New Delhi: The XUV300 from Mahindra has been known for its safety plus space along with the fun 1.2l turbo petrol which till now has only been available with a manual. That is fine by me as I like a manual gearbox but due to changing customer preferences the fear over automatics is over hence demand for automatic petrol SUVs have increased. Hence Mahindra has now launched the automatic version of the XUV300 but with a twist.
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“Auto Shift” as Mahindra terms it, is a latest iteration of the AMT automatic gearbox and ultimately still is an automatic to the driver since there is no need to use the left leg. It is like a proper automatic to drive in the city but an AMT does bring in its advantages like fuel economy and cost. In terms of the price the XUV300 petrol Auto Shift is just Rs 50,000 more than the equivalent manual variant plus the AMT/Auto Shift range starts from just under Rs 10 lakh.
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This gearbox has been developed with Marelli and in the XUV it comes with a “tap-to-switch” gear shifter. Slotting it to Reverse or D or N requires less effort and you have to just slot it unlike a conventional automatic gear-lever. The gear-lever is nicely finished also. Back to the AMT and it has a creep function, Hill start assist and kick down shifts for better response for that immediate power boost you need. It also has features like it stops from sudden shifts from reverse to drive modes unless the speeds drop less than 5kmph. So it is easy to get used to and fail-proof.
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To drive the AMT in the city is nearly as good as any conventional auto. It is also one of the smoother ones available in the market right now too. The creep function works and in the city it is easy to drive. The gearbox has not completely removed the slight pause between shifts but it is way better than some of the other AMTs and manageable. At low speeds it is smooth and bumper-to-bumper traffic is managed well. On the highway also the gearbox is surprisingly good and decent for what is an AMT. I used the manual mode and it worked well but even in auto you will not have an issue unless you really want to drive it hard. The one good thing about the XUV300 AMT is the good efficiency we got as it is in 12-14 kmpl which is good for an automatic petrol SUV. The XUV300 Auto Shift works well if driven at a relaxed pace and with a less aggressive throttle input.
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Moving on from the AMT, the other addition is the launch of the connected tech app and as is the trend, the XUV300 also gets it like its rivals with 40 features. You download an app and via the app you can control various functions plus keep a check on your car. Also the car will give you notifications. So you can use live tracking, geo fencing, turn-by-turn navigation, check tyre pressures plus other safety/security features. Else the previous strengths of the XUV300 remain notably the fact that the rear seat is amongst the most spacious for its class and its width makes it best suited for three passengers while the equipment list has nearly everything you expect including a sunroof and 7 airbags.
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Pros – Efficiency, one of the smoothest AMTs, sace, new connected tech feature, value
Cons – Still an AMT hence has some of its disadvantages
