[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

According to autopunditz, TUV300 sold 1928 units in April 2016. Now that is a very sharp fall in numbers.

I am not at all surprised given how ordinary the car is, both in its looks and its driving dynamics. After the initial marketing blitzkrieg and initial hype dying down, this was to happen anyways. I wish Mahindra brings out one model but it is throughly designed and engineered. I am very hopeful of the design part given Pinninfarina acquisition.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am not at all surprised given how ordinary the car is, both in its looks and its driving dynamics. After the initial marketing blitzkrieg and initial hype dying down, this was to happen anyways. I wish Mahindra brings out one model but it is throughly designed and engineered. I am very hopeful of the design part given Pinninfarina acquisition.

Each car peaks in its sales during its launch and the sales figure stabilize 5-6 months down the line. TUV is in that phase where its sales would stabilize. If we talk about the looks, then looks are subjective and beauty lies in the eyes of beholder. Let truth be told, no one is going to buy the TUV3OO for its looks neither its driving dynamics. There are far more accomplished cars in the looks dept(e.g. the fluidic designs, the arrow shot shapes etc). If driving dynamics is the priority, then one should not look beyond the Fiats, Fords or Volkswagens of this world.

What the TUV has to offer is a relatively large cabin within the compact foot print of 4 metres. The boxy shape which is not to the liking of many helps liberate the much required interior space and gives the option of 5+2 seater. Being within the 4 metre mark brings it in the lower excise duty bracket and helps reduce the cash outflow from the customer's pocket.

What the TUV has to offer is road presence, higher seating position, rugged ladder on frame structure, rear wheel drive layout, a torquey diesel engine, and much more at a price, which is at par with the premium hatchbacks.

People who are not going to seat 4 or more people at any given point in time, not going to venture on rough, broken or rural roads, don't care about road presence or higher seating position should not consider the TUV as there are better options available in the market.

I chose the TUV exactly for the above reasons and not for its looks, design or performance.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Each car peaks in its sales during its launch and the sales figure stabilize 5-6 months down the line. TUV is in that phase where its sales would stabilize. If we talk about the looks, then looks are subjective and beauty lies in the eyes of beholder. Let truth be told, no one is going to buy the TUV3OO for its looks neither its driving dynamics. There are far more accomplished cars in the looks dept(e.g. the fluidic designs, the arrow shot shapes etc). If driving dynamics is the priority, then one should not look beyond the Fiats, Fords or Volkswagens of this world.

So what percentage drop do you think is reasonable? Can you speak for Mahindra on this?

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

What the TUV has to offer is a relatively large cabin within the compact foot print of 4 metres. The boxy shape which is not to the liking of many helps liberate the much required interior space and gives the option of 5+2 seater. Being within the 4 metre mark brings it in the lower excise duty bracket and helps reduce the cash outflow from the customer's pocket.

I am sorry but I refuse to call it a 5+2 because the rear seats are pretty much unusable and unsafe.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

What the TUV has to offer is road presence, higher seating position, rugged ladder on frame structure, rear wheel drive layout, a torquey diesel engine, and much more at a price, which is at par with the premium hatchbacks.

Could this get any more cliched? As far as I can see, the ownership threads on TUV have far more issues compared to Creata/Breza/EcoSport combine, ladder frame structure or not. The power to weight ratio is the worst in its segment, the handling is pretty poor and that rear wheel drive layout only causes unwanted wheel spins when shown a steep incline. A high riding premium hatchback is way better all things considered.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

People who are not going to seat 4 or more people at any given point in time, not going to venture on rough, broken or rural roads, don't care about road presence or higher seating position should not consider the TUV as there are better options available in the market.

I chose the TUV exactly for the above reasons and not for its looks, design or performance.

Why so defensive? To each one his own but these are strictly my own views. I think this car gets absolutely nothing right except may be the price but then again you get what you pay for.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

According to autopunditz, TUV300 sold 1928 units in April 2016. Now that is a very sharp fall in numbers.

Look at this in another way..

All the Dealership yards must be full with stocks hence the cars shipped would be less compared to previous month. It can't be concluded that said are falling drastically.

Next two months should give a picture in reality.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

So what percentage drop do you think is reasonable? Can you speak for Mahindra on this?

