[sarthakgupta]

Originally Posted by blackfire_9

Thanks for the information buddy. And though this thread is about Quanto discussions, could you mention what makes one engine suitable for RWD & another for FWD?

I am no expert however two things do come to my mind. Firstly, the engine mounting will be different. It will be longitudinal mount for RWD setup and transverse mount for FWD. (AFAIK Audis are a special case. They are FWD with longitudinal engine mounting). Secondly, gearbox positioning and orientation will be different.

I followed the articles pertaining to recent announcement of BMW regarding new line of 3 cylinder 1.5 litre engine family (and their 2 Litre I4 and 3 litre V6 derivatives also). BMW has categorically mentioned that these engines have been designed from grounds up for both transverse as well as longitudinal mounts.

An indirect reference can also be derived from the fact that MQB engine family has been designed by VW (MQB uses transverse engines) whereas MLB engine family has been designed by Audi (MLB uses longitudinal engines). Both are separately creating engines of same capacities.

Wikipedia link on Engine layouts:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_layout

[DicKy]

Well the design looks better than expected, but still some things left unexplained.
Wonder where the rear number plate goes. Can't be on the bumper as the footstep is there and doesn't look like it can accommodate a number plate with the illumination lights. Neither on the spare wheel cover as shown in the second pic. Like @mooza said it can be ideally placed beneath the rear door handle.
Also maybe they don't know what to do with the old Xylo grille dies, but the new Xylo bonnet and grille would have looked far more better.
Then a tiny design grouse- the merging of the black out tape on the C pillar could have been more seamless.
Hmmm... Wonder when this will be available in metal in the nearest showroom, or is it gonna be a XUV500 type phased launch?

[nettooran]

Torque-ative...Aninside view shot is really missed here. How does the interiors look like? is it similar to the Xylo dash. anything that keeps it apart from the rest?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

Here you go folks. Taken today when I went for my PDI of the Scorpio.
I guess all speculations can be laid to rest now.

Wonderful spyshots Torque-ative. Would have loved to see some interior shots, but I guess the vehicle would have locked. I liked the Quanto from all angles. Looks are subjective. Someone said earlier it looks ugly, but mind you the Quanto is not going to compete in any beauty contests (There are many other cars in that race, the fluidics & the kinetics of this world). For me the utilitarian value of this UV matters the most. It is going to compete the bad roads, the rising fuel costs, premium space & I am sure its going to win hands down.

Eagerly waiting for 20th Sep now to know the variants, their prices & tech specs.

[wantarangerover]

That is sure an ugly car!!! The tyres are too small and the rear just ends abruptly without any seamless transition. Also the thing looks as if on stilts. And yes, its uglier than the xylo, which was not a beauty queen to begin with. M&M did a good job with the XUV, and now thats the benchmark that they would be expected to surpass with every new launch.

[rock75]

I think this doesn't look too good! Firstly it is too tall to look attractive and secondly the new xylo bonnet should have been used. The backside looks are quirky.

[naren_L]

Originally Posted by sarthakgupta

Firstly, the engine mounting will be different. It will be longitudinal mount for RWD setup and transverse mount for FWD. . . . . . Secondly, gearbox positioning and orientation will be different.

Keeping your above mentioned valid points in mind I want to share the fact that XUV 5OO uses a VGT version mHawk engine which is having same swept volume (2179cc) like it have on Scorpio and now available with Xylo E9 also.

As we all know XUV is having transverse engine mounting and scorpio and Xylo are having longitudinal mounting for RWD setup. So I think It should not be so difficult to adapt an engine for transverse mounting which is originally developed for longitudinal mounting - for Mahindra at-least.

But then one more questions arises. They need to develop an new trans-axle (gearbox & differential in a single unit - necessary for FWD setup) if this new 1.5 could not be mated with the existing trans-axle, if all this effort will be feasible or not depending upon the investment needed and the dci engine expenses incurred.

Sorry for going and diverting from Quanto excitement! Eagerly waiting for launch and then subsequent GTO-class review!

Happy waiting!

[swiftnfurious]

I guess Mahindra could have saved that face-lift for Quanto than going for Xylo & now bringing the old design bonnet in the Quanto! Looks like a reverse progression. I am sure, the new face would have helped Quanto with better sales & a better individuality!

