[mukul32]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I'm going to be a little blunt here. The KUV1OO looks really ugly. Quirky from all angles. Too many styling elements; creases, cuts, swoops everywhere.
The empty expanse on the front below the Mahindra logo stands out. Then the squared off wheel arches. The 2 swoop cuts on front and back are akin to the Beat's but more pronounced. The wipers are not hidden neatly but stick out a lot. The rear looks too busy with the beat style door handles and ends abruptly.
I'm not even going to talk about the interiors with the gear lever and middle front seat.
I think Mahindra tried too hard to stand out and pretty much used all design elements in some book on car design.
Compared to the KUV1OO, Tata's Zica is a beauty. I know it doesn't have the crossover styling, but it most likely will compete in the same price bracket just below the Hyundai Grand i10. Give me a regular hatch like the Zica over this anyday.

You said it Viddy sir. That's some 'SUV'! I mean, let alone being a proper SUV, it's not even a proper pseudo-SUV! It is just not mature enough and way too quirky. Any belief that Mahindra had improved post the TUV have all been wiped off with this.
It looks like a cross between an XUV and a Kwid with rickshaw wheels bolted on, and while at that looks extremely inconsistent and lacks cohesiveness as well. Though I personally find the front pretty decent. The side profile looks like an absolute joke, and the rear looks like that of an entry level hatch. Overall, no, the 'SUV' marketing gimmick ain't working.

However, what is even more surprising is the size of the cabin. Just look how small it is on the inside. The rear feels extremely claustrophobic even in the first set of images we are looking at. The middle front seat blocks the vision from the rear, increasing the couped-in feeling.
I feel for whoever among the mods will have to test this thing out for us. Whoever sits in the back, is only going to have an expression like this!

That said, it still works out pretty decently for the average consumer, especially ones with small families. The sixth seat is a bane enough, but is still better than the practise of seating kids on laps, especially on highways. Apart from that, the dash also looks kinda wannabe, and the piano black patch looks like a last-minute copy-paste job. Gladly, this time the material quality looks more than decent. And the pull-type handbrake lever and the gear lever on the dash look too utilitarian. Not that they can't be gotten used to, but it'll be difficult.
Although I haven't seen or driven it in person yet, and this is only a first impression and not the final opinion about this car, which may change after looking at the car in the flesh and going through comprehensive reviews, I don't think it'll change drastically. The KUV has extreme characteristics which are obvious from the get go, unlike subtleness and fine details on other cars that leave an impression with time.
A light usage pattern with a small family and the KUV will make for a decent car. Anything heavy duty, and this doesn't look like the car for it.

Also, for the KUV I feel it is not a question of whether it will sell or not, or how it will sell. It is a B-segment Mahindra, that looks fresh and is well loaded. So it is bound to sell well, at least at the start. However, the thing to look out for will be how the car is perceived by the public. That will give us an idea of the depth in outlook about cars of the Indian public. If it is accepted as an SUV without any hassle just because it has some cues of one and is a Mahindra, it won't be really great, and would be an indication enough for other carmakers trying to find spaces in the volume segment that absolutely anything that is SUVish will do here.

But what I absolutely dread is, given the fact that this KUV can very much be perceived as a smaller and cheaper XUV, the most dreadful sight will be that of a KUV in white, splattered with chrome all over, having bull bars, side steps, roof racks, and what not, and some of the 'badi gaadi' folks buying and using this with a "Why settle for a mere Rangie when I can go all out with a KUV" attitude, and trying to torment autos and bikers driving this recklessly.

PS: The KUV is just 3.6 metres long. I wonder why they didn't extend it by the remaining 400 mm. Are they thinking of making a CS version of this KUV as well?!

[al pacino]

Originally Posted by mukul32

You said it Viddy However, what is even more surprising is the size of the cabin. Just look how small it is on the inside. The rear feels extremely claustrophobic even in the first set of images we are looking at. The middle front seat blocks the vision from the rear, increasing the couped-in feeling.
I feel for whoever among the mods will have to test this thing out for us. Whoever sits in the back, is only going to have an expression like this!

That said, it still works out pretty decently for the average consumer, especially ones with small families. The sixth seat is a bane enough, but is still better than the practise of seating kids on laps, especially on highways. Apart from that, the dash also looks too wannabe, and the piano black patch looks like a last-minute copy-paste job. And the pull-type handbrake lever and the gear lever on the dash look too utilitarian. Not that they can't be gotten used to, but it'll be difficult. A light usage pattern with a small family and the KUV will make for a decent car.

.

I know you are entitled to have a opinion , I just was curious to know if you have seen the car in real ? .
Although calling it a suv is way going too far from mahindras side . But I saw and drove the car today the interiors are very nicely done and dont have any wannabe or cheap look to it .
I am no way a mahindra fan or user ,but the car is not that bad as its made out to be.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by al pacino

I am no way a mahindra fan or user ,but the car is not that bad as its made out to be.

Okay, how bad is it? If we compare it with all the hatches on sale, whom will you put in uglier than KUV category?

