Sep 22, 2015 03:08 PM
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The TUV300 has a boxy design with five doors, swept back headlamps, a grille with vertical chrome slats, a flat roof with roof rails, a spare wheel mounted on the tail gate with a cover and vertically stacked tail lamp clusters. It also has body-coloured door handles, door mirrors and bumpers and short overhangs.
Other features include rectangular fog lamps, blackened B and D-pillars, 10-spoke alloy wheels and a rear wiper.
Previous spy images have revealed that the interiors of the TUV300 will feature 7 seats and a black dashboard with silver inserts. The top-end variant is expected to get an infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity and AUX-in and USB ports.
The TUV300 will be powered by an mHawk diesel engine. This unit is believed to be a reworked version of the 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder power plant from the Quanto. One of the cars spotted had an automatic transmission.
The TUV is boxy looking that harks back to its Bolero heritage(explained later in this piece), and will polarise most of you to either liking or hating it. I find it distinct, especially in the space it occupies - where most designs flaunt curves. Case in point, the EcoSport, Avventura, Creta, and S-Cross. That said, the front bumper does look a bit heavy.
Inside, you get the connectivity and gadgets you'd expect these days, and the cabin is reasonably airy with great headroom and generous legroom for a car sits below 4 metres in length. Air conditioning is powerful and the cabin cools quickly. The cabin is finished in a warm beige and the dash layout and pattern is very good looking. I like the new steering and its feel and size. Yes, this is all way better than the new Scorpio's and even the recently facelifted XUV's interior. So, now you know what I mean?
However, the big USP will be the automated manual transmission(AMT). Indian buyers have had AMTs in the hatch and sedan space, courtesy Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors who use AMT systems supplied by Magneti Marelli. The Mahindra system has been co-developed with Ricardo, and I found it to have a superior driving character. It lurches less and has a smoother transition through the gears - meaning less need for getting used to it, smoother shifts, and hence more driving pleasure.
The car drives with the typical grunt of a Mahindra, and while I would've expected greater refinement I have to say the mHawk80 does deliver. Good low and medium-end torque gives you quick manoeuvrability, and the car's taut proportions help that cause too. Steering is a bit heavy but not disconcerting, and pickup is quick with a minimal touch of lag. The good news is that the engine noise is still the kind of growl some SUV owners would enjoy, especially when you think of the kind of buyer who wants that big-SUV-feel without spending big-SUV-money.
