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A brand new era of city-friendly soft-roaders are flipping the script on the ‘low-cost and cheerful’ tagline.
Whereas that saying has generally been used up to now with a unfavorable connotation to diplomatically describe – or deride – vehicles for which the one redeeming characteristic is their price ticket, it’s now a reliable and literal description for the newest vary of high-riding tiny tots together with these two, the Mahindra XUV 3X0 and Hyundai Venue.
Sure, they’re low-cost, and among the many most reasonably priced new vehicles on sale in Australia immediately. And, sure, they’re cheerful, with a way of favor about them, in addition to a surprisingly pleasant quantity of kit for the cash, which makes them pleasing to personal and drive.
Each are preferrred first vehicles for younger drivers, small households, inner-city urbanites and even empty-nesters within the midst of downsizing.
However which one matches the literal interpretation of being low-cost and cheerful the perfect? Let’s discover out…
How a lot?
The Mahindra XUV 3X0 is the latest child crossover to reach within the kindergarten class of SUVs, and is out there in two mannequin grades – the entry-level AX5L and the range-topping AX7L.
When it was launched in July, the XUV 3X0 was probably the most reasonably priced mild SUV in Australia with a beginning worth of $23,490 drive-away. However that was a honeymoon deal which expired on the finish of August.
However even now with its common pricing in place, which sees the AX5L price $23,990 drive-away and the AX7L priced at $26,990 drive-away, the XUV 3X0 stays some of the accessible new vehicles obtainable immediately.
The Hyundai Venue is a full era older than the Mahindra, having first launched in Australia in 2019, however was up to date late final 12 months.
It’s provided in three mannequin grades, beginning at $22,750 earlier than on-road prices for the eponymous entry-level variant with a guide transmission, and taking a major leap up in worth for the mid-spec Energetic at $27,000 plus on-roads, whereas topping out at $29,500 plus on-roads for the flagship Elite additionally fitted with an automated transmission as commonplace.
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs, take a look at our comparability instrument
What do you get?
Normally at this finish of the market, you get the fundamentals and never rather more. However Mahindra bucks that development with a beneficiant stage of normal gear, even within the base AX5L kind.
Mahindra 3XO gear highlights:
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Automated LED highlights
- Keyless entry with push-button begin
- Black fabric upholstery
- Energy home windows
- Sunroof
- Local weather management air-con with a cooled glovebox
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment show
- Wi-fi cellphone charger
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Bluetooth connectivity
- DAB+ digital radio
- 6-speaker audio system
3XO AX7L provides:
- Bigger 17-inch wheels
- Contrasting two-tone paint with black roof
- Entrance LED fog lights
- Black artificial leather-based trim
- Bigger ‘Sky Roof’ sunroof
- Harmon Kardon premium audio with amplifier and sub woofer
The Hyundai Venue matches the Mahindra for the essential facilities, however misses out on plenty of the 3X0’s little luxuries and conveniences.
Hyundai Venue comes gear highlights:
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- Keyless entry
- Material trim
- Energy home windows
- Air-conditioning
- 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment show
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wi-fi cellphone charger
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 4-speaker audio system
Venue Energetic provides:
- Bigger 17-inch alloy wheels
- Six-speed automated transmission
- LED headlights and daytime operating lights
- Energy folding exterior mirrors
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Premium inside trim
- 6-speaker audio system
Venue Elite provides:
- Good Key distant
- Bluelink linked providers
- Embedded satellite tv for pc navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Rear privateness glass
- Local weather management air-conditioning
- Chrome exterior highlights
- Optionally available two-tone exterior
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs, take a look at our comparability instrument
Are they protected?
The Mahindra XUV 3X0 has but to be examined by ANCAP, whereas the Venue has a four-star ranking from Australia’s impartial auto security physique.
However that doesn’t inform the entire story, because the Hyundai’s rating dates again to 2019 when it was first launched beneath much less stringent protocols than immediately.
Both method, each come commonplace with important security gear comparable to autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, plus lane holding help and 6 airbags.
However the Mahindra goes just a few steps additional than the Hyundai with extra superior driver aids and crash avoidance techniques, together with adaptive cruise management with cease and go performance, blind spot monitoring (which is simply obtainable within the top-spec Venue Elite), visitors signal recognition and a 360-degree reverse parking show.
