XUV not upto the mark

Yesterday I had the honour of test driving XUV 500 at Gurgaon. Since M&M has been developing the vehicle with Global audience in mind, I had high expectations. I think, M&M has simply overdone this global feature list. XUV 500 is packed with goodies but the real problem is the need and quality of these fittings. Lights on door handle, lights on floor, over 50 plus status/warning lights on dashboard and much more. I am sure with time, over half of these electrical fittings will give problem. M&M should have kept the things simple.

What M&M missed in their single mind determination of packing the goodies was the suspension. On Gurgaon's bumpy road and speeds of about 100kmph, the vehicle was bouncing all over the place. Simple road level transitions that should not be sent to the passenger compartment, were duly amplified in it. Both the forward passenger and rear passengers were air borne a number of times. Another great tickler was the steering column. It was fun to "feel" the steering turn on your shoes. 

M&M could have put more design power on basics of an automobile like suspension and steering rather than on door ajar lights and tyre pressure warning.

Overall, I would not recommend people to buy the XUV 500 yet. Wait for another year to give M&M a chance to correct the basic flaws. I am sure they must have heard back from the customers.

If buying a SUV is your obsession now, go for a Scorpio or a Bolero (with interiors redone). Both vehicles have gone through multiple design iterations and are much better platform now. 

If XUV 500 is your new found love, then like all loves, let it mature first for another year before you bring it home.