Mahindra XUV300 First Drive- Perfect Recipe

Exterior Design and Styling of Mahindra XUV300

Though the XUV300 is the younger sibling of the XUV500, the exterior of the car tends to resemble other compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Despite that, the XUV300 has a lot of character of its own. It looks premium and sharp when you see it in the flesh, thanks to the muscular lines on the bonnet and on the sides. The front gets a chrome studded grille and projector headlamps along with fog lamps. The LED DRLs that border the top and side of the headlamps, extend a good measure down and I am still not fancying this design choice. At the very least, it gives the XUV300 a distinctive front that can be recognised from a mile away. The side of the compact SUV seems to end rather abruptly. The razor sharp 17-inch alloy wheels look really nice. The heated and power foldable ORVMs are a segment first feature. The back of the XUV300 is curvier than the rest of the car but looks good. There are big LED tail-lamps and a spoiler. One annoying thing about this vehicle is that the doors take a conscious effort to close and that can become irritating over a period of time.

Interior and Features of Mahindra XUV300

On the inside, Mahindra is offering a black and beige interior that, for once, looks just about right. It is neither too flashy nor too drab. The front seats provide loads of comfort and padding on the side so that you do not slide around too much when taking a sharp turn. The amount of space is also enough even for slightly taller people. Storage spaces are plenty, with the doors being able to house 1 litre bottles and newspapers, cup holders on the centre floor console, glove box, a cavity on the passenger side dashboard and space under the arm rest.  It is the first car in the segment to get power windows for all four doors as standard. Space in the second row is also plenty. The 60:40 split seats are soft but could have done with a bit more under-thigh support. Passengers seated in the middle get their own seatbelt and an adjustable headrest, although there is not a lot of room to adjust it. While the fit and finish all around is pleasing, the quality of the buttons on the air-con is a letdown.

The XUV300 is loaded with features. The 7-inches touchscreen infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. The infotainment system also supports Mahindra’s Blue Sense app which also allows you to use your smartwatch as a key. You get automatic start/stop functionality. There is dual zone climate control and a segment first memory function for it. You can store up to three settings for the climate control. The XUV300 does not only come equipped with rear but front parking sensors too; another great feature that can be helpful in daily commute. Coming to the MID, you have to analogue dials to indicate your speed and engine rpm. At their centre is a 3.5-inches digital display, which sadly is not full colour. But the display does service you well by showing the usual set of metrics and a helpful tyre direction monitoring system.

Engine and Performance of Mahindra XUV300

The XUV 300 comes with a 1.5L, 4-cylinder, diesel engine that produces 300Nm of torque (coincidence?). The engine is essentially the one that was also seen in the Marazzo, but here it has been tuned differently. It produces 115hp@3750rpm while the peak torque of 300Nm comes between 1500-2500rpm. Though we have no official figure regarding the weight of the car, it is bound to be lighter than the Marazzo MPV and that combined with the almost flat torque curve turns this car into a little rocket. The moment the turbo spells its magic, the car leaps forward. In fact, the XUV300 feels like a hot hatch dressed as a C-SUV. This is all thanks to the response from the engine, the maneuverability of the car around corners and the grip provided by the 215/55 R17tyres. The car still does feel a little out of breath at lower rpms. The 6-speed manual transmission works flawlessly and there are no options for an automatic as of now. While it is common to see driving modes in other cars, Mahindra has added steering modes in XUV300. There are three modes – Normal, Casual and Sport, which change the behavior of the steering wheel. Comfort mode makes the steering wheel very light and is great for parking in a tricky spot, where you might have to maneuver your car multiple times before it docks. The Sport mode adds a lot of weight to the steering wheel and the car also responds better to even small inputs. It works great for the most part but there is still a little bit of disconnect and play in this mode. Perhaps a bit more fine tuning will make it perfect.

On the highways, this car will not have a lot of problem maintaining its pace and you can take the aid of cruise control should the road allow it. ABS, EBD and corner braking control are standard on the XUV300. Disc brakes on all four wheels mean that braking is no issue for this car. The suspension provides a plus ride even when you are tackling battered and broken city roads. With the longest wheelbase in its segment and the widest track, the car offers great stability around corners

Verdict

With the XUV300, Mahindra has proved that it is never too late to start something. They might have arrived in this space late, but they have got a great recipe in their hands. Yes, the XUV300 looks a little inspired from the outside but it does pack in a lot of features that are currently not being offered by anyone else in this space and to its credit, the car does look premium. All Mahindra has to do now is to nail the pricing. A starting price of roughly Rs 8.5 lakh would be a great bet in my opinion. The XUV300 is a solid product on its own, all that is left to see is the price and how the vehicle holds up in long term use.