Mahindra XUV3XO vs Porsche 718

What's the difference?

The fact this is Australia’s cheapest SUV is a massive feat for the Indian brand. It also has so much standard kit so this is even more surprising.

In many ways the XUV 3XO is better to drive than its rivals. The three-cylinder turbo engine has plenty of charm and moves this car along with ease, the car feels confident and composed out on the open road, and there aren’t any bings and bongs from intrusive safety systems.

However, things aren’t perfect. I wish the steering column offered reach adjustment, the steering feel wasn’t so inconsistent and the lane-keep assist wasn’t so hands-on.

If you can overlook these quibbles, this tiny Mahindra is an outstanding value buy if you’re considering a first new car.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

If this is to be the end of the 718 as we know it, then it is an end to be remembered. Porsche has produced something special in the Spyder RS, a sports car that can compete with the 911 on any stretch of road - which is something so few cars can claim. The focus on performance has driven the entire concept of the car, but all the elements work in harmony, with form and function coming together.

From outside it’s surprising just how small this SUV is. At just under four metres long, the XUV 3XO is shorter than a Mazda2, for example.

The reason for this is because in India there are tax breaks for vehicles under four metres long. The Ford EcoSport, sans the tailgate-mounted spare wheel, was another SUV that met this requirement.

As a result of being so short, this has made the rear overhang virtually non-existent. It’s a strange look, especially because the bonnet is so much longer.

Even though the XUV 3XO is based on the KGM Tivoli (formerly SsangYong Tivoli), which was briefly sold in Australia, you’d be hard-pressed to find visual similarities. The former looks more modern from the outside and has more visual interest with the chunky wheel-arch cladding and diamond motifs.

At the front it’s hard to not see the face of a sad panda. The LED headlights are big and plunge down the front fascia, giving it a droopy and sleepy appearance. It’s not helped by the thick black bar connecting them.

Around the side the diamond-cut alloy wheels are a nice touch, along with the contrast black-painted roof on this AX7L tester.

The rear end is a little on the flat side, though the badging is tasteful. I’m not a fan of the full-width LED light bar, however, as it’s an overdone design cue now.

Inside I appreciate the mix of both old-school and new-school. There are dual 10.25-inch screens ahead of the driver for the digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system, as well as plenty of physical buttons and knobs for shortcuts and the climate controls.

For such an affordable car I’m surprised how many soft-touch finishes there are in this car. In the AX7L you get an extended use of synthetic leather on the door cards and dashboard, which helps make for a pseudo-premium look and feel.

However, one of my biggest gripes with the XUV 3XO interior is the amount of glossy piano black. It’s on the dashboard, centre console, door cards and even the steering wheel.

This may look cool and slick when you pick the car up from the dealer, but it shows up dust quickly and then gets scratched when you try to wipe it clean. Our tester had fewer than 1000km on the odometer and the centre console was already scratched to the wazoo.

As the pinnacle of not only the current 718 range, but potentially the entire combustion engine era of the Boxster, Porsche has pulled out all the stops for the Spyder RS.

This includes major changes to the design, but none are purely for aesthetic reasons and instead are driven by the search for performance; and the fact they make the 718 look tougher, meaner and more purposeful than ever before is just a bonus.

It’s a comprehensive redesign that starts at the bumper with a new front lip spoiler to enhance downforce. Then there’s a pair of NACA ducts on the lightweight bonnet to improve brake cooling without compromising aerodynamic drag. The lightweight front fenders include wheel arch vents to stop any potential for front-end lift at high speeds.

And the fenders aren’t the only component that’s gone on a diet, there’s a lighter exhaust, lighter wheels, lighter bonnet, lighter roof, lighter door panels and even lighter carpets on the inside. All up, the Spyder RS tips the scales at 1400kg, which is 40kg lighter than a standard 718 Boxster.

If it’s still not light enough, you can opt for the optional 'Weissach Package' (which was fitted to our test car), which brings even lighter 20-inch forged magnesium wheels and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic for a range of parts including the front luggage compartment, rollover bars and ducktail spoiler on the Gurney flap – plus some cosmetic enhancements.

