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Re: Mahindra XUV5OO : Test Drive & Review





First thing you notice about the XUV5OO is that the cabin is a “walk in”, and not a “climb in”! GTO's Mom greatly appreciated this. It's immediately obvious that the interiors are a huge step ahead for Mahindra & quite unlike anything we have seen from the brand before; no, they aren’t perfect, and neither does the quality come close to that of sedans from the same price band (e.g. Civic & Altis). Though the interior is lacking in quality at certain spots, keep the price in mind (9 lakh rupees cheaper than a Fortuner) and you will be satisfied. If Scorpio and Safari interiors are a 5 / 10, this one is a 7.5 (if not an 8). Thanks to the gizmos, including the touchscreen infotainment system, the initial "wow" factor is very much present. The overall design is neutral for the most part and, unlike the exterior front-end look, will be accepted by the masses. Part quality is satisfactory in most areas, and cheap / flimsy in some. The feature list includes everything that more expensive cars offer, and then some. This, combined with the generous space (front & middle seat rows), will keep XUV owners happy. There are many feel-good touches too. Example : the door pads wear soft-touch material like in the Skodas. The steering mounted buttons give out a prominent click when used, and feel more durable than the ones on the top-end Scorpio. Most of the front storage compartments have a generous application of felt lining. Also evident is a lot of European influence. For example, most lids open in a slow-motion manner when released, as do the spring-loaded grab handles when going back to standby position. Switch on the headlamps and you’ll see the instruments dim in a gradual style. The heavily bolstered front seats wouldn't be out of place in a German car. Investigate the interiors with a fine-toothed comb though, and you will see some areas where fit & finish leave a lot to be desired. The USB / AUX compartment lid feels rather light & flimsy, as do the ones for the glovebox and center storage compartment. These remind you that you are sitting in a Mahindra. The extremely glossy faux wood finish looks cheesy, and leads to pathetic windscreen reflection at all times (see picture below). The tacky chocolate brown colour (on various interior plastic panels) wasn’t to our taste, and neither were the one too many surface textures used on the interior parts. Start counting the different types of textures and you’ll probably end up at number 20.



In a nutshell, I would term the interior quality as "very acceptable" though not necessarily "premium".



The generous greenhouse deserves a special mention here. The extra large windows make the interiors feel airy and allow a lot of light inside. The driver sits high and has a commanding, uninterrupted view of the road ahead. Lateral visibility is superb as well; however, rearward visibility is pathetic, with the situation only worsening as the 3rd row of seats gets filled up. The interior rear view mirror is useless too; I was primarily using the wing mirrors while driving. The heavily bolstered front seats offer superb support, including over long drives. The range of the steering tilt adjustment is very limited; for instance, GTO couldn’t set the wheel to go as low as he usually prefers. On the other hand, the steering reach and driver’s seat height adjustment have a wide range. Overall ergonomics are surprisingly good, and Mahindra have gotten their first attempt at a premium vehicle absolutely right. All controls are logically placed right where you expect them to be, and there is no area of complaint here (unlike in all other Mahindra UVs). The indicator stalks too are positioned within a finger's reach from the steering wheel. However, the leather-covered driver armrest hardly serves the purpose. It barely has an inch of adjustment range and simply doesn’t extend out enough to prove useful. Despite being basic to look at, and neither incorporated too well, I find the ones in my Scorpio to be way more usable. Those who like a view of the bonnet will be pleased, you can see a lot of it after cranking the height adjuster up. GTO adds that, in his driving position, the door was too close for comfort (to his right leg). You usually need strong arms for Mahindras and the XUV is no different in certain areas. For instance, adjusting the telescopic steering or releasing the hand brake (from full lock position) requires a lot of effort. The seat compound is very firm. While a good part of the market prefers soft seats, these firm seats offer better support over long drives. The seat design & cushioning are clearly inspired by high-end European cars. The manual lumbar support (on both front seats) has a fairly good range of support too.



Middle row passengers have access to acres of space; you could sit behind a 6+ footer and still stretch your legs. The back support is really nice, albeit under-thigh support is strictly average. The front seats are placed on the higher side, thus releasing a generous amount of foot-room for 2nd row passengers. The middle row seat is recline-adjustable as well, and you can set it at a really relaxed angle. The center & door armrests are properly positioned, while the neck restraints / headrests are perfectly contoured for you to rest your head on. The wide seat can easily accommodate 3. Things aren't too bad for the 5th passenger (3rd on the middle row) either. The center console doesn’t interfere with his knees, and the floor is completely F-L-A-T. However, back support (provided by the underside of the center armrest) is rock hard, and the overall seating position cannot be compared to what the other passengers will enjoy.



