Earlier last month, Mahindra introduced an AMT gearbox with the 1.2L turbo-petrol engine in the XUV300. The XUV300 diesel has already been available with the same AMT gearbox for a long time now. With the added convenience of an automatic gearbox with the petrol engine, the XUV300 is one of the most lucrative offerings in the sub-compact SUV space. Backed by a 5-star safety rating from Global NCAP, the XUV300 is also one of the most robust and fun-to-drive cars in this segment.
Speaking of being fun-to-drive, we thought of putting the new XUV300 petrol-AMT through its paces to see how quick it accelerates from 0-100 kph. And in doing so, we also thought of comparing it with the diesel-AMT to see which of the two is actually faster. So here in this video, we are doing exactly that. Here's an acceleration comparison of the Mahindra XUV300 petrol-AMT vs diesel-AMT. But first, here's a quick look at the specifications.
Mahindra XUV300 Petrol-AMT vs Diesel-AMT - Specifications Comparison
| Mahindra XUV300 Petrol-AMT | Mahindra XUV300 Diesel-AMT | |
| Engine | 1.2L Turbo-Petrol | 1.5L Turbo-Diesel |
| Power | 110hp @ 5,000 rpm | 116hp @ 3,750 rpm |
| Torque | 200Nm @ 2,000-3,500 rpm | 300Nm @ 1,500-2,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed AMT | 6-speed AMT |
A look at the specifications reveal that the XUV300 diesel is both more powerful and produces a lot more torque than the turbo-petrol engine. The diesel engine is also of a larger capacity than the turbo-petrol engine. Peak power and torque are produced lower in the rev range for the diesel engine than in the turbo-petrol unit. All these factors should help the XUV300 diesel get off the line quicker than the turbo-petrol variant. The 6-speed AMT gearbox remains the same in both cases. Let's see how they perform in the real world.
Also Read : Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Hyundai Venue vs Nissan Magnite - Acceleration Comparo
Mahindra XUV300 Petrol-AMT vs Diesel-AMT - Acceleration Comparison
| Mahindra XUV300 Petrol-AMT | Mahindra XUV300 Diesel-AMT | |
| 0-100kmph (First Attempt) | 14.20 seconds | 16.12 seconds |
| 0-100kmph (Second Attempt) | 13.95 seconds | 15.75 seconds |
| 0-100kmph (Third Attempt) | 13.83 seconds | 15.32 seconds |
The real world performance of both the variants are vastly different from what the specs on paper may suggest. The XUV300 petrol-AMT comes out on top in all three runs and that's despite down in specs by a fair margin. The best run achieved by the petrol-AMT was at 13.83 seconds, while the diesel-AMT managed a best time of 15.32 seconds. If you carefully notice the acceleration runs in the video, you will see that the diesel-AMT gets off the line marginally quicker - thanks to the extra torque that comes lower down the rev range - but the petrol-AMT suit catches up and leaves it lagging behind.
That said, the AMT gearbox on the XUV300 is not the best in this segment. There is noticeable lag that's felt in both upshifts and downshifts. If the fun-to-drive factor is top priority for you, we'd suggest you go for the manual variant. You can achieve quicker 0-100 kph times with the manual gearbox in both petrol and diesel variants. The XUV300 rivals the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon and others in the sub-compact SUV space.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Mahindra updates and other four-wheeler news.
