Mahindra Xylo E8 (Old)

Xylo’s tall stance and an overweight engine which sits high up in the nose have given the Xylo an unduly high centre of gravity.The soft suspension does the handling no favour and body control is as sloppy as an ocean liner. At low speeds, the ride is terrific and potholes are gobbled up with ease. The Xylo’s long wheelbase gives it a plush ride but the problem is that there is a constant, heaving and bobbing movement from the suspension which, on a less-than-perfect road, just doesn’t settle down. Introduce the Xylo to some corners and it feels like the rear springs have been turned into marshmallows. There is lots of body roll (there’s no rear anti-roll bar) and the rocking motion can be quite disconcerting.

The Xylo is nowhere near as agile as even the Chevy Tavera, let alone the Innova. And while the brakes are not grabby and function well in an urban environment, more bite and feel from the pedal are needed on the highway. Emergency braking can be a bit scary as well with the rear end stepping out, especially when unladen. The saving grace, dynamically at least, however, is the steering. It’s well-weighted and provides enough feedback, a big change from the video-game-like feel the Scorpio has.