Mahindra XUV700 (AX7L D AT) Ownership Review: The Silver Surfer

[A.G.]

Mahindra XUV700 Ownership Review

Feeling the Rush​

Background

With the Ford Endeavour inching closer to the 100k Kms milestone in a shade above 5 years of fuss free ownership, it was time to give it some rest (read as time to change it from daily driver to secondary car). Also, the Hexa (our secondary car for highways) found a new home and thus began the quest for changing the daily driver with a renewed interest.

Key considerations in the order of preference are listed below:
i. Should be new and body type should be SUV only.
ii. 7 seats for travelling with family are a must.
iii. Comfort was a key criterion.
iv. Should be a model which doesn’t go off sale anytime soon (i.e. new generation model from a stable company).
v. Value for money.

Before the Hexa was sold, there was quite a deep thought to the idea of replacing the Endeavour instead of Hexa and even compromising on the 7 seats in favour of a German. This meant briefly considering the BMW X3 and X5. While I couldn’t get to sample the X5 on the road before dropping the idea altogether, the X3 left a distinct impression straight on the heart. It is worth mentioning that the showroom experience at BMW Dehradun was exemplary and despite our lukewarm interest they even arranged a test drive at home some 70 kms away. But the sale of Hexa and house renovation meant X3 had to be put on sideline.

At the BMW Dehradun Showroom

Re-calibrating the mind and reducing the budget cap, we considered the following vehicles in the order seen:

A. Tata Safari XZA+ (Adventure): Psuedo SUV’s were never on my mind but there was nothing else available in that price bracket except for the Thar. Got to drive the XZA+ and after driving the Endeavour, the steering felt quite cumbersome – that was the first thing to be noticed, rather to be registered as a major con in my mind. The ride was a bit stiff in the city (an area where the Hexa excelled) but with slightly more speed it was just amazing with the suspension also working quietly. The reduced body roll on the highway was a major boon (the latter actually a major sway factor in favour of the monocoque design). The Adventure edition parked in the yard was shown – the tan interior with blackened exterior suited our choice the most.

B. Jeep Meridian: With the phone advertising Meridian name every now and then when searching for SUVs all thanks to Jeep’s aggressive marketing, it was time to make the call and visit the Jeep showroom. The subtle design of the exterior and the overall layout as well as rich materials used on the interior made sure that it was sort of the right choice till the things moved to the back seat and the 3rd row. I was waiting for the test drive vehicle to come back to the showroom when I thought of trying out all the seats and as things progressed from 2nd to 3rd row, it was out of mind even before going for the drive with getting in and out being a cumbersome experience & there being no headroom in the 3rd row. However I did go for the drive and the Fiat 2.0 Engine with gearbox is pretty responsive, to the extent the drivetrain along with sharp handling reminded me of the X3 drive. But spending more money for a compromise for 3rd row seating even for kids was not on my list.

C. Toyota Innova Crysta: With the high-headedness of Toyota dealers experienced in the past, we still thought of attempting once more for the test drive of the BS6 Innova Crysta. The day we were planning for the test drive came the news of pulling the plug on Diesel and it’s cover-up story. It was a no brainer to drop the idea then & there itself as suddenly absurd premiums came into the picture.

D. MG Gloster: It was briefly considered but found it too big to be a daily driver while driving in the city. Also, the re-juggled variants meant AWD / 4x4 was no longer available in the middle variant and the top variant was a far stretch. But in it’s own, the acres of space and plush interior with decent ride quality left a good impression.

E. Hyundai Alcazar: Under powered feeling coupled with low seating / roof in the 3rd row meant it was out of contention very soon into the test drive.

