[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by CAPTAIN REX

Took delivery of the black TUV300 T8 yesterday from Zulaikha Motors, Chennai.

Congratulations Captain Rex Happy munching miles with the tank

Will wait for an extensive ownership report with lot of pictures from your end.

[Karthik Chandra]

Congratulations Captain Rex on acquiring your tough guy. Wishing you a very happy and peaceful ownership experience. The black colour gives a commanding look to the TUV, an elegant choice. The tough guy has a good road presence in black colour.

[spanner777]

Took a long testdrive of the TUV 300, thanks to Sireesh motors at Silkboard, Bangalore. TUV 300 also came into the list for being considered for my next car as it came with ABS+airbag within my budget. TUV managed to surprise me at a few points.

I was happy about :
1. Interior : Though not worth compring with non-Indian SUVs in this segment, it is one step ahead of Bolero and Thar. Better than scorpio at some instances as well. Quality of door panel plastics, interior door handles were better than the other products from mahindra at this price point.
2. 2 stage turbo engine : Though I missed the "pushed to the seat" turbo which I get in the ritz VDI, and the power delivery is much linear. TUV's speedometer surprised me with the suddent realisation of the speeds that I was doing on the elevated highway. I never realised I crossed the speed limit of 80 kmph until I looked at the speedometer. Ample torque (as with a typical diesel engine) for the stop and go traffic.
3. Fog lamps / static bending lights : These are more powerful than expected and does a good job of lighting up the near front.
4. The much important Temperature gauge is present, with digital display.
5. “Super wide” side mirrors. You wont miss a thing.
6. A much more weighted steering than the super light one in the Thar.

I was disappointed with :
1. One Major design flaw in the doors : The backward raked doors tend to “leave a mark on ones forehead” while opening the door . The yellow marked part in the photo is slanting way too much than in other cars which needs special attention when a “not so used to TUV” guest opens the doors. A demonstration like the ones seen in aircraft before flight might save them.


2. Music system : Stock music system in T6 and above variants is very mediocre. Cant handle much bass.
3. The three cyclinder engine characteristic : There is a vibration while switching off the engine. The engine note in the RPM range from 1200 to 2500 also would suggest that this is a 3 cylinder.
4. The 2nd row seats in T4 and T6 variants are on a harder side and I felt those would not be comfortable for long distance runs. The fabric seats in T8 variants are better.
5. Hard Braking results in a little bit of nose diving. This was much more pronounced till the previous generation of scorpio. However expect that a bit here as well as the chassis is based on the new generation scorpio.
6. White is not a colour option in T4 variants. T4 variants come in Red, silver and black.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by CAPTAIN REX

Took delivery of the black TUV300 T8 yesterday from Zulaikha Motors, Chennai.
Initial experience -
1. Found the clutch to be slightly harder............Cornering lights worked great, and is quite bright.

Will try and get an ownership report out soon.

Congratulations! The black colour certainly adds to the road presence of this SUV and we look forward to your owner ship experience report.

Happy touring!

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by ScorpMan

Test Drove the T8 AMT yesterday.

It was a very short & slow drive, due to peak office hours. The car looks better in flesh than pics suggest. Though the front do looks a bit too flashy, and a more mature design would have helped. Fit & Finish is on par with Scorpio & Xuv, except those ill fitting headlights. The showroom had Tuv, Xuv & Scorpio all parked in a row, and I can surely say the TUV looks more butch & tough than the other two, helped by that massively high bonnet. IMO, the TUV's bonnet looks as high as a Fortuner.

I was very careful while getting inside the car due to those curved front doors. Door closed with a satisfying thunk, much better than the new Scorpio which feels very tinny & hollow in comparison. The interior look & feel is unlike any Mahindra Car and appears to be much better quality than even the XUV. But, the steering wheel without leather even on the T8 appears very plasticky. Front Seats are comfortable & more spacious than the Scorpio, but the Seat Height felt low, and the outside visibility isnt as good. The integrated armrests are very welcome. Getting in the rear is very easy, and the first thing that hit me was the space offered. It definitely doesnt feel like a 4m car, and would be great if Mahindra gives an option of removing the last pair of seats, and a slider mechanism like a Scorpio. The back rest does feel a bit upright, but not uncomfortable, and nothing a slight aftermarket modification can't solve. Also missed the presence of an centre armrest. Coming to the last pair of seats, they are meant only for kids, and should be used only for short city drives. If I decide to buy this car, these seats will be the first one to be kicked out of the car.

