[kalleo4]

Today, I Intentionally crossed the Mahindra showroom to check out the TUV300

The TUV300 didn't disappoint or inspire me. It was just there, numb & pale (may be it's the white colour I checked). It's another thing that its design grows on you and you start believing in it .

For starters -
>its big hood draws all your attention, which is must for an SUV. 4 points for it
> even the rear is nicely carved - goes with the big front
> the sides didn't impress me, they need some tweaking (maybe blackening the A-pillar and the others would do the trick)
> love the interior - it's spacious
> the driver's seat is nicely raised (high) - quite powering / clear roads
> the engine acceleration was impressive (felt better than EcoSport), pulled easily in even third gear at low speeds
>The gear stick was a dampener - it was notchy (not smooth). May be because it was a test drive vehicle
> Air conditioning was good and so was the sound system
> Feels like a VFM product from Mahindra.
> I give a 4 for the TUV (for its VFM & features given the price) & 3 for its design

I wish to see the TUV300 in red colour & to test drive its AMT version.

I'm slowly getting inclined towards it.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Ha ha ha! Sorry. But in my opinion Mahindra must have hired some out of work 1990's Korean Designer to do this monstrosity!
The poor Bolero was far smarter in its avatar of the early-mid 2000's when I owned one.
This one looks like a cheap and horribly ugly little Chinese toy, such as those that you find in the local grocery stores.
Sorry and all that, but by Gum! This one, even its mother would find difficult to love!

I agree that M&M must feel the egg on their after this - its pretty awful. But that said, its still miles ahead of the Fiat Multipla, that ode to the death of the hoary old chestnut - function over form!

[kalleo4]

Here's my mod... *if I buy a Mahindra TUV300

I tried to break its Jeep like boxy design & go a little towards Range Rover Evoque styling. Hope you like it!

I have also shown this mod to Mahindra workshop guys. They Loved it & said it can be easily done in their workshop.

[tomraven99]

Still quite extremely contrasting reports on the NVH levels. I guess this is low on the noise levels while the vibration levels are quite high. We may have to wait for the official review.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

The alloys look great. Overall the package is very interesting.

My bad! How could have I forgotten this! I fully agree with you. The alloys were the first thing that struck me as I walked in. The spider-legs design is just superb. I find this much better than new Scorpio's and even Creta's diamond cut. The rear leg-room is good, too. But I did not like the door closing sound. But then even Ecosport's door closing sounds rough. Comparatively, Scorpio's door closing sound is much better.

I would say, stick to your Scorpio AT. There is nothing quite like this out there at that price band. I mean, SUV+diesel+AT+high-seating. Sure, there is Creta but at 1.5 L over 2wd Scopio AT (OTR), I wonder if it's worth. Besides, it is a diminutive SUV which will never give you the satisfaction a boxy, butch, high-seater does. Just my opinion.

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Here is a real life picture of the decked up TUV300 in red shade. Overall looks decent (though I am not a fan of that bonnet accessory). Source:- FB

MaxTorque, Thanks for sharing this picture.. The black cladding along the sides and the front underbody protection was exactly what i was looking for in addition to the supposed bull-bar.

The Military Green color next to the red one looks very impressive though..

Any feedback on the NVH of the vehicle, also cornering (since this is a RWD) and body roll?

How stable is this tall-boy on the highway and any chances of toppling over at high speeds?

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by man23ish

Any feedback on the NVH of the vehicle, also cornering (since this is a RWD) and body roll?

How stable is this tall-boy on the highway and any chances of toppling over at high speeds?

The Green is available as make to order option. Regarding NVH, there are mixed opinions.

The Overdrive guys took TUV300 for a long trip from Chakan, Pune to Mumbai. Please find the report here. Some of your questions may get answered there.

[rajdoll]

Test drove it today, for the price everything is great except one thing and that is vibrations in gear lever, clutch pedal and steering. They are so intense that anyone planning to drive it daily will immediately reject it like i did. It gives you a feeling of driving a truck or bus, not sure how Mahindra has launched a product like this when everyone is focusing so much on finesse . Gear slotting is very rubbery too.

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

The Green is available as make to order option. Regarding NVH, there are mixed opinions.

The Overdrive guys took TUV300 for a long trip from Chakan, Pune to Mumbai. Please find the report here. Some of your questions may get answered there.

Thanks Again MaxTorque,

I read the overdrive review, I'm getting a mixed feedback on the NVH from the review and the feedback on the forum. It is possible that the fit and finish might vary from vehicle to vehicle, which again points to the quality of the vehicle. I probably need to test-drive one myself to get a first hand opinion.

I'm also wondering if the handling and Fuel-Efficiency would be better with R16" tyres, given the large torque that the engine produces. Any thoughts from fellow diesel-heads ;-)

I'm seriously intrigued by the TUV 300 and I'm actually looking to add this to give company to my Fiat Palio 1.9D workhorse.

Cheers,

[neil.jericho]

Few more points that I must add from my test drive today along with pictures below.

