After officially unveiling its micro SUV KUV100 last month, it has been doing test round since then. But, the wait is finally over as it has been launched in India at an affordable price range of Rs. 4.45-6.84 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The KUV100 is representing a quite distinct segment and aim to target the youth as it features sporty and striking design. Available in seven variants– K2, K2+, k4, K4+, K6, K6+ and K8, it is likely to take on Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo and Hyundai Grand i10. Here is all you need to know about the newly launched KUV100:-
Price:
Mahindra has gone for a very aggressive approach to price KUV100 affordably; it comes with a starting price of Rs. 4.45 lakh for the base petrol variant and it goes up to Rs. 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the top end petrol variant. The diesel starts at Rs. 4.85 lakh and it ends up at Rs. 6.84 lakhs. The carmaker has invested over 1200 crores for the development of this vary product.
Engine Details:
Powering the KUV100 is new mFalcon series engines, available with two options- Petrol and Diesel. The mFalcon 1.2 litre D75 oil burner churns out max power of 77bhp@3750rpm and 190Nm of high torque between 1750-2250rpm. The petrol segment is taken care by a 3-cylinder, 1.2 liter mFalcon G80 engine producing 82bhp@5500rpm and 115Nm@3500-3600rpm. Transmission options on the both the engines include- a 5-speed manual along with two wheel drive options. No AWD and AMT gearbox at this initial stage but we expect it follow later.
The fuel efficiency figures are also impressive; the KUV100 in diesel avatar delivers 25.32 Kmpl while figures for the petrol stand at 18.12 KMPL.
Space and Dimensions:
The car looks unconventional and big but actually it sports less height and shorter wheelbase than its counterparts. It is 3675mm long, 1715mm wide, 1655mm tall and carries a wheelbase of 2385mm. The ground clearance is pretty decent at 170mm and offers a boot space of 243 liters which is further expandable up to 473 liters. The carmaker has ditched the conventional 2+3 seating arrangement as it comes with 3+3 layout but the top variants can also be had in 2+3 layout as well.
Exterior and Interior:
Going by the first glance, KUV100 looks like a younger sibling of XUV500 from the front. The split front grille, huge dual tone front bumper, meaty headlamps with LED DRLs flanked by stylish fog lamps keeps the things interesting and gives it a rugged look. The tall boy stance, flared wheel arches, strong shoulder lines and sloping roofline just add to the SUV quotient of the car. The Chevrolet beat inspired rear door handles with chrome tinge doesn’t look out of place. The rear is dominated by large Mahindra logo at the centre of the boot lid, black cladded bumper with integrated chrome reflectors, large roof mounted spoiler and wraparound windscreen. The tail lamps are neatly tucked giving the faux LED reflection and adorned with chrome all around.
The glory story continues inside as well owing to multi-layered dashboard with aluminium and piano accents. The USP of the dashboard is has to be gear lever, bench front seat alongside pentagon shaped AC vents, pinnacle shaded infotainment system with AUX, USB and bluetooth connectivity. The lower part of central console gets 12V power socket and a tray. The multi function three spoke steering wheel is same seen on TUV300 and just behind it is a two analogue dials. Other noteworthy features include mood lighting, adjustable headrests for the 2nd row passengers, cooled glove box, remote keyless entry, central locking and much more.
Colors:
The KUV100 is available in a choice of seven body paint schemes- Aquamarine, Flamboyant red, Designer grey, Dazzling Silver, pearl white, Midnight black and fiery orange.
Safety:
Mahindra has been touting KUV100 as safe vehicle because it comes with ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electric brake force distribution) and collapsible steering column as standard equipments across all variants. The + variants along with the top end K8 and K8+ get dual airbags as standard. The optional available safety features on KUV100 are speed sensing automatic door lock, anti-theft security alarm, automatic hazard warning lamps on crash and panic braking, ISOFLIX child seats and anti-slip clips for drive side floor mat.
