2019 Mahindra XUV300 review, road test

Mahindra is on a product roll and has transformed its portfolio by launching three all-new cars in a span of just six months. We’ve extensively reviewed two of them – the Marazzo and Alturas G4, and opine that they are modern, refined, feel upmarket, and competent enough to drive the brand into a promising new direction. The third and the latest addition is a Brezza-rivalling, sub-four-metre SUV that’s been badged ‘XUV300’, which, incidentally, and for once, follows a logical naming sequence as it sits below the XUV500. While the bigger XUV was a game-changing SUV back in the days, the new 300 enters a rapidly growing segment that’s caught the fancy of buyers. This car may be last to the party and may not be exactly revolutionary, but it has a lot to offer, including segment-best equipment and safety kit.

The XUV300 gets a set of locally developed petrol and diesel engines, which get only manual transmissions for now. Mahindra is expected to launch an AMT auto in a few months. The compact SUVis based on the SsangYong Tivoli’s X100 architecture and that saved Mahindra the high cost of developing an all-new platform. And to drive costs down further, 85-90 percent of the XUV300 has been localised. Still, priced from Rs 7.90-11.49 lakh for the petrol and Rs 8.49-11.99 lakh for the diesel – and an additional Rs 15,000 for the dual-tone colour scheme – the XUV300 is the priciest compact SUV when compared to the Brezza, Nexon and EcoSport.