Mahindra is on a product roll and has transformed its portfolio by launching three all-new cars in a span of just six months. We’ve extensively reviewed two of them – the Marazzo and Alturas G4, and opine that they are modern, refined, feel upmarket, and competent enough to drive the brand into a promising new direction. The third and the latest addition is a Brezza-rivalling, sub-four-metre SUV that’s been badged ‘XUV300’, which, incidentally, and for once, follows a logical naming sequence as it sits below the XUV500. While the bigger XUV was a game-changing SUV back in the days, the new 300 enters a rapidly growing segment that’s caught the fancy of buyers. This car may be last to the party and may not be exactly revolutionary, but it has a lot to offer, including segment-best equipment and safety kit.
The XUV300 gets a set of locally developed petrol and diesel engines, which get only manual transmissions for now. Mahindra is expected to launch an AMT auto in a few months. The compact SUVis based on the SsangYong Tivoli’s X100 architecture and that saved Mahindra the high cost of developing an all-new platform. And to drive costs down further, 85-90 percent of the XUV300 has been localised. Still, priced from Rs 7.90-11.49 lakh for the petrol and Rs 8.49-11.99 lakh for the diesel – and an additional Rs 15,000 for the dual-tone colour scheme – the XUV300 is the priciest compact SUV when compared to the Brezza, Nexon and EcoSport.
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.
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.
Standard safety kit includes all-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, speed-sensing door locks, corner braking control, child seat anchors and front seatbelt pre-tensioners. In addition to this, top variants get segment-best kit such as ESP, hill-launch assist, five additional airbags (side, curtain and driver-knee), front parking sensors, and three-point seat belts and adjustable neck restraints for all the seats.
Then there are segment-first features like heated outside mirrors, dual-zone climate control, smart steering system, smartwatch connectivity, micro-hybrid system and tyre pressure monitoring system. Premium equipment on offer includes a sunroof, 17-inch diamond-cut alloys, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED tail-lamps, touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, auto headlamps and wipers, leatherette upholstery, auto-dimming inside mirror, cruise control and more, making this a compact SUV that’s loaded to the gills.
While the system is easy to get used to, the interface is a bit slow and the software feels dated. Touch sensitivity is good, and the presence of physical buttons below help go through the menus quickly. This system gets in-built navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Due to some glitches in the software, Android Auto kept disconnecting, without any user input. Sound quality is poor too and lacks depth, especially when compared to the Nexon and EcoSport, both of which have amazing speakers. This system also houses other functions like a tyre-pressure monitoring system, the EcoSense app, reminders and other useful alerts and warnings.
Mahindra sure has a winner on its hands with the XUV300, and that’s a commendable outcome of the Mahindra-SsangYong synergy. The Korean influence is evident in the XUV300’s well-appointed interiors and surprisingly high levels of quality and fit-finish. And Mahindra has done a splendid job when it comes to ride and handling – it is a composed and confident car to drive; we only wish the steering offered a bit more ‘feel’. Both engines are very refined and effortless to drive, but the narrow price gap between the two, and the fact that the diesel is more sorted, efficient and quicker, makes it our pick.
The lack of an automatic will put off some buyers, and so will the small 257-litre boot. But what could be the bigger deal-breaker for some is its pricing, which is significantly more than the Brezza and Nexon and even overlaps with the Hyundai Creta from a segment above. While it doesn’t rank high in value, to justify its premium positioning, Mahindra has equipped the XUV300 with segment-best safety and premium kit. But consider its strengths, like refinement, ease of driving, ride and handling, and equipment, and the positives outweigh the negatives. So, as a package then, the XUV300 is easily the most polished car to come out of the Mahindra stable.
from Autocar India https://ift.tt/2Ox8Gwx
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment