Mahindra South Africa has quietly expanded its light-commercial vehicle range with the launch of the XUV300 Xprez panel van. Here’s how much the newcomer costs…

Mahindra has launched the XUV300 Xprez panel van in South Africa, positioning the newcomer in its light-commercial vehicle (LCV) stable alongside the KwaZulu-Natal-assembled Pik Up and the Indian-built Bolero bakkies.

Based on the XUV300 crossover, the Xprez-badged version is likely converted to panel-van specification at Mahindra’s special fitment centre in Gauteng – just as the automaker did with its since-discontinued KUV100 Xprez. The company bills this latest model as the “ultimate urban delivery van” (angling for a slice of the soon-to-depart Nissan NP200’s pie, perhaps?).

Note the black grille and bumper trim (and the lack of foglamps).

Offered exclusively in entry-level W4 guise, the XUV300 Xprez is powered by the Mumbai-based brand’s familiar turbocharged 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers 81 kW and 200 Nm to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. Mahindra claims a combined fuel-economy figure of 6.3 L/100 km, matching that of the passenger version.

With the rear bench binned to create a load area, the XUV300 Xprez is listed as a 2-seater vehicle. We’ve yet to unearth an exact payload capacity, with Mahindra saying only that the figure is “impressive” (it further describes the cargo space as “versatile and adaptive”). However, based on a spot of rudimentary maths, we’d speculate the payload capacity is somewhere in the region of 320 kg.

The rear seats have been ditched to create a load bay.

Judging by the images we found, the Xprez gains a safety barrier to separate the passenger- and load areas, likely along with a netting system to help keep cargo in place. Meanwhile, the rear screen as well as the windows in the rear doors feature some sort of film, perhaps applied to keep the load bay’s contents from prying eyes.

Despite its positioning in the LCV segment, the Xprez is by no means the cheapest XUV300 on offer. In fact, priced from R294999, the panel van is more expensive than the W4 variants of the passenger-vehicle version, as well as pricier than the likewise petrol-powered W6 passenger model.

No multi-function controls for the steering wheel.

So, what do you get for the money? Well,the XUV300 Xprez features black bumpers (fore and aft), a black grille, 16-inch steel wheels, “#Xprez” decals (along its flanks and on the tailgate), fabric seat upholstery, air conditioning and a 4-speaker, Bluetooth-enabled audio system (though sans Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).

The LCV version of the XUV300 furthermore does without items such as front foglamps, roof rails and rear wipers. Safety features include rear parking sensors, dual front airbags and brake discs (front and rear), though note this model misses out on traction control.

How much does the Mahindra XUV300 Xprez cost in SA?

Mahindra XUV300 1.2T W4 Xprez – R294 999

The price above includes a 5-year/150 000 km warranty and a 3-year/50 000 km service plan.

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