Mahindra XUV300, Track Test

Mahindra is no stranger to the compact SUV segment, but with the XUV300, it has a very capable machine on its hands. Picking up from where the hugely popular XUV500 left off, the smaller 300 is more affordable and better suited to urban driving conditions. The overall design is rather nice, and the car offers a commendable amount of interior space. There might be a few quality issues, but for the sub-four metre segment, it’s very nicely built, with a good interior layout.

The XUV300 comes with either a petrol or a diesel engine, both available with a manual gearbox, while the automatic transmission is only available with the diesel engine. All engine/transmission configurations provide pretty good performance levels, although the throws of the manual gearbox are very long – and so is the clutch pedal travel. The automatic version, of course, is an AMT, which isn’t the most refined but can be quite useful in the city once you get used to them.  

Where the XUV300 really shines, though, is in terms of its ride-and-handling. The chassis of the car is very good, and so is the suspension setup. The car feels stable and very comfortable, which means that it’s well suited to both the city and the highway. The XUV 300 set a lap time that was only a tenth of a second off the time set by the Range Rover Sport Petrol 2.0 – an achievement to be proud of. 

The XUV300 is a muscular looking car that’s likely to appeal to a lot of people. It does lose some points in terms of value for money though because it’s priced at a premium to the likes of the Hyundai Venue – which offers better quality, refinement and features. Nevertheless, if you’re a Mahindra fan, the XUV looks good, rides brilliantly, and is a great addition to the line-up – we just wish it was priced a little bit better.

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