Mahindra XUV300 TGDI launched at Rs 10.35 lakh; Fastest ICE SUV under Rs 15 lakh

Mahindra has launched a new sportier iteration of the XUV300 sub-compact SUV. This new version of the SUV, which will be called Mahindra XUV300 TurboSport, now sits at the top of the petrol variant lineup and gets a host of visual tweaks inside-out and a bump in performance from the existing 1.2-litre petrol engine but there is no automatic or AMT transmission available with the new model. It is the fastest SUV powered by petrol or diesel engine under Rs 15 lakh. Mahindra claims that it can do 0-60 km/h in just 5 seconds.

The new Mahindra XUV300 TurboSport has been launched in three variants, the prices of which are as follows:

• W6 – Rs 10.35 lakh (mono-tone)
• W8 – Rs 11.65 lakh (mono-tone) / Rs 11.80 lakh (dual-tone)
• W8 (O) – Rs 12.75 lakh (mono-tone) / Rs 12.90 lakh (dual-tone)

While the new mono-tone colour option is Blazing Bronze, the three new dual-tone colour options are Blazing Bronze with black roof, Napoli Black with white roof and Pearl White with black roof.

Coming to the visual tweaks, the Mahindra XUV300 TurboSport retains the design and body panels of the standard version of the XUV300. However, there are some sporty-looking visual add-ons and tweaks in this new version, including a new piano black grille with red inserts and all-black ORVMs. On the inside, the XUV300 TurboSPort gets an all-black interior, black leatherette seats and chrome pedals.

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First Mahindra with 1.2 TGDI engine

The highlight of the Mahindra XUV300 TurboSPort has to be its engine under the hood. It gets the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder mStallion turbocharged petrol engine. However, the engine is in a different state of tune here, and it produces a maximum power output of 130 PS and a peak torque output of 230 Nm. These figures make it around 20 PS more powerful and 30 Nm torquey than the regular petrol-powered versions of the XUV300. The only choice of transmission for this more powerful powertrain is a 6-speed manual gearbox. 

In comparison, the Hyundai Venue N-Line gets powered by a 1.0-litre T-GDI engine that generates a maximum power of 120 PS and a peak torque of 172 Nm. Venue N-Line is available with a Dual-Clutch automatic Transmission.

The new XUV300 TurboSport will be sold alongside the currently available 1.2-litre 110 PS turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder 115 PS diesel engine. However, these two engine options are also available with the option of a 6-speed AMT, which is not offered in the new TurboSport variant.

The idea of a more powerful Mahindra XUV300 petrol version was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020 in the form of the XUV300 Sportz. That version had this same tweaked engine, but different exterior visual tweaks in the form of added body graphics and red-coloured front brake callipers. This new version of the Mahindra XUV300 will compete with the turbocharged petrol SUVs like the newly launched Hyundai Venue N-Line and Kia Sonet GT-Line.

The Mahindra XUV300 received the 5-star Global NCAP rating for adult occupant safety in 2020. The car also received a 4-star safety rating for child occupant protection. Both the adult safety and child safety score are higher than any other car in the Indian market, which is why the XUV300 received the award. The car was also further tested by G-NCAP for the electronic stability control (ESC) and pedestrian protection requirement.

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