F. Mahindra Scorpio N: The so much hoopla created by the media all thanks to the unbelievable number of bookings happening in minutes and not on solely on product merits meant it was fair to assess the self proclaimed ‘Big Daddy’. Requested the showroom staff to move one of their new vehicles to make space for the Endeavour and parked it next to the Scorpio N – the ‘Big Daddy’ image got shattered big time and I was surprised to see even other potential buyers checking them out together. The test drive vehicle was the top of the line Z8L variant with 4Xplor. Having owned multiple Scorpio’s from it’s launch in 2002 till 2011 (Gear drive DI, Chain drive DI 4WD, 2.6 CRDe, 2.2 CRDe Automatic), it was undoubtedly a big step ahead from that platform. The Ford ‘benchmarked’ (read copied) bits including the all important Watt’s link rear suspension and ‘4Xplor’ modes made there presence felt. The body roll was considerably reduced over the Scorpio but was not in the league of the Endeavour even after all the ‘benchmarking’. Also the suspension was firmer than even my pre-facelift Endeavour and is certainly no match for the facelift Endeavour with the revised suspension. The long wave bounce on the highway was never settled and there was considerably more body roll compared to the Endeavour. Off-the-road on an under construction road (Dirt track for Tractors), the firm suspension meant being tossed around and just to re-affirm the drive experience took the Endeavour on the test-drive loop immediately after this test drive which was much better in the overall experience.

Also, the lack of space in the 3rd row with there being no split folding option compromising the flexibility of having 6 people with all the luggage after folding one half of the 3rd row were major cons for me.

Compromising on comfort just for the added peace of mind offered by the 4x4 hardware was not on my wishlist.

G. Mahindra XUV7OO: Started with the 3rd row of the display vehicle and found it to be second to Safari in terms of space. The first test drive vehicle was a Petrol AT and the refinement along with the performance left a lasting impression. This is the drivetrain combo to go for the most comfortable experience. The NVH were non-existent in this combo and the effortless performance it delivers leaves a huge grin. But a look at the trip meter post the test drive loop which I had reset in the starting meant it was not going to be easy on the wallet with high yearly running.

The ride and handling were somewhere in between the Endeavour and the Safari and it suddenly became a serious contender. The light steering and features which were loaded to the grills (barring some glaring omissions) meant it was getting bonus points over the Safari.

Although a chalk & cheese comparison, took the XUV7OO to the same dirt track as the Scorpio N and it handled the course with much more composure without much tossing around. It was time to sample the Diesel.

While the noise of the Diesel Engine is quite controlled both outside and inside the cabin, the vibrations at idle and around 2000 RPM mark (especially just before the 2nd to 3rd Upshift) which creep into the cabin (especially along the center line, specifically in the front and rear armrest) with a slight droning noise mar the experience. Also, while both the Scorpio N and XUV7OO share the same engine, the higher state of tune in the latter is pretty evident in terms of performance to the extent that the XUV7OO Diesel felt comparable to 3.2L Endeavour in terms of driveability.

 

[A.G.]

Concluding: There were only 2 contenders shortlisted – Safari & XUV7OO. While the latter had it’s clear advantages in terms of features, somehow the vibrations in it left an impression that the drive experience of Safari was better. A fresh round of test-drives on the same day confirmed that the Safari has better control over drivetrain vibrations and quiter suspension alongwith a slight edge in terms of seating comfort (all thanks to usable features namely ventilated seats, 2nd row getting pillar mounted vents and 3rd row getting adjustable leg-space with sliding middle row) but this back to back test drive also reaffirmed that the overall experience of the XUV7OO was better (primarily the low speed ride, steering feel and driving position with knee not touching the dash).

The choice of variant was clear from the beginning to be AX7L and while I always wanted the AWD for more peace of mind (a bonus over Safari), the signals received from some ‘birdies’ were not promising to take the plunge for it.

Booking for the XUV7OO was done online and the wait began. 24 hours into the booking and the tracker updates the tentative delivery date as Feb. 2024 – there was no way I would be waiting so long and I was actually planning for Jan. 2023 delivery, whether XUV7OO or any other vehicle. Despite the 2024 tentative delivery date, it was a daily ritual to check for update on the booking. Come August end and the tracking site doesn’t open and it was the same status on the next day as well. Got a call from the dealer later in the evening that the vehicle has been invoiced – I was shocked. Probably the choice of not so popular colour (as per the dealership) and cancellations post Scorpio N launch worked in favour. Just to be sure it wasn’t a prank, went to the dealership and saw the details myself with the VIN. The dealership team, especially their GM Sales, was extremely supportive without there being any fuss regarding holding the vehicle for almost 2 weeks or self registration or outside insurance or there being any push for accessories. Infact on the day of the booking itself a Whatsapp group was created with heads of various departments including the GM Sales and for the first time I saw a dealership preferring written communication over verbal.

