While the 2020 Tata Nexon is on sale with BSVI-compliant petrol and diesel engine options, the Mahindra XUV300 is yet to get the BSVI update for its oil-burner
With the majority of sales in the sub-4-metre SUV being hogged by the Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Hyundai Venue, the three SUVs that are left with relatively lower sales include the Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport. Out of these, the XUV300 and the Nexon enjoy slightly more popularity than the EcoSport, which also happens to be the oldest of the lot.
Well, the Nexon recently received a pretty comprehensive facelift, while the XUV300 got a BSVI-compliant petrol motor. In this post, we compare the 2020 Tata Nexon vs Mahindra XUV300 to tell how the two models stack up against each other.
2020 Tata Nexon Vs Mahindra XUV300: Design
With the latest update, the smallest SUV in Tata Motors’ lineup has got a pretty comprehensive facelift in the form of a thoroughly revised front-end and some more new bits. In fact, the updated Nexon looks almost exactly like the Nexon EV, which isn’t a bad thing if you consider the latter costs substantially more.
The 2020 Nexon comes with a more modern front-end that gets Evoque-inspired headlights, a sleeker grille, sportier bumper and a reworked hood. In the side profile, it gets new alloy wheels, while the rear features a new bumper and an updated set of taillamps.
On the other hand, the Mahindra XUV300 stays true to its original form even after receiving an updated petrol engine. Despite that, the XUV300 looks pretty modern, thanks to its unique LED DRLs, a sleek grille and a muscular side profile.
Also, it has a more upright stance than the Nexon, which makes it look a tad more rugged. While both the SUVs look modern enough, the Nexon is for those who prefer crossover-ish designs, while the XUV300 has a more SUV-ish appearance.
2020 Tata Nexon Vs Mahindra XUV300: Features
Back when the Mahindra XUV300 was first launched, it made some news for segment-first features like a dual-zone climate control system and an electric sunroof. With the latest facelift, even the Nexon now offers an electric sunroof, a feature that has little use in India but is still being lapped up by car buyers owing to its novelty value.
Also, the Nexon even offers a wearable key-band, which is a feature that has been inspired from the Land Rover range of premium cars. Both the vehicles come with a touchscreen infotainment unit that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, steering-mounted audio and telephone controls, and reverse parking sensors. On that note, it’s important to mention here that the XUV300 even offers front parking sensors as a part of its official accessories list.
2020 Tata Nexon Vs Mahindra XUV300: Specifications
While the Tata Nexon is available with BSVI-compliant petrol and diesel engine options, the Mahindra XUV300 is yet to achieve BSVI compliance for its diesel motor. The BSVI-compliant petrol engine of the XUV300 outputs a maximum power of 110 PS and a peak torque of 200 Nm. The diesel engine, on the other hand, offers 115 PS and 300 Nm. Both the engine options are available with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed AMT.
On the other hand, the Tata Nexon is available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine option that outputs a maximum power of 120 PS and a peak torque of 170 Nm. On the other hand, its diesel engine outputs 110 PS and 260 Nm. Even the Nexon is available with the same transmission choices as the Mahindra XUV300. Here, it’s clear that the XUV300 offers punchier diesel motor than what the Nexon does but the latter gets the upper hand on petrol side.
2020 Tata Nexon Vs Mahindra XUV300: Price
Given the cost-sensitive nature of buyers in the compact SUV segment, the pricing of any product plays a pretty vital role in its success. Equipped with BSVI petrol and diesel engines, the Tata Nexon is on sale in a price range of Rs 6.95 – 12.7 Lakh. Its petrol engine lineup is available in a price bracket of Rs 6.95 – 11.2 lakh, while the diesel engine variants cost Rs 8.45 – 12.7 lakh.
On the other hand, prices of the Mahindra XUV300 range from Rs 8.3-12.69 lakh. Its petrol model range is priced between Rs 8.3-11.99 lakh, while the diesel variants cost Rs 8.69-12.69 lakh. Also, prices of the diesel lineup are bound to go substantially higher with the launch of the BSVI-compliant version. From here, it’s clear that the entry-level petrol variants of the Nexon are more affordable than those of the Mahindra XUV300. Also, prices of the diesel version of the baby-XUV are bound to get higher with the introduction of the BSVI-compliant engine.
Please note – All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, New Delhi.
2020 Tata Nexon Vs Mahindra XUV300 Comparison Verdict
With the Tata Nexon getting a pretty comprehensive facelift, the entry-level SUV from the homegrown carmaker looks as modern as the Mahindra XUV300, which is a newer model. Also, the Nexon even offers an electric sunroof, which is something that helped the XUV300 draw a lot of attention towards itself. Finally, it’s even available with BSVI-compliant petrol and diesel engines, while the XUV300 is yet to get an updated diesel motor.
Also, the petrol model line of the Nexon is substantially cheaper than that of the XUV300 and even the diesel range of XUV300 is likely to get a huge price increase with the launch of the updated motor. The only saving grace for the XUV300 here is that it offers more powerful diesel motor but all other factors help the 2020 Tata Nexon become the winner of our comparison.