15,000 km & 7 months with my XUV400 EV: 8 pros & 5 cons
Higher DC charging speeds as compared to the Tata Nexon EV is a boon.
BHPian sidoxic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
After 15,000 km and 7 months of ownership of the XUV400 these are my observations based on the points being discussed here. And feel free to ask more!
XUV400 Cons
- No rear AC vents, ventilated seats, automatic climate control. This is my biggest issue. Unacceptable at this price point.
- Remote unlock or start via app, pre cooling etc doesn’t work. The GPS tracking works around 30% of the time.
- Interiors look a decade old.
- Hideous bronze accents on the outside.
- Not enough USB charging ports. Never thought I’ll have to buy a ciggerate lighter charger in 2023!
XUV400 Indifferent points:
- Lack of cruise control. As its not adaptive, doesn’t add much of a convience, nor does it add range.
- Drive modes. Starts in eco/fun. Have managed to wheel spin in this!
- Regen modes. There’s the L gear for single pedal driving. Leave the A pedal and it slows down to standstill. But doesn’t impact range at all. The default D mode does a decent job of ‘engine braking’ style regen while giving those being driven a less jerky experience.
More on its regen modes:
Would I prefer finer controls?
Why not, but I doubt I’ll use it in daily driving. A zero regen mode is missed though, would love to use it on outstation trips.
Would we get use out of Kona style paddle shifters?
Definitely not. It’s an enthusiast’s thing. Unfortunately the average driver doesn’t want to learn or meddle with braking without the B pedal.
I LOVED the long hold feature of the Kona and was convinced to take the plunge for this, but better sense prevailed for the sake of the family.
Is L gear usable?
Yes, only because it gives single pedal experience in b2b traffic. Else useless. Used it <5% of the time I’m on the wheel. No one else cares for it. Would hate to be driven while someone is on high regen if they don’t know what they are doing.
XUV400 Pros:
- Overall space. Upgrade from any sub 4m SUV. *almost* in seltos/creta category. 3 in a row at the back, headroom for tall ones along with a sunroof, 6 footers back to back – all tick marks.
- Great comfort. Especially backseat when compared to all other sub 30L EVs. (Was a priority as it’s 95% chauffeur driven) Overall ergonomics are sorted with decent knee room, average under thigh support (rare in EVs) & comfy seat contouring.
- Ideal suspension and handling combination.
- Chiller AC, compared to all other sub 30L EVs. Despite the cons mentioned on this above.
- Updates. Got a soft version of hill hold at some point I think. Android auto reliability seems better than before. BMS was updated too. They have offered free hardware update with ESP, TC, CC, TPMS. All in 6 months of launch.
- Zero niggles, fast charging related issues, charger getting locked etc. MCB of the home charger trips once in a while, but I guess it’s the charger-wiring-meter issue, rather than the BMS.
- Higher DC charging speeds than Tatas.
- Amazing service experience. Dedicated trained personnel for EVs.
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