The Mahindra XUV 3oo has a 5-star Global NCAP crash test rating, which is enough to put it at the top of any purchase list if you ask me. It has other compelling plus points – a punchy, entertaining turbo-petrol engine, a distinctive design, assured handling and a long feature set, among others.
Indeed, I think it’s the best vehicle in the Mahindra portfolio, and the two factors that could have perhaps been counted against it were its rather high price and the absence of an automatic in the petrol range.
Now, at least one of those has been taken care of, with the introduction of an AMT petrol (Mahindra calls it Autoshift – potato, po-tah-to). This model is yet another variant in the booming SUV market in India, which shows no signs of slowing down.
To get to the meat of it, the new gearbox has been developed by Mahindra based on the Magnetti Marelli 6-speed manual gearbox that is found in the manual versions. The drawback with AMTs is the dreaded ‘nod’ – the pronounced lag between shifts that causes you to move forwards and back in your seat.
Let’s Talk Performance
I’d be lying if I said this quirk isn’t present in this AMT as well, but it’s been kept down to an acceptable level and is also made up for by the energetic engine, which takes it upon itself to make up for any deficiencies; the 3-cylinder turbo-petrol puts out 110 bhp and 200 Nm of torque, and it’s one of the best petrol engines in India, no question.
When you’re driving around in the city, the gearbox is actually very refined and quick on the uptake – you can use the accelerator pedal to effectively modulate forward progress. It also comes with a ‘creep’ mode (no, it’s not what you think) which allows the car to operate smoothly in bumper to bumper traffic.
If there's one thing that can be held against it, it's that the clutch is a bit snappy in nature. Out on a highway, the AMT is also at home across the rev range, but when you flog the car, the AMT does feel a little slow.
So far, so good. Now for the… well, I’m not quite sure what to call it. In a traditional automatic gearbox, the shifting pattern is usually linear, and top-to-bottom – Park, Drive, Neutral, Reverse. Mahindra has decided to reinvent the wheel and make the movement a side to side one, with no Park mode.
To engage Drive, you shift the lever to the left, and Neutral is to the right; a second shift to the left engages ‘manual’ shifting mode, wherein you pull and push the lever up and down to go, well, down and up respectively.
It’s also a kind of Sports mode because if you put it in manual and don't shift manually, the ‘box holds revs for longer. I’m not sure why this was done, to be honest, and it takes some getting used to.
Moving Onto Interiors
The cabin remains unchanged, which means excellent rear-seat space, solid build quality and features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, climate control and everything else you would expect in a top-end car. The AMT models – diesel and petrol – also get Blue Sense Plus, which is Mahindra's connected car system.
You operate it with an app, and it gives you access to all the things similar apps do – remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle diagnostics, geo-fencing, tyre pressure monitoring, fuel levels and so on. Externally, there are no changes other than an Autoshift badge at the back.
This remains a handsome car, and those LED daytime running lights still look very cool. On the move, the XUV 3oo offers excellent ride quality, sharp handling and playful nature. You have access to three steering modes – Normal, Comfort, Sport – which lighten up the steering or make it a bit more weighty.
With all this in mind, how does this car weigh up? I’d say it’s well worth a look if you’re in the market for a sub-4 metre SUV.
The AMT is better than most, the car looks sporty and handles well, the engine is delightful and, at a price range of Rs 9.95 lakh to Rs 11.77 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s… still on the expensive side. Nevertheless, its merits outweigh its demerits.
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