And we still haven’t even touched on the biggest design change yet - the rear half of the car. Starting with the roof, which Porsche actually calls a ‘sunshield’ and ‘weather guard’ because it’s a stripped down version of what the brand usually uses, to save weight and let the glorious engine noise into the cabin uninterrupted.

But it’s also necessary because the entire rear engine cover has been redesigned to accommodate the larger engine that Porsche has installed in the Spyder RS, a 4.0-litre six-cylinder instead of the usual turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines.

While the Spyder RS looks great with the roof/sunshield on or off, frankly the removal process is much too complicated and requires repeated viewings of a YouTube tutorial to still get it wrong.

While owners will (likely) eventually get the hang of it, it will always be a clunky and awkward process and that’s just the price of being so focused on performance, which you can accept or not.

Inside that ethos of performance over practicality continues, with sports seats, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and even the previously mentioned lightweight carpet floor mats.

It’s a purposeful, rather than luxurious, cabin, but that perfectly suits the nature of the Spyder RS. Our test drive included several long stretches behind the wheel and at no stage did it feel uncomfortable or impractical, despite its stripped-down design.

Given this SUV is tiny, I’m blown away at how much interior space it has.

Up front both the seats are manually adjustable, which is to be expected at this price point. Despite this, they’re still comfortable and offer an elevated driving position which is something SUV buyers seek.

In front of the driver is a leather-wrapped steering wheel which feels nice in the hand. While it offers tilt adjustment, it disappointingly doesn’t have reach adjustment. This is frustrating if you’ve got long legs and short arms, like myself.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster has an overall dark and minimal look, but you can cycle through a range of informative views. There’s even one that allows you to display a full-width map.

Moving across, the 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system appears to be snappy enough. I’ve experienced fewer glitches in this car than in previous Mahindras I’ve driven.

I like the physical shortcut buttons underneath the touchscreen because it allows you to jump around to key sub-menus a lot easier.

As standard there’s both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. With my iPhone 15 Pro Max the connection was flawless and only dropped out during known interference points.

This AX7L spec comes with a seven-speaker Harman Kardon sound system which gets this tiny car booming. The subwoofer in the boot is so powerful it almost feels like overkill.

In terms of storage up front there are two cupholders, big door pockets with two bottle holders, a centre armrest and a cooled glovebox. There’s also a USB-A port, 65W USB-C port and a wireless charger.

Moving to the second row there’s a decent amount of space for adults to sit behind adults. You could easily fit two adults along the rear bench, though pushing it to three would get a little too squishy.

Second-row amenities include rear air vents, a USB-C port with a phone slot, as well as a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s a manual tailgate, which is to be expected at this price point, but finding the trigger to open it is a little tricky. It’s a small button that’s hidden away.

Once the tailgate is open, the amount of boot space on offer is generous. Mahindra claims there’s 364 litres with the rear seats upright.

While the loading lip is high, the boot area is deep and wide. Unfortunately there’s no cargo cover available as standard, which means you’ll need to be careful what you boot back there.

Under the boot floor there’s a space-saver spare wheel, which is fantastic peace of mind if you travel long distances away from tyre repair shops.

One area where the 718 range is starting to show its age quite dramatically is the in-car technology. While Porsche’s native system is relatively user-friendly, the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in any capacity is deeply out-dated; and was frustrating for this Android using reviewer.

Given the age of the current 718 platform, and the impending arrival of the new model, it’s understandable that the multimedia system didn’t get an overhaul, but for a $350K car it does feel a bit behind the times.

In practical terms the Spyder RS is a bit of a struggle if you plan to go away with it. We managed to get a small suitcase and backpack in the under bonnet storage, but that was at capacity. While the addition of the larger engine removes any meaningful rear storage space.

The bad news is, the Spyder RS costs just over $200,000 more than the entry-level 718 Boxster, which is not a small sum of money. The good news is, for that $200K, Porsche has overhauled the 718 from nose-to-tail and enhanced it in nearly every aspect.

There’s a raft of mechanical changes that we’ll get to later on, to help justify the $334,200, plus on-road costs, asking price, but from a specification perspective there are some notable inclusions. 

For starters it comes with the 'Porsche Communication Management' (PCM) multimedia system, which includes in-built navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 110-watt sound system.

