2027 Mahindra XUV 3XO Black Anniversary Edition review

Having first driven the Mahindra XUV 3XO in India on a restricted test track before spending considerably more time with it in Australia, including more than 5000km in our previous long-term AX7L, it's fair to say we know this car rather well.

That gives us a pretty good point of reference for this new Black Edition, or Black Anniversary Edition as Mahindra formally calls it.

Launched to celebrate the XUV 3XO’s first year in Australia and limited to 300 examples, the Black Edition is essentially a flagship AX7L wearing black wheels, black badges and a handful of other cosmetic additions. There are no mechanical changes and there is very little difference inside.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, because the standard XUV 3XO is already a pretty good-looking little car. The chunky proportions, squared-off wheel arches and distinctive lighting give it much more character than you might expect at this end of the market, and the black treatment suits it.

More importantly, this is not just an inexpensive SUV that looks good in photographs. Spend some time with it and you begin to appreciate how much engineering effort has gone into making it feel comfortable, quiet and generally well resolved.

Mahindra is hardly an automotive startup, either. Its vehicles first appeared in Australia in the 1990s, while its current local operation celebrated 20 years in 2025 and its dealer network has grown beyond 70 locations. That history and physical dealer presence should provide some reassurance to buyers who may not know much about the Indian brand.

The big question is whether the Black Edition is the version to buy, particularly when it costs more than the already well-equipped AX7L and several of its closest Chinese rivals.

How much does the Mahindra XUV 3XO cost?

Mahindra sells the XUV 3XO with national drive-away pricing.

The Black Edition was initially advertised from $27,990 drive-away, but the compulsory $495 metallic paint charge takes the amount you actually pay to $28,485 drive-away.

That makes it $1495 more expensive than an AX7L in no-cost Everest White. However, metallic paint also costs $495 on the regular AX7L, so compared with an AX7L wearing the same Stealth Black and Galvano Grey colour combination, the effective premium for the Black Edition treatment is $1000.

For that additional money you get gloss-black 17-inch alloy wheels with darker centre caps, blacked-out badging and decals, a body-coloured grille, dark aluminium scuff plates and a rear luggage tray.

The Chery Tiggo 4 Ultimate and entry-level GWM Haval Jolion Premium are both currently priced at $26,990 drive-away. Both are physically larger than the little Mahindra, although the XUV 3XO counters with a surprisingly spacious interior and several features its competitors either lack or do not execute as well.

From a purely rational perspective, the regular AX7L remains the sweet spot. The Black Edition makes sense for somebody who specifically likes its appearance or wants one of the 300 limited-run examples, but it does not fundamentally improve the vehicle.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Mahindra XUV 3XO like on the inside?

The first surprise is how little of the Black Edition treatment actually carries into the cabin.

It adds the dark scuff plates and luggage tray, but otherwise this is the same black leatherette interior, dashboard and equipment found in the standard AX7L.

Fortunately, that is already a very good interior for the money.

The areas you regularly touch are soft, including the upper and middle sections of the doors, the dashboard and the centre armrest. The steering wheel also feels good in your hands, while the buttons mounted on it are clearly labelled and sensibly positioned.

It does not feel like Mahindra has simply filled the cabin with hard, scratchy plastic to hit a price. The design, materials and general fit and finish are all better than you might reasonably expect in a sub-$30,000 SUV.

The two 10.25-inch displays also help. One serves as the digital instrument cluster and the other operates the infotainment system, with both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included.

We could not get wireless Apple CarPlay connected despite several attempts in this particular car, although it worked reliably throughout our previous long-term test. The screen itself is bright, high-resolution and responsive, and the software is relatively easy to understand.

Mahindra has also retained proper physical climate-control buttons. They are large, clearly marked and easy to operate without taking your eyes off the road, which is far preferable to digging through touchscreen menus every time you want to adjust the temperature or fan speed.

The same philosophy applies to the idle stop-start system. There is a physical button beside the steering wheel to switch it off immediately, rather than having to find it buried somewhere in the infotainment system.

That is particularly useful on a hot Brisbane day, because the stop-start calibration remains a little too enthusiastic and will shut the engine down before the cabin has properly cooled.

The Harman Kardon audio system remains one of the XUV 3XO’s strongest features. It uses seven speakers, a dedicated amplifier and a subwoofer, and it sounds genuinely excellent for a vehicle at this price.

In fact, the stereo is better than those fitted to plenty of cars costing significantly more. For younger buyers or somebody purchasing their first new car, it is the sort of feature that could make a real difference during a back-to-back test drive.

