Port Blair, Dec 18: Mahindra and Mahindra has finally revealed their new compact SUV, the KUV100 (earlier known as the S101 and the XUV100). This official unveiling of the new vehicle, the 8th in this year, comes ahead of its planned launch on the 15th of January, 2016. Bookings, however, will be opened tomorrow at all Mahindra dealerships.
The new KUV100 will be available in both petrol and diesel versions. Both mFalcon motors are 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder units but, while the petrol engine puts out 82 bhp and 114 Nm of torque; the diesel motor delivers a peak power output of 77 bhp and a maximum torque figure of 190 Nm. The drive is sent to the front wheels via either a 5 speed manual transmission or an AMT automatic. Mahindra says that KUV stands for Kool Utility Vehicle and the name was selected so as to not clash in any way with their bigger SUV, the Popular XUV500.
The styling, in typical Mahindra fashion, is tall and square to lend it a purposeful and tough SUV appearance. Indeed, the KUV100 does have a distinctive crossover look. The exterior of the vehicle gets LED daytime running lights, a tailgate spoiler, classy tail light clusters, black cladding around its lower perimeter, chrome rear door handles, attractive split 6-spoke alloy wheels, faux skid plates and more. The lines and creases on the sides of the vehicle make it look muscular and taut.
On the inside, buyers get features such as a sound system with an integrated touchscreen and USB support, power windows, steering mounted audio controls and an air-conditioning system which is controlled by stylish, vertically mounted knobs. To liberate more space in the passenger cabin, the gear selector lever has been incorporated into the dashboard itself and a bench seat has been placed in the front, thereby allowing 3 people to be seated instead of the more usual 2. Safety features such as ABS will be standard in all 4 variants. For a more chic feel, Mahindra has made use of glossy piano black panels and silver accents inside. All in all, Mahindra seems to have addressed a lot of issues and with the KUV100, it appears that they have a winner on their hands
