A stylish Indian Crossover with plenty of scope for improvement

Exterior: Great looks, intimidating yet pleasing to the eye. Excellent road presence. Good tyre size for the size and weight of the vehicle. The front of the refreshed model looks sophisticated, albeit a little overdone. The front 3 quarter view is the best one of the car.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort): The interiors are well conceived. The first two rows have ample space between them. However, the last row is best left for kids, or for adults for short city hauls. Medium and large adults would find sitting in a cramped environment for elongated durations, pretty unpleasant. But have to mention that there are AC vents and cup holders provided for the third row passengers as well. In fact, 3rd row passengers have an AC compressor dedicated for them, with independent airflow controls. The dashboard reflects on the inners of the windshield on a sunny day. Controls are well within reach. Good OEM sound system and speakers as well as Navigation software. Partly reclinable middle row seats are a boon for lokg journeys. Sliding middle row seats is highly desirable.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox: The engine has got good low and mid range. However, it is let down by a sluggish gearbox. With the gearbox programmed the way it is, expection was that the mileage would be excellent. Unfortunately, this is not the case and I am currently doing 9 in the city and about 13 on the highway. But once again, in higher speeds, the autobox works seamlessly.

 

Ride Quality & Handling: The ride quality in the front row is good. In the second row, the bodyroll is more pronounced, and so are the potholes beneath. However, the situation is not so bad that it will be a dealbreaker. It just needs a little getting used to. For the price, this is the best Crossover that you can buy in this neck of the woods. Handling is a little cumbersome in 3 point turnings, but on the road, you hardly will feel the actual size of the XUV.

 

Areas of improvement:

  - Soften the suspensions just a little bit, this is a crossover, not a true blue SUV

  - Provide slide function to the middle row seat, will increase the usability exponentially

  - Replace glossy texture on the upper dash with non reflective texture, will improve visibility

  - Recaliberate the AISIN autobox, will improve performance and effeciency

 

 

Final Words: Overall, a great value for money package. Small niggles are there in almost all machines but enormous improvements made over time, kudos to M&M for this. If budget is not a constraint for you, then there are much more fulfilling and accomplished products in the market. But is you are on a budget and don't mind adjusting a little to buy and Indian product, this is the perfect chioce for a great family crossover.

 

 

Great exterior looks, road presence, space in front two rows, features included for the priceSluggish autobox at low speeds, blind spots agalore, stiff suspensions