[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

[drsingh]

Can any skilled artist photoshop bolero like thin fenders and move the 'armour' on the bumper lower? To get a thin black cladding all around the vehicle and some protruding bumpers front and rear?

[ksmrsm]

Have been in the market for a vehicle for the last month. Have always wanted a Bolero right from the days it was called the Armada, as I felt that it had a lot of similarities in shape to the old Nissan Petrol.

Had a quick visit to Zulaikha Mahindra in Velachery, Chennai for a quick view of the TUV in the flesh with my better half before rushing off to catch a train. My thoughts as below:

1. The vehicle is good looking. My wife said that it looked "Chunky" and we could go for it. She had earlier rejected the Bolero. So it does say something for the shape! And she is a person who liked the Storm, XUV and the New Scorpio in that order.

2. The jump seats are not as cramped as it looks. I was able to sit comfortable with adequate shoulder space (I am 5' 8" and pleasantly plump ). Long drives + Adults may not fit into the scheme of things but there should be no issues for short drives.

3. Another gentleman who was around 6' was also checking out on the vehicle. He was initially apprehensive about the jump seats but after sitting on them, he was pleasantly surprised on their comfort.

4. The colors - Blue, Camo Green and Red probably suit the vehicle the best.

5. The rear seats were very comfortable though it does not offer underside thigh support that the old Scorpio seats offer.

These are my Basic and initial observations.

Originally Posted by Arindam_Nayek

Shocked to see that handling charges are included that too INR 10,000 (Marked in Red). If I am not wrong i was reading in some article that RTOs in different states are asking dealers not to have these charges anymore.

There was no handling charges quoted in the rate sheet given to me. The T8 Manual came to under 10L OTR.

[abhi29]

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

While I am not a big fan of Mahindra styling, to me TUV still looks better with cleaner lines and un-cluttered elements. But this thing looks thoroughly after-market-ish (in a bad way) IMHO, and the add-ons look flimsy, check out the bumper add-on, is it not fitted properly or is it supposed to be that way ? The entire package looks very wannabe , half - hearted and unfinished.

I wonder how do these designs even get a final go ahead for production.
Mahindra, i know you have googled a lot of Jeep pictures this time, may be you could have googled a little more before sprinkling these plastics

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by abhi29

I wonder how do these designs even get a final go ahead for production.
Mahindra, i know you have googled a lot of Jeep pictures this time, may be you could have googled a little more before sprinkling these plastics

The flat wide bumpers (necessitated by the 4m length) actually do need some cladding for a better side profile.

Mahindra should come up with better design for add on kits/skirts on the lines of their bolero based design mods.

[hiren959]

This seems to be a really good product from Mahindra. Exterior looks especially from the front is not appealing, from the back it is ok. But the interior seems much better than the other. Space is enough for five adults compare to Ecosport.
This will suit a family of 4 adults and two children age under 10 or 12. So five persons can sit comfortably at front and one child can go to the jump seat.
Some members are complaining about the NVH and some are not, so have to test drive personally to figure out more.

[parrys]

Few things which I liked during my brief stint with the TUV300:

1. Interior plastics compared to the Quanto are way superior.
2. The seats, in terms of stitching & foam felt slightly better than the Scorpio as well.
3. Cabin feels very airy, although a compact-SUV, the front end of the cabin doesn't feel cramped.
4. Better suspension compared to the Quanto / Xylo.

Features such a start / stop (Micro hybrid), static bending headlamps etc. will surely be talking points for the sales guys.

Compared to the EcoSport, there's noticeably more room available.

Paint quality on the outside in inconsistent, especially on the front bumpers. Exterior design isn't too bad when you look at it in person. But those who love curves on their vehicles will surely be a bit disappointed.

[neil.jericho]

We had booked a Honda Jazz automatic (V CVT to be specific) last month after taking a close look at the VW Polo TSI and the Honda offering. Our primary requirement was very simple - it had to be an automatic. Beyond that we wanted something that had decent space but not something too huge. Hence the Jazz automatically (no pun intended) selected itself since we felt the the Polo was too cramped for 4 tall-ish adults. We were hoping to get delivery this month but the dealership received stock of an automatic in our secondary colour preference and hence we decided to wait it out for another month.