[Aniket6]

Originally Posted by RM Motorsports

KUV100 first drive review by Overdrive Magazine.

1. Car doesnt look that bad. I like Mahindra for atleast trying to do something different with respect to their designs. Clearly from the comments, people have reservations about styling but when they saw in flesh, they do not think it is too bad. It is alright in my opinion.

2. From the odmag initial review, the 6 seater with middle row down ending up with a good hand rest looks very comfy.

3. All the seats seem to have good under thigh support.

4. From the odmag review, with 1 guy driving it and braking it had, the car swerves to left. This is weird and unsafe.
Isnt this a major cause for concern??

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Okay, how bad is it? If we compare it with all the hatches on sale, whom will you put in uglier than KUV category?

It's actually not bad and it looks better than the i10 and i20. When the Ecosport was launched people also said that was ugly, but then people got used to it. The design grows on you and the KUV design is modern and gradually will gain acceptance. The KUV is far better in design than the Kwid and the Etios cross and also the Punto Adventure and even the Swift and these are the cars it is targeting. I would suggest you to certainly see the car - I saw it and drove it today(I shared my views a few pages back). That said, my benchmarks are the Yeti and Laura which I have and even against those benchmarks the KUV stands its own, inspite of being 1/3rd in price. Today's manufacturers are showing that even entry segment cars can have good interiors and be a good package. Honestly I am proud that finally an Indian company like Mahindra has offered such a well made product and that too at a good price and will now challenge Hyundai and Maruti.
On the car swerving on hard braking all cars which are tall tend to do that, and the only thing which can prevent that is ESP, and in this segment no cars have that.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

It's actually not bad and it looks better than the i10 and i20. When the Ecosport was launched people also said that was ugly, but then people got used to it. The design grows on you and the KUV design is modern and gradually will gain acceptance. The KUV is far better in design than the Kwid and the Etios cross and also the Punto Adventure and even the Swift and these are the cars it is targeting. I would suggest you to certainly see the car - I saw it and drove it today(I shared my views a few pages back). That said, my benchmarks are the Yeti and Laura which I have and even against those benchmarks the KUV stands its own, inspite of being 1/3rd in price. Today's manufacturers are showing that even entry segment cars can have good interiors and be a good package. Honestly I am proud that finally an Indian company like Mahindra has offered such a well made product and that too at a good price and will now challenge Hyundai and Maruti.

I know design is subjective but you are joking right, you must be? This is not even in the same ballpark as the i10 or even the Kwid, let alone i20, Punto or Swift. Infact given that you are compairing it to Laura and Yeti makes me wonder if you actually work for the marketing deaprtment at Mahindra. No offence.

[NiInJa]

Quirky cars have been around for quite some time now. Some European manufacturers have played around with car designs so nothing specifically wrong with Mahindra (or their product) here. I think quite a few of us are being a little too harsh on Mahindra and KUV1OO.

Yes, the car's design is quirky but isn't that what this car is all about ? I accept that fact and decide to move on. This car reminds me of Lady Gaga. I think Mahindra 'wanted' us to have these discussions and they have succeeded to some extent. Nothing like spreading the word through heated debates. Just yesterday, nobody was eager to discuss the Zica in my office but the moment KUV came up for discussion, everybody jumped in with their expert opinions !

Personally, I like the car in some angles and not quite in some other. The paint quality looks top notch and I quite liked the blue color. Interiors look good too. Boot size looked a little too small compared to the competition. I strongly feel that the front seat layout is not meant for a third passenger but to stretch the passenger's legs or sit cross legged (Indian sitting style as they call it). Heck, the co-driver can even place a laptop and play Call of Duty while you drive as there is ample space to keep the mouse pad

Whether the KUV succeeds or not, I must say Mahindra has dared to do something unconventional, something that auto companies that came up around World war 2 haven't done in India so far. Lets wait for our comprehensive Team-bhp review and we will discuss the engines and comparisons with other cars.

[msk_kapoor]

I visited the showroom today and felt the car to be good in flesh. To add i didnt feel the car to be ugly either. Beauty is in the eye of beholder. But if we are going to say european cars are the best and good looking, that's because we are used to that and we feel that's how cars need to look like. This is our shortcoming as human. If we are open we can even find beauty in our backyard and wont need to go to top ten tourist destinations to feel good. I really am upset to see my fellow friends calling the design ugly or stupid. Why cant we just stop and say just that i dont like the design of car. I would humbly request all fellow friends who call any vehicle ugly or give extreme statements to also provide what vehicles they feel to be perfect or near to perfect. This atleast will give a baseline for people reading here to compare against. Sorry i dont mean to be offensive, but i only support constructive criticism

[Latheesh]

Went to check KUV with my friend's family. Overall pretty impressed with Mahindra's and dealer's effort.