But Australian delivered cars get an even higher level of standard equipment than other countries, with LED headlights including 'Porsche Dynamic Light System' (PDLS), cruise control, digital radio, rear 'ParkAssist' with reversing camera, 'Light Design Package', tyre fit set and windscreen with grey top tint, plus a no-cost optional Bose Surround Sound System all included.

It may be $200K more than 718 but compared to a 911, it actually makes a pretty compelling value argument. A 911 Cabriolet Carrera S starts at $342,700 (plus on-road costs), making that Spyder RS $8500 cheaper and a genuine alternative to its ‘big brother’.

Then, when you compare it against similar mid-engine European sports cars, such as the Maserati MC20 (from $510,000) or McLaren Artura (from $477,310) the Porsche looks like a bargain; relatively speaking, of course.

All variants are powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 82kW of power and 200Nm of torque.

This is mated to an Aisin-sourced six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with drive sent to the front wheels only.

The key stat for the engine is the cylinder count. Gone are the four cylinders and instead it’s a return to Porsche’s iconic flat-six.

Specifically, the same 4.0-litre six that Porsche uses in its 911 GT3, which is a lot of engine to squeeze into the middle of this lightened sports convertible.

In order to keep the 718 in its place (beneath the 911), Porsche has slightly detuned the engine, so it makes 368kW/450Nm (compared to 375kW/460Nm in the 911 GT3), but the German brand has never worried about a kilowatt contest and instead prefers to focus on driveability and the other elements that make a drive great.

To that end the combination of air-intakes next to the headrests and the lightweight stainless steel exhaust (which gets titanium tips on the Weissach Package) helps the Spyder RS sound like a Carrera Cup racing car when you really wind it up to its 9000rpm redline.

Not that the performance isn’t spectacular, though, with Porsche claiming it takes the Spyder RS just 3.4 seconds to run 0-100km/h, only 10.9 seconds to get from 0-200km/h and will hit a top speed of 308km/h.

The engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission (or PDK in Porsche-speak) that the company claims has “short-ratios”, but with peak power not hitting until 8400rpm and peak torque from 6750rpm, you don’t have to rush the ratio changes.

Mahindra claims the XUV 3XO has a combined urban/extra-urban fuel consumption of 6.5L/100km.

During my testing, however, I achieved a real-world fuel consumption figure closer to 6.2L/100km, which is better than the claim.

All XUV 3XOs have a 42L fuel tank that Mahindra claims can take 91 RON regular unleaded petrol, but 95 RON premium unleaded petrol is recommended.

With my as-tested fuel consumption this means the theoretical driving range from a full tank of petrol is around 675km.

Porsche says the 4.0-litre engine in the Spyder RS uses 13.0L/100km, which is a big number for what is a relatively small car. But that engine is highly-tuned and built for performance not efficiency, so it’s something owners will need to accept.

Our test drive included some long highway stretches, as well as some spirited driving and urban commuting, so a good mix across all conditions, and we saw consistent returns around the 15-16L/100km range.

It has a 64-litre tank, which means a theoretical driving range of around 490km, assuming you can hit the official claim.

Behind the wheel, the Mahindra XUV 3XO feels refreshingly old-school.

The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine does seem like it would be underpowered, but in practice it’s completely adequate. Peak torque comes on tap from 1500rpm so it doesn’t have to work too hard at all.

It’s fun hearing the noise the three-banger makes when under the boil. You don’t hear it much though because the revs are typically kept down low to minimise fuel consumption.

The key reason why this car feels old-school is the six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. It’s nice to not drive an affordable everyday car that doesn’t have a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or dual-clutch automatic transmission as these can suck the life out of a car or be jerky.

The gear shifts in the Mahindra are sometimes docile, but are smooth and measured. It just operates like a regular car that doesn’t require you to rewire your brain to drive.

There are three drive modes to choose from. They’re hilariously called ‘Zip’, ‘Zap’ and ‘Zoom’. These correspond to Eco, Normal and Sport, respectively.

While I did eventually get used to driving in the ‘Zap’ mode, it felt a little snoozy at points, taking a beat or two to get the car accelerating with traffic. You can sidestep this with ‘Zoom’ which feels much more lively. If you activate cruise control or restart the car, though, it defaults back to ‘Zap’.

