Mahindra XUV300 vs Maruti Brezza vs Tata Nexon vs Ford EcoSport: Spec-comparison

The Mahindra XUV300 is days away from its official launch now and media drives for the vehicle have already been done last week. The SsangYong Tivoli based sub compact SUV rivals the likes of Tata Nexon, Ford Ecosport and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza in its segment. Now all of these vehicles have been around in the market since sometime and have established themselves strongly.

Mahindra has packed the XUV300 in almost every way to take on the strong competition and now pricing is the crucial element which will decide its market strength. However, if you are confused between which sub compact SUV to buy, here is a spec comparison of all the four SUV mentioned above.

Engines

The Mahindra XUV300 gets both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol is a 1.2-litre turbocharged motor which produces 110 Bhp of power and 200 Nm of peak torque, while the diesel is a 1.5-litre engine producing 115 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of peak torque. The diesel is the same motor that is also found under the hood of the Marazzo, albeit in a higher state of tune.

The Ford Ecosport has three engine options to choose from. The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre unit that develops 99 Bhp of power and 205 Nm of peak torque. The petrol motor is a 1.5-litre unit with 120 Bhp of power and 150 Nm of torque on offer. The third and most powerful engine is the 1.0-litre EcoBoost motor which churns out 123 Bhp of power and 170 Nm of peak torque.

Coming to the best selling car of the segment, the Vitara Brezza gets powered by only a single diesel engine option. The tried and tested 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that churns out 89 Bhp of power and 200 Nm of peak torque. Lastly, the Tata Nexon uses a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit which produces 108 Bhp of power and 170 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine is a turbocharged 1.5-litre oil burner producing 108 Bhp of power and 260 Nm of peak torque.

In terms of sheer power then, the Mahindra XUV300 comes off as the most powerful of the lot here when talking of diesel variants. However, the most powerful petrol engine car here is the Ford Ecosport with its 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine.

Automatic gearbox options

Having talked about the engine options available, let’s now move on to the gearboxes on option. In this aspect, the Mahindra XUV300 disappoints as it only comes with a 6 speed manual transmission. It is a slick shifting unit but the lack of an auto box will surely affect the overall sales of the car. Talking of the Ford Ecosport, the petrol variants of the SUV get a dual-clutch automatic transmission as an option. The diesel variants, on the other hand, are mated to a 5 speed manual transmission while the EcoBoost version comes with a 6 speed manual.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza gets both manual and automatic transmission options to choose from. The manual is a 5-speed while the automatic is a AMT unit. Moving on, the Tata Nexon also gets both manual and automatic transmission options to choose from with both engines. The manual is a 6-speed unit while the auto is an AMT unit.

Therefore, if you want to get an automatic transmission compact SUV, the XUV300 is out of question for now. For those looking after a petrol powered auto vehicle, the Ford Ecosport will be the best bet with its torque converter type gearbox. For diesel automatic, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Tata Nexon both are pretty good options and it will come down to power vs mileage factor when choosing between them.

Interiors and Features

Interiors and features are crucial while choosing between cars and all the four compact SUVs here are pretty decently equipped in that front. Starting with the Mahindra XUV300, it gets many segment leading features which include multi-mode steering, heated ORVMs, 7 airbags, disc brakes on all four wheels and dual-zone auto AC. It also gets a 7 inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The XUV300 has the largest wheelbase in the segment so space is not a issue and in fact is among the best in class.

The Ford Ecosport gets a segment leading 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while being the only car here to get telescopic adjustable steering. It get an all black interiors theme and the quality of plastics and the fit and finish levels are excellent. The rear seat are decent in space and comfort but nothing to write home about. The Maruti Suzuki comes with similar features as on the Ecosport but misses on sunroof that is included with the XUV300 and the Ecosport.

The Tata Nexon is also pretty feature rich and comes with options like floating 6.5 inch touch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, an 8-speaker music system from Harman, multi-drive modes. Safety features on the car include ABS, EBD, airbags, voice warnings, reminders for seat belts and low fuel, child safety locks, along with many others.

Being the newer car here, the Mahindra XUV300 seems to have a edge over the competition in terms of interiors and features. Sure, the quality of plastics could have been better along with some other fine improvements but overall, it is the most loaded SUV among the ones mentioned here.

Fuel efficiency

Now fuel efficiency is the deciding factor for many when buying a new car. Talking of which, the Mahindra XUV300 has an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 17 km/l for the petrol engine while the diesel engine has a fuel efficiency figure of 20 km/l. The Ford Ecosport has a fuel efficiency figure of 17 km/l for the 1.5 litre manual petrol version and 14.8 km/l for the petrol automatic. The diesel Ecosport has a fuel efficiency figure of 23 km/l.

Talking of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, it has the highest fuel efficiency figure in segment, that is, 24.3 km/l. The Tata Nexon, on the other hand, has a fuel efficiency figure of 21.5 km/l for the diesel variant while the petrol variant stands at 17 km/l.

If mileage is your priority, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will suit the bill perfectly. For petrol powered variants, all the three petrol powered SUVs here have similar mileage of 17 km/l so it comes to other factors when choosing one over the other.