The Mahindra XUV 300 is rated the safest car in Africa. In this day and age when anything can happen on the road you want to know that you and your family can at least be protected to some degree by the car you drive. In terms of stats South Africa has an average of 14,000 road deaths annually which is among the highest in the world. So what does the Mahindra XUV 300 offer you in terms of safety?
Safety
Isofix child seat anchors
These anchors are world class and mounts with safety locks on the rear doors to keep your kids safe.
7 Airbags
The Mahindra has front, side and curtain airbags. It also has a driver’s knee airbag so you can get protection from all directions.
Hill Hold Assist
This feature is a technology that prevents rolling back when you are on an incline.
Disc brakes on all wheels
The Mahindra XUV 300 is one of the few vehicles in this class to offer full disc brakes as a standard feature on all its variants.
ABS with EBD
These features above come standard on all variants. If you are unsure what these stand for. It is Anti-lock Braking System and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.
ESP
This stands for Electronic Stability Programme. When you are in a tricky situation like taking a sharp bend a bit too late and you need to make an unusually sharp turn you can be ensured that ESP will ensure that control and stability are not compromised.
Technology
Let us look at some of the tech that you get in this Mahindra XUV300. It has a front parking sensor which is always convenient when you are parking in tight spaces and cannot see right down in front of you. It has a tyre position indicator which will help when you are moving off after being parked. The auto dimming feature helps at night because it adjusts the amount of light that is reflected into it for the comfort of your eyes. The sunroof is really stunning and gives you an unhindered view of the sky. Although there is no sport and eco mode you can adjust your steering wheel preference to suit your conditions and the experience you want. You can select between normal, comfort and sport.
Exterior
Let us take a look at the exterior now. Firstly it has a floating roof design which enhances its sporty look. The roofrails do look quite stylish. The front comes with projector headlamps and distinctive daytime running lamps. It has a LED turn indicator on the side mirrors (which are also electronically foldable). The XUV 300 comes with the aggressive signature Mahindra chrome front grill. Another nice touch to enhance its character is the sturdy side cladding.
Comfort
So how comfortable is the Mahindra XUV 300 inside the cabin. Lets take a look. In terms of the seats it has premium leatherette seats which provide a good level of comfort and luxury way ahead of its class. You have a surround sound experience from the four speakers and two tweeters in the Mahindra XUV 300. With the multifunction steering wheel you have cruise control, phone and audio controls at your fingertips.
To ensure your comfort no matter how long the journey you have a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat. The car is actually quite wide and you can comfortably fit 5 adults without compromise. The second row folds in a 60/40 split for the times when you need more load space. The boot has an adjustable floor which gives you the option of deeper space should you require. This will come in handy for those awkward long bags that just don’t fit in traditional boots without this deeper option.
The front armrest is really comfortable. Inside it you can actually fit a 10” tablet. This XUV 300 also comes with dual zone climate control and a flat 2nd row floor which is always great for the comfort of the rear passengers.
Engine
In terms of the Engine the model I have been given for review is the 1.5TD W8. This engine has a Torque of 300Nm. At the time the Mahindra XUV 300 came into South Africa it was the only compact SUV with this kind of Torque and allows you to take-off quite quickly. To see more detail of the Mahindra XUV 300 and also a visual picture of how the car looks and how it drives you can click below to watch my YouTube review.