Sorry I am no spokesperson for Mahindra, neither in their PR/ Marketing department to comment on a reasonable monthly sales figures. However I am in absolute agreement with the comments from Anurag below. All the dealers must be overstocked by now, some even having previous fiscal year's inventory. Proof, I can see repeated advertisements being aired on radio. Hence Mahindra can't just keep pushing the cars down the throats of dealers. Next couple of months the clear picture would emerge.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Look at this in another way.. All the Dealership yards must be full with stocks hence the cars shipped would be less compared to previous month. It can't be concluded that said are falling drastically. Next two months should give a picture in reality.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am sorry but I refuse to call it a 5+2 because the rear seats are pretty much unusable and unsafe.

You can call it whatever you want, everyone has freedom of expression. But I wonder if you have ever driven the TUV and used the jump seats to pass a judgment on their usability or safety. Taste of the pudding lies in eating it my friend and not just looking at it . I have used it umpteen number of times when a passenger or two got added to our journey. Though not most comfortable it has served the purpose and prevented me the hassles of looking for an additional car or refusing the extra passengers entry in my car for want of space.

Could this get any more cliched? As far as I can see, the ownership threads on TUV have far more issues compared to Creata/Breza/EcoSport combine, ladder frame structure or not.

Sir I don't know whether to laugh or cry on your above comparisons , reasons quoted below:
1. The Creta is not a completely new car. It is the i25, which was launched in some east Asian countries before the Creta came into India. Hence all the initial niggles got sorted out elsewhere and a improvised version got introduced in India
2. Same is the case with Brezza. It is the shortened Grand Vitara, which was already existing elsewhere, rechristened to Vitara Brezza when launched in India.
3. Ecosport: This was the only car amongst the above three, which was a grounds up car and whose global launch happened in India. Now please ask all the initial Ecosport owners if their cars have been absolutely niggle free.

When a completely new car is launched it is bound to have initial niggles/ teething troubles. How swiftly the manufacturer addresses those issues is really what matters. Till now I have been completely satisfied with what Mahindra has done in most of the cases. There are a few exceptions & I sincerely hope those too get addressed sooner than later.

The power to weight ratio is the worst in its segment.

This is the first sensible point I could see in your post, but then everyone is not keen in making the 0-100 dash in the least possible time.

the handling is pretty poor.

This is the characteristic of any SUV. No one buys SUV so that he can take fast corners.

and that rear wheel drive layout only causes unwanted wheel spins when shown a steep incline. A high riding premium hatchback is way better all things considered.

Ha ha ha (sorry I have run out of smileys). This is absolutely contrary to the usp of a rear wheel drive. Take two cars, one RWD and another one FWD. Put 6 passengers in each one of them. Put them on a steep incline and start them from standstill. Tell me which car has more wheel spins. Simple law of physics (any school going kid can tell you), when climbing on an incline, the weight of the car and its passengers would shift towards the rear wheels as the center of gravity moves back and these are the wheels, which will have more traction. Now if you give the power to the front wheels (which is nothing but pulling the car) and god forbid if there is any lose gravel soil, the wheels of the FWD car would be spinning to glory. (Note this is from my first hand experience of driving FWD car in ghats and not on hear-say). Against this the RWD car powering the rear wheels, which are having the maximum traction would be easily able to push the car. I used to literally sweat a lot in my earlier car, the Indica when I got stuck up on an incline and the car was fully loaded. Not so with the Innova or with the TUV now. Add to this the magnificent low end torque of both these cars and they are a breeze to drive in the ghats or other steep inclines.

Why so defensive? To each one his own but these are strictly my own views. I think this car gets absolutely nothing right except may be the price but then again you get what you pay for.

If the owners of TUV can't put the things in right perspective then who else will? Defensive or not, if someone is trying to create wrong perceptions then those definitely need to get corrected. As I mentioned earlier you are free to air your views, but then be prepared to substantiate them with evidence or experience. This forum is open for any debate, but not at the cost of passing loose comments and demeaning other's choices.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Sorry I am no spokesperson for Mahindra, neither in their PR/ Marketing department to comment on a reasonable monthly sales figures. However I am in absolute agreement with the comments from Anurag below. All the dealers must be overstocked by now, some even having previous fiscal year's inventory. Proof, I can see repeated advertisements being aired on radio. Hence Mahindra can't just keep pushing the cars down the throats of dealers. Next couple of months the clear picture would emerge.

Fair enough. Again I would not be surprised if it sank further.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

You can call it whatever you want, everyone has freedom of expression. But I wonder if you have ever driven the TUV and used the jump seats to pass a judgment on their usability or safety. Taste of the pudding lies in eating it my friend and not just looking at it . I have used it umpteen number of times when a passenger or two got added to our journey. Though not most comfortable it has served the purpose and prevented me the hassles of looking for an additional car or refusing the extra passengers entry in my car for want of space.