1-First impression - It looks better in real than pictures
2-Dealer managed it well-There was good crowd but they had more than enough people to attend customers.
3- Exterior - Good, Interior good. No major cost cutting visible
4- Paint quality-good
5-Front bench configuration is better than regular. I must say regular version is bad. But front middle seat cannot even accommodate a small kid. But instead you can pull the backrest down and use it as a hand rest for both driver and passenger. It is wide enough for both. You need hand rest due to gear lever placement and that is sorely missed in the regular configuration.
6-Steering is small
7-park brake lever is a joke
8-Back seats are comfortable for 3 average size adults. No transmission tunnel at all. You even have a storage space on floor, good job.
9-Fixed head rest in lower variants, it does not offer any support. I find it dangerous in case of any accident
10-Rear visibility is almost zero
11- Boot is very small, loading mouth is narrow
12- Some people found it expensive - overheard few customers discussing the same
13-I accompanied my friend during his test drive - Petrol engine is unrefined and very noisy. I asked the sales guy whether it is diesel or petrol engine. Sounded like a refined Nano engine.
14-Exterior is good enough to satisfy SUV crazy Indians
15-Head lamp design is not bad in real
16-I predict 6-8 k monthly sales figure
17-As per sales guy they got 270 bookings, 200 pre launch and 70 today. Hard to believe :-), I found 3-4 people booking during my time inside showroom.
18-Kudos to dealer staffs-it was above average first day experience.
19-Base variant looks funny
20-Rear wiper looked it is going break any time
21- Dead pedal is not usable
22- It has better SUV look than Etios cross, cross polo or i20 active.

Oh..man..typing using mobile phone is difficult...

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by msk_kapoor

To add i didnt feel the car to be ugly either. Beauty is in the eye of beholder. But if we are going to say european cars are the best and good looking, that's because we are used to that and we feel that's how cars need to look like. This is our shortcoming as human. If we are open we can even find beauty in our backyard and wont need to go to top ten tourist destinations to feel good. I really am upset to see my fellow friends calling the design ugly or stupid. Why cant we just stop and say just that i dont like the design of car. I would humbly request all fellow friends who call any vehicle ugly or give extreme statements to also provide what vehicles they feel to be perfect or near to perfect. This atleast will give a baseline for people reading here to compare against. Sorry i dont mean to be offensive, but i only support constructive criticism

We are rarely taught beauty. It is something we feel. Something good to look at will be good to look at, wherever you see.

May be you are right in saying that we can find beauty, but why do we need to find it. If it is there, it is there. Why can't we say that the car is ugly, if we feel it is ugly. Are we hurting it's sentiments? I have absolutely nothing against anyone who find it beautiful as looks are subjective and anyone can have opinion in terms of aesthetics. And this is constructive criticism. The next car can be stunning and eye candy for all if Mahindra take this as constructive criticism.

How many of us finds a Beetle, Porsche, Ferrari, Honda Civic, even a i20 or Scorpio ugly? KUV is not pleasing to all and that is not because we hate Mahindra but because we did not like the looks of this car.

[shashanka]

Since Mahindra's have made no mention of the KUV's kerb wt in the launch of the vehicle it makes me wonder if the FE figures mentioned are optimistic.

The exteriors need not be harped on, since the reactions in this thread are mixed, both positive & negative. To me it seems plain tacky - all those creases and flourishes may have carried the day in the XUV, but in the KUV it seems just overdone. However there's no accounting for individual taste, so to each his/her own!

The interiors on the other hand seem to have got a general thumbs up with most people appreciating the quality & the fit & finish. Also the one test drive example mentioned low-end drivability as good, cornering being stable & 3-digit speeds in 5th gear as sustainable.

For the average buyer that spells nice, and Mahindra may well have another winner (after the TUV300) in the KUV100.

[al pacino]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Okay, how bad is it? If we compare it with all the hatches on sale, whom will you put in uglier than KUV category?

I suggest you see the car in real and then form a opinion . I personally found the car super fugly when I saw the pics , but in real the car looks way better then pictures .
Imho it looks way better then celerio ,micra , brio and etios cross .
The quality of interiors are nice too .
I respect your subjective opinion about the looks , but the car does look nice in real then in pics .

[StepUP!]

As rightly said in Overdrive's review, this should be called Kwirky UV! I am confused as to which car this resemblances. KUV looks like a cross between Ecosport, Beat, Reva, Kwid and RE60.
Problem is I think absolute lack of cohesiveness. You have every possible characteristic - straight lines, curves, boxyness, wrap around, fluidic. Result? A car whose front, rear, side is designed by 3 different people independently and then welded together. Side profile wins the ugliest looking profile hands down. It looks like car is T-boned from top.

I am amused by audacity to call this a SUV! What do they think of Indian buyers?

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by al pacino

I
Imho it looks way better then celerio ,micra , brio and etios cross .

I am sure you can add AStar, Verito Vibe, Zen Estillo to the list. That doesn't make it beautiful. In fact you are placing it in their category, though only in terms of looks. Will not comment on it's performance till TBHP review is out.

[al pacino]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

I am sure you can add AStar, Verito Vibe, Zen Estillo to the list. That doesn't make it beautiful. In fact you are placing it in their category, though only in terms of looks. Will not comment on it's performance till TBHP review is out.

Let's agree to disagree here . You asked me compared to which car it looks better I gave you my opinion . Rest if the car is well accepted or not the market will decide .