Yesterday I was reading the TUV thread and was surprised to see that it also came with an automatic and was under 4 metres in length with initial feedback being that it was spacious. Just what we were looking for then. Off we went to Sireesh Auto today morning and checked out the black T6 and white T8 TUVs. Initial impressions are below

- It looks great! Subjective though.
- White isnt really the best colour for it. As per the sales person, all showrooms across India have got either white or black with just one in Bombay getting a red.
- Interiors were nice overall. Look carefully though and you can spot some things which show they should've paid slightly more attention to detail.
- Other than the obvious visual differences and the missing eco mode, we felt the main thing we were losing out on between the T6 and T8 automatics were the lack of driver height adjust and non full seat folding for the middle row in the T6.
- 80 bookings as per the salesperson. 50 - 50 split between manual and automatic. A sign of things to come.
- The TUV certainly got a lot of people walking into the showroom and checking it out and the crowd certainly was a very diverse mix.
- Very happy that safety features have made their way into so many options for what is sure to be a fast moving vehicle (at least out of showrooms that is).
- Good space inside in the first two rows.

Initial test drive impressions (bearing in mind this is the first time Im driving a UV) of the manual TUV300.
- Great commanding seating position
- Good performance in the first two gears. Third reminded me of my 1.2 Punto where a shove of the accelerator didnt necessarily result in a corresponding increase in speed.
- Got it into 4th gear for a short duration, but couldnt really check acceleration.
- Brakes did their job, the Jazz probably did a better job.
- The vibes could certainly be felt through the gear knob.
- Could barely hear the engine at all, when the music is turned on we couldnt hear the engine while on the move.
- After shifting to second, it felt like I had to consciously reach 'back' to get it and shift to third.
- My wife and I found the seats to be very comfortable.
- Humongous RVMs. Loved them.

Sales Experience : As good as our Honda experience. Ive heard horror stories of the 'arrogance' of Mahindra sales folks but we were managed by a very sensible and polite gentleman. It helped that I had done my fair bit of research after going through this thread He explained all the features, got into the middle row and last row of seats to show how spacious it was and pointed out many small things which I missed out at first glance. The only small thing I found surprising was that they didnt have soft drinks available which is something I found every showroom offers along with water and tea / coffee.


Overall we were very impressed with the TUV300. The booking amount of Rs 20,000 is fully refundable though they will get an automatic test drive vehicle only after 6 - 10 days. We went ahead and booked an automatic T8 AMT and based on the automatic test drive we will take a final call.


So how did we go from a tried and proven Honda Jazz automatic to a brand new untested by the market TUV 300 AMT? My wife summed it up best when she said, "We are actually excited by the prospect of owning the TUV whereas the Jazz was just a sensible decision". So heart vs the head then and right now we are leaning towards the heart.

[pgsagar]

Dropped in at local dealer to check out TUV300 on display. The car looks much better in real than in pics. Front is very butch, like a macho American Jeep-based SUV. The rear is very attractive, too. Absolutely no resemblance to Quanto's rear. Tail-lamps, especially, are very attractive. Neither too big nor too small. Car is boxy as opposed to curvy Ecosport. Creta falls in between. But, for anyone coming from a Scorpio, seats are low. You need to climb on to side-step and then lower yourself in seats. No high-seating like Scorpio/Storme. I, for one, want my next car, an SUV, to have truck-like high seating to get a good view of traffic ahead. To that end, I would choose a Scorpio over this. If that were not my requirement, then I would have given this car a serious thought.

[null]

Originally Posted by ksmrsm

There was no handling charges quoted in the rate sheet given to me. The T8 Manual came to under 10L OTR.

Well, some dealers hide their handling charges under the other columns, typically, roadtax. If in BLR, check if the roadtax is 15.54% of the ex-showroom car price to revalidate.

[shankar.balan]

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

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!

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

We had booked a Honda Jazz automatic (V CVT to be specific) last month after taking a close look at the VW Polo TSI and the Honda offering. Our primary requirement was very simple - it had to be an automatic.

Probably Mahindra may be targeting customers like you. And if you switch to TUV, that will indicate how Mahindra has evolved themselves as an automotive player from those soft top work horses to value for money products like this one .

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!

Respect your opinion sir. Just want to share a real life photo the armoured version of the TUV300.

[mohansrides]

Hello Gents,

Greetings and Good Wishes.

I test drove the TUV 300 today. Here is my short report.

Disclosures:

I don't work for M & M. Nor have I any Mahindra vehicles before. Also, aside from being their discerning customer and a well wisher, I am not associated in any way whatsoever with the automobile industry.

For today's test drive, I only got to take the car in a short loop of some 3 kms with some parts of the road being quite open. Aside from this, I got no highway exposure with the TUV. This was because of a long queue for test drives. The sales guy had no wiggle room at all in letting me get off the predetermined test route - these are still early days. But, the TUV 300 is generating lots of interest from lots of customers.


