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Tata Xenon , My tryst with destiny....a tale of two xenons!!! or rebirth or .....
As all guys do, I always desired for a SUV . But I was basically a sedan user since long. Big SUVs are extremely capable machines and macho looking, but they can't take away the benefits of a hatchback in the city or the elegance and comfort of a sedan on the highway. If I had to buy a SUV , it was always going to be just a fancy vehicle to satisfy my urge, but not replace my sedan or hatchback.
The vehicles that frequently crossed my mind were the fortuner, endeavour etc. But, purchasing a vehicle just for the urge meant that economics come into play and that meant that my budget cannot exceed 10Lakhs as per unwritten family rules. So, other costlier SUVs were out of the radar. And I was left fiddling with only the thar and the gypsy.
As days passed, The 10lakhs also seemed difficult getting approval in the family. Sparks such as international family holiday every year , diamond jewellery etc came up whenever I raised the topic of a Suv for passion.
Once on the way back from office, I saw a xenon and found it to be a very good looker in flesh. And the thought that there were also pickups in the orbit other than SUVs crossed my mind.
A close childhood friend of mine bought a 4wd Scorpio getaway to visit his farm in the weekends. He tugged me along a couple of times and the getaway was a pretty smooth customer and an excellent performer. It didn't feel much different than the regular Scorpio and didn't ignite my passions. I had no farm, but still yearned to get a pick uo truck somehow.
Year 2014: And then started mission Google. The xenon was a car in the range of 11-12 and so the search for a second hand started. I found a 2013 2WD 3Lvehicle black on the net, a black one and it looked pretty neat and was quoted at 6L. I went along with my friend and after the test drive heard lot of kut kut sounds etc, scratches , "famous" Dicor engine, 28k on the odometer within one year , three owners registered, the present owner being a student and his brother an owner of a chain of bars and restaurants in south bangalore. Didn't seem inspiring , did it?
My friend saying that TATA is a truck manufacturer making a pick up ( xenon) and that Mahindra was a jeep manufacturer making a truck ( getaway). And to tell you the truth, what he said was absolutely true in terms of refinement and performance.
Came back home dejected, my friend not recommending that vehicle.
But my urge didn't stop. Against all odds, against all friends, family members and friends wishes, I called up the owner again alone , negotiated and the guy agreed for 5L. Somehow was able to convince at home by saying that even if I sell it, I will recover 4L. And purchased the Xenon.( in oct 2014). Man, it was a super looker.
more to follow....
A tale of TWO Xenons...tryst with Destiny
Then, started a slow process of prepping up the old xenon. The expired insurance ,( 18k), alloy wheels( 20k), Yokohama tyres( don't remember the price) , a fresh coat a paint at the local garage(35k), a Tata bedliner (16k, I think), a Tata roll cage( 19k), side step (12k), Tata hood deflector(3k), tomtom gps(10K) etc. The process was slow and took its own sweet time. I had used it for 6 months (4 months in garage, until March 2015), hardly used it for a mere 1000kms ( that too because of one trip to hampi, in fact only trip) .
The butch looks and macho feel aside, the xenon is a sure head turner. Mercs, bmw, Audis ... Move aside, there's a new hot car in town. People in all high end cars to students to bikers to auto drivers to bus passengers, u name them, they all look twice at the vehicle and it gave a sense of uniqueness on the road with just hardly 6-7 Lakhs .
All that you had to do was stack up a couple of bikes in the trunk and the only thing missing would be the Cowboys hat , dark goggles and a cigar. In fact, it gave me the urge to grow a stubble( u know , just for the look), wear jeans daily, etc
I was still starting/ in the process of my honeymoon with my xenon. And it looked that my honeymoon would never end. My nephew ( a college student) came home from the US and he knew what owning a pick up truck would feel like. He borrowed it from me for a week while he was here in town. In the meanwhile I had to leave abroad on a holiday with friends for 20 days.
After a very exciting holiday, I came back assuming that my nephew would have left the xenon at my home before he left back to the US. There was no sign of the xenon. Then , I was told by my brother in law ( my nephews father), that a guest had taken it out of town . Waited, waited, it didn't come back. Then one day, he told me the chilling truth. That he had "given" the xenon away to someone with whom he had some business contacts.
My thoughts weren't functioning for a while. Couldn't say a word because he was my mentor since my college days and had done a lot for my good. He told me he would buy me another car in the near future. ( this was not a regular use car that I needed a replacement immediately, this was just a weekend passion, so no hurry ).
Came back home with mixed feelings. My wife was happy saying that good riddance , now that my urges have been somewhat satisfied, she told me to come back to my senses and buy a proper car/suv in future.
continued...
The Picture of my Xenon taken at Hampi. My friend's scorpio getaway is also seen slightly next to it. The Sepia tone colour of the photo is for nostalgic memories...
Am I a bit too dramatic? But, i was crestfallen when it left me, without even saying goodbye...
Tryst with Destiny......a tale of Two Tata Xenons..
4-5 months after my first love was kidnapped by a "business contact", and a disoriented forlorn same old routine office , home, mall etc , life went on and on, ......................my brother in law told me he would get a new car.