The so called jump seats do not even come with a basic seat belt. That could just be me but I would not let anyone I love or care about to sit on those seats.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Sir I don't know whether to laugh or cry on your above comparisons , reasons quoted below:
1. The Creta is not a completely new car. It is the i25, which was launched in some east Asian countries before the Creta came into India. Hence all the initial niggles got sorted out elsewhere and a improvised version got introduced in India
2. Same is the case with Brezza. It is the shortened Grand Vitara, which was already existing elsewhere, rechristened to Vitara Brezza when launched in India.
3. Ecosport: This was the only car amongst the above three, which was a grounds up car and whose global launch happened in India. Now please ask all the initial Ecosport owners if their cars have been absolutely niggle free.

Alright now I don't understand what you are on about. Do we really need to care why and how a car is reliable or if it had to go through baptism by fire if it gives me the end result that I want as a customer - a reliable set of wheels that I paid for through my nose with the expectation?

Or are you too happy being the guinea pig?

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

When a completely new car is launched it is bound to have initial niggles/ teething troubles. How swiftly the manufacturer addresses those issues is really what matters. Till now I have been completely satisfied with what Mahindra has done in most of the cases. There are a few exceptions & I sincerely hope those too get addressed sooner than later.

I hope so too. It is incredibly frustrating to pay for a new car and then getting a product which does not work as it should.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

This is the first sensible point I could see in your post, but then everyone is not keen in making the 0-100 dash in the least possible time.

Right who would possibly want a thoroughly contemporary engine with more power and more efficiency when you can get a three cylinder diesel with 84 bhp in a 1650 kg car with a power to weight ratio of 50 bhp per tonne.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

This is the characteristic of any SUV. No one buys SUV so that he can take fast corners.

First of all TUV300 is not an SUV. Secondly what is your comparison because every one else in the segment is in a different league altogether when it comes to handling.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Ha ha ha (sorry I have run out of smileys). This is absolutely contrary to the usp of a rear wheel drive. Take two cars, one RWD and another one FWD. Put 6 passengers in each one of them. Put them on a steep incline and start them from standstill. Tell me which car has more wheel spins. Simple law of physics (any school going kid can tell you), when climbing on an incline, the weight of the car and its passengers would shift towards the rear wheels as the center of gravity moves back and these are the wheels, which will have more traction. Now if you give the power to the front wheels (which is nothing but pulling the car) and god forbid if there is any lose gravel soil, the wheels of the FWD car would be spinning to glory. (Note this is from my first hand experience of driving FWD car in ghats and not on hear-say). Against this the RWD car powering the rear wheels, which are having the maximum traction would be easily able to push the car. I used to literally sweat a lot in my earlier car, the Indica when I got stuck up on an incline and the car was fully loaded. Not so with the Innova or with the TUV now. Add to this the magnificent low end torque of both these cars and they are a breeze to drive in the ghats or other steep inclines.

So you bring the drive ability of Innova in to proclaim how TUV300 is better? The only thing common between TUV300 and an Innova is that both of them run of 4 tyres and are rear wheel drive. Apparently it should not spin its wheels to glory as evident in the video's in the last few pages? I wonder why that is? Or do you have to always drive with a full load?

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

If the owners of TUV can't put the things in right perspective then who else will? Defensive or not, if someone is trying to create wrong perceptions then those definitely need to get corrected. As I mentioned earlier you are free to air your views, but then be prepared to substantiate them with evidence or experience. This forum is open for any debate, but not at the cost of passing loose comments and demeaning other's choices.

That is being defensive again. How hard is it to admit to the shortcomings of a product. Everyone's needs are different and I am not holding your choice of car against you.

[rajpvrm]

I own a TUV300 AMT for 3.5 months and have driven 6500+ Kms so far. Here are my views.

Looks: Completely agree that looks are subjective and if there is one parameter on which I will score TUV300 10 on 10, it will be the looks. For me it was love at first sight and I am ready to look through minor issues for the looks, stance and road presence it offers. It is also a head turner and I don't remember how many times people have walked up to me at traffic signals, parking lots etc. to inquire about the car and to just peep in. The Jeep inspired looks are, at least for me, to die for.

