more competent offroad.

A big one is also RWD (Scorpio, like most body-on-frame cars) vs FWD (XUV700). I'd personally go with the XUV700.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Thank you. Clearly, you have taken a lot of trouble to sit and list out the differences. If I may hazard a comment here, I would say that barring the 360-degree surround view, cornering lamps, knee airbag and telescopic steering, all the rest of the missing elements are inconsequential, at least, to me.

Here's what BHPian Vishal.R had to say on the matter:

One feature which is "missing" in lower variants of XUV 700 is cruise control, As We know due to ADAS which is only available on the top variant.

For me, Cruise Control is more important in comparison to the start-stop button. For me, W4 is a very well configured variant which provides almost all basic essential features and someone can actually consider it if on a tight budget. The only missing part is additional airbags.

Here's what BHPian swapnil0035 had to say on the matter:

Considering the initial post, the difference between complete Scorpio-N and 700's major (deal-breaking for some) features:

1. Panoramic Sunroof
2. Memory driver seat
3. ADAS
4. 360° camera
5. Electronic parking brake

Rest all major features of 700 are available in Scorpio-N

So, the Top model (Automatic 4x2) price comparison

• Scorpio-N Z8L: 23.70L on road (tentative)
• XUV700 AX7L: 26.00L on road (in Punjab)

If we compare the proper top model of ScorpioN

• Scorpio-N Z8L: 26.00L on road (tentative)
• XUV700 AX7L: 26.00L on road

Then, you get the below in scorpioN which is not available in 700:

• 4L and 4H proper 4x4
• 4xplore terrain management system
• MLD and BLD diffrentials
• RWD
• Better tuned suspension for off-road. (For normal ride and handling as well will be decided after review)

Here's what BHPian VaibhavShatna95 had to say on the matter:

They are completely different cars.

Scorpio-N is a body-on-ladder I believe and XUV is Monocoque.

For someone living in rural areas, Scorpio is a much better bet and similarly, if your usage is primarily urban, XUV 700 is the one to get.

We still have to hear about how Scorpio drives on road but I don't have high hopes about it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The exact number of cars affected by this recall is not known.

Mahindra has silently issued a recall of the XUV700 over an issue related to the propeller shaft.

According to the company, it’s a critical service action during which an inspection of the propeller shaft bolts will be carried out. Select all-wheel-drive variants of the XUV700 are said to be affected by this issue.

The Mahindra XUV700 was launched in August last year. The SUV is offered with two engine options. These include a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol producing 197 BHP and 380 Nm and a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that makes 182 BHP and 420 Nm (MT) / 450 Nm (AT). Both engines come with a choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is only available with the diesel engine paired with a 6-speed automatic.

The exact number of cars affected by this recall is not known.

Thanks to BHPian RavenAvi for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

The XUV700 was given a 5-star safety rating by Global NCAP in November 2021.

Mahindra has received the 'Safer Choice' award for the XUV700.

The XUV700 was given a 5-star safety rating by Global NCAP in November 2021. The SUV scored 16.03 points for adult occupant protection and 41.66 points for child safety. It had one of the highest combined occupant safety ratings of any car tested in the #SaferCarsForIndia campaign.

According to Global NCAP, Mahindra had voluntarily submitted the XUV700 for further testing, with the model meeting both pedestrian protection and ESC requirements.

The Safer Choice award is given to carmakers who achieve high levels of safety performance in tests conducted by Global NCAP.

No rattling noise, no mechanical issues, and no electrical failures to date.

BHPian D_Security_Guy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Mahindra XUV700 AWD AXL: 2.5 months of ownership.

Completed 11,000 km with a quick excursion of the Srinagar-Leh-Manali circuit.

Observations:

1. As obvious, FE at different stretches varied, however, the following FE was noted in-tank fill method of measuring:

2. The road from Srinagar to Leh is butter-smooth now! The pitch-black tar with mesmerizing terrains gives goose bumps to travellers!

3. While the road from Leh to Pangong, Khardung La and some other passes gives the opportunity to test the AWD/4x4 capabilities, it’s doable from any car of any drivetrain and size. If you keep looking for some off-road adventures, you will get a lot of them. A glimpse of some mild off-roading opportunities in this video.

