Mahindra XUV700 petrol vs diesel: Which variant to book?

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I have always driven petrol cars, hence open to experience diesel + AWD as well.

BHPian MarutiGuy1977 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

Need your advice on the eternal question – Petrol / Diesel. I understand that there have been discussion threads on this topic before. But now it is crunch time since I am going ahead with the booking and need to take a decision (specific to the XUV 7OO)

Some basic facts:

  • Current and projected running: Should not exceed 10 km/year
  • Terrain: 70% city, 30% highways. Local runs will be usually short (10 km approx.). No intentions of any serious off-roading (except whatever Bangalore roads make me do)
  • Have always driven petrol. Would like to experience a Diesel + AWD. But I do understand that for lower running, diesel is not the most practical choice, especially when it comes to issues pertaining to DEF. AWD does give better overall stability, but I may not have the use for it in its true sense.
  • This is keeping the fuel bill apart (should be a difference of around INR 15,000 more with petrol per year). And who can predict fuel prices a few years down the line?
  • Plan to keep the vehicle for the long term (7+ years). Rules in Bangalore may change by then (similar to NCR)

Models in contention: XUV 7OO AX7L P AT and XUV 7OO AX7L D AWD AT

Note: I don’t mind the long waiting times. Also, I am not much of a DIY person (if that makes a difference in petrol v/s diesel decision)

Pros and cons that I could come up with:

Mahindra XUV700 Diesel

Pros:

  • AWD
  • Drive Modes
  • Higher fuel efficiency
  • Hence, saving on fuel bills
  • Higher torque

Cons:

  • Longer wait periods (maybe)
  • Higher overall maintenance (not in cost terms but the effort). Especially pertaining to Ad Blue
  • Some known DEF issues especially for lower running vehicles

Mahindra XUV700 Petrol

Pros:

  • Shorter wait period (maybe)
  • Always in Zoom mode!
  • No maintenance issues unlike diesel
  • Better for vehicles with lower running

Cons:

  • Lower torque
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • No AWD
  • No drive mode

Any advice / inputs would be highly appreciated.

Here’s what BHPian woodstock3001 had to say on the matter:

MarutiGuy, I’m in the same confusion as you. However, I’ve gone ahead & booked XUV700 AX7 Diesel AT.

Since this has been 2nd question on Diesel vs Petrol, I thought to open excel and start with basic math.

According to my comparison, approx 73k difference as per current fuel prices and as per avg. shared by respective engine options owners.

This makes me think if my math is actually right or not. Let’s see if mods can help us both make a better decision on what makes more sense. Petrol vs Diesel was given an annual run is 10K.

Here’s what BHPian Tanmay007 had to say on the matter:

Building upon what BHPian woodstock3001 came up with, except changing the diesel mileage to reflect realistic city numbers, you get savings of 550K+ over a period of 10 years! Even if you include DEF and higher maintenance costs of diesel, it is still a huge margin to beat. Diesel is a no-brainer at least for cities without the 10-year rule.

Update: It’s a natural doubt to have but making purchase decisions based on assumptions vs hard data is a mistake. Who’s to say 5 years down the line NGT will not bring down the limit for petrol to the same 10yrs as diesel? All assumptions will go down the drain then.

Decisions about petrol vs diesel should be made solely based on your usage, needs and situation right now. Have less than 10K/yr usage or live in Delhi NCR, consider petrol otherwise diesel makes sense.

As for refinement and NVH levels on the diesel variant, anyone who has taken a TD of the diesel will vouch for its refined NVH. The same goes for DPF issues, it’s been ~6 months now and we’ve heard all sorts of issues including battery, screen, suspension, etc but have you really heard about any DPF issues?

Here’s what BHPian Aviator_guy had to say on the matter:

I guess nowadays, the dilemma of diesel vs petrol is not only about running cost. On paper, a diesel car will fare much better as the calculations show.

I am sure if someone is willing to spend Rs 20-25 lakhs already, spending additional Rs 1-1.5 lakhs for the corresponding diesel model won’t matter so much if not for the points as follows.

The main issue is that most of us city dwellers are worried about the future threat of the NGT ban. This will drastically reduce the resale value and presents an additional headache of what to do with the car after long term ownership. Another issue is DEF which may cause high maintenance and inconvenience especially if the car is used majorly for city runs. All these potential issues might result in not so peaceful long term ownership vs a petrol car, barring the monthly fuel bill.

So it is about the high running cost of Petrol vs uncertain future/maintenance of Diesel cars. I am not sure there is a logical way to address this concern and that’s why this question about which model to buy keeps popping up.

Here’s what BHPian souvik6 had to say on the matter:

Completely agree with your points mentioned that it is no longer such an easy decision as it may seem on paper. Fuel expenditure in the petrol will disappoint a lot of people coming from smaller/diesel vehicles but any person booking the petrol variants should be completely aware of this before purchase else they are likely to have post-purchase regrets.

Having 2k done on my AX7L P AT already, I am getting around 8.5km/l with 50% city/highway and around 10-11 for highway runs. This is more than satisfactory for such a powerful and refined engine. Having the XUV500 diesel AWD and Creta Diesel previously it was a no brainer after test driving the petrol version in XUV700, I did not even consider the diesel regardless of any cost factors.

The primary reason to consider the petrol was purely for the refinement of the engine which took me by shock having driven only diesel for last 10 years. The difference is very obvious if one drives the petrol & diesel models back to back. If comfort is key then one should get petrol hands down and the experience is very enjoyable to the point initially many times I walked away from the car without noticing that the engine was still on. The only noise I hear inside the car is from the mediocre Apollo tires, I am still contemplating changing them to Conti or Goodyear in the very near future.

Now if one enjoys power & acceleration then again there is no question that the Petrol AT is the best out of all the variant combinations. I am a heavy-footed driver and it is very easy for me to get 6km/l with aggressive driving but I am just not that person anymore. I much rather prefer to cruise comfortably in this car and challenge myself to get better mileage than the previous run all the while knowing how much power is available on tap whenever needed. This car reaches 120 so fast that it actually feels like the car is going at 60. This car can be scary and subtle depending on the driver’s mood but it is definitely very comfortable although I feel the under-thigh support for the driver could have been better.

These are some of my reasons to chose petrol, and I am more than satisfied with my decision.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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