Mahindra is on a roll with their new product offerings and they are not showing signs of slowing down! First it was the Marazzo which was then followed by the Alturas G4 and now we have the soon to be launched XUV300. It is a compact SUV that will go up against the Ford EcoSport and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
What Mahindra has to say about the XUV300
Speaking at the name reveal, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, M&M Ltd. said “The XUV300 is our latest offering in the next generation of aspirational Mahindra vehicles, after the Marazzo and the Alturas G4. Our new breed of vehicles are products of engineering excellence, offer high refinement and are built on global platforms. XUV500 enjoys huge equity in consumers’ minds and now with the XUV300, the XUV brand will evolve into a family of vehicles that stands for sophistication with performance.”
Rajan Wadhera, President Automotive Sector, M&M Ltd. said “The XUV300 is an all-new product that is built on a global platform and comes with many segment firsts. The XUV300’s head-turning, cheetah-inspired design, ‘fun-to-drive’ performance, first-in-class hi-tech features, best-in-class safety and class-defining interiors, make it an exciting & comprehensive package that will find a strong connect and appeal among consumers. We will offer the XUV300 in both petrol and diesel options.”
Mahindra XUV300 – What you need to know
The XUV300 started its journey under the codename S201. It shares its platform with the SsangYong Tivoli, however unlike the Alturas G4 which essentially is a rebadged Rexton G4, Mahindra has toyed with the XUV300 far more to make it more of a Mahindra product than the same car with a different name. Having said that, it does benefit from the pedigree that the Tivoli offers. After all, the Tivoli is an award winning product and has the distinction of also getting a Grade 01 safety award in the 2015 Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP).
To make the S201 worthy of carrying the XUV badge meant that it had to stand out as a product that is big on design and features. On that front, Mahindra has kept with the ‘cheetah-inspired’ design philosophy and have also kitted the XUV300 out with numerous first-in-class features that undoubtedly will make it stand apart from the rest.
Speaking about the design first, the XUV300’s headlamps are said to integrate with the fog lamps to form a cheetah-like tear duct and the pronounced wheel arches are said to be inspired from the way the Cheetah sits on its muscular haunches. How good that looks in real life remains to be seen, however the XUV300 has struck a chord so far.
The cabin looks upmarket and so does the fit and finish, however a better understanding of what to expect will be elaborated upon at the time of the vehicle’s launch. Mahindra has also stated that the XUV300 will be on offer in both petrol and diesel versions, however details about the engines is still reserved.
The XUV300 will be manufactured at the company’s Nasik facility and will make its market debut in the first half of February 2019.