Test Drive - Mahindra Xylo E6 Part 1/2

When I had gone to pick up the Mahindra Xylo from the parking lot, I wasn't that excited, had not seen the Xylo in depth like Shrawan did during the launch, all I got were glimpses of it on the Mumbai roads.

I expected the Xylo to be another Mahindra product like the Bolero and Armada. To my surprise initially the Xylo didn't look anything like a Mahindra, looked much different and up market, the design not so conventional, the tall stance hinted it was a vehicle bigger than the Scorpio. I won't stress much on that as I have done it already in the initial report.

So, let's see what the Xylo has up its sleeve.

Let's roam around the Xylo -

The design is unconventional from any angle. Mahindra should be complimented for trying something like this and stepping out of the traditional MPV mould. The bonnet is not as big as the Scorpio, is smaller slopes down gently. The headlights wrapped to the front corners is like a car standing there, hands folded, and raising its eyebrows to the competition.

The headlamps lend an element of style and blend with the curved front end. The saw tooth chrome grill which first appeared on the Bolero and lately on the Scorpio is a sign of company evolution.

Bumpers on the E6 variant that we tested are silver color, different from the body colored ones other top-end MUVs employ. Fog lamps are small; we would have liked them slightly bigger to gel completely with the headlamps. Xenon headlamps would have taken it to another level, a feature Mahindra should try as it is building a distinct car in many ways.

The fenders are small but the doors more than make up for it. They are huge, entry and exit is very easy, like you need step in and jump out. Door handles are again pull type like the ones on luxury cars, easy to operate and open/close the door, full marks to Mahindra for getting them here. The step board is silver colored, nice and strong.

Rear corners are nicely rounded; the tail lamps supplement a sense of fun to the rear. Rear wind shield is box shaped with the defogger and rear wash wipe integrated on this variant. The number plate is higher up on the Xylo and goes well with it. The rear door opens with the same pull-type door handle and quality seems much better than any of the previous Mahindras.

Grey theme finds its way to the rear as well. The rear foot board has brake /night lamps neatly integrated on either sides. Roof trails are standard fitment on this variant along with the rear spoiler with stop lamp.

The wing mirrors are large, body colored and adjustments are electrical.

Let's hop in now, shall we?

Sit inside the Xylo and you feel like you are inside a big fish tank, very useful while driving in traffic and parking.

The seats use acceptable fabric quality, but we did not like the fabric design. It has the 2-tier folding armrest, makes you feel like an actual Captain of this ship, lends a true definition to the term itself.

Steering wheel is placed in exactly the wrong position, more like a truck but the height adjuster comes to the rescue on the E6. Set it according to your comfort and you feel you are in control of a sedan, somehow.

Plastics applied on the interiors are much better than the previous Mahindras, the fit and finish is noteworthy. White colored background with red colored needles give a very sporty and bright look to the dash. Nice combination, glance once and you know the values, during day or night.

Atop the centre of the dash, a small orange display serves as the information module. It provides you all sorts of information,  it reads out the day date calendar, time, mileage, temperature and other readings, also has a digital gear indicator telling you which gear you are in and a digital speedometer for the rear passengers.

The DDAS (Digital Driver Assist System) is a big plus on this car, but we felt the size of the screen could have been a bit larger. We are not blind, but we felt it could have made for better visibility.

The glove box has a nice lavender shade; it opens slowly and doesn't fall down when unlocked, like it does on a Tata. The plastic quality on the door opener though, could have been better.

Part 2 is ready, waiting for Thursday 10:00 P.M IST to arrive. We'll talk more about the interiors, the ride, engine and all the other details. Stay tuned.