Mahindra KUV100: All you need to know

Also read: Mahindra KUV100 launched at Rs 4.42 lakh

Officially revealed in mid December, the new KUV100 is Mahindra entry into the compact SUV segment. Set to launch on January 15, the new compact SUV will sit below the TUV300 and the Quanto in Mahindra’s line-up. Previously codenamed S101, the compact SUV also forms the platform for the launch of Mahindra’s all-new family of engines.

Design

Designed at the Mahindra Research Valley near Chennai, the KUV100 gets a round and muscular appearance, unlike the box-like profile of the larger TUV300. Mahindra has gone with a modern crossover look for the KUV100 rather than the upright and boxy styling of the TUV300. The crossover gets a cab forward design with the A-pillar starting after the front wheel arch. This could mean a roomier interior on the model.

Up front, the KUV100 gets a slim high-set grille with vertical slats flanked by large wrap-around headlamps with LED elements. The car also sports a prominent front bumper with dual air dams, angular fog lamps and a faux skid plate and the multi-layered appearance of the unit makes the car look more grown up. The bonnet features a clamshell design and gets prominent lines that adds to the car’s character.

Along the flanks, the car gets prominent character lines along the front fender and door and over the rear wheel arches. The squared wheel arches and high-set fenders add to the car’s muscular appeal while the sloping roofline gives it more sporty appeal. The rear doors additionally feature pillar-mounted door handles – a design previously seen on the Chevrolet Beat.

At the rear, the character line over the rear arch continues over the tail-lamps and finishes at the tailgate. The tail-lamps are large simplistic units that merge into the tailgate while the rear bumper, like  at the front, gets a layered appearance that gets a part-colour, part-body cladding finish.

Also read: Mahindra KUV100 first look review

Interior and features

Coming to the interior, the KUV gets two rows of bench seats. The car is also expected to feature a proper seating arrangement for a front centre passenger making it the only six-seater in the segment. The use of bench-style seats has shifted the gearlever from the floor to the centre console where it sits alongside the controls for the air-con. The handbrake lever is located at the base of the centre console and is a pull-type unit as seen on the Datsun Go. The KUV100 will be offered in four variants – K2, K4, K6 and K8. Spy images spotted so far could be of the possible K8 variant which showed that the interior features a generous amount of silver and black inserts along the dashboard and a silver-finished multi-function steering. The air-con controls are finished in chrome while the infotainment system (no touchscreen option) is mounted between two chrome brackets. The instrument cluster is a single binnacle unit and gets a silver surround.

Mahindra is set to offer ABS as standard across the range with dual airbags available as an add-on while higher-spec models in the line-up will be equipped with cooled glovebox, power windows, drive modes – Power and Eco – and the company’s Micro Hybrid technology.

Engines

Under the hood, the all-new KUV100 gets an all-new family of engines. Badged mFalcon, the new series of petrol and diesel engines made its international debut in the SsangYong Tivoli in the form of the e-XGi160 and e-XDi160 petrol and diesel engines respectively. The KUV 100 though, is set to use the smallest offerings from the series in the form of 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engine, dubbed the G80, uses a dual-VVT setup and a plastic intake manifold, variable oil pump and low friction seals to help it develop 81.8bhp and 11.73kgm of torque. The diesel motor, badged the D75, also uses weight saving components along with a new generation turbocharger, an advanced fuel pump and thermostats making it capable for 76.43bhp and 19.37kgm of torque. Both engines will come paired with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.

Photo gallery

The new engine series uses many common components and have a common 'bore center spacing' to optimise manufacturing costs, while Mahindra along with its Korean affiliate have engineered the series to make them capable of passing Euro-VI emission norms. The series will also feature a 1.5-litre unit that is currently under development.

Pricing and rivals

Bookings for the KUV100 are currently open with the initial booking amount at Rs 10,000 with deliveries expected to start later this month, depending on the variant selected. In terms of price, the KUV100 is expected to be priced somewhere around Rs 4-6 lakh (ex-showroom) putting it in the heart of the mass market hatchback segment.

White KUV100 spy pic source