1. 7 Airbags:
While the majority of sub-4m SUVs in India offer dual front airbags, the XUV300 will be available with upto seven airbags. The only other sub-4m SUV to offer more than two airbags is the Ford EcoSport, with six airbags in the top-spec S variant. The XUV300 is also expected to offer seven airbags only in the top-end variant. Other variants are expected to get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchors and rear parking sensors as standard.
2. Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control:
The XUV300 will be the first car in its segment to offer dual-zone climate control. Other cars in this class are equipped with single-zone climate control or regular automatic air-con only. A single-zone system allows setting single AC temperature for the entire car, whereas with the dual-zone system, the driver and the co-passenger can set two different temperatures.
3. Rear disc brakes:
For braking, all the sub-4m SUVs in India are equipped with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. However, the XUV300 will get disc brakes on all wheels, making it the first car in its segment to feature this setup. Disc brakes at the rear should help reduce the stopping distance compared to drum brakes.
4. Largest Wheelbase:
At the name announcement, Dr. Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, confirmed that the XUV300 has the largest wheelbase in the sub-4m segment. Although he did not give any exact numbers, we expect it to be similar to that of the SsangYong Tivoli, an SUV on which the XUV300 is based. The SsangYong Tivoli is a 4.19m long SUV with a wheelbase of 2600mm. Here is a comparison of the wheelbases of the Tivoli with other sub-4m SUVs in India.
| MAHINDRA XUV300 | SSANGYONG TIVOLI | MARUTI BREZZA | TATA NEXON | FORD ECOSPORT | |
| Wheelbase | 2600mm (expected) | 2600mm | 2500mm | 2498mm | 2519mm |
At 2,600mm, the XUV300’s wheelbase will not only be the longest in the sub-4m SUV segment, but also 10mm longer than the Hyundai Creta (2590mm), which belongs to a segment above. For more perspective, the S-Cross has a wheelbase of 2,600mm. A longer wheelbase can help make the cabin more spacious.
5. Most Powerful Engines:
Along with the wheelbase, Dr. Goenka also confirmed that the XUV300 will be the most powerful car in its class. Although he did not reveal details about the engines, we expect the diesel XUV300 to get the Marazzo’s 1.5-litre 123PS/300Nm diesel engine. The petrol motor is expected to be a new 1.2-litre turbocharged engine which is reported to have been co-developed with SsangYong. Both the engines will be mated to a 6-speed MT. Currently, the Tata Nexon (diesel) and the Ford EcoSport (petrol) are the most powerful sub-4m SUVs with power outputs of 110PS and 125PS, respectively.
Verdict: The Mahindra XUV300 does look exciting, packed with features and a set of capable petrol and diesel engines. The ‘XUV’ tag should further help the sub-4m SUV to cash in on the success of its bigger sibling, the XUV500. A lot would hinge on the pricing, though, and Mahindra would do well to price the XUV300 in the range of Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for it to make a significant impact against its famed rivals.
By: CarDekho