- Optional eco mode keeps speeds below 60 kmph and reduces acceleration. Didnt try it out.
- No dead pedal for manual. The SA said the automatic gets one though.
- Lots of metal sheets in the engine bay (thats my non technical explanation at best).
- AMT doesnt get the Hybrid technology which did actually work in the manual which I test drove.
- T6 gets a vinyl rear tyre wrap whereas the T8 gets a solid cover.
- T6 has a smaller 3' screen and is less up market.
- Rear door plastics are thoughtfully moulded to rest your elbows. It works.
- Lots of cubby holes.
- I feel Mahindra slipped up in one major area - no foldable keys. Seriously?
- Again, vibes were noticeable enough to be felt through the gear lever. The noise levels were not obtrusive and we were perfectly fine with what was on offer. Again, my thresholds and yours may differ.
- Screws on display in the steering wheel.
- Inconsistent gaps.
- One TUV had CEAT Czars and the other had Apollos.
- The tires on the test drive TUV did squeal a little when taking a sharp U turn.

T6 variant in black. Macho. Notice missing fog lights.


Armrests. Bottle holder.


Provider of great visibility.


Left side gap didnt match the gaps on the other side


Visible screw below the left side stalk


Exposed screws. Sigh!


Here's another visible screw, sigh!


Wheel caps on the T6


T8 alloys


Optional graphics


T6 interiors


T6 wheel and dials. No silver finish.


Wrap on the T6 rear wheel


Cover on the T8 rear wheel


T6 misses out on certain functions. Fuse box below.


Engine bay view (admittedly not a very good one!)


Ok so neither was this


Whaaaaat?! Non folding keys. Ayoh ayoh!

[teemus]

Originally Posted by kalleo4

Here's my mod... *if I buy a Mahindra TUV300

I tried to break its Jeep like boxy design & go a little towards Range Rover Evoque styling. Hope you like it!

Looks great with this mod! Well done!

We are on lookout for a change of car by the year end, personally I am in love with Jazz but Ford Aspire threw in some complications.

Now, TUV 300 with this simple mod has made me fall for it and made it a love triangle. This actually looks like an Evoque and the prospect of owning an SUV within the price of an hatchback is mouthwatering, for me at least.

But, will be a hard bargain to convince wifey for this; the mod perhaps might help.

[Arindam_Nayek]

Originally Posted by kalleo4

Here's my mod... *if I buy a Mahindra TUV300

I tried to break its Jeep like boxy design & go a little towards Range Rover Evoque styling. Hope you like it!

I have also shown this mod to Mahindra workshop guys. They Loved it & said it can be easily done in their workshop.

This is exactly what I was looking for. With very minimal tweaks the look of the vehicle improves drastically and breaks the bulk. The next item of change can be the alloys. I would like to have a 16 inch alloy in TUV. The design of the OEM looks good though.

Saying that, All will be well if we get a positive response from our expert reviews.

[Prafful_Rathod]

Checked with a dealer at Thane, as per them deliveries would only start after 45 days. Currently they are accepting bookings with Rs. 20,000. The TD vehicle was not available, so had a look at the display vehicle only. The Bonnet definitely looks huge and tall (It looked slightly taller than Scorpio bonnet, which was standing next to it). The middle row seats had enough leg room for a 6 ft person. The last row jump seats as expected are only for kids or one adult at a time can sit. The interiors are nicely done up. The glove box looked a little small. Look and feel of gear lever was average. All in all looked good but slightly taller for a sub 4m dimensions. Not sure how would it handle on curves.

[ashishpotdar]

Wish Mahindra designers took some tips from you Kalleo4. In fact with the mods you have suggested, some cladding on the front bumper and wheel arches, this will really look good (Baby Land-rover). Why they could not do this on their own is a mystery !

Saw the TUV 300 at Mahindra Showroom and took a small test drive. Looks much better in real life than the images released by Mahindra till now.

What I liked :
1. Very imposing front - The front grill and stance is much more aggressive than Scorpio (That says a lot)
2. Nice interiors & aesthetics - Not the usual Mahindra confusion of textures and colours
3. Very spacious and airy cabin - Middle seat and 3rd row seats/storage is way ahead of Creta, Ecosport
4. High driving position
5. Engine was responsive but could not take it to an open road to see whether it is really underpowered
6. Sorted, Stable drive
7. Saw a silver TUV 300 and a white TUV 300 - Car looks much better in silver rather than the garish red that Mahindra is showing in the ads & brochures - In fact sunset orange (similar to XUV) would really look nice.

What I did not like
1. Very thin,hard Seats and less cushioning (Especially 2nd Row)
2. Window buttons below the hand-brake
3. Atleast the showroom cars should be kept with Leather seats - Dont get the premium feel that you get with Creta/Ecosport.

Have my mind set on the XUV Automatic (whenever it comes) but did like the TUV as an overall package - But let down by Mahindra designers and marketing.

Originally Posted by kalleo4

I tried to break its Jeep like boxy design & go a little towards Range Rover Evoque styling. Hope you like it!

I have also shown this mod to Mahindra workshop guys. They Loved it & said it can be easily done in their workshop.

[narayan]

The TUV looks quite good save for the squarish wheel arches which looks a bit out of place. A tyre upgrade should possibly mitigate part of that oddity.

Interiors look really nice and well appointed. The middle row somehow looks more comfortable than the Scorpio ( purely based on pics ).