Jassi: Dad, it has arrived.
It has arrived dad. It has arrived
Dad:Yes Jassi, what happened?
Jassi: It has arrived. It has arrived.
Dad: What has arrived? I'm going to need some time here.
Jassi: Our 'Vaddi Gaddi" Automatic has been launched.
Dad: Dayum son!
Dad: Jassi wait.
Wonder what's happening guys?
Well if you remember Jassi from our very first blockbuster, "Vaddi Gaddi".
Well, Jassi is all grown up now and become a car reviewer at PowerDrift.
So sit back, enjoy, have some popcorn and watch the review of the XUV 500 Automatic.
If you don't recognise this car, chances are you've not stepped out of your house in the last 5 years.
This was Mahindra's answer to the demands of the Indian customer as the first Indian urban SUV back in 2011.
A big and brawny SUV that had a feature list taller than me.
A futuristic design, comfort and safety of a car and all of this at a price point that
was more affordable than any other SUV that even came close to this.
But hold on a second.
That's not why we're discussing this car today.
We are, because this value for money bag of awesomeness now has a new badge.
Right here.
What took them so long?
Well possibly, finding the right supplier.
Because unlike what some of us might think, this is not the same automatic transmission we've seen on the new Scorpio.
It's a brand new unit from Mahindra's new vendor from Japan.
No CVT, no dual clutch, simple time-tested 6-Speed Torque Converter unit.
And before I jump in to take the XUV for a spin, allow me to show you what more does the XUV 500 has to offer.
If looks is your thing, then you'll find more reasons on the outside rather than inside the XUV.
A broad stance, unique S-shaped DRLs, flared wheel arches and proportions that leave a lasting impression.
But if functionality is what you're looking for, welcome to the inside of the XUV 500.
Sitting in the front seats will make you feel nothing short of a mighty king.
Nicely contoured, wrapped in leather, they're very comfortable.
The rear seats too are nothing short on comfort or space.
This dual tone dashboard gets a 7 inch touchscreen that comes with Bluetooth telephoning, navigation
and a whole lot of media input options.
You also get automatic climate control AC and a whole lot of buttons.
But let's quickly find out, how well does it drive.
Let go of the brake and the car starts to crawl slowly.
It'll reach about 5 Kmph at the maximum speed and that's going to be really helpful when
you're driving in that bumper to bumper traffic.
Slam on to the throttle, it responds almost instantaneously.
The XUV has always been a quick SUV.
And the automatic doesn't change that a whole lot.
Mahindra has got the gearing spot on with the new gearbox.
And the car is compliant both in the city and the highway.
But those who have driven the 1st generation extensively, would know that the car felt a little wobbly.
Especially at high speeds.
And then once into a corner, didn't feel that surefooted, it had a fair amount of body roll.
When the second generation came in 2015, Mahindra really re-tweaked the suspension and sorted all of that.
This one comes with the same suspension as the 2015 2nd generation one.
So the car feels really planted, really sure footed even at high speeds.
Doing around 80 Kmph, 1500 rpm, 6th gear and the cruise control works spot on in this one.
You can really leave it at 100, it cruises easily, nice comfortable seats to be sitting in.
Now the braking on the XUV has always been impressive, right from the 1st generation.
But the Dueler tyres on this car have two issues.
One- they are highway tyres so they can't really do justice to the AWD tag.
And 2nd is, they're not all that great when it comes to braking.
Fuel efficiency figures on the Automatic are 13.68 ARAI specified.
And you get about 16 on the Manual.
Also the Automatics are 1 Lakh Rs more expensive than their counterpart Manual variants.
Now speaking of variants, the XUV is broadly categorised into 4 different variants
and all of them run the same 2.2L diesel M-Hawk engine.
But here's the good part- no matter which XUV you buy, it's going to come with 2 airbags,
ABS with EBD and all four disc brakes.
And all of this put together means, this car right here, gets 4 out of 5 stars in the Australian NCAP.
That's great.
Now for the variants, I suggest you grab a pen and paper.
Alright let's begin.
4 Variants W4, W6, W8 and W10.
Further W6, W8 and W10 come with an automatic transmission.
W8 and W10 have an optional AWD system, which again comes in both, manual and automatic.
This engine is now available with almost all variants.
Now this one right here is the XUV W10 AWD Automatic.
Which means this is XUV in it's best form.
And as such on the outside, this is identical to the W10 manual, except for two things.
One is the automatic badge we saw right here.
And the second one, the door handle on the front doors, do not come with that small little
request sensor for key-less entry, nor does it get a start-stop button.
But to me, the math doesn't add up because somebody buying an automatic transmission is buying it for comfort.
So why should he or she miss out on such great features.
There are a couple of more flaws with the car too.
The inconsistent panel gaps throughout the cabin, some of the plastic parts rattle and
the boot, well with all seats upright has only enough space for a small tufflebag.
But don't let that bother you too much.
Simply toggle the third row down and you have all the space for your bags.
Now let's talk about the second badge on the car, the All Wheel Drive.
Now I'm from a school of thought that all SUVs should have a 4 Wheel Drive
or at least an All Wheel Drive.
Simply because it opens up a lot more touring possibilities for you.
You can simply be driving on non-existing roads, muck, slush, snow or even a beach.
Even with the All Wheel Drive badge, don't mistake this to be a true off-roader.
Now truth be told, the front wheel drive XUV 500, with big tyres, 200 mm of ground clearance
and a decent amount of low end torque, will take you to most places this would.
The AWD just makes it a lot simpler.
So whether you can justify the 80 thousand Rupees price difference, is a question each one answers for himself.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the verdict.
But just before I do that, allow me to show you one last thing.
But for that, I'll have to wait for the sun to set.
It's a different experience to drive the XUV at night.
As you unlock the car, the S shaped DRLs light up and the puddle lamps project an XUV logo.
Open the door and the illuminated skid plate welcomes you.
You will be greeted by soft ambient lighting just in the right places, a host of back-lit buttons
and a two-dial instrument cluster, one that looks to be borrowed from a fictional superhero's car.
The XUV has the brightest in-car illumination I have ever witnessed.
The magic of the lights continue as you start to drive.
The Xenon headlamps light up the road ahead nice and bright.
And the cornering lamps light up the corner as you approach one.
No moving motors, no complicated sensors.
There's 2 extra lights in the headlight assembly, which light up as you turn your steering.
No matter which way you turn, both cornering lamps light up every time.
The XUV 500 Automatic - drives well, lots of space, packed with features,
and you've got to agree, looks impressive.
Especially at night.
If you're in the market today to buy a 7 Seater automatic SUV, your options are pretty limited.
You can either buy the Honda BR-V, well it can seat 7 but Honda doesn't call it a 7 Seater.
It's also half the price, so it's not in direct contention with this one.
The other options could be Hyundai Creta a 5 seater SUV, smaller engine, smaller cabin space,
a lot less features and is 1.7 Lakh more expensive.
Cheaper options could be a Renault Duster or a Mahindra NuvoSport.
Both these cars come with AMT transmission.
The Duster gives you an AWD that doesn't come with AMT and the NuvoSport,
well it offers 7 seats but not really for adults.
If you want a true 7 Seater SUV that's below 20 Lakh, has all the features and more that you want,
then the "Vaddi Gaddi" as Jassi says it, is the car for you.
Alright the lights are out and it's time for me to go home.
But if you missed PowerDrift's first blockbuster, click right here.
Enjoy watching, Goodbye.