With sales on a decline, Mahindra today announced launch of a more affordable XUV300 AMT variant. This is the XUV300 W6 AMT. It is priced from Rs 9.99 lakhs. This means, it is Rs 1.5 lakh cheaper than the W10 AMT and Rs 2.7 lakh cheaper than top of the line W10 (O) AMT.
Launch of Hyundai Venue back in May 2019 has resulted in decline in sales of all existing sub 4 meter SUVs. The most affected is Maruti Brezza, which is no longer the No 1 selling SUV in the segment. It is the Hyundai Venue, which is now the best selling SUV in the segment.
Launch of a more affordable AMT variant will hopefully add more customers to the brand. Key features of AMT variant are Hill Hold Assist, Kickdown Mode and Creep Function. These are explained in the official TVC video below.
Hill Hold Assist is vital to the safety of the vehicle especially while tackling steep slopes as it prevents the SUV from roll back while starting off. This is of more importance in taking on parking lots wherein there are steep ramps.
Kickdown Mode aids the driver in quick acceleration while overtaking and the Creep function is useful in traffic jams with the AMT unit allowing the vehicle to creep forward without any acceleration. The driver needs to remove the foot from the brake pedal for automatically activating the creep function. All these safety feature on the XUV300 are desired for the seamless functioning of the SUV especially while taking on city roads.
Where equipment is concerned, the XUV300 AMT W8 variant gets 17” alloy wheels, dual airbags, front and rear fog lamps and reverse camera. It also sports auto headlamps, wipers, dual zone climate control and projector headlamps along with LERD DRLs.
The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while safety features also include keyless entry, cruise control and engine start stop button. XUV300 W8(O) gets an additional 5 airbags to include side, curtain and driver knee airbags, a sunroof and heated wing mirrors along with tyre pressure monitoring system, front parking sensors and it sits on 17” diamond cut alloy wheels.
Mahindra XUV300 AMT diesel is powered by a 1.5 liter, 4 cylinder turbocharged engine offering 115 bhp power and 300 Nm torque which are segment leading power and torque outputs. The engine gets mated to a 6 speed AMT unit.
Though this is a more affordable XUV300 AMT variant, rivals offer diesel AMT at a much more affordable price tag. Tata Nexon diesel AMT prices start from Rs 9.2 lakhs. Maruti Brezza diesel AMT is priced from Rs 9 lakhs.