Mahindra XUV 3XO 2026 review: AX7L long-term | Part 2 | Suzuki Fronx rival tested

It’s our last chapter with the XUV 3XO - Mahindra’s super-affordable small SUV.

We’ve covered three months and a couple of thousand kays in this diminutive thing, and it’s largely served its purpose as my daily runabout, with a few freeway kilometres thrown in for good measure.

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Now, having handed the keys to my affordable little Mahindra SUV long-termer back, would I recommend it to someone looking for an affordable entry-level car? Read on to find out.

Top features of the Mahindra XUV 3XO

Overwhelmingly the thing I’ve liked about this little car is how simple and straightforward it is. Unlike many of its rivals which are full of convoluted software, annoying over-thought features, and sometimes deal-breakingly intrusive driver aids, the XUV 3XO is the kind of car you can just hop in and go without thinking about it.

It has a physical start switch, a simple shifter, familiar and logically-placed switchgear and sensible ergonomics.

These things shouldn’t be a flex in 2026, but because so many rivals from China seem insistent on touchscreen dependency, cost-cutting disguised as minimalism, and tech for tech’s sake, the Mahindra is refreshing to use.

In some ways I think of it as the successor to once-affordable small cars from Japan which were like this.

The primary cost you’ll pay is that it isn’t as fancy or up-to-date as some rivals. It’s a shame there’s no hybrid powertrain option for example, and the screens feel small compared to rivals. For someone just looking for zero learning curve, though, this could be the small car antidote you need, especially at this one’s keen $26,990, drive-away price.

Still, it has all the basic kit you really need, with some luxuries like a wireless phone charger and wireless phone connectivity. Small, traditional spec details ignored by a lot of cars at this cheap end of the spectrum have been thought of, too. For example, the 3X0 doesn’t get a cheap or no-name tyre package, featuring a nice set of Goodyears which soak up bumps pretty well and provide an appropriate amount of traction, even when the little turbo engine is pushed.

Styling proved controversial

I said in my last chapter I think the Mahindra XUV 3XO is sharply-styled and certainly Mahindra’s best looking product.

Some folks I took for a ride-along disagreed, with opinions ranging from ‘weird’ to ‘ugly’. I really like that it comes in fun colours, but apparently you all want to stick to monochrome because I was told the ‘Citrine Yellow’ my car came in was "too much like mustard".

Then again, I also think the concept of ‘resale’ is the most boring one to curse a lot of modern cars. Annoyingly, if you want the Citrine Yellow, Dune Beige, or Nebula Blue colours you have to splash for this top-spec AX7L version, as the base AX5L comes in the usual palette.

Apparently people care about this ‘resale’ concept less these days, too, because they seem willing to take a chance on a new Chinese brand over brands which traditionally perform well in this department like Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

If you’re considering the Mahindra get the fun colours, this brand is hardly known for its great residuals.

The XUV 3XO is more practical than you’d think

One thing universally praised by friends and family is the impressive amount of room on the inside of this little Mahindra despite its modest footprint.

At 182cm tall I am easily able to find a comfortable driving position, but I also fit behind my own driving position with a small amount of airspace for my knees. Plus, the back of the front seat is clad in soft finishes, so even if you were taller than me, at least your knees will be pressing against something soft.

Headroom is great in the front and acceptable in the rear, with the sunroof eating a little into headspace. I had enough room for my head still, however.

The rear seat is also impressively wide, and there’s no rise in the floor for a driveshaft, as there’s no all-wheel drive 3XO, so there’s even room for a middle passenger to put their feet.

Cabin storage is decent, with big cupholders in the front and rear doors, which it needs because the two in the front console and rear drop-down armrest are quite shallow for taller vessels.

As mentioned in the last chapter, it also has an array of glorious buttons, even a dedicated climate panel, reducing the dependence on the touchscreen. On the flipside, there are limited additional storage options in the cabin, with only a tiny armrest box, and no big pass-under tray like many rivals with more luxurious bridge-style consoles get.

For me, this meant a lot of objects ending up on the passenger side floor or on the back seat.

The boot is the real party trick, though. Looking at this car in its side-profile, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it barely has one. There’s almost no distance between the rear window and the back of the car itself, and yet through brilliance of design the boot is good for a vehicle in this class.

It’s deep, offering 364 litres of space (better than the 200-300 offered by many rivals) and is able to take two of the three CarsGuide luggage cases at a time. It even has a space-saver spare under the floor.

Quality qualms

I found some interesting, albeit minor, quality issues with my car. Stuff that you almost never see on Japanese, Korean, or even Chinese cars these days.

The most egregious example was the rear LED strip which seemed like it was slightly loosely secured to the boot lid. This resulted in an irritating plastic squeaking noise, both when you shut or opened the boot lid, but you could also hear it over bumps and corrugations on the road.

The boot seemed to creak and groan in the corners, perhaps flexing. It is made of a very light and thin metal.

The floor mat across the rear also didn’t fit precisely and moved around when you put your feet on it as though it was an aftermarket accessory which didn’t quite get the floor measurements right.

The 3XO is also pretty noisy at freeway speed, but this is to be expected for a small and light car in this class. Remember to check out part one of this review on why this car is actually pretty good to drive.

XUV 3XO redeemed itself on fuel consumption

Last chapter I singled out fuel consumption as a major downside, with this little SUV throwing back a less than impressive 7.4L/100km, but in the time since it has managed to redeem itself.

Fuel consumption overall dropped to just 6.4L/100km, which is less than the official figure of 6.5L/100km. This is probably due to introducing a lot more more freeway kilometres, but it speaks to the difference between urban, mixed and high-speed fuel consumption on a car like this with a traditional six-speed automatic transmission.

The fuel tank is also a bit small. At 42 litres I was re-filling more often than I would have liked.

Safety question marks

While the 3XO is largely free of the array of deal-breakingly annoying safety tech which plagues a lot of its rivals from China, it also hasn’t been ANCAP tested, and if it were, I fear it wouldn’t fare well.

On paper it ticks a few boxes, with six airbags and things like auto emergency braking and lane keeping aids, but it rides on an older platform and misses out on blind spot monitoring, instead using a blind spot camera system.