Mahindra XUV 3XO vs Tata Nexon: Spec comparison

There’s a new crop of compact SUVs on offer and among them, the two newest of the lot are the Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV 3XO. They are feature-loaded, unique looking, offer a turbo-petrol, two-pedal driving experience and, most importantly, are very (very ) closely priced. All of this puts them in heavy contention with each other to appeal to the new-age buyer who places a higher emphasis on features, appearance, and driving experience.

Two approaches to the same task, that is, the exterior design for both vehicles. On the one hand, you have the XUV 3XO which is square(ish) in its stance with a stubby boot, long hood, and large wheels that sit on the edges of the car. The Nexon, on the other hand, was the first coupe SUV design in the fray and has held that appeal for almost seven years now. When putting XUV 3XO vs Nexon, the latter has the bigger face and higher stance but the XUV’s taillamp element looks much more modern and it also has the sharper-looking wheels.

Overall both cars have the same type of interior with a big emphasis on front occupant experience. Across Nexon as well as 3XO, you get dual-digital displays, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, centrally mounted climate control system, and ventilated front seats. That said, the second row in the Nexon loses out on some of the headroom due to the curved roofline but overall both cars offer a similar seating experience. Dimensions too are similarly matched, though the Nexon has a boot space of 382 litres while the boot of the XUV 3XO stands at 364 litres.

This is where things get interesting. When looking at the top-spec models in terms of features, they are evenly matched with things like dual-digital screens, connected car technology, ventilated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof. However, over the Nexon, the fully loaded XUV 3XO gets Level 2 ADAS and dual-zone climate control — both of which are segment-first features.

In this comparison, we are looking at the top-spec turbo petrol models. In the XUV 3XO, it’s a 1.2-litre GDi engine producing 129bhp/230Nm while in the Nexon it’s a regular turbo-petrol producing 118bhp/170Nm. The former gets a six-speed torque converter AT while the latter