Nonetheless, the range-topping Venue Elite is supplied with Hyundai’s Bluelink linked providers, which incorporates automated collision notification and emergency SOS name features, in addition to distant car standing and notifications if the home windows or doorways are left open or the alarm is triggered.
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs, take a look at our comparability instrument
What are they like inside?
In each of those vehicles, you get much more than you’d count on at this finish of the market, not simply by way of options but additionally in model, spaciousness and practicality.
Each place roughly the identical footprint on the highway, measuring 3990mm and 4040mm in size for the XUV3X0 and Venue respectively.
However the Mahindra is fractionally wider than the Hyundai (1821 versus 1770mm) and rides on a barely longer wheelbase (2600 versus 2520mm), which implies the entrance and rear axles are pushed additional to every finish of the automotive to liberate a bit extra space contained in the cabin.
They’re each nonetheless small vehicles although, making them ideally suited to urbanites or empty-nesters that solely often want the rear seats, or younger households with young children.
The Mahindra is deceptively extra roomy within the again with a good quantity of rear legroom, and it has the added comfort of air vents on the again of the centre console plus a fold-down centre armrest, neither of which characteristic within the Hyundai.
For these up entrance, each mild SUVs present fairly comfy seats with loads of adjustment, wonderful ahead imaginative and prescient and an array of small-item storage areas.
The Mahindra’s dashboard format traces up all the most important controls in a vertical stack within the centre, whereas the Hyundai has a extra horizontal aesthetic that appears simply as trendy regardless of being near the top of its lifecycle, but it surely doesn’t current as properly with low-cost, scratchy plastics.
As for cargo area, the Mahindra gives a bit greater than the Hyundai with 364 litres of boot capability in comparison with 355L.
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s beneath the bonnet?
Right here’s the place the Hyundai is actually beginning to present its age, particularly alongside the Mahindra.
All three Venue variants share the identical powertrain – a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated 4 cylinder petrol engine that produces 90kW of energy and 151Nm of torque, driving the entrance wheels by means of both a six-speed guide transmission (within the entry-level mannequin solely) or a six-speed torque-converter automated.
And, though the Venue weighs much less (between 1140kg for the bottom guide and 1255kg for the flagship Elite auto) than the XUV 3X0 (which ideas the scales at 1392kg for the AX5L and 1410kg for the AX7L), it consumes extra gasoline with a claimed common of seven.0L/100km (guide) and seven.2L/100km (auto).
That’s as a result of the Mahindra makes use of a extra trendy, smaller-capacity turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that produces barely much less peak energy at 82kW however considerably extra torque, with 200Nm obtainable over a broad 1500-3550rpm.
As such, the XUV 3X0 feels each extra easy and zippier to drive, whereas consuming much less gasoline with a claimed common of 6.5L/100km.
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs, take a look at our comparability instrument
Value of possession
Each Mahindra and Hyundai now cowl their autos with a seven-year guarantee, nonetheless, Mahindra’s is proscribed to 150,000km whereas Hyundai’s has no mileage restrict.
Nonetheless, Hyundai’s aftersales assure is conditional on the car being serviced on time by its authorised vendor community. In any other case, it falls again to the corporate’s commonplace five-year guarantee.
Each producers embody free roadside help and capped-price service plans.
The XUV 3XO’s upkeep program extends for the primary six years or 85,000km and prices $1994 over that timeframe, whereas the Venue comes with a lifetime capped-price service scheme and prices $2448 over the identical six-year interval.
To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO traces up in opposition to different small SUVs take a look at our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Decide
Each of those little tackers punch nicely above their weight and are wonderful metropolis and suburban runabouts as a result of every of them is deceptively sensible, straightforward to drive, comparatively low-cost to run and loaded with extra gear than you’d count on for his or her worth tags.
However the newer Mahindra XUV 3XO highlights simply how far metropolis SUVs have are available a brief time period, providing a better stage of security gear, a extra trendy drivetrain, and higher inside packaging.
Plus, it comes loaded with a stage of normal gear – even within the base mannequin – that amplifies its worth for cash past examine. Sure, it’s certainly low-cost and cheerful.
MORE: Discover the Mahindra showroom
MORE: Discover the Hyundai showroom
