Mahindra KUV100 review, road test

Shorter in length, yet taller than similar-priced rivals like the Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10, the KUV100 has the upright stance of a mini-crossover. However, the basic shape is characterised by odd proportions. For instance, it features an SUV-ish front end and hatchback-like rear end. Yet, what you can’t deny is that the KUV looks distinct.

The headlights that extend nearly all the way back to the A-pillar lend it a unique face, and the pinched grille (à la the Range Rover Evoque) is neat. Mahindra’s designers have relied on excessive cladding on the front bumper and even a faux scuff plate below to drive home the point that this is not your average hatchback. Overdone it may be, but the pseudo-SUV front end is perhaps still the KUV’s best angle.

In profile, the KUV doesn’t work from a design standpoint, with clichéd styling cues and wonky proportions. Like the sharp crease that leads in from the headlights, the unduly chunky pontoon-like fold at the rear doors and the smart 14-inch wheels that look lost under the oversized wheel arches. Also, the KUV’s rear door handles sit flush with the window rather than on the doors; an arrangement we first saw in India on the Chevrolet Beat.

As mentioned earlier, the KUV’s tail is unmistakably that of a small hatchback albeit – you guessed it – with plastic cladding on the bumper. The only notable element is the neat detailing in the protruding tail-lamps. In all, the design lacks maturity and we can only hope the Mahindra-owned Italian design house Pininfarina clears these wrinkles when the KUV’s facelift is due.

 
Under the skin, the car is very similar to the hatchbacks it will compete with. The KUV too, positions its engines transversally within its monocoque body with power channelled solely to the front wheels. There are two points of note here. The KUV is only Mahindra’s second monocoque product after the XUV, so a lot of the learnings from that project have been applied here. Secondly, the KUV is the first car to feature petrol and diesel engines from the all-new mFalcon range.

The suspension duties are handled by an independent MacPherson struts set-up at the front and a non-independent torsion bar arrangement at the rear. Electrically assisted power steering is standard across the range and commendably, so are anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution. Dual front airbags are a standard fit on the top-spec K8 KUVs, but are available as part of a Rs 22,000 ‘+’ pack on the base K2 and mid-spec K4 and K6 versions too.