XUV 3XO

Overview

The XUV 3XO is Mahindra telling the compact SUV segment that screens and airbags matter more than badges. The cabin is dominated by a large central touchscreen flanked by a digital cluster on top trims, the feature list runs to ventilated seats, a powered driver seat, a panoramic roof and a 360-degree camera, and the whole thing sits under a body with 205 mm of ground clearance that takes no notice of a poorly built speed breaker.

The safety story is the other headline: a five-star Bharat NCAP adult score with up to seven airbags depending on variant in this listing, which is the kind of numbers talk that used to belong to cars twice the price. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol shown here makes 110 bhp and 140 Nm, smooth and willing rather than quick, paired with a light manual or an automated gearbox for the city; the turbo-petrol alternatives in the wider range add shove, but this record covers the mainstream engine most buyers will take.

The fine print is about execution. The touch-everything layout means digging through menus for tasks a physical knob used to handle, the rear bench is shaped generously for two adults and optimistically for a third, and claimed 17 kmpl softens to 11-12 kmpl in a city that sits on the clutch. Against the Tata and Maruti alternatives it wins the equipment argument and holds its own on safety; the question for a buyer is whether a screen-first cabin is a daily joy or a daily inconvenience.

• Five-star Bharat NCAP adult score
• Up to seven airbags on top trims
• Panoramic roof and dual big screens