Buy or Hold: Wait For Mahindra XUV300 Or Go For Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport?

While the Vitara Brezza is backed by Maruti’s extensive service network, the quirky Nexon does a lot of things right. The EcoSport offers a quick diesel motor and plenty of features. So should you still wait to the XUV300?

Update: Mahindra has launched the XUV300 in India, with the prices beginning at Rs 7.90 lakh (ex-showroom India). Read more about it here.

• Mahindra XUV300 set to be launched in February 2019

• It’s based on the same platform as the SsangYong Tivoli

• It promises a host of segment-first features and better performance than rivals

While Mahindra gears up to launch the XUV300 on 14 February, 2019, we’re here to help you figure out if you should wait for Mahindra’s sub-4 metre compact SUV or instead splurge on the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the Tata Nexon or Ford EcoSport. We have already driven the Mahindra XUV300 and you can check out the first drive review here.

XUV300 won’t come with an automatic!

Yes, the Mahindra XUV300 will not be offered with an automatic gearbox at launch. So if you’re planning to buy a sub-4 metre SUV that offers the convenience of an automatic gearbox, you’ll have to wait beyond February for the XUV300 to get one.

If you’re, however, willing to buy a car with a manual transmission, the XUV300 is worth considering since it aims to wow customers with a long list of features, some of which are even segment-firsts! For starters, the top-spec variant packs seven airbags. It also gets a sunroof, dual-zone climate control and rear disc brakes.

You want the sunroof, right? Wait for the XUV300

As of now, only the Ford EcoSport offers a sunroof. However, it is only available in the top-spec Signature and S variants which cost over Rs 10.4 lakh (ex-showroom). So if you’re not willing to splurge so much for this particular feature, we suggest you wait for the XUV300 as its top-spec variant might undercut the Ford.

Despite receiving a facelift and a new petrol heart, the Ford is one of the oldest offerings in the segment. It can be had with two choices of petrol and a single diesel engine. It’s fun to drive and efficient as well. However, it’s price tag, which ranges from Rs 7.82 lakh to Rs 11.89 lakh, makes it one of the most pricier offerings in the segment.

Peppy. Fast. Do these traits define your next car? Hold your purchase till Feb 2019

If you’re looking for a powerful car, the Nexon has us impressed, both with its petrol and diesel engines. When we compared the manual-petrol Nexon with the EcoSport, it turned out to be the faster car. You can read more about that here. In the diesel comparison, sadly, we couldn’t compare the Nexon with the EcoSport, but we know that the Tata’s roll-on times are better than the Brezza’s, although the Brezza is quicker to 100kmph from standstill. Curious to read about it? Here you go. Understandably, it’s the Nexon that the XUV300 has to beat in this department as well.

The engines on offer on the XUV300 will be the most powerful ones in the segment, says Mahindra. So we think you should wait for it if outright performance is what you’re looking for.

So should you go ahead and buy the Vitara Brezza, EcoSport or Nexon? Or should you wait for the XUV300?

Buy: Nexon, Brezza, EcoSport - If you’re looking for a diesel-automatic powertrain, we suggest you go ahead buy either the Vitara Brezza or the Nexon. For petrol-automatic, choose between Nexon or the EcoSport. Here, we’d like to point out that the the Vitara Brezza and the Nexon get an automated manual transmission, while the petrol-auto EcoSport gets a torque convertor instead.  

Other than that, the XUV300 promises a lot. It’s based on a new platform, so we expect it to score well in terms of dynamics. The engines promise a lot of performance and the cabin is also expected to be spacious. Moreover, it will also be feature-rich and should be competitively priced too. So, for everyone else, we'd suggest you HOLD.