Mahindra KUV100 NXT (K4+ Petrol): Ownership Review


Thread Starter #61
harishankar

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AbhisekVerma said:
Are you filling full tank always? Otherwise its not possible to determine the correct mileage. Use some app like Fuelio, always fill full tank till auto cut (never fill more than autocut else your mileage will be incorrect). Are these figures with 100% AC usage? In that case city mileage is little less but highway mileage is decent.
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Yes I use the Fuel Log 3 app on my iPhone. Also I always fill the tank till automatic cut off. During the highway journey I was using AC almost 100% of the time due to the April heat.
 
Thread Starter #62
harishankar

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Fuel log as captured by the app and inputted into excel manually. I managed to calculate the average overall mileage which is a health 13.93 till date (due to mainly long highway trips.
Captured as image due to not being able to paste tables into the forum.
1555823445835.png


1555823359908.png
 
Thread Starter #63
harishankar

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Recently one of the wheel hub caps had fallen off, due to the service center having removed the plastic fasteners at the time of service which I did not notice at the time. [frustration][frustration][frustration]

Now Mahindra India Garage is quoting Rs. 614/- for one wheel cap which I feel is too much as I have seen OEM 4-wheel cap sets being sold at Rs. 1200-1800 in Amazon. But would like to know whether I can rely on the quality of OEM wheel caps?

I know wheel cap is a decoration, but it feels odd to have one missing cap. Makes car look slightly ugly from side profile.
 
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deville_56

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harishankar said:
Recently one of the wheel hub caps had fallen off, due to the service center having removed the plastic fasteners at the time of service which I did not notice at the time. [frustration][frustration][frustration]

Now Mahindra India Garage is quoting Rs. 614/- for one wheel cap which I feel is too much as I have seen OEM 4-wheel cap sets being sold at Rs. 1200-1800 in Amazon. But would like to know whether I can rely on the quality of OEM wheel caps?

I know wheel cap is a decoration, but it feels odd to have one missing cap. Makes car look slightly ugly from side profile.
Click to expand...
Amazon and non-OEM wheel covers are horrible in real. Quality is real bad and breaks quite easily. Go for original ones. Or remove all 3 for rugged look.
 
Thread Starter #65
harishankar

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deville_56 said:
Amazon and non-OEM wheel covers are horrible in real. Quality is real bad and breaks quite easily. Go for original ones. Or remove all 3 for rugged look.
Click to expand...
OK, done. Also I like to keep the original Mahindra look, so I think I will go for the original Mahindra wheel hub cap.

Also am planning to get a foot air pump with pressure gauge and also a tubeless puncture kit. My father told me that a tubeless puncture kit is a waste to buy because the sealing rubber cement becomes dry very quickly and useless. Is this correct? Because I go on long trips frequently I thought it would be useful to keep a tyre repair kit and air pump handy.
 
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harishankar said:
OK, done. Also I like to keep the original Mahindra look, so I think I will go for the original Mahindra wheel hub cap.

Also am planning to get a foot air pump with pressure gauge and also a tubeless puncture kit. My father told me that a tubeless puncture kit is a waste to buy because the sealing rubber cement becomes dry very quickly and useless. Is this correct? Because I go on long trips frequently I thought it would be useful to keep a tyre repair kit and air pump handy.
Click to expand...
Kit works fine without the cement. I never got chance to use the solvent as most of them would be dry even in fresh pack or I would buy just strips alone in bulk. Did repaired more than 25 in 10 years and except one, none of them leaked (because it was a big hole that could fit 2 strips, but managed to fix with a second strip).
 
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AbhisekVerma

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harishankar said:
Recently one of the wheel hub caps had fallen off, due to the service center having removed the plastic fasteners at the time of service which I did not notice at the time. [frustration][frustration][frustration]

Now Mahindra India Garage is quoting Rs. 614/- for one wheel cap which I feel is too much as I have seen OEM 4-wheel cap sets being sold at Rs. 1200-1800 in Amazon. But would like to know whether I can rely on the quality of OEM wheel caps?

I know wheel cap is a decoration, but it feels odd to have one missing cap. Makes car look slightly ugly from side profile.
Click to expand...
If you are buying new wheel cap, make sure that it is the model which is screwed with the tyre and nit fit from outside. Tiago has very bad unscrewed wheel cap and it makes a noise big time. It has to be tied with some plastic. I always thought sound was coming from the engine but it was discovered only in 1st year service that wheel cap was the culprit.
 