Now comes the drive, the engine never ever felt like a 3Cylinder engine. The NVH impressed, especially after all those conflicting reviews here. Definitely feels much more refined than a Rapid/Vento. There were no unwanted vibrations anywhere. The startup shake is quite alright for a ladder frame chassis. We were 3 persons in the car, and the pickup was good & appeared lag free. Tried both the Auto & Manual modes of the AMT gearbox, and the short 3-4kms drive was stress free in the peak hour traffic. Given the height & width of the vehicle, it never feels like a small car & takes as much effort as a Scorpio. The Steering felt unusually heavy, infact heavier than my 8yr Old Scorpio.

Could not get a chance to check the brakes due to heavy traffic, though the Suspension felt better than my Scorpio. I have narrowed down my choice to this & the new updated Ecosport. As of now, I am tilting more towards ES. Rest will decide only after a detailed TBHP review.

Hello Scorpman,

Your TD report comes as a breath of fresh air. I was hoping for this from another Scorpio owner (I am using mine since 2004 and am a devotee of the breed and feel sad that with the recent NGT ruling I may have to sell it) and your report gives much needed peace of mind!

All the points you have addressed - the spacious interiors, the need to dispense with the jump seats (I have already got rid of them on the Scorpio), the commanding height of the bonnet, the solid build (a traditional strength of body-on-frame construction), the brisk, lag-free pick-up are all spot on.

In conclusion, I have one question regarding the AMT & I wonder if you had asked the staff at the dealers - in case the AMT auto clutch fails on the highway (God forbid!), does the manual option remain usable? Or is one stuck with whichever gear one happens to be in, till help arrives?

[nivatakavacha]

Originally Posted by CAPTAIN REX

Took delivery of the black TUV300 T8 yesterday from Zulaikha Motors, Chennai.

Congrats on your new "vahanam" and wish you many miles ahead. Now, we are all eagerly waiting for the ownership review.

[5kmiles]

Saw a black one on my rear view mirror for a long time. Wow. Looks fantastic. Way ahead of me-too rush of fluidic sea all around us. Imposing too - for the price - does plenty of imposing/Rupee. Looks touch awkward from the side but not that bad. And where is the perfect looking car - Creta wins it at the front, loses it at the back. Vice versa for S Cross. Rear of duster is average while ecosport looks a hatch. So, to each his own on this.

I had checked out Ciaz and City recently. Both felt like tin cans compared to my Manza that feels rock solid - mostly. Likewise for Zest - probably Zest's bootlid weighs twice that of other ones in segment (not checked Aspire)

Point I am making is that the solidity of chassis and overall build is as important an input in car buying decision in India as the perfect shut lines, great plastic quality, most contemporary design lines, perfected ergonomics etc. I believe cars from Indian manufacturers like Manza, Zest, Scorpio, TUV, XUV deliver dollops of solidity along with pretty reasonable performance.

TUV is definitely one worthy contender IMPO.

[AutoInt]

Originally Posted by CAPTAIN REX

Took delivery of the black TUV300 T8 yesterday from Zulaikha Motors, Chennai.

Congratulations on owning a new Tank (TUV300). It looks good in Black. Wishing you a happy mile munching. Surprised to hear fuel cap is not attached to the today. This is a small but an important feature to miss in 10 L vehicle.

Looking forward to ownership report.

[thatsdileep]

Originally Posted by CAPTAIN REX

Took delivery of the black TUV300 T8 yesterday from Zulaikha Motors, Chennai.

Hearty congrats on the black tank...wish you a lot of happy and safe miles.

3. Drive-ability, due to the good torque, in traffic is excellent, except for the slightly hard clutch, and managed to take a tight 'U' turn from almost standstill in 3 rd gear without feeling the engine getting strained.

This is exactly what I observed during the TD. The low end torque is great and city driving will be a breeze with minimal gear shifts.

Isn't it the Raheja Towers parking lot? Do you work there? I work there as well! May be we can catch up sometime...!

[CAPTAIN REX]

Originally Posted by thatsdileep

Isn't it the Raheja Towers parking lot? Do you work there? I work there as well! May be we can catch up sometime...!