We finalized the deal that evening accounting for just the vehicle and some basic accessories and paid an additional amount to effectively take the total booking to 10% of the value since the delivery was scheduled for Navratri as there was no way the dealership was going to receive the vehicle prior to the beginning of not so auspicious period starting from 10th Sept.

On 18th Sept. got a call from dealership that the vehicle had arrived – all this time the status online got only updated to ‘invoiced’. Went to check it out and the first thing I noted in the PDI was that both the keys were present. Turned on the indicators only to find that the vehicle was still not complete as the sequential turn indicators in the tail lamps were not there. Nothing looked or felt odd except for the missing CarPlay update and that some vehicles in the same lot had Bridgestone tyres instead of the MRF tyres which came on our vehicle. While the only accessories we had finalized to buy were the mud flaps, screen guard, mats and side steps, after seeing another vehicle getting ready for delivery got the sun shades, illuminated scuff plates, door visors and the rear guard added to the list. Returned back and booked a choice number online which was valid for a month.

The First look

Lights – Check

Tools – Check

Odo at 21 Kms

Checking out all the corners

Software version from Factory

Went on 27th late evening for a final check with all the accessories installed and we got a slot for late evening delivery on 28th subject to the balance payment is cleared before noon. Since Insurance and Registration was going to be self, there was not much to do on the day of delivery but since Road Tax was to be deposited through the dealership and the ex-showroom prices had been revised, a lump-sump payment was agreed upon on the higher side with an understanding of refunding the excess amount above the amounts reflecting in the receipt.

After accessories fitment

Software version after update

As agreed payment was transferred in the morning and the invoice of the vehicle was shared with us in the next hour to process the Insurance. Got the Insurance done, took a printout and headed for the dealership in the evening to witness the rush of deliveries – I think there were 3 deliveries happening at different corners of the parking space at the dealership and 1 more inside the showroom. Post the rush settled, it was turn for the next lot of deliveries including ours – signed the paperwork, thanked the staff with sweets and left in an hour and half of reaching.

View at the dealership

Ready for Delivery

 

[A.G.]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly:

There is no doubt about this being a great effort by Mahindra to the extent that it doesn’t feel like a Mahindra at all in many areas (drivetrain and suspension feels like a cross of Mahindra and Ford, features and luxury feel like a cross of Mahindra and Mercedes) but some glaring omissions in an otherwise fantastic package call-up for this section.

The Good:
G1 – Fantastic drivetrain having both Power when you need it and frugality when driven sedately. Even while offering great performance on par with the Endeavour 3.2, the frugality of the engine is just amazing – same loop in the Endeavour yielded a best figure of 10.8 Kmpl after multiple drives over the years.

G2 – The Engine doesn’t sound like a diesel engine (both outside and inside) barring a few odd occasions (cold start or gearbox not shifting to right gear).
G3 – Feature rich (Glass cockpit screens, memory seats, built-in navigation with traffic, 360 Cam and Blind spot monitor on cluster are my top picks).
G4 – ADAS safety kit on offer.
G5 – Ride & Handling setup is very good.
G6 – Great headlights.
G7 – Space, especially cabin width and legroom in the middle row.
G8 – The huge Skyroof elevates the overall ambience of the cabin with the shade open.

The Bad:
B1 – Vibrations in the Front and Middle row armrest at idle (more pronounced in D / R with foot on brake) and low engine RPM.
B2 – Slight droning / rattling noise around 2000 RPM mark.
B3 – In D mode even with sedate driving, 2nd to 3rd upshift at around 35 Kmph and 5th to 6th upshift happens beyond 85 Kmph leading to unnecessary over-revving of engine.
B4 – No sliding middle row seats to manage the leg space with the 3rd row or to increase the boot space.
B5 – No request sensor except the driver door, atleast the front passenger door should have got it.
B6 – Inconsistent shut lines

B7 – Missing the front parking sensors of the Endeavour (audible warning is easy to focus rather than being glued to the stuttering 360 cam)
B8 – Thuds & noises from Suspension.

The Ugly:
U1 – Too many software glitches even after 1 year of launch are simply alarming.
U1a – The center screen going into Matrix mode and getting into a frenzy of automatic restart till the ignition was cycled.

