Mahindra once commanded half of the UV market space, but with the growing preference for soft-roaders such as Maruti Brezza and Tata Nexon, the company has been relegated to the second spot. Mahindra too has products in the sub-4 metre compact SUV space such as Quanto, TUV300 and Nuvosport, but none of these were able to achieve desired sales.
Mahindra is now placing its bet on an Indian-ized version of the globally successful Tivoli, which has been developed by its South Korean subsidiary, Ssangyong. The compact SUV is codenamed S201 and it is unofficially referred to as XUV300. Mahindra does not want to miss the target this time, which is why it has planned to introduce various upgrades, some of which will be segment-first.
It is expected that Mahindra XUV300 will get the 1.5 litre diesel engine being used in Marazzo. If the output remains unchanged, XUV300 will lead in power and torque output in the segment. Existing Marazzo engine delivers 123hp/300Nm, which would be higher than 90hp/200Nm produced by Vitara Brezza’s 1.3 litre engine and 100hp/205Nm produced by Tata Nexon’s 1.5 litre diesel engine. XUV300 will offer 6-speed manual transmission and automatic variants may also be available.
Another key upgrade is 17-inch alloys that will be offered in the top-end Mahindra XUV300. In comparison, rivals like Brezza and Nexon run on 16-inch alloy wheels. Panoramic sunroof will also be a differentiating factor, as currently only Ford EcoSport offers panoramic sunroof option in its top-end variants. Ford EcoSport also offers 17-inch alloy wheels in its Signature & S variants.
2019 Mahindra XUV300 will come with a 2-zone climate control system, which will be another segment-first feature. Other key features include Mahindra XUV500 inspired grille, LED headlamps, LED DRLs, leather seats, keyless entry, engine start/stop button, 7 air-bags, front parking sensors, ABS, and ESP.
Mahindra XUV300 will be launched early next year, after the launch of XUV700 (next-gen Ssangyong Rexton), which is scheduled for 19th November. XUV300 is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 7-10 lakh.
