Mahindra XUV300 AMT days away from official launch: Tata Nexon & Maruti Brezza on the radar

Mahindra has sent out invites for the first drive of the XUV300 AMT, both in petrol and diesel trims. Equipped with a 6 speed automated manual transmission (AMT), the Mahindra XUV300 sub-4 meter compact SUV will take on the likes of the Tata Nexon AMT – available with in petrol and diesel – and the Maruti Brezza AMT (diesel only). The addition of an AMT option will happen on both the petrol and diesel variants of the Mahindra XUV300, making the compact SUV take the fight up to other petrol automatic SUVs in the segment – the Ford EcoSport and the just-launched Hyundai Venue. While both the EcoSport and Venue have smoother automatic gearboxes, all eyes will be on Mahindra for the petrol AMT variant of the XUV300 given the fact that it’s the first time that the automaker is introducing a petrol-AMT variant in India.

The petrol and diesel engines of the Mahindra XUV300 will get the same power and torque outputs though. The 1.2 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine makes 110 Bhp-200 Nm, with the torque figure being a segment leading output. As for the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, it’s the segment leader both in terms of peak power and peak torque, with outputs of 115 Bhp and 300 Nm respectively.

The XUV300 is a premium-priced SUV in the segment, and Mahindra has stuffed it with features to justify the pricing. Also, the XUV300 offers the longest wheelbase in its class, and is significantly more spacious than the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport and the Maruti Brezza. Pricing of the AMT variants will be crucial though as the compact SUV buyer now has plenty of options to pick and choose from, even among automatics.

Here’s a video that shows the insides of the XUV300 AMT,

Currently, the Mahindra XUV300’s prices start from Rs. 7.9 lakhs for the petrol versions and Rs. 8.5 lakhs for the diesel models. The AMT variants are likely to be about Rs. 60,000 pricier, variant to variant. The XUV300 has gotten off to a great start in terms of sales, and is averaging over 5,000 units each month. It’s now India’s 3rd best selling sub-4 meter compact SUV, behind the Maruti Brezza and the Hyundai Venue. The addition of the AMT option on both the petrol and diesel trims is likely to boost sales by about 20 %. Don’t be surprised if the Mahindra XUV300 begins doing 6,000 monthly units consistently. The Tata Nexon and the Maruti Brezza could be the two SUVs from where the XUV300 AMT pulls sales.