2019 Mahindra XUV300 vs rivals: Price, specifications comparison

Features and specifications of the Mahindra XUV300 (launched at Rs 7.90-11.99 lakh) compared to the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Hyundai Creta.

Published On Feb 16, 2019 05:00:00 AM

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2019 Mahindra XUV300 vs rivals: Price, specifications comparison

UPDATE: XUV300 vs EcoSport vs Vitara Brezza vs Nexon comparison

Mahindra’s much-awaited new compact SUV, the XUV300, has been launched at Rs 7.90 lakh for the base W4 petrol variant, going up to Rs 11.90 lakh for the top-spec W8 (O) diesel trim. At this price range, Mahindra aims to not only take on other compact SUVs like the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport, but also the slightly larger Hyundai Creta. Do the segment-first features in the XUV300 make it more desirable than its competition? Will Mahindra’s boast of having the torquiest engines on offer help sell more XUV300s? We pit the four compact SUVs from Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Tata and Ford, along with the Hyundai Creta, on paper, to find out.

Dimensions

Mahindra has made quite a few claims regarding the XUV300, particularly pertaining to the compact SUV’s dimensions. The numbers show that the XUV300 matches Mahindra’s claims of having the widest body and the longest wheelbase in its class. In fact, the Mahindra is even bigger than the Creta on these metrics, indicating cabin space may be class-leading. The Creta is from a segment above the compact SUVs and, as such, is the longest and tallest SUV of the lot. The Creta and XUV300 also share the top spot in terms of wheel sizes and tyres. On the other hand, the XUV300’s boot space and fuel tank are the smallest in this comparison, and it may not excel in tight spaces like the Tata Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, due to its turning diameter.

XUV300 vs rivals: Dimensions
	XUV300	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Length	3995mm	3994mm	3995mm	3998mm	4270mm
Width	1821mm	1811mm	1790mm	1765mm	1780mm
Height	1617mm	1607mm	1640mm	1647mm	1665mm
Wheelbase	2600mm	2498mm	2500mm	2519mm	2590mm
Tyre size	215/55 R17	215/60 R16	215/60 R16	205/50 R17	215/60 R17
Fuel tank	42 litres	44 litres	48 litres	52 litres	55 litres
Boot capacity	257 litres	350 litres	328 litres	352 litres	405 litres
Turning diameter	10.6m	10.2m	10.4m	10.6m	10.6m

Powertrain

As mentioned earlier, the XUV300’s turbo-petrol unit (a turbocharged version of the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre motor that does duty in the KUV100 NXT) and turbo-diesel engine (the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit found under the hood of the Marazzo MPV) have the highest torque figures in this comparison. In terms of power, the XUV300 petrol is on par with the Nexon, but ranks lower than the EcoSport and Creta. The diesel XUV300 is the most powerful compact SUV but the Creta 1.6 does have a higher horsepower figure.

At launch, the XUV300 will just get a 6-speed manual gearbox, with an AMT automatic expected to arrive later. This AMT unit will be replaced with a more sophisticated torque converter automatic at a later date. For now, it means that the Mahindra is the only model here without an automatic option on either engine.

Coming to the fuel efficiency figures, while the Vitara Brezza takes the top spot, its engine is the smallest and has the lowest output in this match up. Only the Creta 1.6’s 19.6kpl figure is lower than the XUV300 diesel’s 20kpl. However, the XUV300 petrol’s 17kpl is the same as the Nexon’s and EcoSport 1.5-litre’s figure.

XUV300 petrol vs rival: Powertrain
	XUV300	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Type	3-cyl, turbo-petrol	3-cyl, turbo-petrol	NA	4-cyl, naturally aspirated/ 3-cyl, turbo-petrol	4-cyl, naturally aspirated
Displacement	1197cc	1198cc	NA	1497cc/999cc	1591cc
Power	110hp at 5000rpm	110hp at 5000rpm	NA	123hp at 6500rpm/125hp at 6000rpm	123hp at 6400rpm
Torque	200Nm at 2000-3500rpm	170Nm at 1750-4000rpm	NA	150Nm at 4500rpm/170Nm at 1500-4500rpm	151Nm at 4850rpm
Manual gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	NA	5-speed/6-speed	6-speed
Automatic gearbox	NA	6-speed AMT	NA	6-speed torque convertor	6-speed torque convertor
ARAI efficiency	17kpl	17kpl	NA	17kpl (1.5 MT)	15.29kpl (MT)