The XUV 3XO makes the most sense in the city where you’re able to use its tiny exterior dimensions to navigate tight urban carparks and narrow laneways with ease.

It almost became a challenge for myself to find the smallest parking spot I could slot this car into. As standard on this AX7L there are front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera system.

Where this car is let down, however, is the steering feel. It’s incredibly light at low speeds and then as the speed builds it gets very heavy. So much so it feels like I’m getting an arm workout.

Unlike some of its rivals, there is still a semblance of feel through the steering wheel, but this drastic change from light to heavy steering weight is too stark. Somewhere in the middle would be nice please.

Something Mahindra is very good at is developing a comfortable suspension tune and this car is no different. It can tackle pimply urban road imperfections and speed bumps with no problems whatsoever.

Out on the open road this car surprised me. It feels like a much larger car than it actually is and doesn’t get blown around in the lane like small cars can.

The three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine remains confident at higher speeds, though if you frequently travel up hills the fuel consumption will skyrocket. There’s also a bit of road noise, which is to be expected when a car is this small.

For the most part the suspension does a fantastic job at rounding out road imperfections, but bigger bumps or potholes can unsettle the car. It’s not helped by the larger 17-inch alloy wheels.

Out in the twisties this tiny SUV is fairly agile. It’s not the sportiest thing out there by a vast degree, but it remains planted and solid even when pushed into harder corners.

Lastly, another point that makes this car feel old-school is the lack of obtrusive bings and bongs from the safety systems.

Sure the parking sensors can be a little over-the-top and the traffic sign recognition takes over the entire digital instrument cluster when it picks up a new speed limit, but having no driver attention monitor and intelligent speed limit assist is refreshing.

It’s not all perfect however as the lane-keep assist is too hands on for my liking. It activates from 60km/h and is quite overt in how it directs the car through bends.

I’m only giving it a nine out of 10 because perfection is hard for any car to achieve, but the 718 Spyder RS goes as close as any car I’ve driven. This is a masterpiece of modern sports car design, pushing the 718 closer to the 911 than ever before, which is something Porsche has clearly tried to avoid so as to not tarnish the image of its flagship.

But with the 911’s 4.0-litre flat-six in the middle of the 718, plus its more compact dimensions, the lightweight nature of the Spyder RS and the raft of chassis and handling enhancements, this really does leave you questioning ‘do I really need a 911?’

The steering is fantastically direct, the chassis responds to every input with precision and feedback and the braking is strong and consistent. Which helps because that engine is so good it launches you with ferocity and a glorious noise (as good as anything on the market today) whenever you squeeze down on the accelerator.

The highest praise I can give the Spyder RS is not that it was a dream to drive on winding, challenging roads, but that it was just as enjoyable on a trip to the shops or cruising down the freeway. Any drive in this car is a genuine pleasure.

This is another area where the 718 is showing its vintage, with very little in the way of active safety features. There’s the required stability control, as well as airbags for driver and passenger, plus the previously mentioned reversing camera. But that’s it, there’s no autonomous emergency braking, no lane-keeping assist or even adaptive cruise control.

While that may sound shocking to some, there’s never a moment where you feel unsafe in the 718. It feels incredibly stable and responsive on the road, as the onus falls back upon the driver to pay attention and make smart choices.

There’s no ANCAP rating for the 718, or any Porsche, so it is a question of putting your faith into Porsche’s in-house safety measures.

Like other current Mahindra models, the XUV 3XO is covered by a seven-year, 150,000km warranty with seven years of roadside assistance.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, though the first service is required after 12 months or 10,000km.

The first seven services are capped-price and total $1994. This averages out to $284.85 per service.

It’s difficult to give the Spyder RS a clear score here because Porsche is cagey on the details. The public dealer websites indicate annual oil maintenance is required, with additional servicing every two years or 15,000km. 

How much that will cost is unclear, as despite the rest of the 718 range having publicly available prices, there were no such details for the Spyder RS (or even its Cayman sibling, the GT4 RS).

For reference, the 'standard' 718 requires oil maintenance ($895) for the first annual service and an inspection ($1500) the year after. Those costs continue to alternate annually out to eight years/120,000km.