Thread Starter #68
harishankar

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AbhisekVerma said:
If you are buying new wheel cap, make sure that it is the model which is screwed with the tyre and nit fit from outside. Tiago has very bad unscrewed wheel cap and it makes a noise big time. It has to be tied with some plastic. I always thought sound was coming from the engine but it was discovered only in 1st year service that wheel cap was the culprit.
Click to expand...
I have decided to buy the single Mahindra wheel cap for now, as I don't want to buy an entire set. Doesn't matter if the price is Rs. 614/- but I will fasten it with the plastic strip for now. But in future, I will keep your idea in mind.
 
Thread Starter #69
harishankar

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Almost 11500 km on the Odo in 8+ months and I feel time for a short review:

-> First, the engine feels a bit smoother now after 2nd service. Not very perceptible, but over time I can feel it. But of course, nowhere near Suzuki engine refinement of my old celerio.
-> In city driving, car glides effortless in 3rd and 4th gear at lower speeds (20-40 km/hr) and hence not much downshifting except when almost coming to a stop. Beyond 40 km/hr if I am driving on a free stretch in the city I upshift to 5th gear for a relaxed cruise (but not for long usually).
-> In highways, this car munches kms effortlessly at around 90-100 km/hr, but definitely feels a bit more strained if you take it beyond 100-110 km/hr. Also I feel it is anyway safer and more fuel efficient to drive petrol cars at 90-100 km/hr (nearer 90 than 100). I noticed best fuel economy when driven steadily at 90-95 km on National Highways
-> Comfort wise, I rarely get tired on 6-8 hours drives on highway, whereas with celerio I used to feel fatigue after 5-6 hours of driving. So definitely I am taking KUV on long trips more than I used to with Celerio. Hence the higher kms within 1 year (now thinking, should I have gone for Diesel?? [confused]). Not only for driver but also front passenger. Rear seats have acceptable comfort level for a car of this class and definitely better leg room / head room than few others. Also the floor on rear is flat, helping a third rear seat passenger stay slightly more comfortable.
-> Though 6 seater, I use the front arm rest most of the time. In case of extra baggage, I lift up the arm rest and use the seat for keeping stuff. Not advisable for a 3rd passenger on front row for long journeys for safety and comfort reasons.
-> The higher stance of this car makes me feel safer and more comfortable on slightly rougher roads.
-> Being a Mahindra I am confident of the body strength of this car. Definitely feels tougher and more butch than Maruti. But of course, there is a definite compromise in fuel economy which I feel is acceptable. Of course, an improvement in city mileage to 11-12 kmpl would be great.
 
Thread Starter #70
harishankar

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Couple of pics:

The silver chariot in his usual resting place.
2019-04-28 16.30.30.jpg

Odometer as of today @ 11437.
2019-04-28 18.02.28.jpg

As of latest tank fill:

Total distance driven 380 kms (around 250 kms in open highway + 40 kms in moderate traffic between Chengalpattu (past Paranur toll plaza) and Chennai + 90 kms in city regular commute) - 27.17 litres - mileage given 13.99.

Not bad.
 
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Thread Starter #71
harishankar

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Other misc updates:

-> Minor scratches on front LHS bumper - caused by a grazing car when my father was taking the car out shopping. I fixed it with a silver scratch removal paint pen, because repainting bumper is too expensive. The silver paint doesn't match exact shade of the car, but still it hides the ugliness a bit and is acceptable as a compromise).
-> Wheel cap on RHS rear wheel fallen off. I am awaiting the part from Mahindra dealer MRP Rs. 614/-.

Planning to buy:
-> Foot operated air pump for tyre pressure - for emergency uses. Wondering whether it is OK to go for local brand or the michelin one
https://www.amazon.in/Michelin-1220...6370&s=gateway&sprefix=micheln,aps,760&sr=8-3
-> A tubeless repair kit for emergency uses.
 
Thread Starter #72
harishankar

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Any suggestion whether TV Sundaram Iyengars Mahindra service at THiruvanmiyur are any good? I am not happy with India Garage. Recently I got a call from this Service center for a free AC check up or some such thing. I wanted to know whether they were authorized Mahindra service centers and said they were. Anybody has experience with them?
 
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Thread Starter #74
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