Mahindra XUV500 vs Tata Aria vs Toyota Innova!

[raj_5004]

Nah. Mine wont be the first on this forum. I am waiting for the initial ownership reports & giving time to Mahindra to sort out initial niggles!

 

[raj_5004]

After reading all the reviews online, I have come to the following conclusion -

Looks - Subjective. For me, both XUV & Aria wins. They come from different school of styling.

Engine - XUV wins. XUV has got better performance, Aria has got better refinement. For me, performance matters.

Handling - XUV wins. Owing to its monocoque chassis & stiffer suspension, XUV is more eager to dart into corners & has lesser body roll compared to Aria.

Ride - Aria wins. Softer suspension setup works here.

Space - Aria wins. More boot space & better third row legroom. XUV does not have any boot space.

Features - XUV offers more features than Aria, irrespective of price.

Quality/Fit & finish - Aria wins. Plastic quality of Aria is better. Cabin feels robust & well built. Plastic quality of XUV is inconsistent, patchy in some areas.

Price - Undoubtedly, XUV wins. Spec to spec, it is 2-3 lacs cheaper than the Aria.

For those who wants a good boot space, cant live with mediocre plastics or those who give priority to refinement than performance, its the Aria. For the rest, its the XUV, which I personally feel is more VFM.

 

[jayadev]

Raj , Expecting a Test drive review of XUV exclusively for TAI readers from your end.hope you will find out time for it.sooner the better.

 

[raj_5004]

@ jayadev: sure buddy, i am going to drive it very soon. Actually last couple of weeks was very tight & I was in Kerela too. Just reached Mumbai. Will have to take time for the TD.

But I guess putting up a TD wont help much as it will just be an excuse for "some" members to disagree & call the review biased just to spark a heated & unnecessary debate.

 

[Vishwas]

@ jayadev: sure buddy, i am going to drive it very soon. Actually last couple of weeks was very tight & I was in Kerela too. Just reached Mumbai. Will have to take time for the TD.

But I guess putting up a TD wont help much as it will just be an excuse for "some" members to disagree & call the review biased just to spark a heated & unnecessary debate.

Who cares Pal,go ahead with your TD,it would in fact help many buyers to decide between the competition especially the Aria.

 

[raj_5004]

Finally, test drove the XUV5OO. It was luck by chance that I got to drive this car. It was a W8. Since I am just back from Kerela where I was driving the Aria, I will do my best to compare the vehicle with an unbiased approach. For those who still cant digest with my comments, please feel free to ignore this post.

Looks -

I would have preferred if the XUV was a little bigger in size. It looks like a compact urban crossover & I doubt it will be as intimidating as the Scorpio or Safari. The bumper looks overdone, yes. But in flesh it does not look that ugly. Infact, the only ugly part in the car which I felt was the unnecessary bulge on the rear hatch. Except these issues, I feel the car looks quite contemporary and was quite a head turner, as experienced in my short test dive. The massive wheel arches make the 17" wheels look a bit small!

Coming to the Aria, I dont need to say much. For those who are comfortable with its MUV type proportions, it is quite a looker. But unfortunately, that is only from the front & front quarter view. the wing mirrors look fab & the chrome grille makes it look upmarket. the detailing on the headlights is fab too. but move over to the rear and i was disappointed. it is too simple & van like. infact, it is very very identical to the vista. I like the alloys of the Aria more than the XUV.

My personal pick would be the XUV5OO as it looks like a proper crossover.

Engine & performance-

Both the XUV & Aria have identical engines with 140 bhp power. The XUV makes slightly more torque. However, the difference is where the powerband lies. the XUV has all its power right from 1200 rpm whereas the Aria comes to life after 2000 rpm. Both engines sound identical when heard from outside but the story is different inside the cabin!

Crank the XUV & there is no judder or gear lever shake like in the Scorpio. But you cant miss that slight clatter of the diesel. Idling is somewhere close to 950 rpm. Rev it til 1100 rpm & it sounds sweet & smooth. While driving normally in city, there is absolutely no engine noise. I purposely drove the car with the music off. there is no mistaking that this is the same sweet mHawk motor. power is just a tap away on the throttle. slow moving traffic? stuck in 3rd gear at 15 kmph. No worries. just prod the accelerator & the XUV jumps forward. infact 2nd, 3rd & 4th gear ratios are simply superb & the vehicle pulls cleanly even from low rpms without hesitation. I got a chance to take it till 80 kmph & I was in 4th gear. The engine noise was not much. but I shifted down to 3rd gear & suddenly there was an engine growl. That is okay in a 10 lakh scorpio but not expected in a 15 lakh XUV. Keep the engine within limits, that is, dont rev it too much like a petrol & it does its duty silently.

