XUV300 PETROL AUTOSHIFT Shift to Power

In this report we shall we shall be elaborating upon the capabilities of the AutoShift and the features related to the BlueSense Plus Connected technology. But before that it’s important to note that the Mahindra XUV300 has becomes Global NCAP’s first five-star car in Africa. The XUV300 had achieved a five-star rating for the Indian market in 2020. Global NCAP’s Indian and African programmes share the same assessment protocols and following a production compliance review, the rating has been confirmed for the model’s roll out in Africa, said Global Ncap in a press note.

AutoShift now in petrol variant

Now let’s get back to how efficient is the automatic transmission in the petrol model. AutoShift has been developed by Mahindras in collaboration with transmission experts, Marelli. Unlike other automatic gear shifts where you need to shift the gears to the different modes by shifting its position to either N or R or D, here you need to simply tap the lever to the mode you want to engage. The interesting part of this gear lever is that it is designed to function like the rolly polly doll. Yes, no matter where you slot it or tap it, the lever comes back to the centre position. This is something unique and very unlike the conventional gear lever of an automatic transmission. Thus you can, with a single tap of the gear shifter, shift to Auto, Reverse or Manual modes.

Rule No. 1 of slotting the gear shift in an automatic transmission is that you need to first put your foot on the brake pedal and then move to the desired mode. The Auto Mode is the best mode where everything runs automatically. You also get an option of a Manual Mode. This mode is ideal when you want to shift the gear all by yourself, especially if you want to drive a bit more aggressively. A prior knowledge of a manual gear shift comes very handy here, though a small arrow on the instrument panel does guide you to upshift or downshift.

Another interesting safety feature is that while driving in drive mode at speeds above 5 kmph, if you were to accidentally try shifting to the reverse or vice versa, the system does not allow you to do it. A warning message comes up on your instrument panel screen.

Both the Automatic as well as Manual mode get a ‘Creep’ function. This function is best experienced when you are in a very slow traffic and you are either moving up a hill or in a bumper to bumper traffic. It not only works in the forward movement but also in the reverse. You can actually keep your foot off the accelerator pedal throughout such a situation where the creep feature is engaged.

This creep function also comes with a safety net. Before you start your car and slot you car into Drive, with the Auto or Manual mode, and if your car door is open, the creep function is disabled. It prevents the car from moving ahead if the door is open. That’s a great safety feature.

This vehicle also now comes with a Hill Start Assist which prevents a roll-back, especially when you are stranded on an incline position with the car.

Now let’s head straight for the drive experience. Everybody wants a punchy engine and the Mahindra XUV300 does not disappoint you here. It’s got something called the kick down shift which ensures a very punchy pick up during overtaking or for quick acceleration.

And to make matters easy for you while driving in different situations, whether it is uphill or downhill or on straight roads or in thick traffic, the Mahindra XUV300 comes with Adaptive Pedal Response. The company claims this is an advanced system which chooses the most appropriate shift map from the 600 unique calibration points which are mapped for Indian driving conditions. Automatic gear shift map selection is based on accelerator inputs and driving requirements ranging from comfort drive to sporty drive, uphill to downhill. What more can one ask for in one’s car. You have the punch and you have an advanced pedal response too.

The Mahindra XUV300 is also equipped with Electronic Stability Control or ESC which ensures stability and control of the vehicle in critical driving situations by using the function of antilock braking system and traction control system.

With the brief driving experience I got this Mahindra XUV 300, I was impressed by its new AutoShift transmission. It is a perfect mate to the petrol engine and it did not disappoint me when it came to speed and performance.  It’s loaded with features that will surely make you drive comfortably and in a thrilling way too.  And talking of features, the XUV300 comes with so many, besides a neat cabin and a smart exterior. Features that are bound to excite you include front parking sensors, dual zone AC, auto dimming IRVM, all 4 disc brakes, a very decent steering system, 7” infotainment, Android Auto & Car Play, among others. The sunroof will be a standard feature on the AutoSHIFT transmission in both the W6 and W8(O) variants.

BLUESENSE PLUS CONNECTED TECHNOLOGY

The Mahindra XUV300 top model in petrol AutoShift now gets an app based BlueSense Plus Connected SUV Technology. App based technologies are today being offered by many car and even two-wheeler manufacturers for the younger generation of buyers. Every manufacturer has its own proprietary app to offer.

I shall tqake you through the steps needed to get the BlueSense app up and running. The first thing you do is to download the app from your Playstore. Since I had an Android based smart phone I downloaded the BlueSense app for Mahindra XUV300 from the Playstore which took me hardly any time as there was a 4G service available at the spot where I stood.

Once I downloaded this app, I had to pair my phone to the car’s system. For that I had to ensure that my Bluetooth is switched on in my smartphone. After that I searched for Bluetooth devices through the infotainment screen functions. Also simultaneously, I went to my Settings in my phone, then to Bluetooth and searched for any compatible  devices. My phone located Mahindra and once I clicked on it, the two systems, my phone and the Mahindra XUV systems sent each other a code which I had to accept at both ends.

Now my phone was paired to Mahindra XUV300 through Bluetooth and I was ready to use the App. It’s as simple as that. The BlueSense app provides great in-car experience of convenience, accessibility, and information to the driver as well as the passenger. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s more of a younger generation fad.

This BlueSense app has got 40+ features including remote vehicle control features, location based features, vehicle information & alerts, safety & security alerts, in-car controls which keep your worries at bay so that you can enjoy the drive of the AutoShift with your loved ones.

Remote vehicle control features include remote door lock/ unlock, remote hazard lamp On/ Off, Search My XUV300, remote park lamp Off, location-based features, etc. Then you can also activate live vehicle tracking; find my XUV300, geo fencing, route deviation alert, share vehicle location, share a location, save places & routes, pitstop, turn-by-turn navigation and vehicle information & alerts. These features are ideal to keep a tab on your loved ones and make sure they are safe.  This app also provides features like low fuel alert, check distance to empty, parking lamp On alert, vehicle start stop alert, check tyre pressure, check door lock status, check odometer, check AC information, engine idle alert, besides safety & security alerts.

Now if you are the tech savvy, gadget freak then these functions will definitely bring a broad smile to your face. A piece of advice, make sure that while driving you keep your eyes on the road and not get distracted with your phone or its various features. But at the end of the day, there are more than a handful of features to play around with in this BlueSense app from Mahindra & Mahindra.