Power & Handling: I owned an SX4 earlier which was known for pick up, handling and balanced weight. Moving from SX4 to TUV300, was a downgrade on this parameter, but not to an extent that I will worry. I drive in heavy traffic everyday and did a 1400 Km highway drive including on ghats. The TUV300 behaved really well in both scenarios. In fact, with 5 passengers and heavy luggage, the tank behaved very well on the steep ghats to Goa. Yes, I can't zoom through as soon as signal turns green but guess thats fine. It's not so slow that I will crib.

Seating and Space: Like AutoIndian mentioned, I am not sure if comparing TUV300 with EcoSport or Vitara Brezza or Creta is correct for many reasons. In case it is, TUV300 is way better than competition on this parameter. There is ample room inside, the middle row seat is very spacious and the headroom is amazing. The jump seats are definitely cramped up, but it offers extra seating space, in dire needs. In fact, people have mentioned that jump seats are not advisable on highways - I agree and unless you install a roof carrier (which I have not), you will anyways not use jump seats on highway as you would have some luggage while heading out of city on a drive. The high seating and space at a knee level makes the driver seat very comfortable (please note I am 6'1" tall).

On this note, would like to mention that I considered EcoSport seriously when I was buying the car, but dropped the idea after seeing the space inside. For all practical purpose, EcoSport is a comfortable 4 seater.

AMT: There is a thread going on regarding serious issues with AMT. Fortunately, (fingers tightly crossed) I haven't faced any issues at all so far with AMT. The gear shifts were very evident initially and the dealer told me that it was quite normal in an AMT. Just when I was getting used to live with the noticable gear shift, the software was upgraded which made the shifts significantly smooth. In fact, some of the gear shifts (like 3rd to 4th or 4th to 5th) are just not noticeable.

Overall experience: I did face initial issues with the car and M&M. The sales experience at showroom was terrible and I had told M&M about it. There was initial niggles - rattling in the boot door, slight vibrations and sound from A-pedal and sound from rear suspension. All were addressed quickly and the experience at service center was very good. In all, at least I don't feel like a guinea pig! There were issues that could have been avoided but then for reasons listed above, I will pardon M&M.

Regarding engine power and recent update announced by M&M, I will miss the mHawk100 engine on my TUV. As long the additional power doesn't compromise mileage, who wouldn't want a more refined and powerful engine on any car.

In all, I personally think TUV300 is a great package. As a side note, I have no connections with M&M or any personal stake or interest. Also, I am not trying to defend any product, just my personal views and experience.

[ntomer]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

First of all TUV300 is not an SUV.

Dear Sir,

May I ask you, why it isn't a SUV?

Nitin

[LoneRidder]

First let me make it clear; I respect your views and opinions and you have every right to make your points. However, I feel it would be wise to share our ‘real’ experience than ‘perceived’ opinion, which could possible help the community at large! Just because bantering about anything and everything is part of life in INDIA, let’s not do it here!

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

So what percentage drop do you think is reasonable? Can you speak for Mahindra on this?

A product is good as long as it is sold and well accepted in the market, than as a product itself! That’s the reality! Every product would have its surge in the initial phases. There are some products that are mass accepted and some for niche markets. I am sure at least the current Mahindra products are not for mass market. They come with its USP of SUV and could have limited reach.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am sorry but I refuse to call it a 5+2 because the rear seats are pretty much unusable and unsafe. The so called jump seats do not even come with a basic seat belt.

You may call it the way you feel. That’s what the company offers. You don’t like it, you have Scorpio, still don’t like it go for XUV, still don’t like it go for Endeavour or even Fortuner. There are products at every price bracket, with different configuration and options choose the right thing as you like it. Now don’t let me Maruti Omni is not a 5+2 or 5+3 seater, and also you would require air bags for them.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Or are you too happy being the guinea pig?

That’s the risk any new customer has to take. As said earlier, if the company is ready to stand by its own product and help in resolving it, that’s the way!
For your eyes, these are not Mahindra or Indian Products.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...r-service.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intern...-bad-cars.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRXGthJnQY

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...st-dealer.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...e-battery.html

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Could this get any more cliched? As far as I can see, the ownership threads on TUV have far more issues compared to Creata/Breza/EcoSport combine, ladder frame structure or not. The power to weight ratio is the worst in its segment, the handling is pretty poor and that rear wheel drive layout only causes unwanted wheel spins when shown a steep incline. A high riding premium hatchback is way better all things considered.

