Mahindra XUV300

The Mahindra XUV300 is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by the Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra. It is based on the X100 platform of SsangYong Tivoli and has been sold in Indian market since February 2019. Mahindra slotted it in the segment along with their TUV300 to rival the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and the Ford Ecosport.

History
The XUV300 was initially codenamed as S201. Based on European spec Ssangyong Tivoli, it underwent major modifications to suit Indian roads and market conditions. The SUV was wind tunnel tested at Pininfarina facility in Italy. Mahindra officially revealed the name of XUV300 in December 2018. The SUV is wider and taller than Tivoli in dimensions but is made shorter than the counterpart to fit into sub-four-meter segment. It also resembles its sibling XUV500 in looks with similar projector headlamps and DRLs, front grille and the wheel arches. It was launched on 14 February 2019 in India.

Engine
The XUV300 is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine with 6-speed manual transmission. A 6-speed automatic variant is also now available. The new petrol engine co-developed by Ssangyong delivers 110 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque while the diesel engine borrowed from Mahindra Marazzo outputs 115 bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque.

Safety
In 2020, XUV300 was subjected to crash tests by the Global NCAP and it achieved the result of five stars for adult occupant protection and four stars for child occupant protection. It scored a maximum of 16.42 points on a scale of 17 for adult occupant safety and 37.44 points on a scale of 49 for child occupant safety. It is the first Indian-made car to score the highest points among all five-star rated Indian cars tested so far by Global NCAP. This is also the first Indian-made car to score a four-star child safety rating.