There is also a wireless phone charger, a 65W USB-C outlet capable of charging a laptop, and an older USB-A connection (which is pretty useless and needs to be replaced with another USB-C charger).

The large panoramic Skyroof has a proper retractable shade and an opening front section, rather than simply being a fixed piece of glass. That makes it more useful in the real world, particularly in the Australian climate.

The front seats are comfortable and the driving position feels right. You can adjust the steering wheel for height but not reach. Despite that, visibility is excellent and it is easy to judge where the corners of the car are.

You sit high enough to get the SUV-style view buyers want, but not so high that you feel disconnected from the rest of the car.

Rear accommodation is another strong point. There is genuinely enough space for two larger adults, or three average-sized occupants for shorter journeys, which is impressive in a vehicle measuring less than four metres long.

Rear passengers also get air vents, power outlets (USB-C), a fold-down centre armrest and a relatively flat bench. There are two ISOFIX child-seat positions and three top-tether points.

The trade-off is boot space. Mahindra quotes 364 litres with the second row upright, which is reasonable on paper but does not feel enormous once you start loading family gear.

The external tailgate-release button also remains unnecessarily difficult to find. It is tiny, mounted low and tucked under the lip of the tailgate. A larger button, a better location or a release button on the key would make everyday use much easier.

The XUV 3XO also carries a space-saver spare wheel beneath the boot floor.

There is plenty of piano-black trim around the centre console. It looks good when clean, particularly in the Black Edition, but it will inevitably attract fingerprints, dust and minor scratches.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Nothing has changed mechanically for the Black Edition.

It uses the same 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as every other Australian XUV 3XO, producing 82kW of power and 200Nm of torque.

It is paired with an Aisin six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, sending power exclusively to the front wheels.

The 14.0km/L figure shown by our test vehicle converts to 7.1L/100km. That is reasonably close to Mahindra’s official 6.5L/100km claim and substantially better than the 10.0L/100km recorded by our previous long-term car.

It is important to note this was a trip-computer reading rather than a controlled brim-to-brim fuel test, so it should be treated as a snapshot rather than a definitive real-world result.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Mahindra XUV 3XO drive?

The XUV 3XO is fundamentally a city car dressed as a little SUV, and that is where it works best.

With 82kW it is not going to set your world on fire, but the 200Nm of torque gives it enough response to move away from traffic lights and get up to suburban speeds without much effort.

There can be a brief pause after you press the accelerator hard, as the gearbox and small turbocharged engine work out what is being asked of them. Once it responds, however, the 3XO builds speed with reasonable confidence.

The six-speed automatic is generally smooth and predictable. There is nothing complicated about the drivetrain, and that simplicity suits the purpose of the car.

Driving around Brisbane, picking up the kids, going to the supermarket or dealing with stop-start traffic, it does exactly what it needs to do.

The steering is light enough for parking without feeling completely disconnected, while the 5.3-metre turning circle, excellent visibility and compact dimensions make it very easy to manoeuvre through tight streets and shopping-centre car parks.

Ride quality is slightly on the firm side, but it is not uncomfortable or harsh. The suspension deals reasonably well with broken surfaces and suburban bumps, and the car feels predictable through corners.

One of the most impressive aspects is how quiet it is inside. There is less road, tyre and general mechanical noise than expected at this price, giving the cabin a more insulated and substantial feeling than many inexpensive vehicles.

That refinement is particularly noticeable against the Chery Tiggo 4, which has a more powerful engine but is known for a little more road noise.

It will reach highway speeds and hold them without difficulty, but this is not the vehicle we would choose if one regularly needed to overtake trucks on single-lane country roads.

For ordinary motorway commuting it is perfectly adequate. For repeated high-speed overtaking or carrying a full load over long distances, something with more power would be a better option.

The adaptive cruise control is easy to understand and simple to adjust, including the following-distance setting. It worked well during our time with the car and does not require a lengthy consultation with the owner’s manual.

The surround-view camera is also useful, and indicating brings up a side-camera image in the instrument display. The frame rate of that image is fairly low, but it still provides a useful view of what is beside the car.

The reversing camera itself is clear enough for the price and, together with the car’s good visibility, makes parking relatively straightforward.

Our test vehicle did occasionally produce a front parking-sensor warning when there was nothing immediately ahead. We have experienced this issue in previous 3XO vehicles also.

