Why I would recommend the XUV 3XO AX5 AT over other manual variants

Just to put it into perspective, the 1.0 VW twins didn’t have me grinning quite as much as the 3XO.

BHPian TheHelix0202 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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TL;DR: AX5 Torque Converter AT is the variant of choice if you’re after a decently fast compact petrol hatch with a reasonably strong feature list. The manual version suffers from imperfect ergonomics and noticeable cost cutting measures.

I checked out the 3XO in person at the showroom last evening. I didn't exactly walk in skipping with excitement. That myopic-looking headlamp (first the Scorpio, now this—what’s up with Mahindra?) didn’t exactly tickle my fancy.

We asked for the 1.2 TGDi (as we had shown prior interest in the XUV 300 TurboSport), but the salesperson gave us the regular 1.2 turbo (what Mahindra calls the 1.2 TCMPFI) without even informing us of this switch. But man, this 'regular' little 110 BHP turbocharged gasoline engine put a smile on my face right from the instant I hopped onto the highway, slotted it into second, and floored the gas pedal, all the way to the end of the ride… well, almost.

There were a few major concerns. But just to put it into perspective, the 1.0 VW twins didn’t have me grinning quite as much. The larger displacement of the 3XO helped. I curse VW/Skoda every day for dropping their 1.2 TSI.

The engine, brakes, and manual transmission combination was an absolute hoot. In my opinion, this is the variant (AX5 1.2 “regular” 110-horsepower turbo) to opt for if you want maximum bang for your buck. Preferably in the Torque Converter AT guise.

The ‘Comfort’ and ‘Normal’ steering modes were plenty for me. ‘Sport’ just gave me an arm workout, which I was already sore from the day before. The speed chime at 80 km/h is probably the best integrated tweety bird system I’ve ever seen in a car under 20 lakhs. It’s non-jarring and behaves exactly as a speed chime should. However, the indicator sound is irksome—even more so than the Slavia I drove just half an hour before (and that’s quite the irony).

But it couldn’t all be starry-eyed love, could it? Nope, the ergonomics were so terrible that it made me drop this car with a slight ache in my chest (although I had dropped the XUV 300 for the very same reasons). The gear knob rattled with a vehemence I hadn’t noticed even in the 300. This is simply not acceptable in a car costing over 15 lakhs. The steering wheel had crude, unfinished plastics cutting into my palms from behind. The seat lacked the under-thigh support I’d have liked (I am 6’2").

The suspension, while acceptably adept at managing speeds, still wasn’t to my liking when handling undulations and vertical movement. Lateral movement, though, was fairly well managed by the car. The seating always felt claustrophobic in the 300, but with the seat cranked up all the way to the top (though at the cost of under-thigh support), it offers a decently commanding stance with all-around visibility. Paired with its compact dimensions, this makes it quite maneuverable.

And the kicker—ABSOLUTELY ZERO space to rest my clutch foot. The clutch was also sharp on the edge, constantly digging into my shoe and ruining it. There’s not even a dead pedal. When I asked, the salesperson shamelessly said, “Saar, in the Automatic variant, you get space there, Saar!” I was quite flummoxed. I had given up on car salesmen as a hopeless bunch long ago.

It’s clear that Mahindra is targeting AT buyers with this car, and I urge enthusiasts to look elsewhere if MT is what they prefer. As for the boot space, the capacity seems to have gone up, but I didn’t really care to check. And irritatingly enough, referring to it as an SUV is an injustice.

To me, the XUV 300/3XO is an almost-perfect product that suffers neglect in key areas due to Mahindra’s ignorance or indifference.

And to wrap up, since someone above asked, from what I remember of the XUV 300 TurboSport MT, the poor ergonomics coupled with the jumpy, high-revving surge of power from the 1.2 TGDi mStallion engine made it annoying to manage within crowded city streets. It’s more of an open highway blaster. I’m guessing it’s the same case here with the 3XO as well.

In the end, I was even willing to overlook the shoddy looks up front, but poor ergonomics with less than sorted driving comfort and dynamics are just something I can’t live with.

Oh well! Props to Mahindra for trying. I’d rate it 8.5 out of 12.

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