Mahindra XUV500 vs Tata Aria vs Toyota Innova!

[raj_5004]

Got my copy of ACI. Had a comparo of Aria & XUV500. Some excerpts from the mag:

1) XUV500, though overstlyed, looks better in flesh & attracts attention

2) Aria's cabin - fit & finish is not good though its robust. Panel gaps & some ergonomic glitches.

3) Visibility from XUV500's driver seat is better.

4) Though buttons on the centre console of XUV is good quality, some other buttons are downmarket.

5) Middle row - XUV is more spacious

6) Flat floor in the XUV

7) Under thigh support not good as Aria

8) Middle bench in Aria slide on rails, unlike in XUV. So Aria's 3rd row has better legroom. Both car's 3rd row is suited for kids only.

9) Aria has boot space with 3 rows up, XUV does not have

10) Refinement of Aria's engine better than XUV's. ACI says it is because of monocoque construction of XUV.

11) Bottom end torque of Aria not great. you need to work the gearbox to keep momentum.

12) Long throw gear of Aria is rubbery.

13) Clutch is heavy in both cars.

14) XUV feels livelier at any speed. if you are in wrong gear, you get bogged down in Aria, XUV simply runs away.

15) Despite relatively taller gearing, overtaking smaller traffic in XUV is just a mild prod on the accelerator away.

16) Gearshifts in XUV require effort & clutch is jerky.

17) XUV is more fuel efficient than Aria.

18) Ride quality at low speeds is bad in Aria & it improves with speed. Vice versa with XUV.

19) Aria rolls in corners, XUV is more agile, quicker to dart into corners.

20) Steering of XUV has a tendency to kick back on rough surfaces.

Final words:

Aria is more refined, better ride, bit more space & some plastics feel better. For sheer emotional appeal, Aria cant beat XUV, XUV is more bang for the buck. Has better looks, comfy rear seat & terrific performance. In XUV, interior quality is let down & ride & handling needs to be sorted. it has every feature you could want.

Winner: XUV500. The price tilts the result in it's favour.

 

[THE XOVER]

ESP = A system that enhances vehicle stablity,and stops it from toppling over by applying brakes to the other side of motion, say vehicle is going to topple in right direction than ESP applies the brakes of the left side and controls the vehicle from toppling over and enhances balance/stability.

TCS = A traction control has nothing to do with brakes like ESP, but it controls and monitors tyre traction and friction levels.So if say left rear side of your car has got too much traction then TCS stops the power supply in that wheel until traction of this wheel becomes normal, vice-versa if traction is too less and if the tyre is slipping it will provide little more power to the wheel until it gets normal traction.

Guys today I did extensive study of ESP and TCS and found some fault in my earlier comments,as highlighted in bold.

As far as what I said about ESP is cent percent correct.

But as regards to TCS well I found out after extensive study that the modern TCS also uses ABS module to effectively cut out traction to a particular wheel.Also TCS can't suply extra torque to the wheel as I suggested earlier, but it can only control extra friction going to the wheels.

I am not ashamed to accept that my views about TCS weren't 100% correct, and now I have rectified my fault.

But still my study proved to me that both ESP and TCS are two completely different systems, mentioned differently by the manufacturers.

Hope it clears everything, cheers.

 

[raj_5004]

Good to know that buddy. Cheers.

Please understand we are not here to defame or accuse each other. But using softer words while debating will help to a great extent. Nobody is perfect here. Nobody knows everything. Everybody can make mistakes.

Job of TC is very very simple. Keeping a spinning wheel in control by cutting engine power or if necessary, applying brakes to that particular wheel.

Happy Diwali once again. :-)

EDIT: Coming to the XUV500, spoke to a friend who works in XUV's shop floor in Mahindra who in turn spoke to an engineer. The engineer is unaware whether the ESP of XUV includes TC or not but he says the XUV wont slip or wheels wont spin on slippery surfaces because of ITMS.

Quote from the brochure -

The Interactive Torque Management System in the XUV automatically redistributes the torque between the front & rear wheels in muddy or slippery surfaces.

 

[raj_5004]

Sadly, I think ITMS will only be in top end AWD variant of XUV.

In Aria, TC is only in top end 4x4.

 

[jayadev]

I am not ashamed to accept that my views about TCS weren't 100% correct, and now I have rectified my fault.

