In the recent times, SUVs are becoming the most popular choice for the buyers because of their tough and strong body structure, whether it is the newly introduced Maruti S-Cross, Hyundai Creta or Ford EcoSport, these robust vehicles have created a commotion in the market. In the very short time span, the compact SUV segment and the compact sedan segment have encountered various add-ons in both the categories.
Mahindra is also prepared to launch the new sub-4meter SUV in the market on 10th of September 2015. Named as TUV 300 which is pronounced as TUV three double ‘O’, the car off course looks promising. With the launch, it will lock horns against Hyundai Creta, Maruti S-Cross, Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport.
Mahindra by introducing the TUV300 is doing the second attempt in the SUV segment as before that, the company launched Bolero in the market which has been a runaway success but its sales only came from rural areas. However, the all new TUV300 is the new car and not the replacement for the older one. The company is now targeting the urban market and is majorly working to make it the modern vehicle with the more stylish and premium looks and more powerful than the Bolero.
The price of the TUV300 will also be competitive to play safe among the other rivals. The main competitor for the TUV300 in India will be the Ford EcoSport. Moreover, the company states that the new SUV will also be a global product and will get the LHD version for the export purpose from India. The all-new compact SUV is made from the scratch in-house at the MRV (Mahindra Research Valley) situated in Chennai, the car is said to be manufactured at the Chakan Plant which is located in Maharashtra.
Talking about the outer profile of the car, the new TUV300 gets the masculine exteriors, it fulfills the one’s requirement for the car which handles like the small vehicle, has a spacious cabin like the C-segment sedan and has the looks like a tough SUV. Mahindra says that the new TUV300 is based on the brand new platform, here arise a possibility that it could be the modified version of Scorpio’s new hydro-formed modular chassis.
The company justifies that the TUV300’s design is inspired by the battle tank but apart from that, the design cues are also taken from Pininfarina. Mahindra is saying that the car is not the replacement for the Bolero but from the front façade, it does show a remarkable resemblance with the latter. The company is calling its car a ‘True Blue SUV’ and the design also justifies the same as it gets the boxy size, front and rear overhangs, and the rear mounted spare wheel for that butchy stance.
Stepping inside, the new TUV300 offer spacious cabin which is expected to be upmarket and more stylish with the incorporation of advanced features. The seats and the upholstery will be same as seen in the Scorpio, it is also expected that the vehicle will be offered with the jump seats at the back that are just like Quanto. The car will likely to come with the touchscreen infotainment system with navigation that is seen in the XUV500 and the new Scorpio.
Under the hood, the TUV300 is said to be powered by the new 1.5 litres mHawk80 engine with improved NVH levels. The company has not revealed any information about the engine but the number 80 denotes the power produced by the motor. The car is expected to get the 4WD option, the mill will come mated to 5-speed manual transmission gearbox and is spied with the AMT gearbox as well.
Coming to the price, the company will surely keep the cost competitive against the rivals, this will be the bad news for the competitors as they already know that the company has a strong dealer network in the country. Mahindra has four most successful cars in its bag viz. Thar, Scorpio, Bolero and XUV500 and one more car of such stature will act as a feather in the cap.
Mr. Pravin Shah, President and the chief Executive, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said that the new TUV300 is the most eagerly awaited launch of the year that truly signifies its ‘Make-in-India’ purpose. The company is confident enough that the product will surely create the enthusiasm among the auto buffs.