Ford EcoSport Owners’ Opinions on the Mahindra XUV300

With segment-leading features and mechanical specifications, the Mahindra XUV300 vehicle will be offered as a premium model in the Indian teeming compact SUV segment. Being available in both petrol and diesel motor options, the Mahindra XUV300 will provide you with a safe and pleasant journey. Cartoq has contacted various owners of one of XUV300’s fiercest rivals, the Ford EcoSport to ask what they think about the recently launched Mahindra compact SUV.

Also read - Mahindra XUV300 Launched in India at Rs 7.90 lakh

Nitish Kumar

From Nitish Kumar’s viewpoint, despite the highly price-sensitive compact SUV market in India, the domestic automaker has priced it a little bit high, which deserves its fantastic feature list. He also likes the clearer design of the XUV300, unlike the busy one of the XUV500. Moreover, it also offers the petrol engine option, which is absent in most other compact SUVs in India. In his opinion. with the amazing power output, the XUV300 is expected to have a good sales number and become a formidable competitor against the Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport. Having said that, he still prefers the ground clearance and the solid build quality of the EcoSport.

Nitish Kumar thinks that with its the top-notch features and the powerful engine, the Mahindra XUV300 will effectively compete against other compact SUVs

Vardhan Pai

In Vardhan Pai’s opinion, although the domestic automaker has made every endeavour to make the XUV300 look fresh, the Mahindra XUV300 has a similar body design to the Maruti Vitara Brezza. Despite not being a fan of the rectangular design, he is really impressed by the first-in-the-segment features equipped in the XUV300 such as the two-zone automatic control and the front sensors, which are absent in the Ford EcoSport. Moreover, he also thinks that the aggressive price of the Mahindra XUV300 will help it effectively compete in the teeming compact SUV segment.

Comparing between his Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra XUV300, he prefers the sportier design, top-notch cabin and driving pleasure of the former. He also expects the Ford EcoSport to be provided with the disk brakes on all of the four wheels and a 6-speed MT gearbox in the foreseeable future.

In Vardhan Pai's opinion, the Mahindra XUV300's aggressive price is the key to its success in the segment

Nikhil Sood

Like Vardhan Pai, Nikhil Sood does not like the boxy design of the XUV300, either. He is also impressed with the list of the top-notch features offered by Mahindra on its compact SUV. Despite this impressive feature list, the Mahindra XUV300 has been equally priced to the Ford EcoSport, which will be the key to its success in the market. However, while the Mahindra XUV300 is just a newcomer in the Indian auto market, Ford Ecosport has established itself as a solid-built and reliable vehicle with high brand recall, which is a clear advantage over the former.

Nikhil Sood thinks that the long establishment of the EcoSport is one of its advantages over the XUV300

Siddhant Raghav

In Siddhant Raghav’s opinion, the Mahindra XUV300 is a mashup between the XUV500 and the KUV, but with a greater height, which translates into a more amber cabin, unlike the suffocating one in the Tata Nexon. He likes the decent looking of the XUV300 but still prefers it to look more muscular. Like the two previous EcoSport owners’, he is also impressed with the wide range of high-quality features of the XUV300 which proves that comfort and safety are two of the main concerns of the home-grown auto manufacturer.

The Mahindra XUV set a good example for other carmakers to follow in terms of such features as the standard parking sensor and the 7 airbags on the top-spec variant, which for the first time appear on a compact SUV in India. However, he thinks that the high-spec variant of the XUV300 is a bit highly-priced, which may not be preferred by the mainstream Indian auto buyers, who are quite price-conscious.

He still prefers the traditional interior design of the Ford EcoSport and does not like the touchscreen unit offered on the XUV300 which requires the driver to take the eye off the road to look at the screen. Moreover, he also highly values the riding and handling quality which Ford EcoSport offers over those of the Brezza and Nexon, both of which he has already driven. For him, driving quality and safety are the highest priorities. He also likes the big boot space of the Ecosport, which is a great advantage over its competitors.

According to Siddhant Raghav, the impressive list of XUV300's features proves that safety and comfort for the customers are two priorities of Mahindra

Deepak Dhojia

Although admitting that the Mahindra XUV300 does offer a wide array of top-notch and even segment-leading features, which persuades him to go for one, Deepak Dhojia still thinks that the new Mahindra compact SUV has much room for improvement.

Firstly, it is the lack of high-quality materials in the cabin that he is not happy about. Secondly, an AMT gearbox, which is available in many of its rivals, is a necessary complement to the equipment kit on the XUV300. Last but not least, Mahindra will have to struggle to provide good after-sales service and running costs for its XUV300, which are done very well by Ford with its EcoSport.

He is certain that the Ford EcoSport will receive an update soon with a wide range of additional features. This vehicle will continue to attract a large number of Indian compact SUV enthusiasts.

For Deepak Dhojia, the Mahindra XUV300 should be equipped with an AMT gearbox

Vikas Shokeen

Vikas Shokeen does not like the flashy design of the XUV300, which is a bit overdone for him, particularly at the front. However, he thinks that the domestic automaker has done a good job in ensuring a comfortable and safe journey for both the driver and the co-passengers with a wide variety of cutting-edge features. Moreover, another good point of the XUV300 is its spacious cabin with a capacity for up to 5 people while the EcoSport can accommodate just 4 people. He also expressed his excitement to drive in the Mahindra XUV300, which is much more powerful than its Ford rival.

Having said that, according to Vikas Shokeen, the feature list of the XUV300 is not too far better than that offered on his Titanium Plus. For him, while the Mahindra XUV300 needs a long time ahead to create its prestige, the Ford EcoSport has been warmly welcomed by the Indian auto buyers as a reliable vehicle for quite some time, not to mention the better-designed boot and the responsive touchscreen infotainment system offered on the latter. Additionally, despite not being as powerful as the Mahindra XUV300, the EcoSport is one of the cars which delivers the highest mileage in its segment. 

Vikas Shokeen seems to prefer his Ford EcoSport than the Mahindra XUV300 in most aspects

Above is a list of opinions of six Ford EcoSport’s owners on the recently launched Mahindra XUV300 compact SUV. All of them are greatly impressed by the feature list and the power output of the XUV300, but still prefer their Ford EcoSport in certain aspects. What about you? What do you think about the Mahindra XUV300 and its prospect in India? Let us know in the comment section below.

[Article source: Cartoq]

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