Heat in the sub 4m SUV segment is blowing the mercury out with the recently launched Mahindra XUV 3XO. The competition within the segment has definitely heightened. Segment leader Tata Nexon is quite feature-loaded too and we pit it against the new challenger, XUV 3XO. Which one comes out on top? Let’s take a look.
If there is one highlight quality about both these sub 4m offerings, it has to be safety. So, it would be logical to start with safety. Both cars get all the mandated safety credentials. 6 airbags, ESP, TCS, 3-point seatbelts and seatbelt reminders for all passengers are standard across the range. Both cars have demonstrated full-fat 5-Star crash ratings in Global NCAP. Mahindra XUV 3XO one-ups every single sub 4m vehicle with Level-2 ADAS. Nexon doesn’t get any ADAS features.
Both XUV 3XO and Nexon promise an extravagant attribute list. Both pack Bi-LED headlights, connected tail lights, LED DRLs and LED fog lights. Nexon takes the cake with lighting by offering cornering lights function and it has soothing sequential turn indicators at the front and back. Front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree cameras, auto folding ORVMs are common between both.
XUV 3XO shockingly lacks a shark-fin antenna and the rear windscreen wiper is not as neatly concealed as on Nexon. Nexon lacks rear disc brakes and 17-inch alloy wheels that XUV 3XO offers. Boot space is in Nexon’s favour, though. 382L as opposed to XUV 3XO’s 295L and on top of it, Nexon has a proper spare wheel and not a space saver. Also, Mahindra didn’t have a rear parcel tray in the XUV 3XO, probably to make the boot look bigger.
Both pack 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screens, but XUV 3XO’s is slightly taller with more real estate. Nexon offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay while CarPlay is wired with XUV 3XO. While both offer 360-degree camera feed on the screen, Nexon has video-streaming features too. There are 9 JBL speakers on Nexon and 7 Harman/Kardon speakers on XUV 3XO with subwoofers on both.
The car we sampled during our first drive review was running pre-production software. So, a lot of features didn’t work as expected. A 10.2-inch instrument cluster is common between both cars and both support full-screen map view. Only XUV 3XO gets a panoramic sunroof, steering modes and dual-zone climate control. Nexon strikes right back with ventilated front seats. We think ventilated seats struck a bigger blow here.
While both offer a wireless phone charger, XUV 3XO offers a 65W Type-C fast charger that can potentially charge your laptop too. XUV 3XO finally gets rear AC vents and even offers three adjustable rear headrests as opposed to Nexon’s two. Nexon packs a sophisticated gear selector and a fancy dial for drive modes. On the other hand, XUV 3XO packs an electronic handbrake and a surreal bezel-less IRVM.
Mahindra is offering quite a few feel-good elements with XUV 3XO that pleasantly surprised us. There are soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and all-four door pads with stitching. LED cabin lights, large vanity mirror with LED vanity light along with the dual-pane sunroof and electric sunroof blind lend a sophisticated feel to XUV 3XO. Heck, even the boot light is LED on XUV 3XO. Auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, cooled glovebox and telematics suite are common between the two.
Where powertrains are concerned, both XUV 3XO and Nexon pack a 1.2L 3-cylinder Turbo Petrol and a 1.5L 4-cylinder Turbo Diesel engine. While XUV 3XO gets the new torque converter automatic from Aisin, it is no match to the quick-shifting 7-speed DCA that Nexon offers. Performance metrics on paper are in favour of Mahindra, but Nexon weighs slightly less and ain’t no slouch either. In conclusion, Tata Nexon puts up a decent fight against the Mahindra XUV 3XO. Considering Tata’s past strategies, we might see ADAS and a panoramic sunroof on Nexon by the end of this year.
Also read – Mahindra XUV 3XO vs Rials prices compared