We have listed 5 distinct advantages of the upcoming Mahindra XUV 3XO over the Kia Sonet. The compact SUV segment in our market is extremely popular and growing at a rapid pace. Mahindra is holding the world premiere of the XUV 3XO (XUV300 facelift) on April 29, 2024. It has already teased some of the top functions in the upcoming compact SUV. On the other hand, the Kia Sonet has to be among the best-kitted SUVs in this segment. It will be interesting to see which amenities the XUV 3XO has over the Sonet.
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5 Advantages of Mahindra XUV 3XO Over Kia Sonet
Panoramic Sunroof
We have got to start this list with just about everyone’s favourite, the sunroof. However, Mahindra takes things a notch higher by offering the largest panoramic sunroof in the segment. All other rivals in this category get the regular electric sunroof including the Sonet. In a country obsessed with sunroofs, having a large unit will certainly entice more customers. While it feels counter-intuitive to offer a sunroof in a hot country like India, it ensures a spacious feel inside the cabin.
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Most Powerful Turbo-petrol Engine
Then we have the XUV 3XO with the most powerful turbo petrol engine in the segment. Note that there are two turbo petrol engines with the XUV 3XO – a 1.2-litre turbo petrol and a 1.2-litre direct injection turbo petrol. The latter produces a whopping 130 hp and 230 Nm of peak power and torque. These are the highest outputs in the segment. For comparison, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol mill of the Sonet generates 120 PS and 172 Nm of peak power and torque. Hence, the former is significantly more powerful which will enhance the performance a lot.
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More Torque from Diesel Engine
Even the diesel engine of the upcoming Mahindra XUV 3XO bears a higher torque output (300 Nm) in contrast to the Sonet’s 1.5-litre diesel mill (250 Nm). Again, this will result in a more engaging low-end performance. People opt for diesel cars due to their low running costs and peppy initial grunt. That will be aplenty in the soon-to-be-launched Mahindra XUV 3XO.
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Higher Safety
Mahindra XUV 3XO is similar to the existing XUV300 in terms of mechanicals and platform. Since this is just a facelift, there will be aesthetic customizations, as well as the addition of a few new features. Note that the existing XUV300 boasts a full 5-star safety rating at the Global NCAP. Now the XUV 3XO will use the same chassis and platform. Hence, we can expect a similar performance in the crash test. On the other hand, the Sonet has a decent 3-star safety rating at the Global NCAP. Even in this case, the pre-facelift version of the Sonet had this rating which we are assuming to be the case for the existing model since there were hardly any mechanical changes.
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EV Sibling
Now this is an interesting aspect that not a lot of people would’ve considered. If you want to buy the electric avatar of the XUV300, there exists the XUV400. I understand that it is a new product. But, in essence, it is the electric version of the XUV300 only. It’s just that the XUV400 is slightly longer than the XUV300 because it is not taxed differently for being under or over 4 meters in length. However, if buyers want an electric version of the Sonet, there is no option.
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Author’s Note
These are some of the top advantages of the Mahindra XUV 3XO over the Kia Sonet. However, we must mention that it won’t be a fair comparison unless we also mention some key advantages that the Sonet has over the XUV 3XO as well. Since even the Sonet is one of the most feature-rich vehicles in this category, there are various aspects that if offers better. For instance, its UVO Connect application has tons of more connected features to enhance the convenience of the passengers. We are not sure about what the XUV 3XO’s AdrenoX will offer.
Apart from that, the Kia Sonet is also the more practical of the two with a larger 385-litre boot space in comparison to the 257-litre of the XUV300. That is a huge pro in favour of the Sonet because both of these are family SUVs. Hence, having a larger boot compartment is almost a necessity to ensure comfortable and long drives with family members. Also, the current Kia Sonet starts at Rs 7.99 lakh, ex-showroom. It comes with a naturally aspirated petrol engine. However, the prices of the XUV 3XO could be higher because even in its base model, it has a turbo petrol engine. Hence, this is certainly not a one-horse race. Both these SUVs have distinct strengths and weaknesses. It would be interesting to see how well the customers react to these.
