evo India – July 2019

HOW IS THE RIDE QUALITY OVER BAD ROADS

THE CAR THAT REALLY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE WITH

its ride quality was the Mahindra XUV300. Forget the fact that

it has the most power amongst all the cars here, it also has great

suspension compliance. It’s a fairly soft setup, allowing it to deal

with undulations in a composed manner, but not so soft as to be

all over the place once you up the pace. The damping is great as

well, the quick rebound ensuring it doesn’t take too long to settle

down after hitting a bump. It feels very mature, almost like an SUV

from a segment above. The Nexon may have a robustness to its ride

quality, but it cannot match the XUV’s finesse.

I knew the Venue would have a tough time besting the XUV

on this front. When I first picked up the Venue, I found the ride

to be back-breakingly stiff. But then I realised the car we had was

running over-inflated tyres. After setting the pressures right, the

Venue transformed entirely. The Venue doesn’t feel too much like

an SUV. Unlike the Nexon that gives you a sense of robustness, the

Venue feels more car-like. The ride on the Venue is not unlike the

XUV’s. It too has the ability to flatten bad roads with a degree of

finesse that some of the older cars here do not possess. The Venue

doesn’t pitch too much either and certainly matches the maturity

of the XUV’s setup. And that is high praise.

Above: The XUV300’s cabin has good materials used. To p r i g h t :

This button tightens or slackens the steering resistance

MAHINDRA XUV300

Engine 1497cc, in-line 4-cyl, turbo-diesel

Transmission 6-speed manual

Power 115bhp @ 3750rpm

To r q u e 300Nm @ 1500-2500rpm

Weight NA

0-100kmph NA

Top speed 175kmph

Price `11.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

HYUNDAI VENUE v VITARA BREZZA v NEXON v ECOSPORT v XUV300