Mahindra XUV300 with 130hp turbo petrol to launch soon

The Mahindra XUV300 will finally get the long overdue 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that was first showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. The XUV300 mStallion 1.2 was originally set to launch in April 2020, but the price announcement was postponed numerous times.

While this new engine was expected to be limited to a new Sportz variant that Mahindra had showcased at the Auto Expo, we have now learnt that it could be offered as standard across all four existing trims of the XUV300 – W4, W6, W8, and W8(O).

• 1.2-litre T-GDI engine will make XUV300 most powerful in its class
• Produces 20hp and 30Nm more than existing turbo-petrol engine
• Likely to be offered only with a manual gearbox initially

Mahindra XUV300 1.2 T-GDI: what’s new?

The 1.2 T-GDI is a 130hp, 230Nm, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, direct-injection turbo-petrol engine. It will come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and is likely to be sold alongside the existing 115hp, 1.5-litre diesel and 108hp, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engines. Transmission options on these engines include a 6-speed manual and 6-speed AMT gearbox.

The new mStallion 1.2-litre powerplant makes 20hp and 30Nm more than the XUV300’s current 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, thus making Mahindra's compact SUV the most powerful petrol in its class.

As for the XUV300 Sportz that was displayed at the Auto Expo, it featured certain cosmetic upgrades over the regular XUV300. These included red brake calipers, decals on the front and rear doors with Sportz lettering, all-black interior with red highlights and red contrast stitching on the seats. If Mahindra offers this new engine across the range, it remains to be seen if the Sportz moniker is used as a means to differentiate it over the petrol model currently on sale.

Prices for the XUV300 currently range between Rs 7.95-13.33 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Variants with the higher-spec turbo-petrol engine will likely command a premium over the existing ones.

Upcoming Mahindra SUV launches: 2021 and beyond

Having showcased the flagship new XUV700 is all its glory on August 15, Mahindra will soon be announcing the prices of the entire range in the coming days. Following that, the next major launch from Mahindra in India will be the all-new Scorpio that’s expected to arrive sometime next year.