The other ongoing Mahindra irritation is the indicator sound. It is more musical and pronounced than it needs to be. You can lower its volume and choose between different sounds, but a simple conventional indicator tick would be better.

Despite the below figures and Mahindra’s wider off-road reputation, this front-wheel drive model is designed for sealed roads rather than serious off-road use.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The Black Edition builds on the flagship AX7L.

2027 Mahindra XUV 3XO AX7L equipment highlights:

• Automatic LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Automatic high-beam
• LED front fog lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Fixed roof rails
• Panoramic opening Skyroof
• Keyless entry and push-button start
• Black leatherette seat upholstery
• Soft-touch leatherette dashboard and door trim
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired and wireless Android Auto
• Seven-speaker Harman Kardon audio system
• Dedicated amplifier and subwoofer
• Wireless phone charging
• 65W USB-C charging
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rear air vents
• Cooled and illuminated glovebox
• Electric parking brake with auto hold
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera with Blind View Monitor

Black Anniversary Edition adds:

• Stealth Black exterior paint
• Matte Galvano Grey roof
• Gloss-black 17-inch alloy wheels
• Darkened wheel centre caps
• Body-coloured grille
• Blacked-out exterior badges and decals
• Dark aluminium scuff plates
• Rear luggage tray
• Metallic paint included in the advertised $28,485 drive-away price

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Colours

There is only one colour combination for the Black Anniversary Edition, which is hardly surprising given the name.

It combines a Stealth Black body with a Matte Galvano Grey roof.

A regular AX7L is already available in Stealth Black with a Galvano Grey roof, so the Black Edition’s main visual differences are its gloss-black wheels, darkened badges and centre caps, and body-coloured grille.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Mahindra XUV 3XO safe?

The Mahindra XUV 3XO has not been independently assessed by ANCAP and therefore does not carry an Australian safety rating. ANCAP’s current Mahindra listings do not include the XUV 3XO.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Six airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• Forward collision warning
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Lane-departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Smart Pilot Assist
• Traffic-sign recognition
• Automatic high-beam
• Electronic stability control
• Hill-hold control
• Hill-descent control
• Tyre-pressure monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera
• Blind View Monitor camera display

One point worth clarifying is that Mahindra describes the system as a Blind View Monitor. It displays a camera image when the indicator is activated (at a pretty low frame rate, one must say), rather than being a conventional radar-based blind-spot warning system.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Mahindra XUV 3XO cost to run?

Mahindra backs the XUV 3XO with a seven-year, 150,000km factory warranty and seven years of roadside assistance.

There is a free inspection at one month or 1500km. The first paid service is due at 12 months or 10,000km, followed by annual services with the distance increasing in 15,000km increments.

The individual capped service prices are $279, $279, $349, $299, $389 and $399.

To see how the Mahindra XUV 3XO lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Mahindra XUV 3XO

The Black Edition has not fundamentally changed our opinion of the Mahindra XUV 3XO, but spending more time with the car reinforces just how competitive it is.

This is a comfortable, spacious and surprisingly refined little SUV. It has a good infotainment system, one of the best stereos available anywhere near this price, proper physical controls and an interior that does not feel cheaply made.

The drivetrain is not especially powerful and there is a little lag when you suddenly ask for full acceleration, but it is perfectly suited to city and suburban use. The ride, steering and automatic transmission all do their jobs without introducing any serious compromises.

Its biggest problem is not the vehicle itself. It is convincing Australian buyers to look beyond Mahindra’s relatively low passenger-car profile when the Chery Tiggo 4 and GWM Haval Jolion are already competing aggressively at the same end of the market.

It would be foolish to dismiss Mahindra’s capability simply because it is not Chinese, Japanese or Korean. This is a company with decades of manufacturing experience, an established Australian operation and a growing dealer network, and the XUV 3XO demonstrates that it can build a budget vehicle with genuine substance.

As for the Black Edition, we like the way it looks. The gloss-black wheels, darkened badges and black grille work well with the XUV 3XO’s chunky shape.

However, it remains an appearance package. Buyers who are focused purely on value should save the money and buy the regular AX7L, which has the same interior, drivetrain, technology and safety equipment.

Those who specifically want the blacked-out look are effectively paying an additional $1000 over an AX7L in the same metallic colour, which is not an unreasonable premium.

Either way, the XUV 3XO deserves to be driven back-to-back with the Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion. It is not just a credible alternative because it comes from somewhere different. It is a genuinely good little car in its own right.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Mahindra XUV 3XO. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Mahindra XUV 3XO showroom