Pheww, my brother owns an EcoSport. He was one the ‘first’ few customers. You may be surprised; the vehicle had many issues that at one point it had to be moved to their Chennai plant for 3 weeks for study and rectification. Any new product would suffer the initial glitches. For M&M the home country is India and the product after R&D has to be launched in India. I owned a Wagon from its initial days. I almost ran to the service center once in a week. Any new products would have its own share of issues. If the company is standing by its products and ready to help fix the issue, that’s a good sign. Now lets me not talk of wheel spin. Every technology is different and has its purpose. Let’s agree to disagree that front wheel drive cars don’t spin their wheels!

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

First of all TUV300 is not an SUV.

Hmmm, that’s interesting. What is SUV, will you call Willys or Jeep an SUV or still a utility vehicle, or you would simple call it an ‘no-SUV’ because it does not have a 4 wheel drive. Then what about Scorpio?

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

How hard is it to admit to the shortcomings of a product. Everyone's needs are different

You should agree to what you mean. Everyone's needs are different. This car gives the features what it has. You cannot be asking for higher bhp, or full-fledged 7 seater, weight to power ratio or whatever than it has.

I know you do not like this product, so be it, BUT, I guess it is not correct to rant just because of IT.

I do not own a TUV300 or interested in buying it, but I have done more than 10 test drives on it. In one instance around 50+ kms. I should say for its price point and for its offerings it’s a worthy product. You have every right to say Ecosport is a better product and yes, it is. But it is not TUV300.

Again, I respect your views, but I think it’s not good to give comments without first-hand experience!

[procrj]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am not at all surprised given how ordinary the car is, both in its looks and its driving dynamics.

I made the effort to go through a few of your posts in the recent past and I see that you seem to have a problem with quirky designs. TUV, KUV, The new fortuner to name a few. If you find them unpalatable, then that is your opinion and you are entitled to it. But I think that people who are using the product everyday and have invested hard earned money have earned the right to call you out on your generalizations. Given that you are not in India, I understand that you might not have the chance to experience the tank in person and hence I think you should probably refrain from making sweeping statements about handling & driving dynamics.

Your statement also seems to imply that there is a direct correlation between ordinary looks and sales. Well in that case the figo & figo aspire should have set the sales charts ablaze as they look much much better than the dzire, amaze & etios.

I always knew that the TUV was an outlier, the ugly duckling and I purchased the same with my eyes open and after 120+ kms of test driving. Hence it comes as no surprise to me that the sales is declining. I will go one step further and say that the sales will decline further and stabilize around the 1.2 - 1.5K units per month over the next few months. Rationale behind my statement - 1) Too many new launches within the price bracket and convenience band (KUV, Brezza, Nuvosport, Price corrected Ecosport, New duster to name a few) 2) Problems with AMT - anecdotal feedback from SA was that almost 50% of bookings was for AMT. Seeing the problems with AMT, prospective customers might be opting to wait it out or switching to other brands

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I am sorry but I refuse to call it a 5+2 because the rear seats are pretty much unusable and unsafe

Unusable - NO. Very much usable but agree that its unsafe. Hence I use mine only when absolutely necessary and that too only for short distance runs.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Right who would possibly want a thoroughly contemporary engine with more power and more efficiency when you can get a three cylinder diesel

A few cars that use a 3 cylinder - mini cooper, bmw i8, Ecosport 1.0L ecoboost and many more. Hence 3 cylinder engines and no longer the crappy vibration filled plodders that existed in the 1980 & 90s. Heck they might be even better that the conventional 4 Cylinders. More here. I agree that the 1.5L mHawk doing duty on the TUV has a lot of room for improvement on the vibration front but when you are cruising at 100 kmph in the tank, you can only hear the wind rushing past you!

with 84 bhp in a 1650 kg car with a power to weight ratio of 50 bhp per tonne.

Sure, the power to weight ratio is low but the ample torque available at low rpms makes this a great car to drive. Power comes into play when you have open roads where you can really push the pedal and get going. Given the fact that most people who own a car end up driving 50-60% (my assumption) of their odo in city conditions, I think zero lag, linear power delivery and loads of torque makes more sense than outright power.

This torque combined with the solid rear axle creates this wheelspin on uneven surfaces. M&M have tried to reduce that with multi link rigid axle but based on my limited understanding of suspensions, it will only reduce and not eliminate instances where there will be wheelspin. Hence its not a result of shoddy engineering but a known limitation of the technology. Check out the wheelspin on this toyota innova (also uses a multi link solid axle). Now would you blame toyota of bad engineering?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKaEb3nBpo

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

I know you do not like this product, so be it, BUT, I guess it is not correct to rant just because of IT.

Amen to that!

