What is it?
Ever since the Mahindra XUV300’s launch, it’s been public knowledge that an automatic version was coming soon. And the said version is now here in the form of the XUV300 AMT. The auto option is only available on the diesel engine version of the SUV and uses a 6-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) sourced from Marelli (previously known as Magneti Marelli). Interestingly, this transmission is completely different from the slow-shifting, clunky, 5-speed AMT unit in TUV300 and the NuvoSport.
We got to sample the XUV300 AMT in the top of the line W8(O) variant, so let’s get right to it.
What’s it like on the inside?
The XUV300’s interior continues to have the same pleasing design with its black and beige theme. The cabin feels spacious and airy, and you are sat in a commanding driving position with good overall visibility. What’s new here is the automatic gear lever that is sturdy, nice to hold and easy to slot into different drive modes from the centre-most position. The gates are laid out in a cross position, with Automatic (A) and Manual (M) on the left, Neutral on the right, Reverse on the right and bottom, and Tiptronic on the top (+) and bottom (-) from the centre position. The layout, however, isn’t very intuitive and takes some time getting used to. The lack of a clutch pedal has freed up some space in the footwell and you have a wide and comfortable dead pedal here – something that is sorely missed on the manual XUV.
Elsewhere, the XUV300 AMT is identical to the manual variants. In short, there is enough space in the rear to seat three passengers. The 257-litre boot, however, isn’t very accommodating.
What’s it like to drive?
The XUV300 AMT uses the same 117hp/300Nm, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine as the XUV diesel-manual. Slot the 6-speed AMT’s lever into ‘A’ and the XUV300 engages Creep mode which is nice and progressive. This, in fact, is a huge improvement over the previous Mahindra AMT on the NuvoSport, which leaps forward when you lift your foot off the brake pedal. With a light foot on the throttle, the transmission shifts up through the initial gears effortlessly and smoothly. Truth be told, it is comfortable to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic, as a conventional automatic, but small jerks and some amount of head nod still remain. But there is little doubt, this is one of the best AMTs around. The gearbox is quick enough to respond and drops down a single or couple of gears when you demand more power from it. However, when cruising on the highway, it doesn’t quite drop down three gears, say from sixth to third, where the real punch is. So, for overtakes on the highways, it is best you use the manual Tiptronic mode. Even though the shifts in manual mode aren’t super quick, it gives you good control over the gearbox and helps keep the engine on the boil.
The AMT variant comes with hill-hold assist feature which prevents the car from rolling back when you are on a slope. Another good feature of the AMT is that while going downhill, the unit doesn’t upshift to a higher gear immediately when the speed increases. It will hold on to a lower gear to give you more control while coming down a hill. The auto start-stop feature from the manual variant has been given a miss on the AMT variant. It, however, gets cruise control, unlike the Maruti Brezza.
Other characteristics of the XUV300 remain unchanged and the good suspension setup offers a plush and comfortable ride over bad roads. It also gets three steering modes, which is a segment-first, but the steering lacks feedback and feel. The wide track and 215/55 R17 tyres provide good grip in corners and the all-wheel-disc brake setup helps you shed speed quickly and confidently.
Should I buy one?
In its top-end W8 (O) variant, the XUV300 is well equipped when it comes to convenience and safety features. The W8(O) gets heated outside mirrors, dual-zone climate control, smartwatch connectivity, tyre pressure monitoring system, a sunroof, 17-inch diamond-cut alloys, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED tail-lamps, touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, auto headlamps and wipers and auto-dimming inside mirror.
In terms of safety, the car comes equipped with all-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, seven airbags, child seat anchors, ESP, hill-launch assist, front parking sensors, and three-point seat belts and adjustable neck restraints for all the seats.
With the price of the top-end diesel-manual variant at Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the XUV300 is already on the pricier side. AMT variants normally command a premium of about Rs 60,000 to 70,000 over the manual variants, but this isn’t much when you consider all that is on offer. The Marelli-sourced AMT unit is one of the smoother ones in the market. So if you are looking for an easy-to-drive, comfortable, powerful, fuel-efficient diesel and feature-rich SUV, with the added convenience of an automatic, the XUV300 AMT is the one to go for.
Click here for Mahindra XUV300 prices, reviews, images, videos and more
from Autocar India - Cars http://bit.ly/2Ft8NGv
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