Thanx to all for the well wishes.
Yes, that is the Raheja Towers parking lot. . Will find the TUV parked either in slot 134 or 135, front entrance, when I am in. We sure can catch up.

[ScorpMan]

Originally Posted by shashanka

I have one question regarding the AMT & I wonder if you had asked the staff at the dealers - in case the AMT auto clutch fails on the highway (God forbid!), does the manual option remain usable? Or is one stuck with whichever gear one happens to be in, till help arrives?

Hey Mate,
The SA was dumb & hardly had any real knowledge apart from the brochure stuff. But AFAIK, and If I understand correctly, an AMT is basically the same Manual Transmission with an Electronic Module operating the clutch, instead of a foot operated pedal. So incase the clutch fails, the car will be as badly stuck as any MT vehicle. But still, experts can answer this better.

[400notout]

Found this at Motoroids

Digital artist Meet Singh sends us this render of the Mahindra TUV300, which gets a complete visual makeover. Meet has significantly lowered the ride height of Mahindra’s latest compact SUV in Photoshop, apart from adding a host of embellishments that make the TUV300 look dapper.

[CRtorquefan]

As Mahindra invested so much time & resources on the development of this vehicle which is promising for the segment to which it is targeted specifically from the Day1 of its spy shot it was considered as Bolero replacement, then why Mahindra did half baked effort in its engine department. Today, both Indian car market & customers are matured enough to understand the merits & demerits of 3-cyl vs 4-cyl engines.
4-cylinder refined engine would have made this car into a more complete package.

Since Mahindra has already played its 'More car for the money' proposition with this car, why not to widen its appeal further, I'd say to introduce 2.2 mHawk engine as an option in its mid T6 & top-end T8 variants. As Mahindra isn't having any 'Modern' yet Urban 4x4 vehicle in their portfolio under 10-lacs price range, so TUV300 with 2.2 or lesser but 4-cylinder engine with 4x4 gearbox can give Mahindra what they need in their portfolio today & it'll also justify its Tank-like capabilities, in theme of which TUV300 is promoted.

BTW, If all this above seems to be a distant dream for Mahindra & TUV300, then they can also source 1.5 litre dCi 110 PS & 85PS engine range from Renault India for TUV. This will definitely widen the appeal of this very promising product.

[TMRT]

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan

As Mahindra invested so much time & resources on the development of this vehicle ..
understand the merits & demerits of 3-cyl vs 4-cyl engines.
4-cylinder refined engine would have made this car into a more complete package.

.. why not to widen its appeal further, I'd say to introduce 2.2 mHawk engine as an option in its mid T6 & top-end T8 variants. .... 4x4 vehicle in their portfolio under 10-lacs price range, so TUV300 with 2.2 or lesser but 4-cylinder engine with 4x4 gearbox can give Mahindra what they need in their portfolio ...Tank-like capabilities...

.....t.

I am just counting the list of features here! And yet maintain the price under 10L? Tough.

Well if they did all this and offered TUV under 10L MM would be virtually killing Scorpion sales. Scorpion recently relaunched in its 4x4 Avtar but OTR Auto 4x4 would go beyond 15K easily. Settle in for a 2x2 and it would still be be better proposition than a Creta!

[CRtorquefan]

Originally Posted by TMRT

I am just counting the list of features here! And yet maintain the price under 10L? Tough.

Well if they did all this and offered TUV under 10L MM would be virtually killing Scorpion sales. Scorpion recently relaunched in its 4x4 Avtar but OTR Auto 4x4 would go beyond 15K easily. Settle in for a 2x2 and it would still be be better proposition than a Creta!

Entry level price point, you can assume.
TUV300 T6 ex-showroom price in Delhi is Rs.7.63 lacs & Rs.7.88 lacs for T6+.
Still this variant has Rs.2.37 lacs to reach Rs.10 lacs mark & i think this is decent enough to accomodate some decent technical gear.
In all Rs.9.90-9.99 lacs is a magical figure to take the market by storm for such a package & still there can be significant difference between Scorpio & TUV pricing.
Differentiating Body style(sub 4m & large full size SUV) & equipment list alongwith around Rs.2-2.5 lacs price difference viz Scorpio can maintain their identity as well, while significantly elevating the Market appeal of Mahindra & TUV300 brand.
A thought worth considering, IMHO.