Access to the last row of seats requires acrobatic skills; there is no way your Mother will ever agree to sit on the 3rd row. Unfortunately, the middle-row doesn’t slide fore & aft, thus legroom on the 3rd row of seats is severely limited. It’s only the kids or short adults who will be able to travel for a long-distance here. And if middle-row passengers have reclined their seat-back angle, things only get worse. The seat is placed so low that your knees will point toward the sky. A 5’10” passenger will have only a centimeter of headroom from the roof. The seat back is way too upright as well. GTO says he wouldn’t last on the 3rd row for more than 15 minutes. The two saving graces are the nice adjustable head-rests, and the fact that both of the 3rd row passengers get their own air-con vent, a cup-holder and storage net. If you plan to only use the 3rd row of seats for children, then you won’t be complaining. However, if you need to transport 7 adults in comfort, look at MUVs like the Xylo or Innova.



Absence of floor rails for the second row is a serious oversight on Mahindra’s part as it would have given XUV5OO owners the flexibility of balancing 2nd / 3rd row space as per occasion or need.



The XUV5OO is loaded with storage cubicles. All 4 door pockets can hold 1 liter bottles. The pockets on the front doors even get a magazine holding elastic band, as well as a (small) umbrella holder. However, the rear door pockets are too narrow and aren't as user-friendly. Each of the front seats have neat looking, netted back pockets. There are cup-holders galore for everyone and his dog in here. The center storage box (driver armrest) has two levels of storage; the upper gets dedicated coin holder slots, while the lower has a cooling function. The main dashboard glovebox is smaller than its lid would have you believe. I found the upper glovebox to be far more useful for the daily items. Honestly, there is so much storage in here that you could actually forget where you kept that odd item. On the negative side, and a large one at that, there is zero luggage space with all three seat rows up. Inevitably, a good number of XUVs will wear roof-top carriers or Thule boxes. With the 3rd row down though, the XUV can swallow holiday / airport luggage.



The air-conditioning system will blow you away. For a car of this size, and with the massive glass area, the climate control chills the interiors in no time. Even the 2nd & 3rd row passengers end up frozen. The blower had a wide six speed range, but gets noisy beyond the third level. The ICE (In Car Entertainment) System plays just about all of the newer formats, and the sound quality with lots of tweaking for bass can be passed off as acceptable at best. We have elaborated on the infotainment system in the next post.



Apart from the above, the worrying areas for Mahindra were already showing up on our test vehicle. I have always maintained that Mahindra mechanicals are just as reliable as they can get, but the electronics have been Mahindra’s universal weak point, right down to the basic stuff. Even on our test car, the electronics were acting funny from time to time. Once, after switching the ESP off, we couldn’t figure out how to switch it back on. Ditto for the hill descent control. On another occasion, the rear air-con button refused to activate air-conditioning at the back. Strangely, after a while (that included engine switch off and restart), these controls were back to normal. Mahindra better sort these things out ASAP, remember how Scorpio VLX owners always complain of their sensors going bust? Another typical Mahindra weakness is that our 1,000 kms run XUV5OO was already making squeaks and creaks from the tail-gate and rear door area. The sounds weren’t audible when I was sitting on the front seats, but they were prominent on the middle row, and really loud on the third row. This is not something that will go down easily with the 15 lakh rupee customer I spoke of earlier.



Chunky steering wheel is great to hold:





Awful reflection from the glossy center console. Very distracting for the driver. At noon, the sun is badly reflected on the windscreen too:





Stylish meter arrangement. Here, the needles are doing a full sweep (each time the ignition is turned on), just as superbike consoles do. Revv-counter marked optimistically (for a diesel) to 7,000 rpm. Temperature gauge gets progressive blue / red lights:





6 speed gearbox. 1st & 2nd ratios are notchy to engage, the others are fine:





Awesome front seats feel European-car like:





Cruise & voice control buttons on the RHS of the steering wheel. Audio controls on the steering LHS:





Thick & busy. Stalks don't feel high quality:





Conversation mirror; you don't need to turn around to see your passengers:





Driver armrest is useless and doesn't extend forward as much as I'd like. Handbrake design is a straight lift from the Honda Civic:





Clutch pedal rests at a higher position than the brake. Dead pedal is nicely angled, but it just about cut the mustard for me at shoe size 8. Would surely feel like an excuse for a dead pedal for anyone with a larger foot size:





Door panels get a generous helping of soft-touch material. Notice the large door-pull handle. Speakers are placed too high for optimal sound quality:





Air-conditioner will freeze you to your bones, it is unbelievably effective, including at the back! Rotary controls look & feel classy. ECON button switches the compressor off (blower mode). Rear air-con button activates vents for the 2nd & 3rd row of seats:





Pathetic rearward visibility with all headrests (and passengers) in place:





Compartmentalised main glovebox is smaller than its large lid would have you believe. Space for visiting cards, and even a tablet (but not a laptop as Mahindra claims). Notice the light at the top:





I found the upper glove compartment to be far more useful:





Center glove-box has two compartments. Pictured here is the upper section with dedicated coin holders. The quality inside isn't impressive at all...





...while the lower compartment is cooled. Even if you switch the cooling function off, some amount of cold air filters through anyways:





Nifty net pockets in both of the front foot wells:





Illuminated passenger-side vanity mirror. The missus will be pleased. Light comes on automatically, upon sliding the mirror open:





Lounge lights are activated via a button next to the start / stop control. Feels like a nightclub in here. I find the door handles to be incredibly stylish:





Flippy key, yes, though too long & basic. Cheap plastic quality. Tail-gate release button provided:





Acres of space for 2nd row passengers. You will have room to spare, even with a 6+ footer in the driver's seat. Notice the flat floor (no transmission hump). Seat is wide enough to accommodate 3:





Air-con vents, placed on the B-Pillars, have air-volume control as well:





Good back support, under-thigh support only average. The neck restraints are perfectly positioned:





3rd row of seats is strictly for kids, or 5 footer adults only:





Each of the 3rd row occupants gets an air-con vent, netted pocket and a bottle holder. Also notice the air-con blower knob:





Don't let the wife see this *before* buying an XUV. Zero space for any luggage with the last row in place. Compare that to the Aria which can easily hold 3 – 4 medium sized bags:





Last row folded away:





And middle-row too:

Interiors don't feel like that of a Mahindra vehicle. And I mean it in a good way. Black & plum is the other interior shade. Click here to know more about the different exterior + interior combinations:First thing you notice about the XUV5OO is that the cabin is a “walk in”, and not a “climb in”! GTO's Mom greatly appreciated this. It's immediately obvious that the interiors are a huge step ahead for Mahindra & quite unlike anything we have seen from the brand before; no, they aren’t perfect, and neither does the quality come close to that of sedans from the same price band (e.g. Civic & Altis). Though the interior is lacking in quality at certain spots, keep the price in mind (9 lakh rupees cheaper than a Fortuner) and you will be satisfied. If Scorpio and Safari interiors are a 5 / 10, this one is a 7.5 (if not an 8). Thanks to the gizmos, including the touchscreen infotainment system, the initial "wow" factor is very much present. The overall design is neutral for the most part and, unlike the exterior front-end look, will be accepted by the masses. Part quality is satisfactory in most areas, and cheap / flimsy in some. The feature list includes everything that more expensive cars offer, and then some. This, combined with the generous space (front & middle seat rows), will keep XUV owners happy. There are many feel-good touches too. Example : the door pads wear soft-touch material like in the Skodas. The steering mounted buttons give out a prominent click when used, and feel more durable than the ones on the top-end Scorpio. Most of the front storage compartments have a generous application of felt lining. Also evident is a lot of European influence. For example, most lids open in a slow-motion manner when released, as do the spring-loaded grab handles when going back to standby position. Switch on the headlamps and you’ll see the instruments dim in a gradual style. The heavily bolstered front seats wouldn't be out of place in a German car. Investigate the interiors with a fine-toothed comb though, and you will see some areas where fit & finish leave a lot to be desired. The USB / AUX compartment lid feels rather light & flimsy, as do the ones for the glovebox and center storage compartment. These remind you that you are sitting in a Mahindra. The extremely glossy faux wood finish looks cheesy, and leads to pathetic windscreen reflection at all times (see picture below). The tacky chocolate brown colour (on various interior plastic panels) wasn’t to our taste, and neither were the one too many surface textures used on the interior parts. Start counting the different types of textures and you’ll probably end up at number 20.In a nutshell, I would term the interior quality as "very acceptable" though not necessarily "premium".The generous greenhouse deserves a special mention here. The extra large windows make the interiors feel airy and allow a lot of light inside. The driver sits high and has a commanding, uninterrupted view of the road ahead. Lateral visibility is superb as well; however, rearward visibility is pathetic, with the situation only worsening as the 3rd row of seats gets filled up. The interior rear view mirror is useless too; I was primarily using the wing mirrors while driving. The heavily bolstered front seats offer superb support, including over long drives. The range of the steering tilt adjustment is very limited; for instance, GTO couldn’t set the wheel to go as low as he usually prefers. On the other hand, the steering reach and driver’s seat height adjustment have a wide range. Overall ergonomics are surprisingly good, and Mahindra have gotten their first attempt at a premium vehicle absolutely right. All controls are logically placed right where you expect them to be, and there is no area of complaint here (unlike in all other Mahindra UVs). The indicator stalks too are positioned within a finger's reach from the steering wheel. However, the leather-covered driver armrest hardly serves the purpose. It barely has an inch of adjustment range and simply doesn’t extend out enough to prove useful. Despite being basic to look at, and neither incorporated too well, I find the ones in my Scorpio to be way more usable. Those who like a view of the bonnet will be pleased, you can see a lot of it after cranking the height adjuster up. GTO adds that, in his driving position, the door was too close for comfort (to his right leg). You usually need strong arms for Mahindras and the XUV is no different in certain areas. For instance, adjusting the telescopic steering or releasing the hand brake (from full lock position) requires a lot of effort. The seat compound is very firm. While a good part of the market prefers soft seats, these firm seats offer better support over long drives. The seat design & cushioning are clearly inspired by high-end European cars. The manual lumbar support (on both front seats) has a fairly good range of support too.Middle row passengers have access to acres of space; you could sit behind a 6+ footer and still stretch your legs. The back support is really nice, albeit under-thigh support is strictly average. The front seats are placed on the higher side, thus releasing a generous amount of foot-room for 2nd row passengers. The middle row seat is recline-adjustable as well, and you can set it at a really relaxed angle. The center & door armrests are properly positioned, while the neck restraints / headrests are perfectly contoured for you to rest your head on. The wide seat can easily accommodate 3. Things aren't too bad for the 5th passenger (3rd on the middle row) either. The center console doesn’t interfere with his knees, and the floor is completely F-L-A-T. However, back support (provided by the underside of the center armrest) is rock hard, and the overall seating position cannot be compared to what the other passengers will enjoy.Access to the last row of seats requires acrobatic skills; there is no way your Mother will ever agree to sit on the 3rd row. Unfortunately, the middle-row doesn’t slide fore & aft, thus legroom on the 3rd row of seats is severely limited. It’s only the kids or short adults who will be able to travel for a long-distance here. And if middle-row passengers have reclined their seat-back angle, things only get worse. The seat is placed so low that your knees will point toward the sky. A 5’10” passenger will have only a centimeter of headroom from the roof. The seat back is way too upright as well. GTO says he wouldn’t last on the 3rd row for more than 15 minutes. The two saving graces are the nice adjustable head-rests, and the fact that both of the 