Drive Report:

Moving on, just to give myself context, I test drove the XUV 500 first, and then the TUV. Needless to say, they are not even in the same ball park.

The TUV:

1.) Has tonnes of space. Three good sized adults in the back seat will be a breeze. So, people who are focussed on that aspect can check that off and rest assured.

2.) This is subjective, but I really liked the design of the car from the outside. And fit and finish appear to be quite good; although, the sounds of the door opening and closing etc. are not quite satisfactory.

3.) Even in the highest setting, the driver is pushed down pretty deep. Visibility can be a factor for lots of folks who are not pushing 6 ft. This is not to say that visibility is completely bad. But, being able to see, and feeling comfortable with the angle of vision are two different things. For what it's worth, I kept moving forward in my seat to sit more upright.

4.) When trying to use the shifter, the armrest kept getting in my way. So, I just moved it up and out of the way.

5.) During the drive, the engine had decent grunt on the low end. But, as far as I could tell in the short drive, it does not really like to be opened up.

6.) Finally, here is the point that made me take the car off my list. The d**n thing vibrates like a bus!! NVH levels are thru the roof. My guess is that driving the TUV on the highway for any extended periods of time will tire the crap out of most non-professional drivers. IMHO, this car is well on its way to becoming the next tourist taxi.

P. S.

My apologies to anyone whom I may have offended with my short note. If your opinions differ from mine, please feel free to explain your views. I welcome all opportunities to be convinced.

Thanks and Regards

[yikes6633]

Originally Posted by johy

I am a bit skeptical if they will launch 4WD on this one. Reason being it will draw a lot of people who want a Thar + hard top away from the Thar. Would Mahindra want that? Even at 9 to 10 lakhs tops, people wanting a Thar hard-top (and who don't want to do serious off-roading) would then look at this. That said, I would be very happy if they indeed launch the 4WD and soon!

Of course, there is also the Scorpio S4 4WD, but it is a bigger vehicle than either the Thar. A lot of folks prefer a smaller (sub 4 meter may be the way to go) SUV with 4WD.

Any specific media reports to confirm/positively speculate on the 4WD?

I am very positive about a 4WD/AWD of the TUV 3OO making its way to the production line. If we look at today's market dynamics and marketing strategies, then there is no automobile in the Indian market offering 4WD/AWD on a 4m SUV.

If there are potential customers wanting a 4WD with a hard top then there is the Scorpio S4+ and many more

The serious offroaders have the Thar CRDe to pick up

Potential customers like me who want an affordable SUV that is not big and would love to wander off into the unfamiliar roads without the need for serious offroading would love to own the likes of the TUV 3OO with the 4WD/AWD option.

This kind of a market segmentation clearly gives an opportunity to automobile manufacturers to layout a marketing strategy for the large vacuum in the category of below 4m SUV's with 4WD

M&M can be the first to offer 4WD/AWD AMT in a sub/below 4m SUV. Gives M&M a perfect opportunity to cash in on this segment and in this automotive space.

So come on M&M, a potential customer like me and many more are awaiting the launch of the 4WD/AWD version of the TUV 3OO, else it sure would be another product from another manufacturer offering similar specs with a 4WD/AWD option that would get my cash.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Dropped in at local dealer to check out TUV300 on display. The car looks much better in real than in pics. Front is very butch, like a macho American Jeep-based SUV. The rear is very attractive, too. Absolutely no resemblance to Quanto's rear. Tail-lamps, especially, are very attractive. Neither too big nor too small. Car is boxy as opposed to curvy Ecosport. Creta falls in between. But, for anyone coming from a Scorpio, seats are low. You need to climb on to side-step and then lower yourself in seats. No high-seating like Scorpio/Storme. I, for one, want my next car, an SUV, to have truck-like high seating to get a good view of traffic ahead. To that end, I would choose a Scorpio over this. If that were not my requirement, then I would have given this car a serious thought.

Exactly my expectations. Haven't checked out TUV 300 yet. Will be going next weekend. If the driving seats are low, then I will better continue with Scorpio AT.

Else, AMT TUV 300 makes a very good sense. I am quite impressed with the alloy designs of this car too. The alloys look great. Overall the package is very interesting.

Have to admire Mahindra for this. They have purposefully designed this one as a boxy vehicle instead of curvy ones from competition and the result is great.

Just to make the front more interesting, they can add black moulding at bumpers which will have some contrast, especially on the white TUV.