[TusharK]

According to a media report, Mahindra is gearing up to launch a new variant of the KUV100. It is likely to be called the KUV100 Trip and will be aimed at fleet operators.



The KUV100 Trip will reportedly be based on the pre-facelift version and will come in the base K2 trim. It will be offered in a 6-seat configuration however reports suggest that Mahindra might offer a 5-seater version in select Tier-1 cities. Further, the taxi version will get power steering and air-conditioning but won't get power windows. The KUV100 Trip will ride on steel wheels instead of alloys but ABS and EBD will be part of the standard package.

It has been reported that the KUV100 Trip will be offered with a petrol-CNG version powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine with 82 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 115 Nm of torque @ 3,500-3600 rpm. The diesel variant will use a 1.2-litre engine which makes 77 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 190 Nm @ 1,750-2250 rpm. Both engines will be paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The KUV100 Trip is likely to be offered in two colour options - white and silver and will compete with the Maruti Dzire Tour and Hyundai Xcent Prime.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP News

[GTO]

Do they need a separate version for cabbies? I think they need a separate version for private owners as most KUV100s I see in Bombay anyway belong to Uber & Ola .

I frequently get a KUV100 via Uber and frankly, I don't look forward to the drive at all. Flat rear bench, less headroom, poor outside visibility and rattly experience - whichever KUV100s I've seen with 60,000 - 70,000 km and over sure seem to have aged prematurely.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by GTO

Do they need a separate version for cabbies? I think they need a separate version for private owners as most KUV100s I see in Bombay anyway belong to Uber & Ola .

Originally Posted by roy_libran

On 2 recent trips to kolkata, most of the OLA Prime's that got allocated to me were Tata Zest's. I rode in close to, 15-18 different Zests and the remainder 2-3 bookings were for Dezires.

Sorry for going OT here.

It seems every city has a preference for cab models. I haven't seen any KUV cab in Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar or Indore, the cities I stay or frequent. Hyderabad has a sea of Dzire, Indica, Bolt, Zest, Etios and hardly any petrol/CNG models. Bhubaneswar has a lot of Beat D, Dzire and some petrol Eon, Altos.

Could this be because of deals given by local dealers for some models like Beat D or Bolt? I know for sure that the Chevy dealer in Bhubaneswar was maintaining a lot of inventory for Beats and might have had to liquidate them when the company closed its shop.
I am not including popular models like Dzire or WagonR for this discussion as they sell almost everywhere (I have spotted only 1 WagonR cab in Hyderabad till date).

[Thermodynamics]

May be they are thinking that a six seater configuration could be beneficial for cabbies. Although I partly agree, the following may be of concern.

1. Reliability: Would a 3 cylinder mill be able to devour several lakhs on the odo without much maintenance and repairs costs ?

2. Fuel efficiency: For a cabby, reliable and consistent FE is important. The petrol KUV 100 in the past had suffered from low FE. I guess it was something related to badly designed AC. They later claimed to have overcome this problem.

3. Boot space: KUV 100 probably has one of the smallest boot space in the segment. For a cabby variant, M&M should probably consider an extended boot something like what MSIL did to Dzire Tour.

[TusharK]

Mahindra has launched a new variant of the KUV100. The KUV100 Trip, as it is called, is aimed at fleet operators and is available in bi-fuel (petrol & CNG) and diesel engine options. The bi-fuel variant is priced at Rs. 5.16 lakh, while the diesel variant costs Rs. 5.42 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).



In terms of styling, the KUV100 Trip is based on the pre-facelift version of the compact SUV. It measures 3,675 mm in length, 1,705 mm in width and 1,635 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,385 mm and offers a ground clearance of 170 mm. The vehicle is offered in two colour options - Diamond White and Dazzling Silver.

The Trip comes with a dual-tone front bumper, sweptback headlights and black ORVM housings and door handles. On the inside, the KUV100 Trip gets a 6-seater configuration only.

The bi-fuel version is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine, which develops 82 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 115 Nm of torque @ 3,500-3600 rpm, while the diesel version comes with a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder oil burner, which churns out 77 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 190 Nm @ 1,750-2250 rpm. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Mahindra is offering a 5-year extended warranty and AMC and finance options on the KUV100 Trip.

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