4. I didn’t face any DPF clogging/warning, however, I had to top up the AdBlue since the level was already showing 90% consumed at around 8,500 km on ODO.

5. No puncture to date! The OEM tyres (Bridgestone Ecopia) have provided decent grip in slush and slippery conditions. However, if the Indian market, in the near future, gets an AT tyre of the same profile (235/60 R18), I will opt for it.

6. At 10,500 km, I got my 2nd servicing done. Costs around Rs 3900 which include engine oil, carbon filter, oil filter etc., replaced.

7. No rattling noise, no mechanical issues, and no electrical failure in the first 11,000 km that I completed. Keeping my fingers crossed to reach much more milestones – niggle free!

Embedding a slideshow of some of the pics of the car, taken during this trip.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It is sort of a clattering noise, which comes for a few minutes every now and then.

BHPian Maverick3094 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Encountered some noise coming from the steering column. It is sort of a clattering noise or sparking or something. Not sure about the exact origin of the noise, but is coming from somewhere near the middle of the steering column, somewhere around there. It is not persistent. First appeared on 6 May. Was there for a few minutes then went away. Came up again here and there for a minute every few days. Here is a video of it.

Would be great if someone could shed some light on it.

I had reached out to the service centre guy on 7th May but got no response. What should be the next step? Who should I reach out to?

Here's what BHPian impala had to say on the matter:

Was the noise actually as loud as it appears in the video? I and another person had mentioned it on Team-BHP earlier, but the noise was much lower. I had correlated it with Smart Pilot on highways. Try switching off associated features and see if the noise is still coming.

As for getting a response, try dropping an email to customer care and they would forward the issue to GM services of your last service centre. That kind of forces the ASC to follow up.

Here's what BHPian MissionManali had to say on the matter:

Please check the speakers, looks like one of the speakers has some kind of short wiring.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The SUV has clocked 2000 km in the 1.5 months of ownership.

BHPian Moto_Bear recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey Guys. So a post is long due from my side since April.

Anyways, got delivery of my XUV 7OO AX7L Diesel MT [KRATOS] on the 14th of April. The day went smooth and without any hassle as I had already done 90% of the paperwork prior to the delivery. The staff was very courteous and the S.A didn't push me for anything that includes accessories too. They were kind to give us basic mats but the second key and the sequential indicators were left out for some other day as per the consent letter that was handed to us.

The total we had to pay was:

• Ex-Showroom - ₹19,99,000
• Insurance - ₹65,000
• Road Tax - ₹1,84,000
• TDS - ₹19,990

So, the total was around ₹22,85,000 (I'm missing some expenses)

Since it was Baisakhi that day, the staff had only come for the deliveries and there were only 2 to be had, one ours and a Thar. So by 3 pm [as per our Mahurat(auspicious time)] we were free and driving back home on the new steed, Kratos. Yeah, well, I wasn't; as somebody had to drive our other car back home.

The next stop was our community temple where a pooja was arranged by my dad.

While the pooja was going on, Lord Indra(God of Rain and thunder) decided to pay us a visit with all his might; maybe he too, knew who Kratos was, and so the afternoon turned into an evening of fritters and tea.

Later that night, the car was inspected and tested 'OK' for the Sub'woof'er by our in-house ex-paw't.

Before you read further, I think a little background on the naming is necessary. Well, I named him Kratos. Kratos is the protagonist in the God of War games who used to be this angry, vengeful demi-god who in his need for vengeance, killed the entire pantheon of Greek Gods. In the newer series, he becomes a father, shifts to stoicism and becomes a responsible yet even more powerful man/God.

Coming from XUV5OO which was in a lot of ways comparable to the earlier Kratos in how loud the engine used to be, the vengeance with rust and the overall aggressive look of the car, XUV7OO was like the older Kratos, a responsible, wiser yet much more powerful person. Hence, no other name suited this steed better than, KRATOS.

After a few days, the S.A called regarding the Registration certificate and the affixation of number plates. I had applied for a vanity number prior to the delivery and the registration had been finally completed by the dealer. So, it was another reason for a visit to the dealership to get Kratos, his registration papers. Clicked some pictures of him, when I stopped to get some lunch. Also, the mileage for the drive.

