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Which Carmaker’s SUV you should buy? Should you buy the Tata’s Compact SUV Nexon, or Mahindra’s Compact SUV, XUV300? Well, how about we compare the two against each other to find out which SUV is better!
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Exterior and Interior
Tata Nexon front has black element that connect withs the LED headlamps with LED DRLs inside the headlamps that kind of look similar to the rear taillamps and the bottom is the tri-arrow grille with fog lamps at the sides. From the side, it has creases to give it mean look. It has a non-functional roof-rail and rides on the 16-inch alloy wheels. The front and rear bumper are finished in silver faux skid plate. At the rear, it has LED taillamps with two lines within them and has a rear wiper at the rear windscreen with shark fin antenna on top.
The XUV300 has a halogen headlamps with grille that rectangular chrome blocks on it and the fog lamps is a halogen as well. The bumpers at the front and the rear are finished in faux silver skid plate with four chrome line above the bumpers. Moving to the side profile, it has roof rails on the top that looks functional, with simple design and cladding on the doors as it rides on 16-inch alloy wheels. At the rear side, it small spoiler with high mount stop lamp, LED taillamps, and rear wipers on the rear windscreen.
As for the Nexon, it has a 7-inch infotainment system placed above the AC vents, and the AC Vents are positioned horizontally. The Nexon does not have the dual-tone dashboard option. It has a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with digital instrument cluster, and single-pane sunroof. It has a rotary dial before the gear lever for drive modes, and the buttons for the ventilated seats are placed at the bottom side of the seat. The Nexon has a leather seat upholstery and an 8-speaker Harman sound system. The seats at the rear are split in 60:40 ratio.
The XUV300 has a 7-inch infotainment system placed between the AC vents and has sort of curved-square shape AC Vents positioned horizontally. It has the option for the dual-tone dashboard. The XUV300 has a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with analog instrument cluster and TFT display between the analog dials, and a single-pane sunroof. It has a rotary dial to control the HVAC function of the car. It has two USB ports at the front and no USB ports at the rear. The rear seats are split in 60:40 ratio. It has the 6-speaker sound system as well.
So, from the outside, the Nexon looks much better than the XUV300 as in spacious, and design-wise and the interior of the XUV300 looks outdated while the Nexon has modern and spacious touch.
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Dimensions
| Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3993mm | 3995mm |
| Width | 1811mm | 1821mm |
| Height | 1606mm | 1627mm |
| Wheelbase | 2498mm | 2600mm |
| Ground Clearance | 209mm | 180mm |
| Boot Space | 350 litres | 257 litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 44 litres | 42 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 1,315 kg | 1,480 kg |
When it comes to Dimensions, the Nexon measures 3993mm in length, 1811mm in width, and 1606mm in height. The Mahindra XUV300 has a length of 3995mm which is 2mm longer, width of 1821mm that is wider by 10mm, and height of 1627mm that is taller by 21mm. The Nexon has a wheelbase of 2498mm, ground clearance of 209mm, and boot space of 350 litres, where as the XUV300 has a wheelbase of 2600mm that is longer by 102mm, ground clearance of 180mm which is lower by 29mm, and boot space of 257 litres which is smaller by 93 litres. The Nexon has a fuel tank of 44 litres, and kerb weight of 1,315 kg while the XUV300 has a fuel tank of 42 litres that is 2 litres smaller, and kerb weight of 1,480 kg which is heavier by 165 kg.
So, in dimensions, the Mahindra XUV300 is almost bigger in dimensions which is a good thing for passengers looking for space and comfort.
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Engine Options
| Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engines | 1.2-litre turbo petrol | 1.2-litre turbo petrol |
| Displacement | 1199cc | 1197cc |
| Power | 118.35 bhp | 128.37 bhp |
| Torque | 170 Nm | 230 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT | 6-speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 17.05 kmpl | 18.24 kmpl |
When it comes to Engine Options, the Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV300 has turbo petrol powertrain. The 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine that puts out 118.35 bhp and 170 Nm of torque mated to 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic Transmission with fuel efficiency of 17.05 kmpl. The XUV300 that has the 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine that puts out 128.37 bhp and 230 Nm of torque paired to the 6-speed Manual Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 18.24 kmpl.
| Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre turbo diesel | 1.5-litre turbo diesel |
| Displacement | 1497cc | 1497cc |
| Power | 113.42 bhp | 115.05 bhp |
| Torque | 260 Nm | 300 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 24.05 kmpl | 20.1 km/l – MT 19.5 km/l – AT |
Other than turbo petrol powertrains, the Nexon and the XUV300 has turbo diesel powertrains. The Tata Nexon has the 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine produces 113.42 bhp and 260 Nm of torque paired to a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with a fuel efficiency of 24.05 kmpl. The 1.2-litre turbo diesel engine puts out 115.05 bhp and 300 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox. The Manual has a fuel efficiency of 20.1 kmpl and the automatic has a fuel efficiency of 19.5 kmpl.
| Mahindra XUV300 | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre petrol |
| Displacement | 1197ccc |
| Power | 108.62 bhp |
| Torque | 200 Nm |
| Transmission Options | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 16.82 km/l – MT 16.5 km/l – AT |
The Mahindra XUV300 also has a non-turbo powertrain as well. The 1.2-litre petrol engine that puts out 108.62 bhp and 200 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox. It has 16.82 km/l fuel efficiency in Manual and 16.5 km/l fuel efficiency on Automatic Gearbox.
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Features
| Features | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | Halogen Projector | Halogen Projector |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel Size & Type | 16-inch alloy wheels | 16-inch alloy wheels |
| Sunroof | Single-Pane | Single-Pane |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Leather | Leatherette (Fabric + Leather) |
| Leather-wrapped steering wheel | Yes | Yes |
| AC | Auto | 2-zone |
| Rear AC vents | Yes | – |
| Ventilated Seats | Yes | – |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | – |
| Instrument Cluster | Digital | Analog |
| Infotainment System | 7-inch | 7-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wired | Wired |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 8-speaker Harman sound system | 6-speaker standard sound system |
| Cooled Glovebox | Yes | – |
| Auto-dimming IRVM | Yes | Yes |
| Height-adjustable Driver seat | Yes | Yes |
When it comes to features, the XUV300 misses out on Cooled Glovebox, Digital instrument cluster, 8-speaker sound system, Wireless Charging, Ventilated Seats, and rear AC vents. The Nexon has all these features making it much better than the XUV300.
| Safety Features | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Two airbags | Six Airbags |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | Reverse-parking camera | Reverse-parking camera |
| Parking Sensors | Rear | Front and Rear |
| TPMS | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | – |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Disc Brakes | Front Disc | Yes |
| ISOFIX anchorages | Yes | Yes |
In Safety, the Nexon misses out on Front Sensors, and Disc Brakes for all 4 wheels instead of just front wheels, whereas the XUV300 misses out on Traction Control. However, it’s worth noting that both the Nexon and the XUV300 has a safety rating of 5-star Global NCAP which makes them equally safer, but in safety features, the XUV300 is better than the Nexon.
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Price and Warranty
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Tata Nexon | Rs. 7.80 lakh – Rs. 14.50 lakh |
| Mahindra XUV300 | Rs. 8.41 lakh – Rs. 14.59 lakh |
The Tata Nexon is priced at Rs. 7.80 lakh for the base ‘XE’ variant and goes up to Rs. 14.50 lakh for the top variant, ‘XZA Plus LUXS Red Dark’ Diesel Automatic where as the Mahindra XUV300 starts at Rs. 8.41 lakh for the ‘W4’ base variant and goes up to Rs. 14.59 lakh for the ‘W8 (O) AMT’ Diesel variant. The price difference between the two entry-level variant is Rs. 61,000 and Rs. 9,000 for the top variant.
As for the warranty, Tata Motors offers 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for Nexon and can be extended for additional 3 year/1,25,000 km. For the XUV300, the warranty period is 3 years/1,00,000 km and can be extended up to 5 years/1,50,000 kms.
Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 – Verdict
In the end, the decision to buy which SUV depends totally on you, however, it is recommended to buy the Tata Nexon given both the SUVs has the same 5-star Global NCAP safety rating. Moreover, the Nexon has much better features than the XUV300, good mileage, space and is affordable than the XUV300. The Mahindra XUV300 is a good SUV as well, but from the outside and the inside, it looks outdated and is in dire need of an update. Additionally, it has features similar to the Nexon and better safety features on offer than the Nexon. So, if you’re looking for an affordable SUV with better features than the XUV300, then the Tata Nexon is for you, otherwise, if you’re looking for a safer, similar features loaded SUV, then the Mahindra XUV300 is for you. So, which one would you choose?
