Mahindra XUV 7XOIt was at the recent Q&A session with analysts following its Q3 results that Mahindra & Mahindra made known that the recently launched XUV 7XO had got a “very good response and very strong order pipeline”.
Additionally, there was a “big skew again” to the top end in spite of very attractive lower end versions. As the management explained, almost 70 per cent plus was the top two versions, “which is in a way higher than what we thought”.
While this was welcome news, the downside was that it was adding to the complexity on waiting period given that “the skew is higher than what we expected, especially the X7L version”.
In an interview with ETAuto at the launch of XUV 7XO in Jaisalmer a few weeks ago, R Velusamy, President – Automotive Technology & Product Development, said the new SUV marked the continuation of a journey in excellence which had begun eight years ago.
R Velusamy
“The whole work started somewhere in 2017 when we conceptualised the Thar 3-Door, the XUV 70O and the Scorpio N,” he said. This was also the time when it had begun work on the Maxx Pik-Up range with different payload options.
Watch at: Mahindra will always build head-turners, not ‘vanilla’ cars: Pratap Bose
Right price, value equation
Customers loved the new offerings because there was a price, value equation which was closely linked with the premium feel “when you drive, touch, open a door, close it and what kind of sound you are getting”. As Velusamy said, Mahindra vehicles formerly used to have “a very high” clutch operational force like a truck in the range of 16 kilogram-force. This was brought down to 8 kgf which felt more like a car.
The whole work started somewhere in 2017 when we conceptualised the Thar 3-Door, the XUV 70O and the Scorpio NR Velusamy
Other aspects like the door were also worked upon and nearly 80 iterations were attempted before they finally passed the test. “You do not want a loose sound when you close the door,” he recalled. The gear shift, likewise, had to be “absolutely flawless” as also the braking. Beyond this, the noise levels and insulations had to be quieter with the floor vibrations a lot more suppressed too.
The company also significantly increased the power of its engines which included gasoline, diesel, automatic, manual, two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, “plus the high power engines”. In Velusamy’s view, the biggest achievement was on safety. “All products that we have developed will meet five-star safety with minimum six airbags,” he said.
“We started in 2017 and then brought everything to reality in 2020. It meant addressing the stiffness of the body, changing the engineering process, improving the capability of people as well as simulation techniques and suspension,” he continued.
We started in 2017 and then brought everything to reality in 2020. It meant addressing the stiffness of the body, changing the engineering process, improving the capability of people as well as simulation techniques and suspensionR Velusamy
Best suspension architecture
When it came to suspension architecture, M&M studied all the SUVs in the world before determining what the right one was for Indian roads. According to Velusamy, the XUV700’s suspension architecture was one of the best adopted in terms of a multilink and a high-speed dynamics suspension. This ensured that it was a very safe vehicle even when travelling at high speeds or on rough roads.
“We had some kind of noise coming into the cabin and now with the DaVinci (dampers), everything is completely eliminated in 7XO. M&M has now come to a stage where we have to lead development,” he said. This is quite unlike the not-so-distant past when the benchmarks were set by the Germans, Japanese or Koreans.
At Mahindra, we want to stay ahead and set the benchmark. Our only aim is that the desirability and the relevance of technology that we bring in is always up-to-date and futuristicPratap Bose
“Your growth is linear as long as you are following (competition) but becomes exponential when you invent. All that you need to do is get the right product like this DaVinci. It is not as if competition had this product and we adopted it,” said Velusamy. A whole lot of things were incorporated in the front suspension by modifying the stiffnesses of the bushes. “So again you have to measure and you have to create,” he added.
Read more: Mahindra to invest ₹196 crore to expand Chennai R&D and testing hub
Setting the benchmark in design
Pratap Bose, Chief Design & Creative Officer, Auto & Farm Sectors, said XUV 7XO reflected the progress M&M was making as a company to constantly push the envelope. “At Mahindra, we want to stay ahead and set the benchmark. Our only aim is that the desirability and the relevance of technology that we bring in is always up-to-date and futuristic,” he added.
Pratap Bose
According to Bose, the expectations from a vehicle or from any product or service today are very high. “The customer’s share of wallet is distributed amongst many, many categories of things. So, you have to offer them the right value and the right product,” he said.
Like other automakers, M&M is catering to a whole generation of customers who are very well travelled and global in their outlook. “Why then should they expect anything less in a car from an Indian company?” he asked.
While reiterating that it was an “absolute delight” to be able to work on strong sub-brands within the M&M portfolio, Bose said this allowed the company to have different design languages. Most companies in the world try to unify design languages but “we do not need to do that because our customer is totally different”.
For example, a Thar customer will wait eight months for his vehicle and not buy a Scorpio N. This is equally true for the Scorpio N buyer. “If you get the target customer right and you and offer a great product, there is a huge opportunity and we can do it with our sub-brands,” said Bose.
No-nonsense product
Even for the Bolero, there is a place for a very simple, fuss-free product for that target audience. “It is such a multi-utility or multi-use vehicle that is deployed all over India in such diverse ways. I think there is a place for that really basic, no-nonsense, hardcore product like Bolero,” he said.
For its customers, a basic, hard-wearing infotainment system is enough and they do not want necessarily the same things as someone who is sitting in an XUV or Scorpio N. “It allows us, therefore, to tune the design to that customer base. But what is very important is to understand that customer, respect what he wants and not burden him with something he does not need,” said Bose.
The Mahindra SUV Proving Track (MSPT) has created all kinds of surfaces to help address customer complaints. The first step is to understand which road he was driving on and then photograph/video it. Then comes the process of creating a surface on MSPT where “you drive and recreate the problem”.
Velusamy recounted the story of a customer in Udhagamandalam (Ooty) who had a particular problem with his EV when he moved from a tar to mud road in a gradient and the wheels began slipping. He was using the full throttle when only 10 per cent was enough. “Instead, he was slamming the whole thing and reached out to us for help,” he recalled. The problem was solved in three days.
Electric the best bet for India
Velusamy makes no bones about the fact that electric is the way forward for India’s automotive industry as the best solution for emissions. “If you want electric to be the prime mover, the pollution problem cannot be solved until this prime mover becomes above 80-90 per cent,” he says.
Electric is “moving quite fast” in two/three-wheelers but the key is to have all categories covered which will take more time than originally thought. This explains why alternatives like CNG and hybrids have now e entered the picture.
“As a nation, what do we want to do? You should look at how China has gone to electric and is now leading the world. Europe has hesitated but is moving very fast now,” elaborated Velusamy. The US continues to be an outlier in electric which also drives home the fact that markets across the world are not aligned on this topic.
“We need to decide where we want to go and which path we must take. In my opinion, electric is the way forward for India because it directly eliminates fossil fuels (whose reserves are severely limited),” he said.
In his present role, Velusamy has given top priority to getting market insights as part of his product planning exercise. This involves spending time with customers and dealers.
“Today, I see the world outside and am able to bring more dynamism into product planning. Everyday in a conversation, you suddenly find something coming up. You have to measure something and get the insight to decide on what you can improve upon. Technology innovations are born from those insights,” he signed off.
