First Drive: Mahindra XUV 3XO

Premium Distributors Ltd, importers and distributors of Mahindra vehicles, is launching a new small SUV, dubbed XUV 3XO. It’s the smallest of its XUV range and it dots down in time for the National Fieldays, where it will go on show with pricing details released then.

Mahindra says the XUV 3XO promises to set new value standards in its segment. The base model AX5 kicks off at under $30k while the similar but better-specified AX7L adds $3k to the bottom line. 

And it’s not like the base model is exactly wanting for features. It comes with six airbags, adaptive cruise control, a sunroof, wireless Android Auto and Apple Car play, and a Qi charger.

Atop these features the AX7L adds a Skyroof. This is a panoramic roof with tilt and slide functionality. There are also 17-inch diamond-cut alloys, and a Harman Kardon Premium Audio with subwoofer. Expect also soft touch leatherette dash, doors and seat upholstery, LED fog lamps, parking sonar up front, a cooled glove compartment, 65w USB fast charging and dual-tone roof colour.

Wee triple to the fore

Powering both models is a Euro 6 82kW/200Nm three-cylinder turbopetrol engine. Its combined fuel consumption figure using ADR81/01 testing regimen is 6.5L/100km (rightcar 7.2). 

Rather than a CVT that’s typical in this sector, the 3XO features an automatic six-speed transmission by Aisin.

The vehicle has been extensively tested in New Zealand in both urban and rural situations, including gravel roads and in all-weather conditions. Both 3XOs come with a seven-year/150,000km warranty. There’s no ANCAP rating, though there should be soon given XUV 3XO is also set to debut on the Australian market.

Seems familiar

So that’s the essential rundown for the XUV 3XO. What’s it like exactly? Mahindra NZ gave motoring journalists a one-on-one drive recently, with two vehicles to check out. One was a new upper level model, the other a test mule towing an unbraked trailer weighing 750kg. The weather? Abysmal about captured it perfectly. Really, a day for ducks only.

To behold this seems familiar. That’s because it is based on a SsangYong Tivoli, the firm at one point owned by Mahindra. So rather than reinvent the wheel, Mahindra used this as the basis for its own small crossover. 

Only they didn’t go with the Tivoli drive train, instead using their own engine. The smaller displacement turbo-fired engine was chosen for its mix of torque and economy. 

The little triple develops its 200Nm from 1500 to 3500rpm. There’s enough output to keep pace with the 3XO not towing a trailer, though we had to row the gearbox along manually for best effect. You can do that at the lever. Left to its own devices this likes to lug away, keeping revs low and fuel use the same. This features no electrification yet while towing it was using fuel at a rate of just under 10L/100km. The rest of the time, on the open road and not hanging around we saw about 6.5L/100km, and at times on adaptive cruise as low as 5.5L/100km. At the speed limit in top, around 1750rpm is showing. 

Crossover to the core

So what else is new about the 3XO? The name clearly references the crossover division within which it lies, looking like an SUV but with front-wheel drive alone. It features 201mm of ground clearance for easy entry and exit. 

It may have a Tivoli like shape, nothing really different there but up front a new grille and headlights give it a more modern face. Tivoli sold for roughly $40k so this is significantly less expensive. And yet it is better specified. True, the old Tivoli had adaptive cruise but it was crude. This is much better, with appropriate following distances, lane centring that isn’t annoying and it’s easy enough to activate with its separate dials on the right side of the wheel. 

Where Tivoli had cloth seat coverings this has leather-like upholstery. And where Tivoli was awash in hard plastics, this has pleasing soft coverings in the places you’d expect and lots of gloss black finishings, on the centre console, steering wheel and the like. 

nstead of having the 10.25-inch central touchscreen as master and commander, it handles stuff like phone hook-up and radio while down below are buttons for heating and ventilation. Driver assist functions you manipulate within the instrument screen. It’s a bit of a fuss turning off lane keeping but is worth the effort. 

Seats are manually operated while mirrors and windows are powered. There’s no lumbar adjustment or steering column adjust in the horizontal plane. But this has great visibility, in all directions. 

Modes are memorable

The 3XO has three drive modes, Zip, Zap and Zoom. Think of Zip as Sip mode. Zap is Normal and Zoom is Sport. There’s quite a noticeable difference between Zip and Zap to the point that you’d select Zip only in urban settings or when low on fuel. Zap is the default drive mode, while Zoom we used for hauling because output is slightly more forthcoming. 

This engine gives of its best across the midband from about 2000-3500rpm. With each upshift you’re back into the torque band again.

As to actual performance, the weather was so shocking we didn’t bother attaching our GPS based gear but it seems to hold sixth up all manner of hills. Getting it to downshift you need to be a bit more active with the gas pedal than normal. 

Holding on

Being a wet day, you get plenty of experience determining grip levels and the chosen rubber really didn’t put a foot wrong. Despite the deluge, we didn’t once detect any semblance of a loss of traction, no slipping or sliding, just a confident on-road stance. Brakes are good too, discs all round, and weren’t fazed by the added weight of the trailer. 

It runs a Mac strut/torsion beam set up and the ride is quiet (no in-cabin SPLs above 70db), tending firm in the torsion beam rear. Unsurprisingly it is calmer with a trailer attached and some luggage on board. Mention of, the load bay swallows up to 364L of gear, not bad for something not even 4m long (3990mm). With split folding 60/40 that expands out to around 800L, in two tiers.

While abbreviated, this rides on a relatively long 2600mm wheelbase, so room in the rear for a city SUV is quite generous. Helping is a relatively flat floor so yes, you could park three people in the back okay.

What’s it up against?

A few things but most like Yaris Cross and CX-3 are more expensive. Those that aren’t are generally in runout. The AX7L comes up against Kia’s Seltos LX model with similar output but CVT. ZS Excite is similar money but doesn’t have the torque of the 3XO. Base ASX isn’t as economical and has a CVT. The main rivals on paper then are Stonic, Jolion, Omoda C5 and C3 Shine.

Check out the XUV 3XO at Fieldays next week. For more, see the July issue of NZ Autocar.