Mahindra XUV 3XO (2024) Review

Mahindra's latest city-slicking SUV, the XUV 3XO, is making South Africans take notice, but it's competing in what is arguably the toughest segment in Mzansi. Can it hold its own, or even make a name for itself as one of the best affordable SUVs on sale? The freshly launched XUV 3XO came to visit us in Hermanus for a week, and here's how we got on.

Styling

Mahindra's new-generation design language is 'fire', as my teenager says.

The team who designed the front fascia deserves a Bell's; it's unique, purposeful, and eye-catching. It's hard to get away from the practical boxy shape that looks like a multitude of other crossovers out there, but Mahindra makes it work with interesting design details, scuff plates, roof rails, sexy alloys, and a floating-effect roof. The tail-end of the 3XO is soft on the eyes too, but it looks nearly identical to the Kia Seltos—not that this is a bad thing...

The connected light strip is a design we see in many crossovers at present, but it looks great on the 3XO.

Interior

Build quality is solid for the price you're paying, but the cabin ambience is more about everyday practicality and robustness than trying to keep up with the premium brands. It's a non-nonsense affair that looks like it will last.

The cockpit has leather accents in all the right places.

The dashboard, which features plenty of glossy back accents, has a vertical design to free up space up front and Mahindra thankfully supplied plenty of buttons to prevent digging into on-screen menus distractedly while you drive. Our model came with an impressive Harman Kardon sound system, which is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible too, and the 10.25-inch touchscreen fitted in our top-spec test model is in every derivative bar the entry-level MX2 model, which gets a 9-inch touchscreen. I didn't find the system to be super-user-friendly, though, and on one or two occasions the Bluetooth phone connection (or the touchscreen system) glitched so that I couldn't hear the other person speak. 

The cabin is no-frills, but still upmarket, and a huge improvement over the XUV300.

Space and Comfort

The second row is big on legroom and rear passengers have their own air vents, while the deep cargo area also allows for stacking suitcases on top of one another. Up front, you can adjust your seat to your heart's content, but it's a manual adjustment.

The rear bench features three x 3-point safety belts which is not often seen in this segment.

Other comfort and convenience features in the flagship model include a wireless charging pad for your phone, a USB-C and a fast-charging USB-A port, a digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, climate control, automatic lights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers, and a 360-degree surround view camera, along with a host of semi-autonomous driving features that we'll get to later on in this article.

Rear passengers have a USB-A port at their disposal.

The top-spec model is also the only variant that sports leatherette seats; all the others have to make to with cloth.

Mahindra also adds practical salt & pepper carpets that don't show dirt easily and keep your crossover looking cleaner for longer.

Plenty of space for a baby buggy or light holiday luggage for four.

The Drive

Mahindra builds cars that fare well over less-than-ideal terrain, and the 3XO is no different, feeling comfortable on the dusty and corrugated Mountain View road that leads to lesser-known boutique wine farms off the N2, like Iona winery near Arabella Golf Estate between Kleinmond and Hermanus. The 3XO clings to the road surface with glee and the steering is quite direct. 

It's an effortless drive, no matter where you take the XUV 3XO.

Adaptive cruise control works well too, with a ‘resume’ button on the leather-covered steering wheel that allows you to return to your set speed if you had previously overridden the system by braking or accelerating over your set limit. Semi-autonomous driving and steering form part of the collective ADAS Level 2 system but you can switch these systems off if they bug you; it’s good, but not quite at Volvo Pilot Assist level yet. The lane-departure warning functionality got on my nerves because it beeps every time your front wheels touch a white or yellow lane-marking.

Performance

Mahindra's zippy, 1.2-litre turbocharged powerplant has 82 kW and 200 Nm on tap, and it is perfectly matched to the 6-speed automatic Aisin-sourced gearbox. There are three driving modes, namely Zip, Zap and Zoom, probably denoting Eco, Comfort, and Sport. We mostly kept to Zip, which seemed like a good match for the daily 9-to-5 life, but Zoom is nicely sporty and doesn't make too much of a difference to your fuel consumption. You can select your driving modes by pressing a conveniently placed button on the centre console, or you can ask your co-driver to select it on the touchscreen. Mahindra says the 3XO accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h (not a 100km/h) in 4.6 seconds, and we found it to be sufficiently energetic.

It won't melt your face, but it's competent enough!

Fuel Consumption

The 3XO used 6-7 litres per 100 km during its time with us, which is pretty good considering that traffic is pretty heavy at this time of the year.

Rest assured that the XUV 3XO is a fuel-saving sipper.

Safety

Building on the strong safety foundation of its predecessor, the 5-star Global NCAP-rated XUV300, the XUV 3XO offers the aforementioned enhanced safety features such as Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and 360-degree cameras with blind-spot monitoring.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also count as a safety feature.

Price

The Mahindra XUV 3XO range is priced as follows:.

• 1.2T MX2 MT – R254 999
• 1.2T MX2 AT – R274 999
• 1.2T MX3 MT – R274 999
• 1.2T MX3 AT – R294 999
• 1.2T AX5 MT – R319 999
• 1.2T AX5 AT – R344 999
• 1.2T AX5L AT – R374 999

• 1.2T AX7L AT – R404 999 (tested)

MX models are sold with a 3-year/55 000 km service plan, while AX derivatives get a 5-year/ 100 000 km service plan. A 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty is included in the price of all models.

Competitors

Here’s where things get tricky; the Suzuki Fronx and newly launched Starlet Cross, essentially the same car, have already shown their mettle and the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine is known for its longevity and fuel economy, so local buyers are flocking to their respective showrooms. However, the four-speed automatic gearbox in both cars doesn’t exactly contribute to driving fun. Plus, the entry-level Starlet Cross and Suzuki Fronx manual models are more expensive than the 3XO’s most affordable automatic models. 

Other cars in this segment include the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger as well as the Hyundai Exter, but I’d pick the XUV 3XO over these three cars - it offers more substance.

The 5 best similar cars to the Mahindra XUV 3XO

The XUV 3XO is actually a midlife update to the XUV300, which has generally received positive reviews for its reliability. 

A few owners have reported minor quality control issues, such as rattling noises or faulty sensors. Our test model exhibited no rattles or squeaks, but it had only 5000 km on the odometer.

It’s definitely worth reaching out to other Mahindra owners to find out what their experience was like, where aftersales are concerned. I normally suggest that potential buyers of any car brand do this. 

The Verdict

While I loved all the flagship model’s life-simplifying features, it is considerably more expensive than the entry- and mid-range models, and cash-strapped South Africans who want value for money will probably be better off shopping at the lower end of the range, since all XUV 3XO models are pretty well-specified with parking sensors, keyless entry, air-conditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, and even stability control, along with a generous total of 6 airbags. 

The covers for the steel wheels are almost as good-looking as the alloys!

If I could get away with paying under R300 000 for a good-looking, safe, affordable, spacious crossover with an automatic gearbox, I would, and the XUV 3XO 1.2T MX3 AT at R294 999 fulfils this criteria. If you’re willing to settle for a manual transmission, there’s no reason you shouldn’t opt for the entry-level MX2 model at R254 999 either.