Coming to the Aria, even in this car, at idle, you can hear that distinct diesel clatter. But I feel its a little less when compared to the XUV. Even when revved hard, diesel noise inside the cabin is lesser when compared to XUV. Looks like TATA has been generous on damping & insulation. Good job. But coming to revving, yes the Aria does need revving. Below 2000 rpm, the Aria is a dud. The car simply refuses to move if you are stuck in the wrong gear. Simply put, it does not have the low end response & the acceleration of the XUV. If you are at 15kmph in 3rd gear, it is better you shift to 2nd. But be in the right gear & the car makes quick progress. I feel the car feels the best when it is between 2000-3500 rpm. In city, gear changes would be more in the Aria when compared to the XUV.

Gearbox-

Coming to gear changes, its a good thing that XUV does not require frequent gear changes. the gear shift is notchy! but that is evident only in the first two gears. surprisingly, the rest of the gears felt smooth. One advantage XUV has over here is the 6 ratios it has when compared to Aria's 5.

on back to back comparison, the Aria's gear shift feel smoother but Aria has a longer throw than the XUV.

No vibrations were noticed on the gear lever of both the cars.

Handling-

Mahindras have always been criticized for their poor handling. Not anymore. I dint try any sports car or even sedan stuff on the XUV but I did try a fast 45 degree turn & the car felt really quick to turn & very agile. Body roll was very minimal but as reported in every review, there was a lot of tyre squeal. Good thing is the tyre dint lose grip. Monocoque construction & stiffer suspension setup of the Mahindra helps here. Steering feel of the XUV also felt better than the Aria which felt vague when pushed. Both cannot be compared to my Punto though!

Aria is not very eager in corners. It likes being driven slow. It rolls a lot though not as much as the scorpio & safari. quick lane changes or turns tend to unsettle the car but thankfully it does not lose it's line. though it does not feel very confident.

I would be more confident pushing the XUV around than the Aria.

Ride-

The way to drive the XUV over bumps is either very very slowly or fast! Drive in a medium speed & it crashes into a pothole. Well, it is not very uncomfortable but it cannot be called effortless either. Bumps can be felt to an extent in the cabin. The ride is not very bad but I expected more from Mahindra as they could do much better since they had a mono chassis with them as an advantage. Increase speeds though & the XUV gobbles up all the potholes. its only over bumps that you will feel a slight pitching owing to its hard suspension setup.

Aria has a GREAT ride. the suspension is really soft & you can feel that while going over bumps. it cushions you in a nice soft motion. Even here, as speeds increase, the ride gets better but it scores over the XUV over bumps as it does not pitch that much. BUT, i feel the safari's ride was even better!

Space -

In front two rows, both cars have similar space. but the Aria has one crucial advantage. it has a sliding third row. hence it gets a little more space in the 3rd row. storage spaces are in plenty in both the cars. BUT, XUV has next to no boot space whereas the Aria offers a big enough boot for atleast 4 suitcases. BIG plus point.

Interiors-

I bet many will disagree with me here but I like the XUV's cabin more. the dash looks good & upmarket compared to the plain jane dash of the Aria. I like the small nice touches in the XUV like the lounge effect lighting, soft touch handles, etc. Wherever I saw, the found the plastic quality of the XUV to be adequate & not at all poor. The test drive car was driven for 5500 kms & there was no rattling anywhere.

The Aria, though good, does not feel as "special" as the XUV. Even the XUV's leather feels better than the Aria's. Coming to the seats, both cars have fantastic seats! Fit & finish is good but as i said, I have not noticed anything wrong in the XUV too.

Features, Price & VFM-

XUV has a long list of features, longer than the Aria, inspite of being cheaper. Cornering headlights is a great addition in the XUV. GPS of XUV works better than the one in Aria. Screen resolution in the XUV is better too. Steering controls of the Aria is a pain while driving, poorly designed. Both cars have very well designed ORVMs. I could not try the Hill Hold function of the XUV. Apart from that, Aria lacks some nice features like tyre pressure monitoring system & conversation mirror.

(My) Verdict-

the XUV definitely feels more bang for the buck. If TATA drops prices of the Aria by 3 lacs, then it would be a very interesting comparo but until then, XUV is the clear winner. This is taking into account the performance edge, the feature list & the feel good factor which it offers & not just the price alone. the pricing is of course, the icing on the cake.

Would I buy the Aria if it was 3 lacs cheaper? Maybe not. I love to drive & my main grouse with the Aria is the engine response at lower RPMs. I know how much it irritates me in the Punto! If TATA can sort that out, I may consider it a worthy option to the XUV.

 

[mukeshus]

@Raj_5004:That was clear comparo of the both.
Good review.

 

[Surfer]

Good comparison Raj, Can you just add Innova comparison also ?