Tantantan...boom boom...
It was like rebirth in the movie Karz. I told him I wanted a same black xenon once again. He was motivating/ urging me to get a different high end suv or car.
I didn't go for a high end vehicle( though I was offered,) because, it anyway essentially meant that it would again be a weekend vehicle . And my 6 month experience with my previous xenon meant that I knew what it would be like to own a xenon once again. And my Altis was serving me loyally throughout the week . And it didn't make sense to spend more on a vehicle just for the sake of fancy. My wife was banging her head in disbelief at a second xenon.
Adamant as I was, I went to the TAta workshop at peenya ( Prerana motors) to enquire about a new xenon. I had to go to the truck division. This time I asked for a 4wd and it costed around 9.45 on road. And it would be delivered within 4-5 days. And I booked it.
In fact , I believed the salesmans words when he said xenon was sold as a 2.2 ltr version earlier in the passenger car division and now it was stopped and released again being sold as a 3litre version in the truck division. Later, I came to know that the 2.2 litre version was available on order at kht motors in Whitefield. Later, I also came to know that it was around 2.5 Lakhs costlier and that the spare parts for the 3L version would be cheaper because it was released as a commercial vehicle . ( I got a pvt board). I also got a 3year unlimited kilometre warranty and the service interval was 15000 kms.
The delivery was delayed by a couple of days because the 3L version was a BS3 and could be registered only at Electronic City RTO. And after it came back from registration , I got the vehicle delivered home.
My tryst with the reborn Xenon starts again....to be continued.(twist in the tale in the climax)![[;)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Wink.gif "Wink [;)]")
My tryst with the reborn Xenon starts again....
No visits to the garage this time, but took it straight to the accessories shop in town. And the splurge started.
40k for the onion leather seats.
42 for the ARB suspension
28 for the black steel wheels( I had chrome alloys in my previous xenon)
16 for the bedliner
Around 28 for the Yokohama tyres.
40 for a very good music systems, reverse camera etc .
Didn't put the roll cage, thinking of fabricating something this time.
Didn't put the hood deflector as I felt it was not that great looker in my previous xenon .
Visited yercaud recently and had a chance to drive 4L in the coffee estates. The drive to yercaud was super smooth, though I was not comfortable with no airbags, no abs etc. It's an excellent cruiser at 110kmph, not more than that. The rear ride is bumpy because of the leaf springs, the rear seat is not comfortable because of the slightly upright position. Overall, it's a good drive for a holiday upto 250kms, more than that would be taxing I feel.
Got a couple of stickers recently , have to get them fixed.
As days pass by and kilometres go by, the engine is getting a lot smoother. Pics and Climax by evening.
As all guys do, I always desired for a SUV . But I was basically a sedan user since long. Big SUVs are extremely capable machines and macho looking, but they can't take away the benefits of a hatchback in the city or the elegance and comfort of a sedan on the highway. If I had to buy a SUV , it was always going to be just a fancy vehicle to satisfy my urge, but not replace my sedan or hatchback.
The vehicles that frequently crossed my mind were the fortuner, endeavour etc. But, purchasing a vehicle just for the urge meant that economics come into play and that meant that my budget cannot exceed 10Lakhs as per unwritten family rules. So, other costlier SUVs were out of the radar. And I was left fiddling with only the thar and the gypsy.
As days passed, The 10lakhs also seemed difficult getting approval in the family. Sparks such as international family holiday every year , diamond jewellery etc came up whenever I raised the topic of a Suv for passion.
Once on the way back from office, I saw a xenon and found it to be a very good looker in flesh. And the thought that there were also pickups in the orbit other than SUVs crossed my mind.
A close childhood friend of mine bought a 4wd Scorpio getaway to visit his farm in the weekends. He tugged me along a couple of times and the getaway was a pretty smooth customer and an excellent performer. It didn't feel much different than the regular Scorpio and didn't ignite my passions. I had no farm, but still yearned to get a pick uo truck somehow.
Year 2014: And then started mission Google. The xenon was a car in the range of 11-12 and so the search for a second hand started. I found a 2013 2WD 3Lvehicle black on the net, a black one and it looked pretty neat and was quoted at 6L. I went along with my friend and after the test drive heard lot of kut kut sounds etc, scratches , "famous" Dicor engine, 28k on the odometer within one year , three owners registered, the present owner being a student and his brother an owner of a chain of bars and restaurants in south bangalore. Didn't seem inspiring , did it?
My friend saying that TATA is a truck manufacturer making a pick up ( xenon) and that Mahindra was a jeep manufacturer making a truck ( getaway). And to tell you the truth, what he said was absolutely true in terms of refinement and performance.
Came back home dejected, my friend not recommending that vehicle.
But my urge didn't stop. Against all odds, against all friends, family members and friends wishes, I called up the owner again alone , negotiated and the guy agreed for 5L. Somehow was able to convince at home by saying that even if I sell it, I will recover 4L. And purchased the Xenon.( in oct 2014). Man, it was a super looker.
more to follow....
