• Mahindra's XUV 3XO has been on sale since April 2024, and in September the company said it had passed 2.5 lakh sales.

• A CNG version is now reported to be on its way, though Mahindra has not confirmed it.

In April 2026, reports citing sources said Mahindra was working on a CNG kit for the XUV 3XO. Mahindra declined to comment. The company has no CNG passenger SUV on sale today, though it has sold CNG pickups.

On 8 October, a report said the car will debut on 15 October, with prices to follow in the coming weeks, and pointed to a brand teaser. At the time of checking, Mahindra had not published a press release, price list or specification sheet. So 15 October is a reported debut, not a confirmed launch.

What is known about the engine

Reports point to the 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbo petrol as the base for the CNG version. In petrol form, that engine makes about 111 hp and 200 Nm in the current XUV 3XO.

Beyond that, little is confirmed. Mahindra has not said what power the CNG car makes, which gearbox it will use or how large its tank will be. Reports have discussed twin cylinders, as Tata uses, and an underbody tank, as Maruti uses on some models. Those are options, not decisions.

Petrol mileage does not carry over to CNG. The petrol and diesel versions are certified at 17.96 to 21.2 kmpl, which says nothing about what a CNG car will return in km per kg.

The XUV 3XO it would join

Built in Nashik, the XUV 3XO starts at Rs 7.79 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.04 lakh ex showroom for the top automatic. It is 3,990 mm long, seats five and has a 364 litre boot in petrol and diesel form. Six airbags come as standard, and it holds a 5-star Bharat NCAP score for adult and child protection. A CNG tank can affect boot space, as the rivals below show.

How the rivals handle CNG

The Tata Nexon and Maruti Brezza are the two compact SUVs in this class with factory-fitted CNG today. The Nexon has twin 60 litre cylinders under its boot floor, and fitting them cuts the boot from 382 litres to 321 litres. The Brezza uses a 1.5 litre petrol and comes with a manual gearbox only.

A Quick Note: These figures are test results, not road results, and real-world mileage will vary.

What to check before booking

The first thing to check is the price premium over the same petrol trim, and which trims get CNG at all. Then look at certified km per kg, tank size and layout, and boot space with the tank fitted. Warranty, service interval and delivery timeline matter too.

A short test drive will tell you more than the launch photos. Try a CNG run with the air conditioning on and passengers aboard, and check pull in city traffic, noise, refuelling ease and usable luggage space.

For now, 15 October is a date to watch. Mahindra has yet to attach a price, tank size or mileage figure to the car, so buyers should wait for those numbers before booking.

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