We received the first two AMT-equipped variants of the Mahindra XUV300 in July this year. Now, we have a third one. It wears the W6 badge at the back, has a diesel engine under the bonnet and boasts a sticker price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom India). Compared to the W6 diesel-MT variant, the new one costs Rs 49,000 more.

For that amount, Mahindra is giving the convenience of a two-pedal setup and two additional safety features – an electronic stability program with roll-over mitigation and a hill start assist. The diesel engine, which has 1.5 litres of cubic capacity, produces 115hp/300Nm. For the record, it is the torquiest engine in the sub-4 metre SUV segment. Mahindra XUV300’s petrol engine also claims the same title amongst its peers as its 1.2-litre unit puts out 109hp/200Nm.

The rest of the features list is identical to that of the W6 MT variants. The list includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen display with built-in navigation, a four-speaker sound system, a multifunction steering wheel and electrically adjustable ORVMs with LED indicators. The safety kit includes dual airbags, ABS with EBD, corner braking control, all four disc brakes, and speed/impact sensing door lock/unlock.

The Mahindra XUV300 is currently not available with an automatic transmission with a petrol engine. However, that is expected to change alongside the inevitable introduction of the BS6-compliant XUV300 range. The XUV300 will also get an all-electric variant, which is likely to boast a range of up to 300km. Later, the XUV300 brand is also expected to gain a plus tag just like the TUV300 did. That model will be a five-plus-two seater.

In India, the Mahindra XUV300 competes with the Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and the Honda WR-V. Out of those, the Tata and Maruti SUVs are due for a mid-life update. Since Maruti Suzuki has decided to step away from diesel-fed models in the BS6 era, the Vitara Brezza will also be receiving a petrol engine.