Mahindra XUV700 driven with no driver or passenger in front seats: ADAS misuse again [Video]

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), as we know it, is slowly becoming a very common feature in cars sold in India. This system uses a number of sensors and cameras to control some of the functions of the car, making every drive safer. However, with technology becoming cheaper, we are now seeing these features in less expensive cars as well. Mahindra was the first Indian car manufacturer to introduce this feature in the XUV700. It became a unique selling proposition (USP) for the SUV as no other vehicle in this segment offered this feature at that time. Over the years, a number of SUVs and sedans have incorporated this feature, but we have also seen several examples of ADAS features being misused. Here, we have one such video where an XUV700 owner has engaged ADAS, left the seat, and is relaxing with his friends at the rear while recording a video.

The video has been uploaded by Prateek Singh on his YouTube channel. In this video, we see a Mahindra XUV700 being driven on a four-lane highway. The driver and the front passenger seat of this XUV700 are empty. The ADAS feature has been engaged, and the vehicle is maintaining a speed of 60 km/h. The driver managed to move back into the second-row seat after engaging the ADAS, doing so just to record a video. It is quite clear in this video that the owner or the driver simply wanted to show off this premium feature to his friends or someone else.

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The driver has engaged the Lane Keep Assist and has probably also engaged the Adaptive Cruise Control. Loud music is playing in the car, and the driver, along with his two friends, is having fun in the second-row seat. This is extremely dangerous and stupid for multiple reasons. First of all, the Mahindra XUV700 does not offer autonomous driving features. The ADAS feature offered with the car is intended to make the driving experience more relaxing and safe, but it still requires attention from the driver. If the steering is left unattended for some time, the car will sense it and ask the driver to put their hands back on the steering wheel.

People buying this SUV should realize that it is a Level-1 Autonomous system and not a fully autonomous car. In a country like India, leaving the steering unattended for a long time, especially on an open highway, is dangerous. As we have mentioned in our previous articles, driving on Indian roads is often challenging because you never know what might come in front of your vehicle. There is a possibility that cattle might walk into the middle of the road, and even jaywalkers and reckless driving cause several accidents in different parts of the country every day.

If the driver of this XUV700 were to come across something like this, there is no guarantee that the ADAS system would be able to detect it and stop the vehicle in time. In such cases, even if the vehicle manages to stop, the occupants sitting in the rear seat would be thrown forward and all three would sustain injuries. It is always a good idea not to test your luck on open roads. As mentioned above, this system uses sensors and cameras. If any of the sensors stop working, the ADAS won’t function as intended, and that can be dangerous in the event of an accident. By performing such stunts on public roads, the driver is putting their own life, the lives of other road users, and the occupants at risk.

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