Mahindra KUV100 Top Model Review

Where does one even begin? This little buggy has some great features and we’ll be sharing them with you. Later...


But first, just look at it

It’s sort of cute, to a degree. Visually, it does a bad job of straddling the line between Mogwai and Gremlin, a tall box which I’ve named Kate, as in K8, as in just one of the many nomenclatures on its boot.

Even the headlamps have the word ‘Falcon’ etched into them. The newly revised front-end now features a seven-slat grille and the stylists really tapped into their inner Lexus with bejewelled rear lamp clusters. Both front and rear bumpers now incorporate silver skid plates, because I suspect they’d like us to think it a rival to the likes of the Ford EcoSport. Which it emphatically isn’t, despite what appears to be a significantly raised suspension at 170mm.

The bodywork is rendered in two-tone thanks to a blackened roof, good call as it helps subvert that tallboy profile. They even made the effort to hide the rear door handles into the C Pillars. In each gaping chasm of an arch you’ll find a diamond-cut 15-inch alloy hoop – this is the range topper after all, while derivatives below must make do with 14-inch steelies.

So, it comes with LED daytime running lamps, foglamps and folding mirrors. But what happens when you venture inside and take it onto the open road?

In and about?

Perch yourself atop its material covered pews and you’ll encounter a few things. Such as the somewhat raised viewpoint, good. The gear lever sprouting from the dashboard, weird. The cabin is by far the least convincing aspect of the little Mahindra, feeling altogether odd whilst being adorned with a few modern conveniences and faux premium accents.

Like every other attribute of the KUV, it isn’t terrible – just different. You get a seven-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth (and other) forms of connectivity, parking sensors at the rear, steering wheel-mounted controls and remote locking.

Swing her ignition into life and you’re met with the familiar thrum of a three-potter. Maximum outputs of 62kW and 115Nm means top speed is rated at a maximum of 140kph. Good - because going faster than that would be terrifying.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

The Mahindra KUV100 exhibited zero faults or failures in the time I had it, so that has to count for something. But I can’t ignore that there are a ton of cars for this price and under that I can say the same thing about. Sorry Kate, it’s not me, it’s you.

Mahindra KUV100 NXT G80 K8 Spec:

Engine
1.2 litre, 3-cyl petrol
Power
62kW
Torque
115Nm
Gearbox
5 speed manual
0-100kph
15.8 seconds
Top Speed
140kph
Average Fuel Consumption
5.9l/100kph
CO2 Emissions
141g/km
Includes a 3 year/50 000 km service plan (with intervals pegged at 10 000 km)




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2016 MAHINDRA BOLERO POWER+ ROAD TEST REVIEW

Image
The Bolero Power+ is Mahindra's idea of a more powerful and slightly smaller option to its wildly popular utility vehicle. We put the vehicle to test in jam packed Mumbai a day before Dussehra and also in the semi-urban areas around Mumbai where the roads demand a rugged vehicle like this. Engine This is the real star of the package. The 3-cylinder motor from the TUV300 is a gem, and I have always enjoyed the oodles of torque available right from the word go. In the new Mahindra Bolero Power+, however, the engine has been detuned to make 11PS less. But, let me assure you, the engine feels anything but underpowered. From 0-80kmph, she pulls effortlessly. That's nothing special, but try doing 18km/h in third gear in any other manual car and you'll either stall the engine or cause considerable grumble and judder. No such issues with this engine. In the same vein, the engine refinement is impressive for a UV. The amount of sound-deadening material used under the h
Read more

A Quick Guide To The Mahindra Pik Up

Inspired by the traditional American pickup and designed to be as tough as the terrain it tackles, the Mahindra Pik Up for sale was certainly worth considering when you're looking for a bakkie. The Indian automotive manufacturer is in for a tough fight though. The bakkie segment is one of South Africa's most competitive, with major players like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger leading the way in terms of sales according to NAAMSA vehicle sales reports. Does the Mahindra Pik Up have what it takes to tackle its competitors and make an impact on the bakkie market in South Africa? We look at what it offers for local customers so you can decide for yourself. A brief history of Mahindra Pik Up Mahindra & Mahindra first entered the automobile market when the company obtained the licence to manufacture Willys Jeep vehicles. Later, the company began to produce its own range of light commercial vehicles. In 1996, Mahindra created the Scorpio SUV which then developed into the Pik Up
Read more

Upcoming 2020 Mahindra Thar SUV Rendered, Gets Jeep Inspired Design

Image
The upcoming 2020 Mahindra Thar has been spotted multiple times and based on the spy shots, new renderings have been made Mahindra and Mahindra, India’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer will soon launch the all-new Thar in India as the second generation model and has been spied doing tests wearing full camouflage many times. The next-gen Thar will replace the current Thar that has long been in the market and was recently paid a tribute by launching a limited-run Thar 700 edition. The 2020 Mahindra Thar SUV has been rendered using the visual cues from the spy shots by Motorbeam giving us an insight on how the SUV would look like. As per the rendering of the artist, the upcoming 2020 Mahindra Thar will have an evolutionary design, having ample similarities to the outgoing model, including the overall stance and size. However, there’s an increase in the width and the big wheel arches make it have an imposing stance. The wheel size is bigger and there’s a snorkel too. The a
Read more