With the new E9 variant, the Mahindra Xylo introduces some segment-firsts like Cruise Control | Photography: Eshan Shetty The Mahindra Xylo integrates a couple of segment-firsts, but before we talk about them let's begin with the key changes that are made to the interior design. The most distinctive change is in the centre console. Remember the multi-information display that stuck out from the dashboard of the earlier Xylo? Well, it seemed quite cool a couple of years back and probably it still is. Therefore Mahindra has evolved it further by giving it a new display and a sleeker design flow to plastics that it is engulfed in. The interiors themselves continue with a two-tone brown and dark-wood colour scheme but the brown is now darker, inspired by the colours in the XUV500. The top of the line E9 variant that we have driven here also gets leather upholstery on the seats and the gear shifter. The gear shifter itself has undergone a slight design change and the knob is now spherical in shape as opposed to the cubicle shaped knob on the earlier Xylo. We are told that the door panels are now made from better quality plastics. They definitely feel better to touch as compared to the earlier Xylo. The inner door-handles have a revised mechanism now and a better feel, as there were complaints that the earlier one felt tacky. The lower part of the centre console have been redesigned too and now incorporate bigger cup holders that can actually hold a can or a pet-bottle - the earlier model had two cubby holes that wouldn't even hold a glass of cutting-chai, let alone any conventional bottle (not that you would want to keep a glass of chai in a car, but you get the point, don't you?). As I mentioned earlier, there are a couple of segment-firsts on the new Xylo. The first one is the cruise control system. Though there is no official input from Mahindra on this one, the unit seems to have come from the XUV500 and gets controls on the steering wheel. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to test its ability on the short drive that we had. The other segment-first is the voice-command system (or Voice Command Technology / VCT in Mahindra-speak). Sure, we have seen something similar in the new Ford Fiesta already, but this one goes one step further. It will not only allow you to change audio tracks or radio stations and receive or cancel calls, but it also allows you to control minor vehicular operations with your voice. So you can switch on or switch off the lights, turn blinkers and wipers and even lock and unlock the doors using simple voice commands. And yes, the woman behind the Mahindra computer understands Indian accents! I just hope she can hear you clearly though when the engine is running at high RPM… | | | |
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