I and my wife have been spoiled by the Duster and we never really warmed up to the 300. But the 3XO is probably one of the most comfortable compact SUVs I’ve driven.
BHPian Evyas recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Visited the showroom again for a TD this time. Seems the AX5 variant with MT on display has now been turned into a test drive vehicle. But thanks to that saw the new deep blue coloured version which is now the display vehicle.
It is quite eye-catching to be sure. The paint quality and fit and finish are very good.
And as someone who has always liked the looks of the facelift, the dark colour made is more luxurious looking in my eyes. Another aspect that I could finally articulate is that is has a certain ‘muscle car’ vibe – maybe because of the bonnet creases and lines, or the almost ‘snout’ like length of it compared to the car. The older 300 has a more ‘docile’ look if I may say so. This one looks more eager to jump!
And now to the TD
Took it over their designated route, but since I’ve been doing this for a while with all their models, told the SA I would want to take a slightly more circuitous route, since my primary run will be in the cratered roads of Mumbai and I wanted to test the suspension and the ride quality. Having driven the old XUV300, there was a stiffness to it, potholes used to filter into the cabin at low speeds (maybe also because of the TPMS not working in the hire car I had, and the old TD 300s being overinflated as most showrooms do) So while the ride quality was acceptable, I and my wife have been spoiled by the Duster and we never really warmed up to the 300.
I was driving the petrol AX5 – but MT, which I actually love. Never been able to like an AT other than – strangely – the one in the Jimny (!) so no issues with that. It wasn’t peak traffic but it was traffic alright. The gear box was absolutely smooth, the throws perfect, slotting was sure and precise. Clutch was light and easy and once I got the hang of it, the engine was good enough for me, despite being the lower power output unit.
But. The. Ride. Quality
I don’t know what these guys have done but it is outstanding. They’ve softened it for sure, but that sideways movement on our moon craters that made me feel like the TD Kushaq I was driving will almost topple, and the Elevate feel like a ship on stormy seas – it was almost not there!
I made it a point to go over bad roads (which are pretty much all around), craters, speed breakers – and at city speeds I can safely say, the ride quality was *almost* as good as the Duster. Please keep in mind I sold off my Duster in 2021, so I’ve not driven a car in the last 3-odd years and I only have a vague recollection of the magic-carpet-ride like feel of the Duster. But man, this surely reminded me of that. Probably one of the most comfortable compact SUVs I’ve driven. The only car that has a slightly better ride was, bizarrely, the Jimny. My wife initially sat in the back seat to check it for how bouncy it is – she was mighty impressed. Didn’t feel unsettled at all, not even when I took it down a lane where they had dug up the road and literally left 10″ gaps between the concrete.
She was more impressed by how much space there was in the back seat. She said it was like she was lounging in a house – and she’s not short, she is 5.9. When I sat in the back post the TD, there really is massive space in the back seat. I have no idea why some people have said they found it small earlier – even the 300 had a big and luxurious back seat, but the cushioning on this version is so much better, even better than the Nexon facelift, which was not comfy at all for the two of us since we’re both quite tall.
The soft touch materials on the door rails at the driver’s side and the driver’s arm rest both really helped make it feel more luxurious to drive. I think the ergonomics for me on the 3XO are spot on. And even the seats are perfectly contoured and cushioned. Like I’ve mentioned I’m 6.2 and I’m quite heavily built but they felt really comfortable to sit in, the lumbar support also wonderful.
Thanks to the time of day and the fact that there was line for TDs, we couldn’t do a very long one, but wherever I could get a little empty space, the car was very eager to run when I pressed the accelerator. For most people the AX5 engine tune will be more than enough. Found a route with a small incline and some winding roads and the car was roaring through it, but then even the earlier 300 was a great car to drive w.r.t power. They’ve just made it really, really luxurious now on the inside.
The AX5 has a wireless charging pad for the phone which was nice. There is cruise control, and the lovely looking Adrenox head unit and the digital display which seemed fine in visibility despite the TD being in harsh noon sunlight. It has dual zone climate control and in the heat the TD vehicle had it at 18C which we had to push up to 20C, it got so cold!
I played with the music system a little – so even with 4 speakers the sound quality is OK, not great. But then I feel that can be after-marketed if needed, or then as someone who loves his music, I prefer to spend money on things in my house/on headphones/speakers than in a car that I spend lesser time in and can’t control the acoustics and damping of beyond a certain point.
I prefer the smaller ‘moon roof’ since when we opened it for a while, the heat almost killed us, so the panoramic would be murderous in this weather. Frankly, the sun-roof craze has never really appealed to us but since the variant doesn’t come without one, the smaller one in the AX5 is good enough.
The steering was light, good to hold, the car responded to it well, though it was not as great at the Kushaq. The horn is good.
My biggest gripe with it – no dead pedal in the MT! That was the one thing I had hoped would be in every car now. Not only is there no dead pedal, there is almost no space on the side to rest your left foot. And I have flipper feet, with size 13 shoes! So that’s a BIG miss. My calves were crying already.
The seating position is quite high and the angle of view is good. Is it, like they claim, exactly like the XUV700 – I don’t think so. I climbed into a display 700 right across the room to see. But it’s quite close, no complaints. You sit quite high up and on the TD route we passed a few Kushaqs and it felt like we were sitting a good foot above them on the road!
For me a car has to be comfortable in getting me from place A to B, big enough for luggage and if people are to be accommodated, the AC should work and the ride quality has to be good. The AX5 ticks all the boxes on that.
If anyone is looking at the 3XO, I think just the ride quality might be more than enough to convince them IMO. Very, very impressive.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
