A few comparisons made are w.r.t. the other cars at home – Kia Seltos and Hyundai Verna.
BHPian xotiq recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Back from a Bangalore-Kochi-Bangalore drive in Mahindra Thar Roxx AX7L D4WD, covered ~1400kms including local errands.
My observations
Projector headlights
Worked fine, fog lights are average. Auto headlights work well.
NVH
Refinement is quite good. No booming noise on acceleration, nor did I feel any driveline vibrations etc. Will be getting the doors and boot damped. During my Roxx TD, had measured the sound level inside with a sound decibel meter. Was less than the Seltos diesel (damped).
Ergonomics
The handle to close the front doors is placed in a position that requires more effort, it could have been placed towards centre to reduce the load on our wrist/hand.
Storage
Continues to be a royal challenge! The bottle holders next to the driver’s seat are quite narrow and shallow. Door pockets are weirdly shaped. No sunglass holder. Had to get a visor sunglass holder.
Sunroof
Lets in a lot of light, accentuates the feeling of space / roominess. More than ADAS- this was something that was actively used.
Drive Comfort
Motion Sickness- Over 1300+ kms, absolutely no hint of motion sickness or uneasiness (PAX were those who typically are sensitive to this in other cars).
Drive comfort (@32psi) was good, compared to Seltos, I found this better, while the Verna is better/softer overall.
Going over speed breakers slowly is a must, as otherwise the Roxx really tends to jump at the rear. Approaching speed breakers at an angle is also unsettling (each of the 4 wheels going over, rather than 2 together when approached directly).
I had my apprehensions about drive comfort, had taken 4 long test drives. But after this 1400 kms drive, this is not an issue. Small potholes, imperfections- instead of slowing down, go on normally. Back seat passengers were comfortable throughout. Just that climbing in and out was not easy, especially elderly and ladies in a saree.
Driver seat comfort and position
Good position, comfort. Cushioning can be better and more firm. No ache/pain even after driving 600kms one way, almost nonstop. Not sure, but the soft seat material is reducing cushioning/firmness.
Mileage
BLR to Kochi, start time 4AM, around 12-13kmpl with quite brisk driving.
Kochi-BLR, start time 10AM, got around 14 to 14.5kmpl with speeds <=100KMPH. Short trips of 30-50kms, with sedate driving, around 15-16kmpl.
BLR City driving (in dense + moderate traffic) – around 11kmpl.
Breadbox design
At speeds of >120, there is a slight buffeting sound, nothing major at all. Surely the breadbox has to push much more vis-à-vis a more streamlined design.
AC Cooling
Temperatures varying from 17-deg C to 40-deg C. AC performance was quite good, silent as well. Just that the AC louvres are really flimsy.
ADAS
Tried LKA, Adaptive Cruise Control. Works fine, just that I prefer to keep them off.
Infotainment
Spent some time tweaking the sound settings, the bass thump could have been stronger. Mappls worked well, accurate. Wireless Android Auto- disconnected ~6 times in the entire trip. Did not check for Apple CarPlay.
When we buy a new vehicle, we could be biased against the negatives. In my case, I was quite apprehensive, esp around ride comfort, refinement. For my low usage (I prefer diesel vehicles), mileage is not the top priority. What I can confidently say is that the Roxx meets my requirements, and we had a ton of luggage, till the roof, which at first sight looked impossible to fit in but the almost square shape helped.
Except the mileage (big diesel, powerful) and the breadbox shape- a good choice! Still turns heads, at both petrol bunks where I filled up, we had folks come and check out the vehicle. Same at the hotel we stayed at.
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