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Mahindra XUV500 vs Nissan Juke

What's the difference?

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Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra XUV500

2018 price

Nissan Juke
Nissan Juke

$28,390 - $36,890

2024 price

Summary

2018 Mahindra XUV500
2024 Nissan Juke
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L

Turbo 3, 1.0L
Fuel Type
Diesel

-
Fuel Efficiency
6.7L/100km (combined)

5.8L/100km (combined)
Seating
7

5
Dislikes
  • Underwhelming safety
  • Steering that requires plenty of guesswork
  • Cheap-feeling interior

  • Frustrating dual clutch auto
  • Missing a few tech items rivals get
  • Could do with a hybrid version
2018 Mahindra XUV500 Summary

Just in case attacking Australia's crowded SUV market with a virtually unheard of Indian brand wasn't a high enough hurdle to leap over, Mahindra had made its task even harder - think a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible - by launching its XUV500 SUV here with a diesel engine (which nobody wanted) and a manual gearbox (which few could even remember how to use). 

Fortunately, it fixed one of those issues late in 2016, finally adding an automatic transmission to the line-up. And now, at long last, it's fixed the other.

This, then, is the petrol-powered XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date. 

For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too. 

So, should the mainstream SUV players be looking over their shoulders?

Spoiler alert: no.

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2024 Nissan Juke Summary

The Nissan Juke was meant to herald a new era for Nissan in Australia.

It was the first in a slew of new-generation SUVs and has now been joined by the Qashqai, X-Trail, and Pathfinder as part of a new-look Nissan.

Unlike those others, though, the Juke hasn’t quite resonated with buyers. Since arriving to what Nissan probably expected to be fanfare back in 2020, the new Juke has since sunk to the bottom of its compact SUV segment, outselling only a handful of other models.

So, what went wrong? Is the quirky styling of the Juke too much? Are there too many appealing choices in the compact SUV space? Alternatively, could the Juke be an underrated gem worth checking out?

I find myself in an upper mid-spec ST-L to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Mahindra XUV500 2024 Nissan Juke

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