Locked and loaded

Mahindra has given the XUV300 a proper revamp and introduced it as the XUV 3X0 to take on the compact SUV segment. But does it have what it takes? We find out

- Rahul Ghosh

The SUV is the king of the ring now in India. More importantly, the compact SUV segment is hotter than ever before. Each and every manufacturer has a strong contender in the segment which offers plenty of features and options as well.

Mahindra too had the Mahindra XUV300 which was a capable product. However, it was devoid of the fancies seen in the competition today. Now though the company has launched the Mahindra XUV 3XO and it promises a lot. But does it deliver?

The Mahindra XUV 3XO gets a properly modern design well suited to the needs of the day. The front-end comes with big light panels which incorporate C-shape LED DRLs which give it an aggressive look. The blacked-out grille section also looks cool and a closer look reveals small elements on it which add to the character of the SUV.

The front end also comes with cameras and sensors all around as this SUV now gets features like Level 2 ADAS and even blind spot cameras. In profile, the silhouette of the erstwhile 300 remains.

However, there is a generous dollop of cladding added. Wheels now are 17in units on the top AX7 L variant and they sure look good. The rear end gets a connected tail light panel which adds a lot of character to the SUV. The bumper too is big and well suited to fit an SUV.

The interiors much like the exteriors have been given a redesign as well. The black and white treatment makes the large cabin feel even more spacious than before and that’s a good thing.

The dash houses a new 10.2in infotainment system which comes with a Harman Kardon tuned audio system which sounds great. It is more so because the doors and other panels of the Mahindra XUV 3XO have been damped for better acoustics and NVH as well.