Indians love SUVs. They don’t care about serious stuff like locking diffs and all-wheel-drive. All they want is something that has a high riding position, has bucket-loads of gizmos and noticeable road presence. That’s why the sub-4 metre SUV segment is amongst the most prolific in the country. Catering the same space is the Mahindra XUV300. It has always had some enticing aspects, including potent engines, a luxurious interior aura, comfy ride and a five-star safety rating from Global NCAP. In fact, the crash-testing has recognised Mahindra’s SUV as the safest made-in- and made-for-India car.

All that is great, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the price. That is the key to make or break a deal. Well, Mahindra has just addressed it. Nine of the twelve remaining variants have received a noticeable price reduction. Here’s the math:

Earlier, Mahindra offered a dual-tone option with a diesel-MT configuration as well. That variant, as per the latest price list, has been dropped. The revise price list is especially surprising when you consider that Mahindra did not alter it when the diesel-fed variants gained BS6-compliance.

In addition to the torquiest engine options, the XUV300 also offers a wide array of creature comforts. Some of the highlights include seven airbags, dual-zone climate control, front parking sensors, smart steering system, auto headlamps and wipers, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electric sunroof and a tyre-position display.

The Mahindra XUV300 competes with strong contenders such as the Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and the Honda WR-V. Soon, the subcompact SUV segment will gain three new options – Toyota Urban Cruiser, Kia Sonet and the Nissan Magnite. All-in-all, an incredibly exciting period of cut-throat competition is coming soon.