Please do take care to Be well informed about the facts before posting.
Half knowledge is dangerous (may not be for you but for rest of us whom doesn't know ABCD of all this)
Thanks to Raj.else....

 

[THE XOVER]

Please do take care to Be well informed about the facts before posting.
Half knowledge is dangerous (may not be for you but for rest of us whom doesn't know ABCD of all this)

+1 to that.

but one more thing, one should not believe in any data posted by anyone without doing proper research himself, that's a lesson to learn for all of us.Just like I posted some wrong info here and later corrected it, also raj posted some wrong info about sep 2011 sales figure and later on based upon my suggestion corrected it, after all mistakes can happen since end of the day we are also human beings, but rest to sure that I don't post any wrong data by intention, it just happens by mistake.Anyways thanks for the suggestion, will definitely keep this in mind for future.

Now lets move on,shall we

 

[P3T3R]

Just found this on Facebook:

 

[Nuvo]

One more: Is not the raised portion just below the rear windscreen is copied/inspired from Honda CRV?

So it appears that kink in C pillar and horizontal slots below headlamp are the only original design language of XUV 500.

But who cares: Samsung is doing the same for ages.

 

[raj_5004]

Just like I posted some wrong info here and later corrected it, also raj posted some wrong info about sep 2011 sales figure and later on based upon my suggestion corrected it,

Can that be called as wrong info buddy? That was just an oversight. I overlooked 2010 for 2011. But how did it matter in the end? just a few hundred units here & there?

Anyways... as you said, mistakes happen, lets move on. Peace.

 

[jayadev]

One more: Is not the raised portion just below the rear windscreen is copied/inspired from Honda CRV?

So it appears that kink in C pillar and horizontal slots below headlamp are the only original design language of XUV 500.

But who cares: Samsung is doing the same for ages.

Copy cats are biggest criminals in any Industry.Since day one Mahindra has been following the suit.

It requires extreme amount of labor and investment to bring a design from mere imagination to foundry. but not even a fraction is required to copy from other products.
I doubt how much piracy must have gone into technology wise.
It is a fact that that Mahindra has Asias biggest and most advanced automobile test shop, in chennai which apparently they dont use much for themselves .


It is such a pity,I would love to own a Toyota Prado like car in India for 11 lakh but on a deeper thought WTf$.

For this I have deep Respect for Tata as most of thier designs are original hence bit expensive.

 

[raj_5004]

@ jayadev: TATA do not design cars themselves. Vista was designed by Italian firm I.D.E.A & their other cars like Aria & Manza is just expanded or contracted versions of the same. Now the Vista EWB & Manza CS is coming up. Needless to say, it also looks the same (in the name of family look). Even the Nano was designed by I.D.E.A. Yes, the safari was designed in India as far as I know & that is their best looking vehicle till date.

Mahindras design their cars in-house, by Indian designers. Ramkripa Ananthan, 40 year old female is the head of design team for XUV. The XUV was completely built & designed in Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai. And I think credit should be given for that.

Yes, I do agree that the tail lights seem a direct lift but in any car you pick, if parts are seen in isolation, as depicted in above pic, it will resemble some car or the other. After all, there are thousands of different models in this world! look at the car as a whole & does it look like an imitation? Infact, I personally feel, if they had chosen to imitate other cars, their design would have been much better!

 

[Nuvo]

@ Raj: beg to disagree here. Is not it more ethical to outsource design to third party (at your cost) rather than copy-paste from somebody else.

 

[raj_5004]

its depends on individual perception. I would prefer a car which looks different rather than have a car which looks similar to the rest of the cars from that stable. see the polo, vento & jetta from front. what is that? where is the exclusivity?

Coming to copy & paste, as I said, if you see parts in isolation, it WILL appear similar to some other cars & this is valid for any car. Some or the other way, it will seem inspired. the only part which seems a direct lift off in the XUV is the tail light, in my opinion.

 

[P3T3R]

the only part which seems a direct lift off in the XUV is the tail light, in my opinion.

I would say that the front looks more a lift off than the tail lamp. I don't mind if it's copied totally too if I'm getting something good.

 

[krish_go]

Raj, This is a great comparision report. As many said, Tata was known for its bad ASS. They should have worked on this more first.
XUV looks much better wrt to comfort and looks.