Mahindra XUV 3XO Diesel Manual Review: A Better Buy Over Petrol?

The 6-speed manual gearbox has slightly longer throws, the clutch is a bit on the heavier side while abundance of torque makes it easier to drive in traffic with no need to constantly work the gearbox

The engine is likeable and offers strong performance while there is also an AMT option which does not drive while there is no conventional automatic available here ( Image Source :Somnath Chatterjee )

The XUV 3XO is one of the few sub compact SUVs which are available with a diesel and we drove the diesel manual iteration to see whether it makes sense to buy it or not.

The 1.5l four cylinder diesel is available across all trims and develops 117bhp/300Nm which means it is more powerful than rivals as well. This engine comes with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox along with an AMT automatic.

We drove the manual and first impressions were positive with increased refinement levels over the earlier XUV300 diesel with less diesel clatter. The power delivery is linear though while turbo lag is well contained.

Features

The 6-speed manual gearbox has slightly longer throws and yes, the clutch is a bit on the heavier side while abundance of torque makes it easier to drive in traffic with no need to constantly work the gearbox. Torque is highest in class and evident when you cruise at highway speeds with the car being relaxed to drive. It also feels settled and does not feel heavy with a sense of toughness which differentiates it over rivals.

Engine Performance

Efficiency is decent though with 14-15 kmpl while the official figure is 20kmpl plus. The diesel base variant starts from under Rs 10 lakh while the top-end is just under Rs 15 lakh. The engine is likeable and offers strong performance while there is also an AMT option which does not drive while there is no conventional automatic available here.

For those seeking efficiency and doing longer runs will like the diesel here overall with being the most powerful in its class an obvious highlight. With diesels gradually disappearing from the compact SUV segment, the XUV 3XO with this engine could be a strong seller.