The Mahindra XUV300 subcompact SUV launched in the Indian car market on February 14, 2019.
The Mahindra XUV300’s petrol variants cost between Rs. 8.1 lakh and Rs. 11.64 lakh. The diesel range is priced between Rs. 8.69 lakh and Rs. 12.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The Mahindra XUV subcompact SUV is available in 4 variants, namely – W4, W6, W8 and W8 (O).
The Mahindra XUV300 is available with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. The turbo petrol engine makes 110PS of power at 5000rpm and 200Nm of torque from 2000 to 3500rpm. It’s available with a 6-speed manual transmission
The turbo diesel makes 115PS of power at 3750rpm and 300Nm of torque from 1500 to 2500rpm. It’s available with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The XUV300 has the best in class torque output in the sub-4m SUV segment.
The XUV300 petrol version offers a claimed fuel efficiency of 17.0kmpl. The diesel variants have a claimed fuel efficiency figure of 20.0kmpl.
Mahindra has really loaded the XUV300 to the brim. The subcompact SUV also boasts of several features not available in any other SUV in the segment. On the safety front, besides the usual 6 airbags that most cars come with, the XUV300’s top trim also gets knee airbag. It also has front parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system, 3-point seatbelt for all passengers and heated outside mirrors - again, features only available in the Mahindra XUV300. It’s also the only sub-compact SUV in its class to offer disc brakes on all wheels. A very uncommon feature at this price point is the front door safety warning light, which informs traffic approaching from the rear that the car’s doors are open. Another feature that very few buyers in India will appreciate is heated outside mirrors. And that’s just the exclusive features in the safety suite.
It also has the largest 17-inch alloy wheels, a dual-zone automatic AC and adjustable steering weight setting. The steering can be set to Comfort, Sport or Normal. In the Comfort mode, the steering is very light, which is great for use at parking speeds or in city traffic. For the highway, you can set it in Sport mode, which adds some much-needed weight to the wheel for confident driving at high speeds. The Normal mode puts it somewhere in between Comfort and Sport mode.
We’re finally done with the features exclusively available in the Mahindra XUV300. Now let’s get into the usual stuff.
Besides these, it also has the usual features we have come to expect from a premium sub-compact SUV. The entertainment feature list includes a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple Carplay support and steering-mounted controls. On the functional side, it gets front and rear armrests, auto headlamps and wipers, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, electric sunroof, keyless entry with push-button start, reverse parking camera, and a tilt steering.
Safety features include ABS, rear washer, wiper and defogger, hill start assist, traction control, ISOFIX child seat anchors and front seatbelts with pretensioners.
While it is a loaded car, there are a few feature missing like auto-dimming day-night inside mirror, rear AC vents, LED headlamps, telescopic steering and a cooled glovebox.
Mahindra has positioned the XUV300 as a premium subcompact SUV, and it has the receipts to prove its point. It not only meets the benchmark in terms of features, it exceeds it with a lot of features no one else offers at that price point. So, if you want your SUV to be loaded with features, then this is it. No other car in its segment (or even a segment above) has many of its features. With the XUV300, you’ll have plenty to brag about because it doesn’t just have the features, it also has powerful engines delivering best-in-class torque.
If you want the safest sub-compact SUV, then you have no better choice than the XUV300. The top variant of this small XUV has the best safety features you can get at this price.
It also has a long wheelbase, which not only helps liberate more legroom, it also helps the vehicle with stability at highway speeds. So, it’s also great for mile-munching on the highway.
However, it’s not the best choice for making frequent airport/railway station trips as it doesn’t have a large boot. In fact, it has the smallest boot in its segment.
The Mahindra XUV300 is based on the SsangYong Tivoli’s X100 platform. The XUV300 is another attempt by Mahindra in the subcompact SUV segment after the Quanto, NuvoSport, TUV300 and Bolero Power Plus. However, the XUV300 boasts of a premium positioning in its own segment.
Although it’s based on the European-spec SsangYong Tivoli, the XUV300 is modified to suit the Indian conditions. It is wider and taller than the Tivoli, but its length was slashed to make it fit into the under 4 metre to avail the small car tax benefits in India. It also underwent extensive wind tunnel testing at the Pininfarina facility in Italy.
The Mahindra XUV300 was officially revealed in December, 2018 prior to its 2019 launch.
The Mahindra XUV300 competes with Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport and Honda WR-V.
The XUV300 currently employs only BS4 engines. We expect Mahindra to update both of its engines to BS6 in the next few months to be prepared for the norms ahead of the April 2020 deadline.
