Mahindra Verito Vibe review, test drive and video

Despite the lack of outright horsepower, the Vibe’s engine is very tractable and pulls comfortably, in a linear fashion from as low as 1200rpm till about 3000rpm, which gives it excellent real-world driveability. The torquey nature of the engine encourages you to upshift early rather than pushing it near its redline where the power rapidly trails of. On Mahindra’s test track, we simulated some city traffic conditions and the Vibe did not require too many downshifts, making it effortless to drive. But on an open track, the lack of top-end grunt is evident with the car starting to run out of breath after about 120kph. What is truly impressive is the Vibe’s refinement levels. The engine is pretty quiet and road noise too is quite well contained. 

 

Chopping the Verito’s tail hasn’t had much of an impact on the handling. The Vibe feels just the same as the Verito and that means a benign, dynamic character. The Vibe doesn’t enjoy darting into corners or carving up a twisty road but handling is predictable and inspires confidence at high speeds. 

 

As for the ride, there weren’t any potholes or bumps on M&M’s Chakan test track to give us a real-world perspective but, the slight undulations on the track were quite easily taken care of, with the Vibe maintaining a flat ride. Mention must be made of the relatively tall profile 185/70 R14 tyres, which promise to do a good job in rounding off sharp edges and potholes.