Thanks to the stiff competition, the “must-haves” list in the compact SUV segment has seen some shifts. It needs to look butch, different and imposing and the new C-shaped DRLs defining the edges of the front end certainly exude those qualities. Offset by a subtle diamond pattern on the gloss black grille and a chunky bumper does well to meet the expectations Pratap Bose, Mahindra’s Head of Design has an acute sense of proportions and his demand for 17in wheels wasn’t ignored by the management. That’s the only big change to the side profile but the infinity connected tail light bar is what gives the 3XO the sense of width from the rear. It is in fact the widest cabin in its class and this design motif certainly helps drive that point home.
On the inside, the refreshed cabin gets a lot of firsts too. Amongst our favourite is the soft-touch leatherette finish on the top half of the dashboard and door cards. Along with the contrast double stitching, it lends instant premiumness to the 3XO. There was no mention of ambient lighting, which would’ve elevated the look even further at night. The design and quality of the buttons lack the consistency of some of the international competitors. The slim buttons that handle the Drive Modes, traction and passenger airbag indicators feel cheap and are incongruous with the oversized AC controls in terms of design.
Tech is where a lot of the changes have been made and it’s instantly visible in the form of twin 10.2in screens in the top-end AXL variant that we were driving. Borrowing elements from the flagship XUV700, the smaller XUV 3XO caters to the demographic that desires all the features but doesn’t require the large dimensions that are typically associated with “fully loaded” SUVs. In fact, the XUV 360 is the first C-SUV to get Level-2 ADAS, including the now familiar suite of active safety features that are associated with it. Lane Keep Assist, Blind-View Monitor, Forward Collision Warning , Auto Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Smart Pilot Assist, High Beam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and more are part of the suite. Mahindra has also thrown in a 360-degree surround view cam with great resolution to make it even easier for first time buyers. Relax, we’re not looking at you.