U1b – Hill Hold Control Error (appeared only once and solved with a ignition cycle)

U1c – There a 50:50 chance that wireless Anrdoid Auto connection will not work upon starting the vehicle and when it doesn’t connect, there is no way to get it running wirelessly.
U1d – Alexa takes it’s own sweet time to get up and running and listening to the her saying ‘Sorry’ atleast once during commute to office or back has become a ritual. Also, still haven’t been able to link it to home device with the Alexa Skills.
U1e – Drive mode select button becomes non-responsive randomly leaving the lengthy process of changing it via the display as the only option.

U2 – While alignment is correct in terms of their being no pull, steering centralization is slightly out.
U3 – A lock of Wheel cladding popping out before the 1st inspection of 1000 Kms raises questions on build quality (glad it did not fall on the ground like the 2002 Scorpio we had)

U4 – OTA updates was touted as a big feature but still some updates (like infotainment) are required to be done at service center
U5 – No light in the boot
U6 – No full size spare.
U7 – Lack of dedicated vents on the B-pillar / roof with speed control for the middle row.
U8 – With so much transparency around booking, complete opaqueness when it comes to the timeline for sequential tail lamps and Mahindra not providing the invoices for Extended Warranty and RSA (both of which are billed by them directly) is alarming.

Suggestions for Mahindra (only software fixes are listed):
S1 – Since there is no dedicated ECO Sense page (probably missing due to Automatic transmission), the drive details displayed in Zip mode in the center screen instead of the Power – Torque gauge should be available as a separate menu in all the drive modes. On similar lines, the Trip History in the phone app which reflects this data should store the FE as well.

S2 – Trip A & B should display their respective Fuel Efficiency as well since having just one Fuel Efficiency detail in the Fuel info menu doesn’t help. While Endeavour had 3 independently resettable options for FE (one for each trip A & B and a separate Fuel info as well), other vehicles I have owned over the decade have had Trip A & B with their Fuel Economy detail as well.

S3 – HVAC can be set to Eco mode via Custom drive mode but there is no option for the same in the HVAC page on the display

No such option in Climate menu

S4 – The slow refresh rate or the low frame rate of cameras needs to be improved – the picture isn’t real time and has already resulted in some heart-in-mouth moments
S5 – Camera when manually enabled with the toggle switch should not be disabled automatically above 15 Kmph – when you need it in stop & go traffic, you find it turned off automatically.
S6 – While the Sound system has more potential and is waiting to be unleashed, there should be an option to turn it off completely rather than relying on setting the Volume to 0 for all the sources as you don’t know what it will start playing amongst Radio, USB or built-in drive despite setting the profile to Radio.
S7 – In-built navigation maps need update since it doesn’t show the Delhi-Meerut Expressway opened more than a year back. Also it doesn’t show the map on the cluster without setting a destination in my case.

S8 – With the Adaptive Cruise Control engaged if accelerator is pressed to overtake, the cluster goes into a frenzy alternating between Adaptive Cruise Control Override and Engaged messages which continue to alternate for a few moments even after the control is handed back to the vehicle after releasing the accelerator pedal.

 

[A.G.]

Initial Ownership Impressions

Engine and Performance: The high-output mHawk offered with the AT is calibrated to offer a comfortable drive experience. Start the engine and the lack of engine noise both outside and inside the cabin is a real boon. Barring the 2nd to 3rd shift, the shifts happen around 2000 RPM mark keeping the engine quite. Above 2000 RPM as well the engine is only slightly vocal but nothing intrusive. The shifts themselves are very smooth and you acknowledge the shift only by the change in engine note and not by any sort of jerk. Where the Endeavour used downshift without relying on the Engine torque when accelerating even from low RPMs, the XUV7OO doesn’t downshift and relies on the healthy torque wave from the engine to get the job done. Anything above 50% throttle and the performance is just amazing – you simply don’t realise the speeds it reaches without looking at the cluster. Zoom mode alters the character and takes it to a different level and if you felt there was any hesitation in Zap mode, this takes care of it.

The engine bay with unique arrangement for the intake which goes over the battery and the heavy bonnet missing any lifting aid.

Neatly laid out engine bay

Intake going over the Battery…

…and getting air from outside directly through dedicated slots in the grill (just above the vertically mounted intercooler)

No Hydraulic struts to lift and hold the heavy bonnet

Only sticker depicting CAFE II while it’s nowhere mentioned on any documents

Engine Start capture in Slow and Normal speed
https://youtube.com/shorts/U0Ntuq_aKtA?feature=share

From the bottom, the Drivetrain is not visible at all and is completely shielded

It’s the vibrations primarily at idle that need to be looked into in an otherwise overall refined package.

