At best a choice for someone who desperately needs an MUV but doesnt have cash for something better

I roadtested the Xylo E8 this weekend. They were showing the car at a mall the previous day, and I had become very interested after looking at all the features. The car seemed to promise real value for money. Hence the roadtest....

In terms of features, the car is very loaded. In addition to standard luxury features like Power Windows, Power Steering etc, the following caught my fancy:

* Reverse Parking Assist with a display on the Rear View Mirror

* Drivers Digital Assist - a small screen above the centre console showing tripmeter, DTE (Distance to Empty), Seatbelt warning etc

* 2 Small lights accompanying the mirror behind the Passenger Sunvisor. Useful for women who want to check their make up at night :-)

* Front passenger seat and middle row seat fall flat to create an absolutely flat bed! Wonderful for passengers on long journeys.

* Adjustable AC vents for all the passenger rows

After being thoroughly impressed with all the features on offer, I roadtested the car the following day. The actual roadtest was a big disappointment. The much touted "mEagle" engine is thoroughly unrefined. The whole car shuddered on startup, picked up speed slowly. On the expressway, the engine sound and vibrations turned pretty coarse once past 100 kmph. The gearbox had very long throws. The handling of the car was also not very confidence inspiring, wallowing all over the place under hard cornering.

A word about the interiors. Mahindra intends to position this car as a competitor to mid-size sedans. However, the quality of plastics used and the general interior fit-n-finish is far inferior to (say) a Fiesta or Verna.

Here's my overall opinion...If you're in the market for a midsize sedan, buy a midsize sedan! The xylo's VFM promise simply doesnt stand when compared to its (un)refinement and fit-n-finish. If you're in the market for an MUV and have the cash, buy an Innova or even a Tavera! They're much more refined and easy to live with as personal vehicles.

So the only person the Xylo will appeal to is probably someone with a big family who desperately wants a big car, but doesnt have the cash for anything better.

Comfortable, Spacious, FeaturesVery unrefined engine and gearbox, Handling, poor performance