Mahindra's tiny SUV detailed for Australia: 2025 Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic and Mazda CX-3 rival approved for sale in Australia, but 2026 Mahindra XUV3XO will only receive three-cylinder turbocharged petrol power locally

The Mahindra XUV3XO has been approved for sale in Australia ahead of its imminent local launch.

Measuring in at under 4.0m long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m tall, this light SUV will rival the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3 and Toyota Yaris Cross, among others.

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All three of these trim levels will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 82kW of power and be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

This means we’re getting the weakest of the engine options offered.

In India there’s a more-powerful version of this 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 96kW/260Nm, as well as a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces 85kW/300Nm.

None of the manual transmission option will be offered either.

According to the approval documents, the XUV3XO has a tare mass of about 1400kg and has a braked towing capacity of 750kg. Payload is also about 400kg.

There is little information regarding what separates the three trim levels, but the AX3L and AX5L get 16-inch wheels wrapped in 205/65 tyres, and the flagship AX7L gets 17-inch wheels wrapped in 215/55 tyres.

All XUV3XO examples have MacPherson front suspension, however, unlike Indian versions of the XUV3XO which have torsion beam rear suspension, the Australian-specification versions are approved for sale with multi-link rear suspension.

At this stage Mahindra Australia hasn’t confirmed pricing of the XUV3XO range, though it’s expected to start around $25,000 before on-road costs.

Exterior features are likely to include single- and dual-tone paint, alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, rain-sensing wipers, a small rear spoiler and roof rails.

Inside, the XUV3XO is likely to carry synthetic leather upholstery, twin 10.25-inch displays for the central multimedia display and digital driver’s display, keyless entry and push-button start.

Safety features include six airbags, a surround-view camera, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning.

The Mahindra XUV3XO is a facelifted version of the XUV300, which was never offered in Australia.

It’s built on the same platform as the KGM Tivoli (formerly SsangYong Tivoli), which was sold in Australia from 2018 to 2020, when stock of the then-current model dried up.