Braking performance is quite sharp below the ton mark. The noise when creeping with the brake pressed or when disengaging the parking brake (especially after a cold start) is something I do not like and was my biggest irritant with the Endeavour till it was solved with the different material brake pads. Also, if the electronics anticipate you next move incorrectly, the brake pedal travel just vanishes (probably due to Brake pre-fill and / or other safety systems kicking-in) and braking becomes almost binary. Although noise dive is well controlled, braking from high speeds (once the continuous speed alarm gets going) is not that confidence inspiring as compared to Endeavour. The amount of Brake Dust that gets accumulated is alarming for today’s age.

Brake Dust after just 150 Kms of highway drive being washed away

 

[A.G.]

Ride and Handling: Search for Control Blade suspension and the examples which come-up in the result are majorly from Ford – no wonder why it works in that amazing manner with Mahindra taking cues from Ford for the rear suspension of the Scorpio N as well (read ‘benchmarking’ the Watt’s link of Endeavour). The ride is well sorted and the experience is only hindered by the suspension noise which filters through, especially from the front. Where the XUV5OO had an unsettled rear with bounciness, there is no such problem in the XUV7OO. The ride is almost there up with the Hexa at slow speeds but it is not confidence inspiring with all the suspension noise. With the Endeavour / Hexa, you always had a care free drive but in the XUV7OO despite knowing that the suspension can handle anything thrown at it, the constantly heard muted thuds force you to carry lesser speed. The highway driving dynamics with well controlled body roll are just fantastic.

Front suspension

Rear Suspension…

… and it’s close-up

Just like the ScorpioN, the XUV7OO should have come standard with 255 section tyres for even better control. On the subject of tyres, it’s a shame to find the temporary spare instead of a full sized spare.

The Electronic power steering is a delight to use and is even lighter than the Endeavour in Zap mode while Zip mode lightens it further. The lightness of the steering at city speeds make for easy maneuverability and out on the highway when it gets weighted up, it feels equally at home giving enough confidence.

 

[A.G.]

Exterior and Design: One word – Overdone, but the design surely grows on you once you start living with it. While the fantastic headlamps are slim, the assembly is huge just for the the DRLs which are quite swept back and extend both towards the fender and towards the ground. The upside is that the bright DRLs illuminate the surrounding area (both in front and sides) quite well upon unlocking in dark. Then there is the Grill in which the end chrome inserts are kinked but still don’t match the lines of the headlight or DRL or anything else.

Front

Front Three Quarter

Pictured here with the Endeavour, the Swept back Headlamp extending to the side is visible

Aero bits (air curtain) to reduce drag

From front

From rear

The clean side design looks the best, especially with the door handles retracted. The only sore point is the piano black parts which were delivered with a heavy dose of swirl marks – they look really bad from certain angles, especially the D Pillar. Also, front door pads which are visible from outside look really bad if there is even a spec of dust on them.

Piano Black finishes (with complimentary swirl marks present from delivery visible at certain angles)

Machined Dual Tone Alloys shod with MRF tyres

Rear styling with different creases on the boot (reason for using plastic) extending into the tail lamps looks distinct and will surely look better once the sequential turn indicators are installed by Mahindra but having a combination of bulbs for Reverse and Brake with LEDs for parking and turn signals looks odd – would have been better if it was an all LED unit.

Rear (notice the incorrectly installed inverted Rear guard)

Rear three quarter showing the Tail Lamp extending to the sides as well

Rear Tail Lamp (LED) with parking ON

View from the side

Though the Skyroof is primarily a comfort feature, sharing a couple of picture of the same from the top

With the Skyroof open

With the Skyroof closed

 

[A.G.]

Interiors (Front): Kudos to Mahindra for setting it apart where it matters the most. Every time you get in the vehicle you get a feeling of entering a car atleast twice the price – the luxury feeling is what sets the cabin apart. In an exhaustive feature list with glass cockpit, the only things I find missing (apart from the obvious auto-dimming rear view mirror) are the ambient lights and seat ventilation which too could have been ‘benchmarked’ from the start and not left for future. The touch points are covered in soft material (white on the dash and black on the door pads) and some areas have soft plastic too but rest of the areas you can see hard plastics as well.

Front Dash

The nicely contoured and hugging Front Seat

Easy entry / exit driver seat moving back and low (although I have disabled it to avoid inconvenience to rear passenger)

Comparison (from front)

Comparison (from rear)

The 6-way electrically adjustable front seats are good but I miss the option to adjust the angle of the seat base which was possible in the Endeavour with the 8-way adjustment. While I would prefer the electric adjustment for the front passenger seat as well, it seems to have been ditched in favour of the Ergo lever since sliding the seat forward releases acres of leg room for the ‘Boss’.

Backlit Font Seat controls with memory buttons

Sliding center armrest over the ventilated storage is a boon but covers one of the cup holder in the process

Storage in the Armrest with air vent (thoughtful touch is the rubber mat)

Wireless charging pad is decent sized but not much helpful in even keeping the battery level of my phone at a constant level. Another phone can be stored in the slot above it.

Steering controls are with-in reach and the buttons are well spaced and backlit

 

[A.G.]

Interiors (Rear): The rear is again impressive with good amount of legroom and almost flat floor with minimal intrusion from central tunnel. The massive Sky-roof which extends beyond the C pillar (almost till the start of 3rd row glass) gives the rear passengers a nice view of the outside.

The default position in which the seat back latches is quite upright (visibly inline with the seatbelt slot on the C pillar) but it can be reclined for a comfortable ride.

The sheer width of the cabin makes seating 3 adults in comfort possible, although the passenger is the center would not be pleased with the protruding fixed headrest, slightly firmer seat and lack of proper 3-point seat belt.

With the 2nd row seats reclined

The already healthy legroom can be increased further with the Ergo Lever

Air-con vents in the center and below the seat are not a match for the B-Pillar / roof mounted vents

At 5’8”, I find the 3rd row seating position to be quite bearable even in it’s knees-up position (experience here is better only in Safari even in default position and accentuated a lot by sliding middle row). There is space between knees and seat back with 2nd row in it’s default position and can be reclined upto the 3rd notch before it starts touching the knees. With the 3rd row reclined and 2nd row reclined to 1st notch the experience is the best compromise for comfort but this leaves no space for luggage.

Entry to 3rd row is via the Passenger side rear door only as that seat tumbles forward

Comparison of 3rd row at normal and reclined position

When viewed from the boot

3rd row space with neither 2nd nor 3rd row reclined

With 2nd row reclined to torture the 3rd row passenger

Empty 3rd row space

Even with the 3rd row not reclined, I cannot carry the ultra slim collapsible stroller in the boot which was never an issue in Endeavour / Hexa / Pajero Sport.

Space with all seats folded flat

Dedicated vents with air speed control for 3rd row just rub salt to the woes of 2nd row passengers. Also visible is the only 12V power outlet in the entire vehicle.

Ambient lighting in the front present in Endeavour and in 2nd row which was present in the Hexa is sorely missed.

 

[A.G.]

Features: There are many useful features and some glaring omissions as well. Starting from the exterior, the puddle lamps below the ORVMs and the front parking sensors are sorely missed.

On the inside, let’s focus on the instrument cluster screen first.

The Welcome animation spanning on both screens
https://youtube.com/shorts/fj1NgHVjbeU?feature=share

The cluster boot animation
https://youtube.com/shorts/po0iQ555TrA?feature=share

The last screen is loaded by default but pressing the Menu button shows the list of all the different options available. Vis-à-vis the owners manual, I seem to be missing a couple of options on the instrument cluster (Digital Speedo, Audio, ECO Score)

Drive Info is home to two Trip meters and Driver Attention Level meter. As mentioned previously, I find it odd that the Trip meters don’t show their individual Fuel Efficiency data. The Driver Attention Level meter is yet to be experienced as even after 4-5 hours of continuous driving on 2 occasions, I haven’t got the prompt and always found it at Quite Awake level (good for me).

If there are any alerts, the details are mentioned in another sub-menu of Alerts History (like the Hill Hold Control Error shared previously).