3rd row passengers get their own air-con vent, a cup-holder and storage net. If you plan to only use the 3rd row of seats for children, then you won’t be complaining. However, if you need to transport 7 adults in comfort, look at MUVs like the Xylo or Innova.Absence of floor rails for the second row is a serious oversight on Mahindra’s part as it would have given XUV5OO owners the flexibility of balancing 2nd / 3rd row space as per occasion or need.The XUV5OO is loaded with storage cubicles. All 4 door pockets can hold 1 liter bottles. The pockets on the front doors even get a magazine holding elastic band, as well as a (small) umbrella holder. However, the rear door pockets are too narrow and aren't as user-friendly. Each of the front seats have neat looking, netted back pockets. There are cup-holders galore for everyone and his dog in here. The center storage box (driver armrest) has two levels of storage; the upper gets dedicated coin holder slots, while the lower has a cooling function. The main dashboard glovebox is smaller than its lid would have you believe. I found the upper glovebox to be far more useful for the daily items. Honestly, there is so much storage in here that you could actually forget where you kept that odd item. On the negative side, and a large one at that, there is zero luggage space with all three seat rows up. Inevitably, a good number of XUVs will wear roof-top carriers or Thule boxes. With the 3rd row down though, the XUV can swallow holiday / airport luggage.The air-conditioning system will blow you away. For a car of this size, and with the massive glass area, the climate control chills the interiors in no time. Even the 2nd & 3rd row passengers end up frozen. The blower had a wide six speed range, but gets noisy beyond the third level. The ICE (In Car Entertainment) System plays just about all of the newer formats, and the sound quality with lots of tweaking for bass can be passed off as acceptable at best. We have elaborated on the infotainment system in the next post.Apart from the above, the worrying areas for Mahindra were already showing up on our test vehicle. I have always maintained that Mahindra mechanicals are just as reliable as they can get, but the electronics have been Mahindra’s universal weak point, right down to the basic stuff. Even on our test car, the electronics were acting funny from time to time. Once, after switching the ESP off, we couldn’t figure out how to switch it back on. Ditto for the hill descent control. On another occasion, the rear air-con button refused to activate air-conditioning at the back. Strangely, after a while (that included engine switch off and restart), these controls were back to normal. Mahindra better sort these things out ASAP, remember how Scorpio VLX owners always complain of their sensors going bust? Another typical Mahindra weakness is that our 1,000 kms run XUV5OO was already making squeaks and creaks from the tail-gate and rear door area. The sounds weren’t audible when I was sitting on the front seats, but they were prominent on the middle row, and really loud on the third row. This is not something that will go down easily with the 15 lakh rupee customer I spoke of earlier.Chunky steering wheel is great to hold:Awful reflection from the glossy center console. Very distracting for the driver. At noon, the sun is badly reflected on the windscreen too:Stylish meter arrangement. Here, the needles are doing a full sweep (each time the ignition is turned on), just as superbike consoles do. Revv-counter marked optimistically (for a diesel) to 7,000 rpm. Temperature gauge gets progressive blue / red lights:6 speed gearbox. 1st & 2nd ratios are notchy to engage, the others are fine:Awesome front seats feel European-car like:Cruise & voice control buttons on the RHS of the steering wheel. Audio controls on the steering LHS:Thick & busy. Stalks don't feel high quality:Conversation mirror; you don't need to turn around to see your passengers:Driver armrest is useless and doesn't extend forward as much as I'd like. Handbrake design is a straight lift from the Honda Civic:Clutch pedal rests at a higher position than the brake. Dead pedal is nicely angled, but it just about cut the mustard for me at shoe size 8. Would surely feel like an excuse for a dead pedal for anyone with a larger foot size:Door panels get a generous helping of soft-touch material. Notice the large door-pull handle. Speakers are placed too high for optimal sound quality:Air-conditioner will freeze you to your bones, it is unbelievably effective, including at the back! Rotary controls look & feel classy. ECON button switches the compressor off (blower mode). Rear air-con button activates vents for the 2nd & 3rd row of seats:Pathetic rearward visibility with all headrests (and passengers) in place:Compartmentalised main glovebox is smaller than its large lid would have you believe. Space for visiting cards, and even a tablet (but not a laptop as Mahindra claims). Notice the light at the top:I found the upper glove compartment to be far more useful:Center glove-box has two compartments. Pictured here is the upper section with dedicated coin holders. The quality inside isn't impressive at all......while the lower compartment is cooled. Even if you switch the cooling function off, some amount of cold air filters through anyways:Nifty net pockets in both of the front foot wells:Illuminated passenger-side vanity mirror. The missus will be pleased. Light comes on automatically, upon sliding the mirror open:lights are activated via a button next to the start / stop control. Feels like a nightclub in here. I find the door handles to be incredibly stylish:Flippy key, yes, though too long & basic. Cheap plastic quality. Tail-gate release button provided:Acres of space for 2nd row passengers. You will have room to spare, even with a 6+ footer in the driver's seat. Notice the flat floor (no transmission hump). Seat is wide enough to accommodate 3:Air-con vents, placed on the B-Pillars, have air-volume control as well:Good back support, under-thigh support only average. The neck restraints are perfectly positioned:3rd row of seats is strictly for kids, or 5 footer adults only:Each of the 3rd row occupants gets an air-con vent, netted pocket and a bottle holder. Also notice the air-con blower knob:Don't let the wife see this *before* buying an XUV. Zero space for any luggage with the last row in place. Compare that to the Aria which can easily hold 3 – 4 medium sized bags:Last row folded away:And middle-row too: Last edited by GTO : 19th October 2011 at 10:07 . Reason: Minor correction