[Nav-i-gator]

How a vehicle looks, affects the sales. But the correlation is not both ways. A plain looking car will not be affected, but a car which looks "different" will be. If general opinion about whether the car is good looking or disproportionate/garish/over the top is divided, the no of potential buyers is also divided. A maruti, in comparison to every other competitor, looks boring, BUT NOT APPALLING to anyone. So for a potential buyer, a maruti is something "I can live with it, though I dont like it's looks", and for a Mahindra "Oh I hate the way it looks, I cant own this".

Point is, you can make a compromise if you don't like something (or someone ), but you can't stand one which you hate!

[akchd]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post, and I couldn't be anywhere else but in the TUV 300 review thread as I am planning to buy one after a couple of months.
So, as we all know TUV is being relaunched with mhawk 100 engine. There are news reports that it will have a touch screen infotainment system in T8,and prices will be increased upto 30k.
Source : http://www.mycarhelpline.com/index.p...1321&Itemid=10

[raj_5004]

TUV owners -

You have bought a perfectly decent vehicle after a lot of test drives, comparisons, calculations and considerations. There will always be people who do not agree to your choice or do not like the car you drive. No need to prove anything to them, unless they are asking your opinion of course. Just enjoy your car and let the non-owners harp about driving dynamics, looks, power, etc. All said and done, if anybody is seriously considering a TUV, they will only consider the opinions of actual car owners.

TUV haters -

It is perfectly fine that you dislike the TUV. After all, not everyone will have the same expectations and/or choices. And like everybody else, even you have the rights to voice out your opinion on this public forum. But coming to a TUV review thread and calling it names will surely attract negative attention from the owners. After all, we are all car enthusiasts and we love our cars more than our kidneys! And that is when a never ending debate starts.

[noopster]

Mod Note: Recent posts on this thread have been deleted. Please post objectively whether in favour or against the vehicle and avoid getting into personal confrontations. It's boring and helps nobody. Thanks!

[Sirvoicar]

TUV300 is designed from scratch to fit the following parameters,
1. <4 meter length, with a <1500 cc Diesel engine to meet government excise rebate guidelines
2. Use of the chassis form their successful Scorpio.

Having used TUV300 (MT) for just over 6 months, I would say they have done a good job. My observations,
1. Engine: The twin turbo mated to this 1500cc 84bhp engine gives enough pep to the engine at urban speed requirements. Though the car is overweight by about 200 kgs in my opinion, this feeling does not pop up while accelerating at various traffic situations. (you need to drive the car to experience this, reading product specs will not be enough to come to a conclusion) They plan to launch the same engine with 100 bhp, but it will compromise on the fuel efficiency. It is a move to be comparable to the competition.

2. Design: The design is a derivative from the SUV DNA. Most Rovers are boxy to look at because they are the real SUV's. Similarly TUV300 has been derived from the Scorpio family. The design helps in providing a very good amount of space for 5 adults + the 2 seats squeezed in the available 4 meters. The 15” wheel with 75 profile tyres is very good on all surfaces. The static bending headlamps are exclusive to TUV300 (except the Yeti) It was great to drive on the chorla Ghat with clear visibility, Even in Mumbai I find them very useful while turning into lanes and while parking at night. Visibility of traffic coming from the right is much better than any other vehicles, due to the commanding height and the acceptable thickness and angle of the A pillar.

The sharp angle of the front doors are a design flaw from user point of view, more so if you are between 5’11” – 6’1” tall, it can hit and give a nasty injury right on the nose or the forehead. Now that I am used to the TUV I have developed a reflex action to sway as I open the door, just as you leave a good bouncer. Its higher seating can be a problem for older folks having knee problems, especially, females while entering the vehicle. Getting off isn’t a problem.

The other SUV’s/Crossovers have a design derived from normal sedans; hence they look delicate in spite of the plastic cladding to give a robust look. Their aerodynamic (Non Boxy) shape makes the rear passengers uncomfortable, the glass area and seat width is compromised to a great extent. This reaction was from one of my friends using the Creta.

Remarks: There have been niggles as I was one of the first few to own the car, But M&M have been quick to replace the parts and modify the software. I suppose the new owners will not have any issues with the vehicles. TUV300 is a very practical car, It can take a family in comforts of a sedan (good AC and NVH levels), and occasionally 7 friends for an alumni get-together (having done so, can vouch for it) and while driving alone give you a commanding macho feeling with more than an occasional glance from passer-bys.Its sales will improve over time by word of mouth and actual test drives.