Fuel Menu shows the Range and Fuel Economy since last reset with a horizontal bar graph depicting instantaneous Fuel consumption. Scroll down to view the DEF level

The Vehicle Menu shows the TPMS data as well as has a cool animation for Power and Torque

Various Settings

The Driver Assistance settings allow you to configure the safety suite as per risk taking personal appetite

Overview of ADAS settings

Auto Emergency Braking needs to be kept enabled for the Adaptive Cruise Control to work. In the city the system can apply brakes when it detects an impending collision (even when the person driving feels the manoeuvre is safe) and the only way to avoid a panic situation is to just ignore the audio / visual / haptic warnings of the system and override it with continued accelerator input.

I find it weird that the setting to disable Passenger Airbag is right in the cluster – for such a sensitive piece of safety equipment, I would have preferred a physical option to disable (both Hexa & Endeavour required a switch to rotate with the key)

Navigation menu displays a message to check the Navigation app on the main screen when no destination is set on either in-built of phone connected maps (since I am using Android phone, I am referring to Google Maps).

When navigating via Google Maps

If a destination is set on the in-built maps, it displays the map with directions in between the 2 dials.

It can be viewed in Full Screen by holding the Enter key on the steering

If the display layout is changed from Normal to Information, this is how it looks with Navigation

And this is how it looks in Minimal theme

Quite an irony that the Information Skin hides the analog speedo and tacho while not providing any additional info in the center

If the steering is rotated in a stationary vehicle, the Tyre Direction Monitor comes on automatically

The Driver Assist Menu is primarily for the ADAS. It displays complete info when Adaptive Cruise Control is enabled. Once enabled, it shows the set speed and the gap to maintain from the vehicle in front which can be changed in 4 steps. Manually overriding the Adaptive Cruise Control is possible if only accelerator is pressed, say to over take someone. Pressing the brake disengages the system including the Smart Pilot Assist (if it was active via settings) – the latter is a combination of Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Centering.

I have disabled the Lane Keep Assist as I find the warnings and corrections (if enabled) too intrusive. Instead enabling the Smart Pilot Assist gives similar functionality and it works in conjunction with Adaptive Cruise Control and turning-off the latter disables the Smart Pilot Assist as well while to enable / disable Lane Keep Assist, the exercise of going through the menus needs to be done. On the expressway with the Adaptive Cruise Control engaged and sane traffic around you, it’s a bliss to see the system work with Smart Pilot Assist. It will automatically adjust the speed and keep the vehicle in the lane even on turns (around the design speed / speed limit of the curve) with minimal to no input and just like with Lane Keep Assist it will warn if commanded steering input moves the vehicle to edge of lane or beyond it when no turn signal is used. With not so sane traffic, using the system is not recommended as depending on the ADAS judgement, the system can slow down abruptly, especially with 2 wheeler traffic around.

Traffic sign recognition works well even at night.

With all the systems active (notice the direction prompt from the navigation in the center just below the clock)

Blind view monitoring is very useful

 

[A.G.]

Features (Adrenox):

The home screen

While Android Auto and CarPlay are self explanatory on what they do, starting with Fun with XUV7OO, clicking it in default mode (Zap) or Zoom opens the G-force meter with Compass surrounding it. Swiping the arrow from left to right opens the menu to change the drive mode.

With the Drive Modes menu closed, swiping from left to right open the Lap timer

Only in Zip mode the trip details are displayed which as mentioned before should be a dedicated page option. Also the Fuel Economy date from this page should reflect in the Trip details on the mobile app as well.

Going back to the home screen by tapping the home icon the top right corner or by pressing the Home / Back key on the control pad between the gear lever and armrest takes you back to the main page. Clicking on the Fun in XUV7OO opens another sub-menu

This is the primary menu for controlling the various functions of Music, Radio, Navigation, etc.

Swiping from Right to Left shows more options…

….while swiping from Left to Right opens the customizable screen which can be customised for maximum 4 widgets (I have configured 3 options).

The clock displayed is actually a widget and swiping up / down on it reveals more options of News, weather, etc.

Dragging the arrow in the Top center opens a sub menu for access to various functions directly and the volume slider

Similarly, dragging the arrow in Bottom center opens a sub menu with options to various applications.

Swipe further to reveal more apps

Connected Apps shows the capability of Manufacturer update but I am yet to see any

Climate Menu (sans the Eco option)

Music / Radio screens open-up as below

When playing songs from USB drive, at the end of the slider is a button to copy the song being played onto the in-built storage (MyDrive).

