2019 Mahindra XUV300 review, road test

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.