Need opinions: XUV 7XO vs Seltos for lumbar/neck comfort — concern about body rocking in XUV
I currently own/drive a 2013 Innova, 2022 Innova Crysta, 2017 Honda City, and 2025 Venue N Line in the family. I’m now looking to replace my 2017 Honda City, which is my daily driver.
The main reason for upgrading is lumbar pain. I wanted a more comfortable SUV driving position with easier ingress/egress and better back support.
I ruled out most EVs because the battery packaging + flat floor seemed to compromise under-thigh support, which I personally found uncomfortable.
The Hycross Hybrid is unfortunately out of budget. Pure petrol SUVs in this price bracket felt either inefficient or lacking features for the money.
After a lot of filtering, I narrowed it down to Kia Seltos and Mahindra XUV 7XO (AX7T).
Today I did a ~15 km test drive of the 7XO. Positives first:
Loved the driving feel and engine performance
Seating posture felt upright and lumbar support was genuinely good
Seat position overall felt comfortable
But I noticed something that is seriously bothering me.
Even on a smooth highway, I felt a constant side-to-side rocking/sway of my body, especially my neck. It wasn’t harsh suspension or vertical bouncing — more like a subtle lateral rocking motion that I became hyper-aware of during the drive.
What’s confusing me is that on the same roads in my dad’s Innova Crysta, I never experience this feeling. The Crysta feels planted and stable to me.
I had specifically considered the 7XO because of all the hype around the “DaVinci suspension/dampers”, expecting a magic-carpet ride plus the stronger engine over the Seltos.
But honestly, during my test drive, it didn’t feel particularly special.
My concern is: Could this kind of body movement become a neck issue on longer drives, especially if someone already has lumbar/back issues? Or is this something you just adapt to after ownership?
Would especially appreciate feedback from long-term XUV 7XO/700 owners, particularly anyone with back pain, cervical issues, or who switched from Innova/sedans. Is this side-to-side rocking normal? Did it improve with tyre pressure/seat adjustments, or is it just the way the suspension tuning is?
Planning to test drive the Seltos tomorrow for comparison.