[suhaas307]

Looks like the Premier Rio has competition now. The question is, will it be good enough to lure some prospective hatchback / sedan owners into buying it, for it's versatility and uniqueness? I can't tell.

I've never failed to strike a conversation with several friends and acquaintances alike. And I ask them about the new segments that have cropped up, bang in the middle of sedans and hatches.

9/10 people (age groups 20s to 40s) say that if one wants a SUV, one should save up a considerable amount for a good one like the Fortuner / Endeavour etc. They often say that they don't dig the mini-SUV mini-MPV thing. It's neither here, nor there - is their reasoning.

And I never fail to vehemently disagree. The first time I saw the EcoSport in pictures, I fell in love. What a brilliant little design, perfect for bad roads, cramped parking spots, fuel-bills, etc. But as the days went by, my fondness for the Duster increased. And now I find the EcoSport too brash and maybe a little over-done for my tastes. It would certainly look much better if it was scaled to the size of a CRV, or maybe the Evoque. But it isn't.

I'm not a fan of the Quanto. There, I said it. There is nothing too appealing about it design wise. The Xylo wasn't much of a looker to begin with and it's down to the basic proportions if the car. It's a tad too narrow and a tad too tall, also the wheels seem small and the wheel-arches aren't quite proportionate to the rest of the body. The sheet-metal is expansive. Not too nice on a larger car.

The side-profile of the Quanto seems to resemble a Fiat Panda. That's probably the way the glass-house has been executed. It isn't too bad, but when you look closer, you'll realize that they've done it by introducing some black cello-tape to the pillars. It looks crudely done and not quite finished. That said, it helps the design a great deal. Bringing together the glass-house with blackened pillars gives it a more complete look. Few cars like the Duster can pull off body-coloured pillars. And even that had to grow on me.

With the Quanto, it appears to have retained the height, (maybe shortened a bit) and the narrower body, but the wheel-base has been reduced, and so has the front / rear over-hang. A car with those proportions and relatively skinny tyres would only mean disaster around a tight bend when in the hands of a twat attempting shenanigans.

And I've been in a Xylo so I do know what the interior is going to be like. It's not too impressive.

But expecting good handling and top-notch quality from a car like this, priced like this, is expecting much. Probably too much. I'm sure it's versatile, with the useful last row for those short city trips ( at the risk of comfort and safety )

It does seem to have several positives on the face of it. For one, we can certainly expect Mahindra to price it competitively. Being a Mahindra, it should do reasonably well. (the Bolero, Scorpio and the XUV have tasted great success) and it should be perfect for those not bothered by quirky looks or inviting corners. It should be well spec'ed, going by Mahindra's fondness for gadgets and the niggles that may or may not come with it. it's got reasonable ground-clearance. More than you'd ever need for typical city-driving conditions. It's no-nonsense, get-the-job-done attitude is what people will appreciate it for.

I wish Mahindra all the best, for the Quanto. I hope they see success for this model as well. At the cost of my visual pleasure I get by watching traffic and noticing cars.

[haria]

Is it my eyes or is the rear tail lamps sort of un-even ? looks a bit odd, I must say. Also this looks taller than the scorpio (in one pic, there is a scorpio/automatic on the right) Other than the rear, I guess this looks better than what I expected. Hope the handling/interiors will not disappoint..

Also to technical gurus of the engine, one question : from the pdf which describes this engine, I gather that most of it is aluminum. Are there any other cars/suvs with aluminium instead of cast iron ? is this durable in the long term ?

[arunu]

Looks like a good value proposition. Decent leg/head/elbow room for 5 adults + decent luggage space + efficient diesel engine + high ground clearance. Only concern is with the odd proportions, high stance and resulting ride & handling issues.

Car resembles Daihatsu Terios ( a subcompact Japanese SUV, popular in Gulf) in appearance and dimensions.

Eagerly waiting for the launch and test drives to happen.

If M&M gets the pricing right and handling issues sorted, I am sure xylo mini is going to be a runaway success.

