I’m upgrading from my 2016 Maruti Dzire and am torn between the Mahindra XUV 3XO TGDi (AT) and the Kia Sonet 1.5 diesel (AT). I drive around 1,000 km a month, split equally between city traffic and highway runs in Hyderabad. I’ve always wanted a genuinely high-performance car, but I’m also concerned about the running costs of a petrol engine. Should I go for the Sonet without feeling like I’m compromising on performance, or does the 3XO still make more sense for an enthusiast like me?

Asked by: Bhargav Vaitla

Both the Kia Sonet and Mahindra XUV 3XO have very good diesel engines that deliver solid performance. Between the two, Mahindra edges ahead in driving pleasure, thanks to more enthusiastic power delivery and livelier handling.

Bear in mind that the XUV 3XO will not be as fuel-efficient as the Sonet. In our testing, XUV returned 9.89 kmpl in the city and 13.01 kmpl on the highway, versus 13.8 kmpl (city) and 18.8 kmpl (highway) for the Kia Sonet.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Answered by

Autocar India Team

Oct 20, 2025

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Autocar India Team

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