2019 Mahindra XUV300 review, road test

Jointly developed by Mahindra and SsangYong, this Brezza-rivaling sub-four-metre SUV is high on appeal and features.

Published on Mar 28, 2019 06:01:00 AM

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Bright colours, a pleasing design and high-quality materials give the interiors a genuine premium feel.

Boot is smaller than many premium hatchbacks, and loading lip is high.

For India, the XUV300’s suspension gets a longer travel for better cushioning over our roads, and its ride height has also been increased to achieve a higher ground clearance – now at 180mm. The XUV300 feels rather plush for a car in this class, and it simply flattens bad roads, with minimal body shocks and movements filtering in. And like the other Mahindras, this isn’t an SUV that’ll wince at the sight of imperfect roads. There is a bit of firmness due to its 17-inch wheels, and it gets even more pronounced when it hits sharp bumps, but at no point does it feel unsettled and or crashy.

Just like other Mahindras, this isn’t an SUV that’ll wince at the sight of bad roads.

It gets a segment-first variable steering system with three modes – Comfort, Normal (default) and Sport. While the steering is light and easy to twirl in Normal mode, it gets even lighter in Comfort mode, which makes it effortless while parking or nipping around in traffic. It gains some artificial weight in Sport mode, but there’s simply no feel or feedback and it feels disconnected from the front wheels, which takes away driver confidence while attacking corners at high speeds. What’s nice, however, is just how much grip is on offer; with its wheels at each corner, a wide track, and a taut chassis, the XUV feels agile and planted to the ground. It holds its line cleanly around corners and although there is some body roll, it isn’t excessive, and the good thing is that it remains predictable even over mid-corner bumps. Yes, the brake pedal feels a bit spongy but with all four wheels getting disc brakes, speed is shed without any fuss.