Initial Ownership Impressions-
It took me a few days to be really comfortable with the XUV after driving a sedan for 5 years. The initial drive from Bangalore to Mangalore was a breeze as the roads were pretty good except for a small stretch in the ghats. I even got to try out the cruise control on the 4 lane stretch in Nelamangala. The XUV is a real eye catcher because of its standout design and also the novelty factor which wont last long considering the number of bookings it is garnering.
Exteriors and Design: Looks, style, and design totally new compared to other vehicles available in the market. Build quality varies- panel gaps are ok, plastic parts develop scratch marks easily, the suspension feels bad when going over potholes and bumpy roads, paint coating seems like the layer of paint is very thin or single coat because even small stones while driving will cause the paint to chip off and expose the body. Special design elements / inspirations are from the cheetah as advertised by M&M.
Interiors and Features: Interiors design is again totally different from the seat design to the dash and ac vents, quality, fit and finish is good compared to the test drive vehicle I drove in October. A/C is a chiller in fact even in this hot costal area in summer during noon my wife sometimes asks me to switch off or increase the temperature on the climate control because it is so chilling. The vehicle has pillar mounted AC ducts for 2nd and 3rd row with separate blower control for 3rd row. Ergonomics is ok. The seats look spacious and inviting but the leather and cushioning is pretty hard but manageable. Leg space is huge in the front and second row. 3rd row is good for short people or kids only for long distance drives. Audio System with 6 inch colour display is pretty decent at low volume and has audio, video playback, with Aux and USB in along with built in Bluetooth, Satellite navigation and Vehicle info display like Vehicle milage, tyretronics, alarm info, service alerts along with reverse sensors and reverse camera input. If you are an audiophile you will need to change the stock speakers and add an amp, sound processor and sub woofer. There are individual reading lamps for all seats, Dashboard layout is good and center console does not hit your left knee like in some sedans. Boot space is nonexistent with the third row seats up, Ingress / Egress is OK for normal adults but children and elderly will need installation of the side foot steps to get in and out of the vehicle.
Engine and Performance: Engine Responsiveness is good , Acceleration with 0-100 figure of 12.8 seconds is good better than many small to midsize sedans, almost all hatch backs available in India, Turbo Lag is minimal, Braking feels inadequate but does the job finally, Clutch is pretty decent , Torque is good, Fuel Efficiency right now with 100% AC, lots of idling and mixed driving of city and highway for my AWD XUV is 10.5 as checked with tank full to tank full method after 3,000 kms, Gearbox is 6 speed manual / Gear Shifts are ok except for 2nd gear which can be pretty hard to engage sometimes. I have used the AWD lock only a couple of times when I had to climb and turn on a steep incline on a mud road and I had no problems but as for the AWD on demand I cannot make out when it get engaged and disengaged.
Ride and Handling: Comfort levels and seating position is good on smooth roads, seats although big and spacious are a bit hard. On bad roads and when going over potholes the suspension lets out thuds and whole vehicle wobbles like it will come apart any time. Otherwise NVH Levels are pretty good Maneuverability is pretty decent for such a big vehicle, Steering light is good at low speeds but does not weigh down enough at high speeds, low speed no problems and high speed behavior is pretty close to a sedan expect for some minimal body roll and screeching of tires when taking turns and emergency braking , It’s a breeze to drive in the city and a pleasure to drive on the highway on good to average roads. I have not yet done any off roading and I don’t think the XUV is built for any serious off roading but should be able to handle mild to moderate off roading without any problem as demonstrated in the Desert Storm 2012 where it roared past Grand Vitaras, Gypsies, Toyotas and Mitsubishis etc at 160+ kph in the desert. The tires are adequate especially the Bridgestone’s but if one can afford it then I think its better to switch to broader profile tires.
Additional comments- I am using the XUV as a 5 seater with the last row of seats folded but sometimes when there is a need to use the last row it would have been better if M&M had given a sliding mechanism for the second row seat to free up some leg space for the last row.
Installation of a reverse camera is a must unless you want to run over some kid or reverse into some two wheeler
For USB drive you need to purchase a micro USB drive otherwise you will not be able to close the cover of the console as the normal USB drive protrudes out
Plus and minus points of the car and any shortcomings and early niggles faced
To many plus points overshadow the niggles. M&M have given so many features in the XUV that you will only find in a 40 lakh + vehicle. If I have to list all the features I will need another page. I especially love the cornering lamps, auto wipers, built in Bluetooth, satellite navigation and steering mounted controls. The hill descent control especially the hill hold control is pretty useful when going up steep ramps like in malls with stop go traffic and the electric auto folding ORVM’s. The front doors even have umbrella holders with an outlet for the water from the umbrella to drain out.
Shortcomings - The suspension is bad when going over potholes and on bumpy roads
Niggles faced so far-
Car failed to start on 2 occasions. I removed the key from the ignition waited for a minute and tried again and it started. Seems like it’s a known issue.
The steering Colum rubs against your left foot when taking turns at crawling speed with the clutch depressed.
The entertainment system has stopped responding a few times and I have to switch it off and restart it.
Notchy second gear- sometimes it difficult to engage second gear.
Car alarm sounds randomly when parked without any intrusion attempt.
Grinding sound from the brakes.
Dealer experience if any – I live in Mangalore so I cannot visit the service center which at present is at Bangalore for any small niggle for which I have to wait for the 1st service which is yet to happen so I cannot comment on the service experience yet.
Any modifications planned in future – Speaker- Components - Amp + Sub-woofer ( I have these already from my previous car will get them installed shortly )
Last set of photos taken at Someshwar Beach Ullal where we had gone as my son wanted to do some kite flying. This place is the southern tip of Karnataka state where Wolverine is parked with Kerala state visible at the other side of the river with many small islands in the river which is joining the Arabian sea.
![[clap]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Clap.gif "Clap [clap]")
. Great review and pictures. The XUV looks great in black. And you're right in comparing it with Wolverine, Its more appropriate as the car is more sharp looking than all the others. ![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
. I spend at least 6 hours every week cleaning and detailing my car myself twice a week and i have a lot of love and great respect for my car. Although i mentioned about my previous car in the review above i forgot to post the photo of it so adding a couple of photos taken on the day I sold my magnum and i am sure you will agree that it does not look like a 5 year old vehicle which has run 98,000 kms.![[thumbsup]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Thumbs%20Up.png "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
![[;)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Wink.gif "Wink [;)]")
. Standard warranty for XUV is for 2 years but M&M has offered 1 year additional warranty for people who booked in the first lot so that makes it a total of 3 years unlimited kms warranty. I have purchased the micro USB drive photos of which are attached below.
