XUV700 owner shares why the new 3XO is the best 2nd car for his home

In terms of driving dynamics, the Mahindra 3XO is like a downsized version of the XUV700.

BHPian Hawk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been driving an XUV 700 Petrol automatic, since the last 2 years. It is one of the best cars in its segment and it's really fun to drive. One of the best things about it is how it controls, the dynamics and the power delivery. It's such a perfect symphony. I think no other car even comes close to it in its price range.

So, we were on the hunt for a 2nd car in our home and we had checked out all the automatic options in the 8 - 14 lakh range. Including Nissan Magnite, Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20, Honda Amaze, MS Brezza, MS Baleno, Citroen C3, Tata Punch.

All of these lacked something or the other, they felt really disconnected from the road. Only the Altroz DCA felt that it had a little feedback from the road. After driving all these cars it left me wanting for more, I was addicted to how the 700 sprints and every car felt like a letdown from there.

Now, today I went to the nearby Koncept Mahindra showroom in Noida to check out the new XUV 3XO.

The build quality, fit and finish, feature distribution, and price is spot on. It was better than any of the cars I had checked out and even far better than the Nexon and Brezza. In my view, MS Brezza has one of the most boring interiors. The back seats were really spacious and there was very good headroom for all the passengers. The boot space was less, but I think with nice management skills it can be managed. I mean I would rather carry fewer clothes than be really cramped up in the 2nd row in a 700 KM drive, but the boot space is decent, to say the least, it's not as low as it is being commented.

So, now sadly they didn't have the automatic car for the test drive so I drove the XUV 3XO AX5 Manual with the 1.2 L TCMPFi engine. I kid you not when I say this, but it felt like I was driving a mini version of the XUV 700. The turning dynamics, the braking and acceleration were spot on. The gears seemed pretty long to me personally and did not need to shift too much, the gearbox was really slick and butter smooth. The brakes had a sharp bite and the bite was very similar to that of the XUV 700. The stability was also really good and it masked speed and potholes very well. The suspension setup is the best in the segment, I think of all the cars I had taken a test drive off I found the 3XO has the best ride quality compared to all of them, it's really similar to that of the XUV 700.

Surprisingly the back camera quality of the 3XO is better than the 700.

One of the weak links I felt was that the music system in the AX5 could have been a little better, but anyhow when you see the price tag of 12.50 OTR Noida for the AX5 manual it doesn't make you feel that it is a deal breaker. I also wish it had a reach function in the steering but nevertheless, the driving position for me was comfortable. Also, I think in the lower variants instead of giving a sunroof they should have focused more on giving other features such as a reverse camera, EPB & auto hold, front parking camera, front parking sensors etc. Also, ventilated seats could have been a boon in north Indian summer.

The variant which made the most sense for us was the MX 2 Pro AT. I mean 11.20 OTR Noida for a Turbo petrol engine mated to a torque converter gearbox is like a steal deal and the fact that it has all the necessary features like 4 speakers, a good infotainment system etc and even a sunroof (which will be used only in winters). I mean there is no need for us to go any variant above that. I think the MX 2 pro and AX5 are the best Variants to buy. The MX3 and MX3 pro variants don't really make any sense above the MX2 pro variant. Also, even if you think the features are less you just need one drive around the block to forget what things were missing in them.

Also, many people were very questioning about its Design and personally, I liked it, the pictures don't do justice to it. Nebula blue and white really looked good on it. The front is tacky but it isn't something ugly to look at. It's quirky, to say the least.

THE GOOD

1. It's very fun to drive
2. Really great spread of variants and each variant is priced aggressively and screams VFM
3. Very good suspension setup and it masks up speed and potholes very well
4. All the necessary features like power windows etc are right there from the base variant.
5. Rear seat legroom and headroom is very good as compared to others in its segment
6. The touch screen is very responsive and the rearview camera is better than the XUV 700.

THE OKAY

1. Boot space is okay-ish. Not great or bad. Just okay
2. The music system just does its work, nothing else.
3. F.E. will be just around 13 - 15 KM/L, which is okay if you see the performance output.

THE BAD

1. No torque converter in Diesel
2. Instead of offering a sunroof, money could have been invested in giving other useful features such as a rear view camera in lower variants.
3. No ventilated seats in any variant
4. No reach adjustment for the steering wheel
5. I felt that the XUV 3XO is just a downsized XUV 700 in driving dynamics and it is a well-rounded and priced car. It really shows how Mahindra has infused the DNA of its bigger offering into the 3XO.

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