A tale of TWO Xenons...tryst with Destiny
Then, started a slow process of prepping up the old xenon. The expired insurance ,( 18k), alloy wheels( 20k), Yokohama tyres( don't remember the price) , a fresh coat a paint at the local garage(35k), a Tata bedliner (16k, I think), a Tata roll cage( 19k), side step (12k), Tata hood deflector(3k), tomtom gps(10K) etc. The process was slow and took its own sweet time. I had used it for 6 months (4 months in garage, until March 2015), hardly used it for a mere 1000kms ( that too because of one trip to hampi, in fact only trip) .
The butch looks and macho feel aside, the xenon is a sure head turner. Mercs, bmw, Audis ... Move aside, there's a new hot car in town. People in all high end cars to students to bikers to auto drivers to bus passengers, u name them, they all look twice at the vehicle and it gave a sense of uniqueness on the road with just hardly 6-7 Lakhs .
All that you had to do was stack up a couple of bikes in the trunk and the only thing missing would be the Cowboys hat , dark goggles and a cigar. In fact, it gave me the urge to grow a stubble( u know , just for the look), wear jeans daily, etc
I was still starting/ in the process of my honeymoon with my xenon. And it looked that my honeymoon would never end. My nephew ( a college student) came home from the US and he knew what owning a pick up truck would feel like. He borrowed it from me for a week while he was here in town. In the meanwhile I had to leave abroad on a holiday with friends for 20 days.
After a very exciting holiday, I came back assuming that my nephew would have left the xenon at my home before he left back to the US. There was no sign of the xenon. Then , I was told by my brother in law ( my nephews father), that a guest had taken it out of town . Waited, waited, it didn't come back. Then one day, he told me the chilling truth. That he had "given" the xenon away to someone with whom he had some business contacts.
My thoughts weren't functioning for a while. Couldn't say a word because he was my mentor since my college days and had done a lot for my good. He told me he would buy me another car in the near future. ( this was not a regular use car that I needed a replacement immediately, this was just a weekend passion, so no hurry ).
Came back home with mixed feelings. My wife was happy saying that good riddance , now that my urges have been somewhat satisfied, she told me to come back to my senses and buy a proper car/suv in future.
continued...
The Picture of my Xenon taken at Hampi. My friend's scorpio getaway is also seen slightly next to it. The Sepia tone colour of the photo is for nostalgic memories...
Am I a bit too dramatic? But, i was crestfallen when it left me, without even saying goodbye...
Tryst with Destiny......a tale of Two Tata Xenons..
4-5 months after my first love was kidnapped by a "business contact", and a disoriented forlorn same old routine office , home, mall etc , life went on and on, ......................my brother in law told me he would get a new car.
Tantantan...boom boom...
It was like rebirth in the movie Karz. I told him I wanted a same black xenon once again. He was motivating/ urging me to get a different high end suv or car.
I didn't go for a high end vehicle( though I was offered,) because, it anyway essentially meant that it would again be a weekend vehicle . And my 6 month experience with my previous xenon meant that I knew what it would be like to own a xenon once again. And my Altis was serving me loyally throughout the week . And it didn't make sense to spend more on a vehicle just for the sake of fancy. My wife was banging her head in disbelief at a second xenon.
Adamant as I was, I went to the TAta workshop at peenya ( Prerana motors) to enquire about a new xenon. I had to go to the truck division. This time I asked for a 4wd and it costed around 9.45 on road. And it would be delivered within 4-5 days. And I booked it.
In fact , I believed the salesmans words when he said xenon was sold as a 2.2 ltr version earlier in the passenger car division and now it was stopped and released again being sold as a 3litre version in the truck division. Later, I came to know that the 2.2 litre version was available on order at kht motors in Whitefield. Later, I also came to know that it was around 2.5 Lakhs costlier and that the spare parts for the 3L version would be cheaper because it was released as a commercial vehicle . ( I got a pvt board). I also got a 3year unlimited kilometre warranty and the service interval was 15000 kms.
The delivery was delayed by a couple of days because the 3L version was a BS3 and could be registered only at Electronic City RTO. And after it came back from registration , I got the vehicle delivered home.
My tryst with the reborn Xenon starts again....to be continued.(twist in the tale in the climax)
My tryst with the reborn Xenon starts again....
No visits to the garage this time, but took it straight to the accessories shop in town. And the splurge started.
40k for the onion leather seats.
42 for the ARB suspension
28 for the black steel wheels( I had chrome alloys in my previous xenon)
16 for the bedliner
Around 28 for the Yokohama tyres.
40 for a very good music systems, reverse camera etc .
Didn't put the roll cage, thinking of fabricating something this time.
Didn't put the hood deflector as I felt it was not that great looker in my previous xenon .
Visited yercaud recently and had a chance to drive 4L in the coffee estates. The drive to yercaud was super smooth, though I was not comfortable with no airbags, no abs etc. It's an excellent cruiser at 110kmph, not more than that. The rear ride is bumpy because of the leaf springs, the rear seat is not comfortable because of the slightly upright position. Overall, it's a good drive for a holiday upto 250kms, more than that would be taxing I feel.
Got a couple of stickers recently , have to get them fixed.
As days pass by and kilometres go by, the engine is getting a lot smoother. Pics and Climax by evening.
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