Mahindra XUV300 getting Bharat Stage 6 ready: Test mule spotted!

Mahindra has begun testing a Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) compliant version of the recently launched XUV300 sub-4 meter compact SUV. A test mule of the SUV was spied in Chennai, a city that hosts Mahindra’s research and development facility. The XUV300 is sold in India with two engine options – a 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol and a 1.5 liter turbocharged diesel. Both engines are expected to meet the much tighter Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms, which will come into force for all vehicles sold in India from April 2020. Based on the Ssangyong Tivoli’s X100 platform, the XUV300 is a shortened, restyled, feature-rich SUV that rivals the likes of the Maruti Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon.

Spyshot courtesy MotorVikatan

The XUV300 is one of the most feature-rich compact SUVs sold in India apart from being the most powerful vehicle in its segment. It’s particularly big on safety features. Seven airbags including a driver’s airbag, seat belt reminders for all five passengers, disc brakes on all four wheels, ABS, EBD, anti-roll over protection, electronic stability program, traction control, hill hold, cruise control and tyre pressure monitoring system are the various features on offer. As for creature comforts, the SUV is loaded with ambient lighting, electric sunroof, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 60:40 split rear seat and more.

Under the hood, the petrol engine is a 1.2 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged unit with 112 Bhp-200 Nm. The torque figure is best in class. The diesel engine is a unit  borrowed from the Marazzo. It displaces 1.5 liters and has a four cylinder layout. Both power and torque outputs of the diesel – 115 Bhp and 300 Nm – are class leading numbers. Both engines are offered with 6 speed manual transmissions that drive the front wheels. There is no all wheel drive layout, even as an option. Mahindra will soon introduce 6 speed AMT options on both the petrol and diesel engined variants of the XUV300. The AMT variants are likely to be about Rs. 50,000-60,000 pricier than the manual versions.

Once BS6 emission norms kick in, both the petrol and diesel variants of the Mahindra XUV300 will get pricier. However, the diesel version is expected to get a lot more pricier than the petrol version. The difference in prices between the petrol and diesel engined variants of the XUV300 could increase to up to Rs. 2 lakhs, and most buyers are likely to shift towards the petrol engined model. So, if you want to skip the price hike, it’s better that you buy the SUV before April 2020. Mahindra is also working on an all-electric version of the SUV, due for launch next year. The XUV300 Electric is expected to have a range of around 250 300 kilometers per charge, a 0-100 Kph sprint time of 11 seconds and a 160 Kmph top speed.