Mahindra XUV3XO vs Cupra Born

What's the difference?

Mahindra has long been known as a tractor brand and a maker of rugged utes and SUVs, but it’s now dipping its toe into Australia's light SUV segment.

The MY25 Mahindra XUV 3XO marks a further shift in the Indian brand’s local focus from rural and regional to metropolitan.

This tiny SUV goes up against some stiff competition including the Chery Tiggo 4, Hyundai Venue and Kia Stonic, among others. However, the Indian-made SUV holds a specific title that’ll make it stand out among the crowd.

Electric cars. Australia now has quite a few, and to add more confusion to the mix, there are a litany of all-new brands releasing models into this new frontier of the automotive landscape.

Most new electric cars are in Australia’s favourite buying category, the SUV, but there’s also a ute, some odd sedan-y things, and, of course, a handful of hatchbacks.

Hailing from Spain, the Cupra Born sets itself apart from the rest for a few reasons though. Firstly, it promises to be a hot hatch, something we haven’t really seen much of yet, and secondly, it has to bear the burden of launching Volkswagen Group’s all-electric MEB platform to the Australian market, but most importantly for Australians keen to hop into their first electric car, it promises to do this while offering a long range at a reasonable price.

Can it really do it all? We attended the Cupra Born’s Australian launch to find out.