The rivalry shared between Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra is immensely popular in the Indian car market. Both the companies have been actively competing against each other, in order to gain third position in the passenger car market. Tata Motors maintains its stronghold in the hatchback and sedan segment whereas the bulk of revenue generated by Mahindra & Mahindra comes from the utility vehicle segment. The vehicles of these Indian home-grown majors have enjoyed huge success across different parts of the country. When it comes to utility vehicle makers, the names of both these companies props-up in mind.
In utility vehicle segment, Tata Motors maintains its presence through Aria while Mahindra & Mahindra has XUV500 to its name. Now with the launch of an entry level W4 variant of XUV500, the rivalry is expected to further escalate. So to assess the extent of competition, a detailed analysis of both the vehicles is done. Talking about engine configurations, Tata Aria gets a 2.2-litre DiCOR engine with Variable Turbine Technology. The engine possess an ability to give away 138 bhp of power alongside the 320 Nm of torque. Mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, the powerful engine speeds the car from 0 to 100 kmph in just 14 seconds.
On the other hand, Mahindra XUV500 W4 is powered by the mHawk140 engine that is equipped with Variable Geometry Turbocharger. The maximum power churned out by this engine equals to 140 bhp while the figures for torque stand at 330 Nm. The car of Mahindra wrests a slight advantage over Tata Aria as it gets a 6-speed manual transmission, which allows it to get the extra punch needed on highways. In terms of safety and security features, Tata Aria is offered with engine immobiliser system with parametric alarm system, all disc brakes, apart from the Hydroform Chassis Frame structure that offers enhanced safety for occupants. While Mahindra XUV500 W4 variant gets additional equipment like dual airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and side impact beams. Therefore, newly launched variant of XUV500 clearly leads its counterpart as it boasts of advance features.
On assessing the comfort and convenience features, it was found that Mahindra XUV500 W4 variant has more equipment as compared to the base trim of Tata Aria. Features like tilt power steering, electrically operated temperature control with dual HVAC and adjustable seat height function is present in XUV500. On the other hand, Tata Aria Pure LX gets driver info system, keyless entry with remote integrated key and dual air conditioning vents with pillar mounted AC louvers. It must be mentioned that these features are also provided in XUV500 W4 variant.
In terms of price, Tata Motors has priced the base Pure LX variant of Aria at Rs. 10.18 lakh while Mahindra XUV500 W4 is available from Rs. 10.95 lakh. As these figures are ex-showroom prices of the respective cars, it is very hard to choose any particular vehicle between the two. In order to sum up on the competition, it must be said that both the cars are almost identical in performance and pricing aspects. However, in terms of safety and comfort features, Mahindra XUV500 W4 clearly leads its rival, thereby making it as a preferential choice amongst the buyers.
