Mahindra XUV700 Showing Ads On Infotainment Display: What's Going On?
The Mahindra XUV700 has already made a name for itself as one of the most feature-rich SUVs in its segment. It continues to be in good demand and offers a mix of premium driving experience and advanced technology. It comes with features like a dual-screen layout, a fully digital instrument cluster, and Level 2 ADAS. Soon after buying their XUV700s, many users started reporting unexpected in-car advertisements (ads) being displayed on the infotainment screen. Many wondered what this was all about. In this article, we will explain this in detail...
Ads In Mahindra XUV700's Infotainment Screen!
A post on Reddit by an XUV700 owner shows the infotainment screen of the SUV displaying an advertisement by Scotch Brite saying 'Alexa, give me cleaning tips'. You also get to see a Scotch Brite logo towards the bottom right of it.
The post seems to have interested many and sparked active discussions among Redditors. Many wondered what this was all about. It is not everyday that we get to find advertisements on car infotainment displays. One of the comments reads 'Bro got ADS instead of ADAS'. Another comment reads 'We got cars showing ads before GTA 6.'
'Imagine spending 20+ lakhs and you are seeing ads on the infotainment screen'- commented a user who is not happy with the feature, at all. Another unhappy Redditor commented: "Write this to Mahindra; this is unacceptable. We should stop this at this level before it will be too late and we start seeing ads as annoying as Dream 11. In fact, one should sue Mahinda for this."
Where Are These Ads From? How Do You Turn Them Off?
Fortunately, it isn't Mahindra or the infotainment system that's displaying these ads. These instead, stem from the Amazon Alexa that's integrated into the XUV's infotainment system. If you didn't know it yet, the XUV700 has a 3D Surround premium audio system from Sony, as well. Circling back, the targetting and data used for dispaying ads will be drawn from the connected (user's) Amazon account. These advertisements aren't as intrusive or frequent as those from the likes of Spotify.
You can definitely turn these ads off, by using the touchscreen. For this, go to the 'Connected Settings' inside the touchscreen menu, and navigate to the option 'Advertisement'. You will then see an option to disable ads. Turning it off will stop ads from serving.
Though details are sparse, Mahindra might have intentions of rolling out an ad-supported model for its Alexa integration which could allow users to not pay for Amazon Prime subscription. These are but, mere speculations.
The carmaker could also experiment running ads about their own products and services on this system. The company could also introduce more value-added streaming services, and free them from monthly pays if the user chooses to view ads.
Mahindra XUV700 Powertrains
The XUV700 is available with petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol variants get a 2.0L mStallion turbocharged engine that produces 200hp and 380 Nm while the diesel gets 2.2L mHawl turbocharged diesel four cylinder engine that can make up to 182 bhp and 450 Nm. Manual and automatic transmissions are available.
At the time of writing this article, the XUV700 is priced from 13.99 lakh, ex-showroom. A slew of variants are available and the most pricey one will cost you Rs 25.88 lakh, ex-showroom.