Updated Mahindra XUV300 is revealed
MAHINDRA has revealed a new version of its XUV300, having gone to great lengths to improve the compact crossover. It even sports a new badge! Called the XUV3XO, the upgraded car will surely make its way to South Africa because it is in this class that there is the most movement at the moment, and no manufacturer can afford to miss out.
Mahindra said the newcomer has been 'designed, developed and engineered to meet rigorous global standards' and as such will be introduced to various global markets in due course.
The XUV3XO sports a distinctive new front end featuring a piano-black grille and LED treatment for the headlamps, daytime running lights and foglamps.
Round the back, its defining feature is clearly the new fullwidth LED bar.
Inside, the changes are perhaps not quite as radical, though Mahindra claims to have added more soft-touch materials to 'elevate the sense of sophistication'.
Indeed, certain Indian-spec derivatives feature leather accents on the steering wheel, gear knob and front armrest, as well as leatherette upholstery and dashboard trim.
There are also new
10.25-inch versions of the infotainment screen and driver display.
Interestingly, at 3 990mm long, the XUV3XO is slightly shorter from nose to tail than the current XUV300 (3 995mm), though its width remains 1 821mm and its wheelbase 2 600mm.
Mahindra claims the updated model’s luggage compartment is able to swallow 364 litres, a figure expandable by dropping the 60:40-split rear seats.
Claimed ground clearance comes in at a (much-improved) 201mm, while the XUV3XO’s wading depth is listed as 350mm.
In India, the Mahindra XUV3XO will be available with a 360-degree surroundview camera system, a 'newgeneration' electronic stability control system, hill hold control, hill descent control, six airbags (down one compared with top-spec versions of the SA-specific XUV300), disc brakes all round, three-point seat belts and ISOfix child seat anchors.
The automaker says it expects the updated model to set 'new standards in vehicle safety', thanks to the 'extensive use of high-strength steel and 35 standard safety features'.
As for power, the Indian range includes a trio of turbocharged engine options, including the 82kW/200Nm
1.2 litre petrol motor and 86kW/300 Nm 1.5 litre turbodiesel unit already doing duty in the outgoing nine-strong XUV300 line-up.
There is also a version of the 1.2 litre mill that generates a healthier 96kW and 230Nm.
In addition, the petrol engines are available in India with a six-speed Aisin-sourced torque-converter automatic transmission (as opposed to the standard six-speed manual cogswapper).
Other new features include user-selectable steering modes (Comfort, Normal and Sport), as well as a trio of drive modes (Zip, Zap and Zoom) for the automatic derivatives.
Some Indian-spec variants are additionally available with a high-end Harman Kardon sound system as well as the 'largest-in-class' panoramic sunroof (measuring 940mm by 870mm).