Mahindra XUV 3XO Review: Feature Loaded SUV with Better Boot Space

Mahindra XUV 3XO Review: Mahindra recently updated the XUV 300 in India and gave it a new name: XUV 3XO. It is a sub-4m compact SUV with turbo petrol and diesel engines. It has a comfortable cabin and offers a multitude of features such as driving modes, a wireless charger, and more. The company provides two turbo petrol engine options, two IRVM (Internal Rear View Mirror) options, and two sunroof options across variants.

Mahindra has revised the exterior design, updated the interiors, and added some first-in-segment features such as dual-zone climate control, and a powerful diesel engine with highest torque in the segment. The XUV 3XO competes against the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, and Kia Sonet in its segment.

We got our hands on the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX7 L variant with a TGDI petrol engine and here are our thoughts about the SUV.

Mahindra XUV 3XO Price:

The price of the Mahindra XUV 3XO starts at Rs 7.79 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base MX2 1.2 Petrol variant and it goes all the way up to Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the AX7 L 1.2 Petrol AT variant.

Mahindra XUV 3XO Exterior Design:

The exterior design of the Mahindra XUV 3XO is revised and gets a new front and rear profile. Starting with the front, there are all LED headlamps and DRLs and the fog lamps are also LED. The LED headlights gave great visibility at night while cruising on highways. There are front parking cameras and sensors to ease out parking in tight spaces. Mahindra says ground clearance is a generous 201mm, up from the XUV300’s figure of 180mm.

On the side, the length and proportions remain unchanged. The top-spec variant runs on 17-inch alloy wheels with front and rear disc brakes. The in-rest and the eg-rest into the SUV is easy. The XUV 3XO is available in eight colour options with top-spec AX7 and AX7 L versions distinguishable by their contrasting roofs.

At the rear, the XUV 3XO gets a connected LED DRL and LED taillight setup with a subtle roof spoiler. Mahindra could have offered a shark-fin antenna instead of the regular pole antenna, which would have enhance the look and feel of the SUV. Nonetheless, it still looks appealing.

The boot space is still an issue in the XUV 3XO and is the least in the segment. With the parcel tray in, there's hardly any space for big luggage to fit in the boot. The rear bumper gets a black and silver accent, enhancing the sporty aesthetics of the SUV.

Also Read: Mahindra XUV 700 Prices Increased By Up To Rs 50,000 On Selective Variants

Mahindra XUV 3XO Interiors:

As we step inside, the interiors of the XUV 3XO have been revised and the cabin quality has received significant improvements over the XUV 300. The dashboard gets a soft-touch finish on the top-spec trim and the centre console gets gloss black, which attracts a lot of fingerprints. The perforated seats look upmarket but the cream colour upholstery would require maintenance and regular dry-cleanings. The dashboard gets the 10.25-inch infotainment system and the instrument cluster is inspired by the XUV 700 as it gets the 10.25-inch digital dials.

Since the Mahindra XUV 3XO has a wheelbase of 2,600mm, the space inside is decent. The rear seats offer comfortable seating and there is ample knee room, legroom, and shoulder room for three passengers. The presence of the rear AC vents and USB type-C charging ports enhances the rear seat experience.

Mahindra XUV 3XO Features:

With the XUV 3XO, Mahindra has added some new features and deleted some others. We tested the AX7 L variant of the SUV, which hosted a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. This screen offers a 360-degree view of the parking cameras, which offers decent resolution even in the dark. However, we experienced some lag in the feed of the 360-degree camera. Additionally, the Mahindra XUV 3XO misses out on support for Apple CarPlay, which is a major bummer for iPhone users.

Coming to the audio, our test unit was equipped with two tweeters, a four-speaker, and a subwoofer Harman Kardon sound system. The sound output was good and elevated the driving experience.

Beyond the above mentioned features, the XUV 3XO also offers dual-zone climate control, and auto-dimming IRVM, which are missing in its elder sibling, the Mahindra XUV 700. It also includes a 65W fast-charging Type-C port -- a feature exclusive to the XUV 3XO -- that can even charge laptops. With the facelift, Mahindra has also included an electronic parking brake with an auto hold function, enhancing the driving experience. Our test unit was equipped with a panoramic sunroof. Operating it led to a call to the driver's Emergency SOS contact, which is a major glitch in the SUV's system. Despite offering multiple top-of-the-line features such as X and Y, it misses out on some other key features such as front-ventilated seats, ambient lighting, and paddle shifters in the automatic transmission.

Talking about safety, Mahindra XUV 3XO recently scored a five-star safety rating for the adult occupants in the Bharat NCAP. It is offered with six airbags, ABS, EBD, traction control, and more. The higher spec variants are offered with tyre pressure monitoring system and blind view monitor.

Also Read: Mahindra XEV 9e, BE 6e Battery, Platform Details Revealed 

Mahindra XUV 3XO Engine and Driving Experience:

Mahindra offers the XUV 3XO with a 1.2-litre MPFI turbo petrol engine, a 1.2-litre TGDI turbo petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. We tested the 1.2-litre TGDI turbo petrol engine with a six-speed torque converter gearbox. The 1.2-litre TGDI turbo petrol engine is an in-line three-cylinder unit and produces 130 BHP and 230 Nm torque, mated to a six-speed manual or a torque converter gearbox.

The drive of the XUV 3XO is smooth despite being a three-cylinder engine. It is refined and the vibrations are evident at certain levels or in the higher band of the rev range. The steering is smooth and feels disconnected and the body roll is present

There are three riding modes on offer: Zip, Zap, and Zoom. While the Zip mode is Mahindra's word for the Eco mode, the Zap mode is the Normal mode and the Zoom Mode is the Sports Mode. We kept the vehicle on Zip mode for maximum time to gain better fuel efficiency and the experience was decent. The SUV was punchy with the sudden throttle inputs and the power was available post 2000 RPM.

Mahindra offers camera and radar-based Level-2 ADAS features on the XUV 3XO and those worked effortlessly in our test. The Adaptive Cruise Control maintained the speed and distance from the vehicle ahead the Lane Keep Assist maintained the lane on highways. The auto high-beam assist elevated the night drive experience. All the features we tried worked well but what does need a reshuffle is the menu for ADAS. It is tucked into the digital dials, which isn’t quick to access and requires driver attention.

Mahindra XUV 3XO Fuel Efficiency:

Mahindra claims a fuel efficiency of 18.2 km/l for the 1.2-litre TGDI petrol automatic variant. During our test, the car showed a fuel efficiency of 15.5 km/l on the MID. Also, it would not make an upshift to the sixth gear unless the car crosses a speed of 90 km/h. Till then the car would be in the fifth gear with a speed of around 85 km/h sticking to 2000-2100 RPM, thus hampering the fuel efficiency. 

Also Read: Top three automakers in PV segment with highest EV sales in October 2024

Mahindra XUV 3XO Suspension:

The suspensions of the XUV 3XO are tuned on the softer side. It provided a comfortable ride in the city but became bouncy at triple-digit speeds and bad patches filtered inside the cabin. There was decent cabin insulation and only suspension noise was evident.

Conclusion:

Now, the million dollar question is -- should you buy the Mahindra XUV 3XO or not? Our answer in one word is yes. The car feels upmarket and the cabin is roomy. There are ample features on offer and the petrol engine is refined with decent fuel efficiency. The boot space is improved from the previous model but it is still not the best-in-class. The ride quality is decent but Mahindra could have tuned the suspensions better, which would have offered a better seating experience. The exterior design is refreshed and it is a practical and a comfortable offering at the price point.