XUV300 diesel vs rivals: Powertrain
	XUV300	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Type	4-cyl, turbo-diesel	4-cyl, turbo-diesel	4-cyl, turbo-diesel	4-cyl, turbo-diesel	4-cyl, turbo-diesel
Displacement	1497cc	1497cc	1248cc	1498cc	1396cc/1582cc
Power	117hp at 3750rpm	110hp at 3750rpm	90hp at 4000rpm	100hp at 3750rpm	90hp at 4000rpm/128hp at 4000rpm
Torque	300Nm at 1500-2500rpm	260Nm at 1500-2750rpm	200Nm at 1750rpm	205Nm at 1750-3250rpm	220Nm at 1500-2750rpm/260Nm at 1500-3000rpm
Manual gearbox	6-speed	6-speed	5-speed	5-speed	6-speed
Automatic gearbox	NA	6-speed AMT	5-speed AMT	NA	6-speed torque convertor (1.6)
ARAI efficiency	20kpl	21.5kpl	24.3kpl	23kpl	21.3kpl/19.6kpl

Features and safety

The top-spec XUV300 W8 (O) gets some segment-first features, technology and safety kit, with equipment levels eclipsing that of the Nexon and Vitara Brezza by a good margin and even going beyond what is offered on the EcoSport and Creta. In top-spec form, the Creta does boast ventilated seats, but it is the XUV300 that will claim the title in the features department at this price point. Mahindra has equipped its compact SUV with technology like a mild-hybrid setup on the XUV300 diesel and steering modes that alter steering weight and feel. The Nexon, like most modern Tata cars, gets multiple drive modes on both engines, while the EcoSport has the largest touchscreen display, and segment-first HID headlamps.

The fact that the XUV300 gets the most safety kit and that the SsangYong Tivoli (with which the XUV300 shares it X100 platform) received a commendable four-star Euro NCAP rating bodes well for the Mahindra. The Nexon and Vitara Brezza have been awarded five stars and four stars, respectively, by Global NCAP.

XUV300 vs rivals: Safety kit
	XUV300	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Discs	4	2	2	2	2
Airbags	7	2	2	6	6
Stability control	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hill-start assist	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Front parking sensors	Yes	No	No	No	No
Reverse camera	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Isofix child seat mounts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

XUV300 vs rivals: Equipment
	XUV300	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Contrast roof	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Headlamps	Projector	Projector	Projector	HID	Projector
LED DRLs	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Sunroof	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Engine modes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Steering modes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Mild-hybrid	Diesel only	No	No	No	No
Driver’s seat height adjust	Manual	Manual	Manual	Manual	Electric
Tyre pressure monitor	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Climate control	Dual-zone	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cruise control	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Heated wing mirrors	Yes	No	No	No	No
Touchscreen infotainment display	7.0-inch	6.5-inch	7.0-inch	8.0-inch	7.0-inch
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes
Navigation	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Ventilated seats	No	No	No	No	Yes
Wireless charging	No	No	No	No	Yes

Price

Seeing as the XUV300 range starts at Rs 7.90 lakh, it is priced at about Rs 1.5 lakh above the base petrol version of the Nexon and about Rs 8,000 more than the equivalent EcoSport trim. The top-spec XUV300 W8 (O) petrol costs about Rs 1.61 lakh more than the Nexon and just Rs 7,000 more than the EcoSport S petrol. Diesel versions of the XUV300 are also marginally more expensive than the EcoSport (about Rs 1,000-7,000) and cost significantly more than the Nexon (Rs 1.09-1.19 lakh) and Vitara Brezza (Rs 82,000- 1.35 lakh).

Considering the equipment on offer with each variant of the Mahindra compact SUV, the XUV300 seems to be a good alternative to the Ford EcoSport, and even give the more affordable Maruti and Tata a run for their money. However, a proper comparison with its rivals and an in-depth road test of the Mahindra XUV300 will provide a definitive result on whether the Indian carmaker has struck gold with its new model.

XUV300 vs rivals: Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
	XUV300*	Nexon	Vitara Brezza	EcoSport	Creta
Petrol	7.90-11.44 lakh	6.36-9.83 lakh	NA	7.82-11.37 lakh	9.60-14.15 lakh
Diesel	8.49-11.99 lakh	7.40-10.80 lakh	7.67-10.64 lakh	8.42-11.89 lakh	10.00-15.64 lakh