Mahindra Enters the Mainstream CNG Market as XUV 3XO Sales Cross 2.5 Lakh
Mahindra has launched the XUV 3XO ZNG at ₹9.99 lakh, its first mainstream CNG SUV, as XUV 3XO sales cross 2.5 lakh and its SUV sales rise 20% from April to September.
Mahindra launched the XUV 3XO ZNG in Mumbai on 15 October 2026 at ₹9.99 lakh ex-showroom. It adds CNG to a compact SUV that the company says has crossed 2.5 lakh cumulative sales in under 2.5 years.
Mahindra calls the ZNG its first mainstream CNG passenger vehicle. The XUV 3XO itself launched on 29 April 2024, priced from ₹7.49 lakh at the time.
The ZNG uses the XUV 3XO's 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, which Mahindra says produces the same 82 kW (111 PS) and 200 Nm on CNG as on petrol. It is offered only with a six-speed manual gearbox, and Mahindra quotes certified efficiency of 24.7 km/kg. Four variants are on sale: MX Edge at ₹9.99 lakh, REVX Edge (O) at ₹10.79 lakh, AX5 at ₹11.19 lakh and REVX A at ₹12.27 lakh, all ex-showroom.
Test drives began on 15 October, and bookings and deliveries both open on 20 October. Dr Velusamy R, President of Mahindra's Automotive Business, said customers want an SUV "along with the lower running costs of CNG."
Mahindra's SUV Sales Keep Climbing
The CNG launch follows six straight months of growth. Mahindra sold 3,58,142 SUVs in India between April and September 2026, up 20% from 2,97,570 a year earlier, according to its monthly sales releases. Every month beat the same month of 2025, with the biggest jump in August, when sales rose 50% to 59,257 units.
| Month | 2025 | 2026 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 52,330 | 56,331 | 8% |
| May | 52,431 | 58,021 | 11% |
| June | 47,306 | 60,393 | 28% |
| July | 49,871 | 60,048 | 20% |
| August | 39,399 | 59,257 | 50% |
| September | 56,233 | 64,092 | 14% |
The figures are Mahindra's domestic utility vehicle sales. Its monthly releases do not give a model-wise split. In September, the company also said its Electric Origin SUVs had crossed 1 lakh billings since launch, meaning units dispatched to dealers.
Where the ZNG Fits
Mahindra claims the ZNG's 200 Nm is the most torque of any CNG passenger vehicle in India. Its closest CNG rivals produce less: the Tata Nexon CNG makes 99 bhp and 170 Nm, and the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG makes 87 bhp and 121.5 Nm, according to the DynoBHP catalog. The Nexon CNG costs ₹8.35 lakh to ₹11.22 lakh and the Brezza CNG ₹9.40 lakh to ₹11.60 lakh, ex-showroom as of September 2026.
The trade-off is luggage space. The twin CNG cylinders sit under the boot floor, which cuts boot space to 270 litres from 364 litres in the petrol XUV 3XO, according to Mahindra's brochure.
The XUV 3XO's full variant list now includes the four ZNG versions. With bookings opening on 20 October, Mahindra joins Tata and Maruti Suzuki in selling a CNG compact SUV, a segment it had left to rivals until now.