[mohandas]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

9/10 people (age groups 20s to 40s) say that if one wants a SUV, one should save up a considerable amount for a good one like the Fortuner / Endeavour etc. They often say that they don't dig the mini-SUV mini-MPV thing. It's neither here, nor there - is their reasoning.

I do not know why people think that their "friends and acquaintances " can represent the entire middle/upper-middle class masses of India. I do not think that group is statistically significant enough to represent as a sample of original raw data. The reason is again the data. All over the world, the cross-overs especially micro, mini and small (S)UV are gaining popularity over the traditional (S)UVs and Indian market is not an exception.

[narayan]

Originally Posted by mohandas

I do not know why people think that their "friends and acquaintances " can represent the entire middle/upper-middle class masses of India. I do not think that group is statistically significant enough to represent as a sample of original raw data. The reason is again the data. All over the world, the cross-overs especially micro, mini and small (S)UV are gaining popularity over the traditional (S)UVs and Indian market is not an exception.

I think the point that his friends represent the entire segment was probably not made.

However I wish to disagree with so many posts on the quality/handling aspects.

Probably, since we are all petrol heads and keep reading about the best of cars in the forum, we start setting up extremely high benchmarks for "handling" without, at most times, knowing what the limits of handling are.

for all practical purposes, handling is just a function of how we end up using these vehicles. I doubt many of us, leave alone the larger car buying population ever take their cars to even 50% of their handling capacity. so why even worry about this parameter. from the pics in the previous page, it looks like the smaller wheels also brings down the overall height of the vehicle. Further, the shorter rear over hang, in my view, should assist handling positively. Lastly, am quite sure, the car is probably stiffly sprung to minimise body roll.

on quality of interiors, i find the Xylo interiors on par with the Scorpio. If the Scorpio can sell with those interiors in the 9-12 lakhs price band, i think M&M will be doing us a favour by giving the same level of qualityin the 5.5-7 lakhs price band.

Its finally choice that the market is looking for. In any price segment, every buyer wants to have the choice of a hatch, sedan and now, an SUV. This quest for a choice is what will drive up volumes for the Quanto the way the Duster is lapping up numbers.

If this vehicle does well, I see more investments from other manufacturers and maybe in 2-3 years, we could see a nice monocoque SUV in this price band.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by mohandas

I do not know why people think that their "friends and acquaintances " can represent the entire middle/upper-middle class masses of India. I do not think that group is statistically significant enough to represent as a sample of original raw data. The reason is again the data. All over the world, the cross-overs especially micro, mini and small (S)UV are gaining popularity over the traditional (S)UVs and Indian market is not an exception.

Originally Posted by narayan

I think the point that his friends represent the entire segment was probably not made.

Thanks for clarifying that narayan.

I certainly did not imply that my friend-circle represents upper-middle class. I have friends from different walks of life and with different opinions. It's worth noting everyone's take on new developments in our market. The lay man and the petrol-head.

Originally Posted by narayan

However I wish to disagree with so many posts on the quality/handling aspects.

Probably, since we are all petrol heads and keep reading about the best of cars in the forum, we start setting up extremely high benchmarks for "handling" without, at most times, knowing what the limits of handling are.

for all practical purposes, handling is just a function of how we end up using these vehicles. I doubt many of us, leave alone the larger car buying population ever take their cars to even 50% of their handling capacity.

It could be that. But I'd also like to say that I've mentioned this in my post as well.

But expecting good handling and top-notch quality from a car like this, priced like this, is expecting much...

...It's no-nonsense, get-the-job-done attitude is what people will appreciate it for.

Cars with not-so-appealing interiors have done well. Case in point the Etios / Liva, the Scorpio and the Bolero, previous generation Swift etc. So there is no reason why the Quanto shouldn't do well.

Also, I'd like to point out that having good handling in a car is not about being able to push the car to its limits. Even if you're doing sane speeds around corners and on straight roads, it doesn't hurt to drive a car that's sorted in the ride and handling department. And when I speak about handling, I'm mostly referring to composure and stability as well.

[wanderernomad]

The rear looks to have had an abrupt chop. But will it have a 4X4 option in future? The ground clearance looks decent and with small size the grunt would surely be there.