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The support car is out for the multi-day road trip. Fortunately, the Mahindra XUV700 has all the bases covered, and then some.
Published on October 13, 2022 05:55:00 PM
To spend more than 13 hours a day in a car and come out of it almost as fresh as I started is probably the biggest compliment I can pay. Mahindra XUV700. An eight-day long road trip covering nearly 3,000 km, covering all kinds of roads – and sometimes none at all – really brought out all that this SUV has to offer.
This isn’t your typical road trip, not by a long shot. The goal of this (sometimes harrowing) trip was to take four of the biggest, most luxurious ADVs you can get your hands on today and ride them from Delhi to Mumbai through the scenic state of Rajasthan. Four flagship adventure bikes dominated the trip, but the XUV700 is the unsung hero that helped the crew film the entire trip – a story you can read by clicking through. Hereor a clock Here.
Big friendly giant
The road trip began with nearly two days of continuous driving from the Mali capital to the national capital. I’m new to Autocar India, and having never driven such a big car for so long, I’m sure I was nervous before taking the wheel. This was exacerbated in no small part by the utter ruinous condition that the roads from Mumbai to Gujarat were badly affected by the relentless monsoon rains. Thankfully, there are features like a 360-degree camera as well as a camera on the rear-view mirror – giving you a clear view of what’s behind you when you use gestures – so you’re back in control in minutes. I got help.
The first thing that greets you when you get into the car are two large screens that display everything from trip information to Android Auto parameters, although some of them are difficult to understand for a geek like me. It was also difficult for Steering-mounted buttons allow you to control whatever parameter you choose, although it takes some time to learn what each of the many buttons controls. Protecting you from the harsh elements outside is a cabin so quiet, you don’t even notice when you cross the triple-digit threshold – complemented by the torquey engine.
The air conditioning system provided much needed relief, especially on days when the ambient temperature exceeded 35 degrees. On more than one occasion, the riders took refuge inside the air-conditioned cabin from the scorching sun.
Boot Saw Puzzle
The XUV700’s boot is more than adequate for almost every scenario, except perhaps a world adventure or, as it turns out, an extensive road trip with enough gear and camera equipment to fill a closet or two. Travel. While driving, we were three passengers in the car and having the split rear seat down helped, especially since we had a whole crate (no exaggeration here) of riding gear to carry.
Driving from behind was a bit of a challenge. We were now four occupants (yours truly and three camera people), which meant we couldn’t take advantage of the split-seat functionality and loading our bags into the boot was a time-consuming jigsaw puzzle. We had to find out every morning. However, the XUV’s boot somehow managed to swallow a large suitcase, an assortment of different soft bags and even some extra riding gear.
The reality check I was presented with on my first multi-day shoot was a bitter pill to swallow. Long days as well as unforgiving weather conditions and traffic jams took a toll on us all, but despite it all, the XUV kept our spirits high. His superb Sony music system kept us humming to our favorite tunes during the tough days filled with multiple shooting stops.
The back seat, in particular, was a good place to get some much-needed shut-eye during those tough days, which often ran 16-hour days. The beefy central armrest with integrated bottle holders was a welcome touch that ensured occupants never had to settle for space.
A passionate goodbye
Before embarking on this eight-day, 3,000km road trip, if someone had told me that at the end of it I would be happier spending time in a car than on a motorcycle, I would have brushed the person off. with some typical, less polite Persian response. The fact of the matter is that the car enabled me at the end of every long day to ride a bike all day on dusty, rutted roads. The XUV700 has changed my view of what comfortable mile-munching looks like.
See also:
Mahindra XUV700 Video Review
Mahindra XUV700 Review
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