As of now, the first service has been done, which was just routine checkups. I haven't been able to go on any trips or long drives and yet, Kratos has clocked almost 2k km in 1.5 months of driving him during commutes. And I have to tell you this, The MT is a blast to drive. I mean, compared to the Aisin gearbox (no offence to the AT owners), this MT just wants to wheelspin in even the 4th gear (gives me the Duke 1290R vibes) and that has got me impressed. It's light and you hardly have to come down to even the 2nd gear even in creeping traffic. Mahindra has scored an ace in my book for this MT.

Additionally, I have been planning a separate ownership thread for those who have or are planning to buy a Manual as the information on MT is too little compared to the ATs. So, I hope I'll be of any help to the potential or existing owners. So will follow up with a detailed post/thread on the MT ownership.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I got an average fuel efficiency of 16 km/l with the tank-to-tank method.

BHPian StarVector recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

1st update for my XUV700 MX Diesel.

Have completed 1200 km in 20 days. The car went for the first service last week. So far the experience driving this car has been very good. The car is indeed a looker and catches attention wherever it goes. But, Midnight Black is a maintenance-heavy colour. I had to spend one complete Sunday morning applying Turtle Wax Graphene infused Max Wax. The results were remarkable with high gloss and slickness. Cleaning off dust has become much simpler after the application. I also got 3M PPF fixed on door sills, door edges and door handles which cost Rs 2800.

Fuel Efficiency

FE has improved over time. I got an average fuel efficiency of 16 km/l with the tank-to-tank method. I am a sedate driver and I always drive with AC on 100% time (in Econ mode). As of now, I am getting 17-17.5 km/l on the Ecosense app, consistently. I will be extremely satisfied if I continue to get this FE.

Service Experience

Now, coming to the service experience. I got my car serviced at Sahyadri Motors, Wakad. I had fixed an appointment using the Mahindra app, however, I did not receive any confirmation call from the service centre, this is the complete opposite to my experience with MS wherein the service centre always used to call in to confirm the appointment.

I had highlighted a small niggle in my previous post:

One minor niggle observed so far is feeble noise from the left rear brake every time brakes are engaged at slow speed. Will get this checked out at the service centre shortly.

My observation has been that the suspension almost always makes a hollow sound when passing over uneven surfaces at speeds of 20-25 km/h or braking at slow speeds. While this is not irritating and noticeable only on roads with very minimal traffic I wanted to get it checked during the first service. The SA shared that the sound is due to the short travel of the suspension and that they will try to fix it by tightening the setup. However, I feel that the issue is not resolved even after the service. On the contrary, the noise has increased a bit. I have informed the SA about this and will currently hold for some more time to see if the problem persists before visiting the service centre. So, maybe M&M is aware of the issue and the likely cause but does not have a solution to fix this problem currently. Hopefully, we should soon get a fix for this. As of now, the best solution is to switch on the music, enjoy the ride and ignore the mild thuds.

Another important point to share is that the gearbox has smoothened a bit after the first service with occasional roughness while slotting to first gear.

Here's what BHPian Abhikumar629 had to say on the matter:

This is a known issue and even Mahindra is aware of the same. 1st they do not have a proper solution for it yet, 2nd they do not want to take the cost of the recall. Even I am facing this issue and trust me there is nothing that the service folks can do about it. Write an email to Mahindra and document the issue.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I tried pressing the brakes, tried the remote lock, and checked the handbrake, but nothing worked.

BHPian iPratik519 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi guys,

This is my 1st post here. I started reading the posts on this thread in October and now, it is part of my daily ritual. All the experiences which were shared here saved me a lot of pain.

Recently, I noticed a bug. I parked the car as usual at around 2 pm in sunlight, but when I looked at it on my way to the building, I noticed something off with the brake lights. It looked as if they were on! I told myself that it might be due to the sunlight and reflection & all, so I locked the car again just to be sure and left. At 6 pm, when the sunlight was low, it became clear that the lights were indeed on! I rushed to the car and my biggest worry at that time was the battery because apparently, the brake lights didn't go off when I locked the car at 2 pm. The car started on the 2nd or 3rd crank and I gave a sigh of relief.