 

[mastersquall]

very good review raj

 

[raj_5004]

@Raj_5004:That was clear comparo of the both.
Good review.

very good review raj

Thank you friends.

Good comparison Raj, Can you just add Innova comparison also ?

Added.



XUV & Aria when compared to THE GOD - Toyota Innova (!!!) :

Looks-

What do I say now? The XUV & Aria feel like it was designed in 2020 when compared to the innova! Agreed, the innova looks good when viewed head on. But thats about it. look at the sides which is a slab of sheet metal. no cuves or no creases whatsoever. come to the back, again a slab. Without a spoiler, it looks like a proper tin box. Yes, the alloys are great & the new bumpers are also good but those 15" wheels on such a huge car look way out of proportion. Cmon, even my Punto has 15 inchers! Aria & XUV has got beefier 17 inchers.

No debates on this, the Aria & XUV looks way better than the Innova. Yes, the taxi market & fleet owners would still like the Innova for its simplicity & the "T" badge, which evokes a premium appeal.

Engine & Performance-

Can the 102 bhp D-4D motor of the Innova give a fight to the monster 140 bhp mHawk & Dicor? Well, Yes & No.

No... because the mHawk from the XUV leaves it far behind when it comes to performance & drivability. For those interested in figures, i guess innova does 0-100 in some 16 seconds whereas XUV does it in 12 seconds, according to a popular mag. Even if you ignore the figures, after driving the XUV, Innova feels like a slow coach.

Yes... because inspite of the lower power & torque, at slow speeds & in city traffic, the innova feels more responsive & eager than the Aria. As i have mentioned before, the Aria suffers from a turbo lag below 2000 rpm. No such problems with the innova. Like the XUV, it pulls cleanly from low rpms without any fuss. But the power advantage of the Aria can be felt at higher speeds & RPM. At 110 kmph, the innova feels strained whereas the Aria is lazily cruising with enough grunt for more. Top speed of Aria & XUV is in the range of 180 kmph whereas Innova will max out at 155 kmph.

Nobody would drive these cars at those speeds but the point is at 120-130 kmph, the innova is near its limit whereas the other two has enough grunt to pull a quick overtaking maneuver.

Talking about refinement, again the D-4D is way off the mark. The innova's engine is very very noisy in comparison, at idle & even at higher RPMs. even in city traffic with music off, you can always hear the engine inside the cabin. At highway speeds in my car (120 kmph+), I am forced to switch off the music, such is the engine noise.

The D-4D is proven for its reliability. I have not heard of any issues in the mHawk engine as well. But I have certainly read about issues with the Dicor in the safari, hope that is solved with the Aria.

Gearbox-

Innova has the smoothest gearbox with the most precise feel but it has also the longest throw. Also, the ultra long gear lever looks very crude. The gear lever of innova does rock on starting & switching off the engine.

Handling-

Innova is the sweetest handler of the lot. It has the least body roll & best steering feedback IMO. In my car, I have felt that the car is not stable at speeds above 130 kmph but not many have felt this way. On the contrary, many report that the innova feels almost as stable as a car on the highway.

Ride-

Now, many feel that the Innova's ride is the best. I disagree a bit. I feel Aria's ride is much better. XUV & Innova is evenly matched. While the XUV has some pitching on rough surfaces, the innova suffers from vigorous sideway rocking over rough patches. I think the puny tyres are to be blamed.

Space-

This is the USP of the innova. In all the 3 rows, the innova offers the most space. Okay, Aria offers more boot space but innova makes up for it by offering much better legroom in the 3rd row, thereby making it the most usable third row of the lot by adults. After Xylo, Innova has the best 3rd row IMO.

Interiors-

Now, there can be varies opinions on this. Some may say that toyota's quality, fit & finish & durability is the best. Well, I agree. But look at the dash. When compared to the XUV's, it looks plane jain & so boring. I for one, can live with average plastics, so I would prefer a better looking dash than good plastics on a boring dash. even Aria strikes a nice balance between good plastics & design. Everything in the innova's dash shouts boring/old/plain!

Seats of the XUV & Aria is again better than the Innova. But Innova has the option of captain seats in the middle row which the other two lacks.

I like the side mounted rear vents of the XUV and the Aria than the roof mounted vents of the Innova. Durability wise, there is no doubts that Toyota is leagues ahead. I am yet to hear a Toyota rattling. Aria & XUV is yet to prove on this front.

Features, Price & VFM-

The XUV does make the Aria feel overpriced but then the Innova should die of shame then! It makes the Innova look so damn expensive that it almost makes no sense to buy the innova except if you are a toyota loyalist or you see no brand image in an Indian company.

