Mahindra KUV100. Size doesn’t matter

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has had a huge head start over the others in the sports utility vehicles space. Its background in making affordable UVs and SUVs has been instrumental in its quick 'Rise' up the sales charts with some very focused and modern vehicles launched during the last decade. But, the recent paranoia about diesel vehicles and their contribution to high pollution levels in cities seemed like it could threaten to derail Mahindra's growth plans. Obviously, M&M has been aware of its over-dependence on diesel engines and so right after its acquisition of Ssangyong of South Korea, it has been investing in developing a new line of petrol engines.

Mahindra is timing the launch of one of the first petrol engines from this line in the new KUV100. This new sub-compact SUV, already being heavily advertised, is M&M's answer to the huge jump in interest amongst small car buyers. An affordable, sub-four-metre SUV is the latest must have in the urban car buyer's garage. And of course, petrol power is back in the business amongst these buyers.

Design The KUV1OO is positioned smack in the centre of this category of 'upgraders' and potential first time car buyers. M&M started with a clean slate for the KUV1OO, designing and building the new sub-compact SUV from ground up. So, it gets a monocoque body, completely new underpinnings and a new duo of three-cylinder engines which have been chopped up and cut from the same block of four-cylinders developed jointly with Ssangyong.

If one looks at what the numbers say, the KUV1OO is much smaller than something like the new Suzuki Baleno. But the Mahindra seems larger parked on the road, only partly due to the 135mm extra roof height. Of course, the other reason is its design. With a dual-layered front fender, clam-shell bonnet and an integrated, faux underbody protector, the KUV1OO's front has a lot of SUV in its design. It also has a lot of Mahindra lines adapted into its compact design. The chrome claws in the grille and the headlamps featuring what Mahindra calls sunglasses-style peeled-back design, are the distinctive features of the front. The LED daytime running lights add more appeal to the front design.

At the rear, the highlights are the rear door handles which are integrated into what would otherwise be the rear quarter glass – making it merge into the window frame – and the boomerang style waistline that wraps around and on top of the tail-lamps. The rear design of the KUV1OO would have been more hatchback, but for the horizontal twin brake lamps that add width and layering to the design.

The body side cladding has not been overdone and the squared-off wheel arches and the dual tone theme for the plastics work to the vehicle's advantage. The 14-inch wheels look a bit puny, but the choice must have a bearing on the performance of the car. The boot volume seems rather small with the rear bench seat in use. The bigger worry could be whether buyers will find the loading lip being too high up and narrow given the tail-lamp units cut deep from either side.

Cabin Inside the KUV1OO, you would find the cabin a clean departure from Mahindra vehicles of the past. The dashboard layout is upright and quite squarish, but the execution is precise and sophisticated. The most novel part of the cabin is of course, the bench-style seat for the front, where flipping up the centre armrest will effectively make it a third seat for a middle occupant. To make it very usable, Mahindra engineers have eliminated the transmission tunnel and moved the gear stick to the middle of the centre stack, thereby giving the KUV 100 a clean floor at the front and rear. There is a lap belt for the middle occupant, but we still think it is not a good idea to promote the use of the middle seat at the front, since most often the occupants will be children.

There is ample headroom and the rear legroom is not too bad either. The seats felt a bit puny and undernourished with the thin squabs and the front bench style seat making it a tad uncomfortable during a long drive. Gear stick positioning is spot on and the shift quality and feel was surprisingly clean and refined. Fit and finish quality in the cabin is on a par with the best in the class. The quality of materials used, switches and knobs are also very good. The dashboard theme running into the door panels is a nice design touch. Top trim variants also get some LED illumination and features like electrically operated door mirrors.

Performance The KUV1OO we test drove was the K8 top trim diesel engine variant. The mFalcon D75 diesel turbocharged and intercooled engine is a three-cylinder mill. The 1,198cc engine generates a peak power of 77 bhp at 3,750 rpm and a peak torque of 190 Nm at 1,750-2,250 rpm. The engine makes quite a racket with the distinctive diesel clatter while idling and when you stand outside. Step into the cabin and the noise levels go down, though it is still higher than a few other diesel engines in this segment. On the move, the cabin noise levels go down further, but it is very audible through the acceleration cycle.

There is enough low-end torque though and driving it through city traffic is a breeze and a quick exit is just a step on the throttle away.

The 5-speed transmission's ratios are geared for city driving, and shifts are clean and refined. The engine sounds gruff and unrefined, but the gearbox is quite the opposite.

The other engine that is on offer is the mFalcon M80 mill, which is also a three-cylinder and of the same size as the diesel. This engine puts out 82 bhp of peak power and peak torque of 115 Nm. This engine is also mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The ride and handling qualities of the KUV1OO are much better than some of its predecessors. Ground clearance is only 170mm, but the vehicle sails over most pothotles and undulations on the road. There is no getting away from the feeling that you are sitting on a raised frame, but the KUV1OO doesn't thrash about or get unruffled on bad roads. The 185/65 radials on the 14-inch wheels just about manage to make the ride comfortable.

Bottomline The KUV1OO is quite good value for the price it is being offered at ranging between ₹5 lakh to ₹7 lakh. The only issue with the vehicle is the middle seat in the front, which could have been intended for owners looking for a solution to slide out of the other door of the car in a cramped parking spot.

Datsun tried something like this in the GO. The engine isn't particularly refined and the noise it generates in the cabin could have been lower too.

However, it is still a compelling option in the entry compact SUV segment, where buyers are looking for a car that it is more adventurous than their current hatchback.

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