Mahindra KUV 100 mFALCON D75 K2

Overview:

Mahindra Mahindra is turning bigger in terms of market share with every launch. After the TUV 300, the firm this time has come out with KUV 100, the sub compact SUV. The vehicle with low price and best in-class features is expected to impress the audience and turn customers in its favor. These vehicles are powered by Mahindra's own set of engines 'mFALCON'. The vehicle has rugged yet great exterior combined with a decent looking interior which makes this small SUV one of the most desirable vehicle today. For the hype this machine has generated on the online portals it is sure to grab a lot of eye balls. Will this live up to all the expectations let's find out.

Pros:

1. It more than justifies the price it comes at, infact you get more features at a decent price.

2. Mileage is sure to one of the biggest factors to make this a winner.

Cons:

1. Safety features could have been better.

2. Comfort features are decent but more features could have been added.

Stand Out Features:

1. Ground clearance at 170mm will avoid all the huge bumps.

2. Mileage- Highest for an Indian diesel SUV.

Overview:

Completely designed and engineered in Mahindra research valley at Chennai, this machine entered the market as a young SUV and created a new class- sub compact-SUV. This vehicle is available in both petrol and diesel variants in which mFALCON D75 K2 is a diesel variant. Powered by 1.2 liter mFALCON diesel engine, this mill can attain 25.32 kmpl mileage which is highest for an Indian diesel SUV. This mill is manufactured to comply with BS4 emission norms. Although, the maker has equipped it with least features in its family, it is incorporated with ABS along with EBD as a standard. Suspension is tuned by Cayman dynamics and construction is supported by monocoque design to deal with any untoward incidents and safeguard the passengers. It is a 'kool' looking, energetic SUV which is perfectly suitable for Indian road conditions, is expected to draw huge customer base and increase Mahindra's market share in the region. The exteriors and interiors are perfectly trimmed and fixed ideally.

Exteriors:

It sure looks big, bold, rugged yet beautiful. At the front, the Mahindra badge on grille appears striking which is aided by the engraved bonnet covering the engine. Head light cluster is present on the edges of grille, extending up to front door edges with mFALCON signature on them. The sturdy bumper with honeycomb air intake structure and hexagonal fog lamps produces a combative stance. On the side profile, partial wheel caps, fist shaped ORVMs, high placed rear door handles, muscular cuts produce rugged SUV looks. Those tinted wind screen and mirrors will add to the stance. Rear profile is stylish. The trapezoidal shape fog-lamps, KUV100 and Mahindra badge, rectangular tail lamp cluster, character lines, rear spoiler and dual tone bumper on rear will impress you. On the top sharp lines are noticeable. The machine is 3675mm long, 1705mm wide, 1635mm high and has ground clearance of 170mm which is great. Overall, the design it possesses helps it stand out from the rest.

Interiors:

The basic trim in the family is not offered with many of the comforts but the interior space and head, leg room is decent. The piano black and beige color combination for the interiors will amaze you. The console is designed in a unique way and it hosts most of the controls. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air conditioning) controls, music controls and gear shift knob are attached to it which resulted in room for extra passenger. Easily accommodating six passengers, it also makes more head room and leg room. For added user comfort, it offers features like driver footrest (dead pedal), storage space under co-driver seat, illuminated key ring, rear under-body storage for increased storage, front row 12V power port, front rear door pockets, 1 liter bottle holder in all doors, LED interior roof lamp, air conditioner with heater, front row arm rest and front rear head rests- non adjustable. Along with the under body storages, it has 243 liter boot space which is not expandable as in its top-ends. There is no infotainment system or music player offered here. The steering is tilt-able electric power steering system and console is built to display analog speedometer, and tachometer and other vehicle related information.

Performance :

Powered by Mahindra's mFALCON D75, turbocharger with inter-cooler engine works on CRDI (Common Rail direct Injection) technology. The 1.2 liter engine with 1198cc displacement can generate 77bhp at 3750 rpm and 190 Nm torque at 1750-2250 rpm. The car feels very nimble and is built to give a decent ride around the city and makes you feel completely at home. The mill is connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox, employs front wheel drive train mechanism agreeing BS4 emission norms. As per the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) standards, this diesel engine in the trim can attain 25.32 kmpl mileage, emerging to be the India's most fuel efficient diesel SUV.

Ride Handling:

Passenger ride experience is enriched with independent McPherson strut with dual path mounts and Semi-independent twist beam type of suspension system on front and rear axles respectively. The experience is further improved by coil spring and hydraulic gas charged shock absorbers at both axles to dissolve road irregularities. Wheels are tubeless radials with 185/65 R14 size with disc and drum type brake systems at front and rear wheels respectively. The freight with 3.6M overall length requires 5.5M turning radius.

Safety:

ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) is supplied as standard to prevent locking while sudden brakes. Collapsible steering column, child safety locks on rear doors, anti-slip clips for driver side floor mat, door ajar warnings are available in its depot. Along with these, engine immobilizer to avoid vehicle theft, monocoque construction to deal with collisions and safeguard the passengers is also present. Compared to the top trims, it doesn't get many features but as a basic version the features supplied are quite decent.

Verdict:

As it is a basic trim, you cannot find features offered in top-end machines of the family. ABS is present as a standard along with other safety features. If you are looking for a car which can accommodate 6 passengers with low price tag and can compromise on comfort features which are present in other top-end variants, then you can surely choose this one. If you are one of those who cannot compromise of comfort then its best to avoid this and go for a higher end variant.