Now, here is the funny part. The brake lights again didn't turn off when I turned off the engine and locked the car. I tried pressing the brakes, tried the remote lock, and checked the handbrake, but nothing worked. Then I remembered that on that day, I had accidentally hit the auto headlight switch and pushed it to its utmost setting and then quickly went back to switching it off and then setting them to auto (while the brake pedal was pressed). So I enabled the auto headlights, made sure that the car detected the sunlight and turned off the headlights and then finally brake lights went off!

Because of this incident, I and my wife look at the brake lights when we leave the car parked.

Also, recently I saw a fuel log of a diesel AT on Facebook. I have shared it along with my Petrol AT fuel log just for comparison. Not sure how the diesel AT variant was driven, but I have driven mostly within Mumbai in moderate to heavy traffic.

Keeping this incident aside, everything else is fine.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Overall fuel efficiency for highway trips stands at an impressive 18.1km/l. This is with speeds between 80 - 85 km/h

BHPian RavenAvi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Depending on how one drives the diesel inside city conditions and on the mild to moderate traffic on city roads, FE figures hover between 13-16 km/l. I have yet to experience bumper-to-bumper traffic in my city, or a traffic jam, to check FE figures for that worst-case scenario.

But, the worst I have scored till now is 13.2kmpl, and the best is 15.7kmpl. This is as per the EcoSense calculation in the Trip(s) Summary section in the AdrenoX Connect app. Also, the average for the last 520 km of running comes to 14.2kmpl, which includes a highway trip of ~185 km.

According to the latest in the Fuelio app, the FE for the last refill to refill comes to 13.43kmpl. This is in peak summer with the AC on every time.

For 2 highway trips of 180+ km, the highest FE achieved was 20.7kmpl. Overall FE for highway trips stands at an impressive 18.1kmpl. This is with speeds between 80-85kmph, also with AC on all the time.

So, in the period where I and Icarus are getting to know each other a lot better, I keep finding new and exciting things about the 7OO, especially in its AX5 iteration, which makes me a lot happier.

This is one of them:

Select "Selective Unlocking" in the AdrenoX Setup in the HU, and when you unlock your car the first time, only the driver's side and the boot doors are unlocked, with a single blink of the front sequential turn indicators and lighting up + 2 successive blinks of the DRLs.

Press Unlock a second time, the DRLs blink again, and the 3 passenger doors unlock.

This is immensely helpful for situations when you are the sole occupant of your 7OO and you need to toss in some everyday things into the boot while on a trip.

That's not all.

Keep the Unlock button pressed for a few seconds when you unlock your 7OO for the first time, and together with the selective unlocking of the driver door and the boot door, the sky roof also slides back to open fully!

Never thought Mahindra would give this very useful feature in its mid AX5 variant! Bye-bye, hot air inside the cabin when the car is parked under direct sunlight in summer.

Keep the Unlock button pressed.

Skyroof opening.

Sky roof glass sliding back.

Skyroof is fully open. Neat!

There's more.

Press the Lock button once and the 7OO refuses to lock with 5 continuous angry horn beeps, obviously because the sky roof is open!

In this situation, keep the Lock button pressed for a few seconds and with two swipes of the front sequential, the 7OO locks itself back with 3 horn beeps and the sky roof slides back shut.

Skyroof glass sliding back inwards.

Skyroof closing.

Also, press Lock once to lock all the doors of your car with a single swipe of the front sequential turn indicators, then press Lock again to enable the Find-My-Car/Follow-Me-Home feature with the headlamps turning themselves on.

The Service Reminder Alert popped up on the MID as soon as Icarus crossed 800kms on the ODO and keeps reminding me every time I turn the key to start him up in the mornings. Will be headed to the Service Center this weekend to get it completed.

Start in the mornings and you are greeted by this visual after the opening animation of the 7OO running across both screens is over.

Alert keeps showing in the next (user enabled) menu too, on the top centre.

Under the "Alerts" section of the MID.

Merely viewing it doesn't help. Comes up as a fresh alert again when the 7OO is completely shut down and started up again.

ODO is currently at 901 km.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.