Sorry if i have hurt anyone but I know many will tell me that this is the premium you pay for the reliability & the brand image. Well then, the premium is just too much.

The innova is horribly low on features, infact it has NO features when compared. It is priced almost close to the top end XUV.

(My) Verdict-

As far as I am concerned, I see no reason in buying an Innova anymore. Both the Aria & XUV are better in many regards & most importantly, offer more bang for the buck. Surprisingly, the XUV & Aria is not only more powerful but also more fuel efficient as well.

P.S.: The innova has already seen a drop it its sales after the launch of the XUV.

 

[johan]

Hi all
Good job raj and nice idea of voting.
And what i personally think that this XUV500 will be giving tough competition to the rest cars although all three cars are good at their places but went they are compared with Mahindra XUV500 then vote goes to the XUV only its looks and pice range bound people to think of XUV500.

 

[jayadev]

Wonderful review Raj,Thank you very much..feels elated now.

I bet many will disagree with me here but I like the XUV's cabin more. the dash looks good & upmarket compared to the plain jane dash of the Aria. I like the small nice touches in the XUV like the lounge effect lighting, soft touch handles, etc.

I too felt XUV has much upmarket looking interiors. but I have seen only in reviews and pics.

 

[THE XOVER]

@ raj_5004

Nice comparo of all these three cars.As far as I can gaze you have 2 grouses with Aria
1] Its overpriced by 3 lacs

2] Low end torque lacking

Well coming to your first grouse you say that Tata must drop Aria prices by 3 lac rupees, I do not think its possible, why?
a] Aria is a size bigger car than XUV, hell its even larger than Fortuner in dimensions, Also the hydro-form chassis that Aria uses is actually quite expensive to make.As per my near source at Tata the cost of Bill of Materials used in ARIA is abt 10 lack rupees, so I don't see tata reducing prices of Aria so radically.

b] Also suppose Tata reduce the prices by 3 lacks, then what about the 4000 so people who have already plonked their money on Aria, won't they feel cheated if tata drop prices this drastically to make you consider Aria.It won't leave a nice impression IMO.

Now coming to your next point , my sources confirm that a more powerful Aria and Safari are around the corner, so this wish of yours may get fulfilled sooner that you think.

Cheers and thanks for your effort to keep us informed.

 

[raj_5004]

@ raj_5004

Well coming to your first grouse you say that Tata must drop Aria prices by 3 lac rupees, I do not think its possible, why?
a] Aria is a size bigger car than XUV, hell its even larger than Fortuner in dimensions, Also the hydro-form chassis that Aria uses is actually quite expensive to make.As per my near source at Tata the cost of Bill of Materials used in ARIA is abt 10 lack rupees, so I don't see tata reducing prices of Aria so radically.

b] Also suppose Tata reduce the prices by 3 lacks, then what about the 4000 so people who have already plonked their money on Aria, won't they feel cheated if tata drop prices this drastically to make you consider Aria.It won't leave a nice impression IMO.

Sometimes size is just not everything. If, as you said, TATA is not going to reduce the prices soon, its a huge setback for them.

See the Jazz, earlier it was a sales dud. after the price cut, there is a waiting period of 2 months on it! if TATA thinks about what the 4000 customers will think, their cars will continue to sell 400 cars a month.

And I dont agree that its a good enough number, infact I believe nobody at TATA would be happy with such numbers.

Now coming to your next point , my sources confirm that a more powerful Aria and Safari are around the corner, so this wish of yours may get fulfilled sooner that you think.

WHAT???

More power? that means more expensive?

The issue is not the power. Aria has got enough power. The issue is the gearing & the turbo lag.

 

[Vishwas]

Sometimes size is just not everything. If, as you said, TATA is not going to reduce the prices soon, its a huge setback for them.

See the Jazz, earlier it was a sales dud. after the price cut, there is a waiting period of 2 months on it! if TATA thinks about what the 4000 customers will think, their cars will continue to sell 400 cars a month.

And I dont agree that its a good enough number, infact I believe nobody at TATA would be happy with such numbers.

+1 Raj, They have to think over understanding their customer minds.Adding to the relatively higher price tag,it makes the buyer to think twice(probably Thrice) for investing in the product.Even if a man corners Aria, somewhere his mind would tell him to push some dough to the Fortuner or Save money a lot(XUV-500),there he gets in a dilemma.

@Xover

Also suppose Tata reduce the prices by 3 lacks, then what about the 4000 so people who have already plonked their money on Aria, won't they feel cheated if tata drop prices this drastically to make you consider Aria.It won't leave a nice impression IMO.

They should have thought earlier,they never realized this matter and it met the same fate as Safari which was overtook by the Scorpio.I mean to say here is the strategies should have a strong foundation,like will it hold long if the competition gets tougher.