The Audio setup with 12 speakers system is very good but overall the one in the Endeavour with lesser speakers offered the best experience and probably an area where Mahindra didn’t ‘benchmark’ completely. The biggest quirk is that there is no way to turn-off the audio system and turning the volume to 0 on USB / Radio is the only solution. Even after setting the Profile to start with Radio, it randomly selects USB as the input.

There are many settings to play with and some notable features are ability to change the 3D Sound which alters the entire ambience, really usable Speed dependent volume control which works and the ability to set the volume level for each audio input separately.

Other settings

The vehicle settings allow the following options. Service mode disables all the remote commands.

In-built navigation with traffic updates is a real boon and the level of detail it shows for sign boards, whether to get on a flyover, etc. is really amazing – it just needs map update which is still from 2021 (v2021.03 to be precise).

Barring the slow refresh rate, the 3D surround view camera is a real boon. It offers dynamic grid lines for both front & rear and also shows the side clearance as well. Different views offered by the same are

Front

Front Zoomed

Rear

Rear Zoomed

Left

Right

3D

If any of the view is expanded, the Bird’s eye view from top is hidden

Zoomed 3D view

A couple of settings and access to DVR is also possible through this page

Would have been great if the camera opened manually do not turn off automatically above 15 Kmph. Front parking sensors coupled with this camera system would have been beneficial as well.

Finally, the Android Auto which works wirelessly as well opens up to the map screen by default. With Android Auto functional the calls are entertained by Android Auto only.

What’s really helpful is the split functionality where the maps keep on working on the side and a different app can occupy the main area or vice versa.

When navigation is in use, directions are shown on the home screen as well on the widget.

 

[A.G.]

Features (AdrenoX Connect Mobile app):

The AdrenoX Connect app on the phone got activated a day post the delivery. Once activated and logged in, you are greeted by the homescreen which shows Distance to Empty info as well

The trip history is a nifty feature which records each trip. Not sure how it splits the trip automatically since I have not been able to establish a pattern but to manually start a new trip, I need to enter Zip mode and Reset the trip from the screen which opens on the display.

Clicking any of the trip reveals more info about it but the Fuel efficiency info is missing which should have also been recorded

The remote control icon on the home screen of the app opens the page with TPMS info and swiping to a side opens the control panel.

Remote starting capability with the ability to set the desired temperature is a real boon

Other most used feature is sending the destination to the XUV

It is also possible to share the live location of the XUV for upto 8 hours.

Seems there was some issue with either the XUV or the app or both as the number of alerts received in a span of 30 minutes was shocking

The price of the connected tech

 

[A.G.]

Finer details in pictures and videos

Perspective of boot noodle mat from Endeavour in the XUV7OO to give you an idea of the space lost

Under body pic…

… and video
https://youtube.com/shorts/E1JMxYk9NUg?feature=share

Turbo Charger and Exhaust from top & bottom

DEF Tank placement

Random App failures on watch

Default Low beam aim & cut-off

4 XUV7OOs in the displays

Huge Headlamp assembly

DEF fill port right next to the fuel fill port – much easy this way as it neither requires access through bonnet nor through boot

Control for light and sunroof also has the only ambient light strip but has 2 LEDs to through diffused light on the center console around the gear lever below – neat

Sliding visor

Some parting shots with the Endeavour

 

[350Z]

Note: Thread now live. Heartiest congratulations @A.G. and thanks for sharing another comprehensive ownership review. It’ll immensely benefit the readers for a long time to come.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[mayankdixit]

Congrats for the new XUV 700 !! That's a very nice and detailed review. Your pics are very good and clear. Everything is well explained.
I think your version is equipped with automatic emergency braking feature . How do you find this feature? How effective is this in the Indian scenario?

 

[A.G.]

Heartiest congratulations

Thank you, glad I could do justice to the feature rich XUV.

Congrats for the new XUV 700 !!

Thank you

I think your version is equipped with automatic emergency braking feature . How do you find this feature? How effective is this in the Indian scenario?

Yes it is equipped with the full suite of ADAS tech. Still trying to understand and adapt to it but in principal it works shockingly well when the traffic around you is sane on an expressway. I have not even disabled the Automatic Emergency Braking in the city - just toned it down to late reaction. With this setting, it also works okayish with there being only very limited instances of system cutting in.