Mumbai, JULY 31 : Mahindra & Mahindra yesterday announced that its upcoming compact SUV, hitherto codenamed as Mahindra U301 or popularly referred by “mini Bolero,” will be hitting the Indian roads in mid-September under the name Mahindra TUV3OO(pronounced three, double-O).
TUV(Tough Utility Vehicle) looks exactly like what its' name suggests— a high front nose, raised shoulders, a flat roofline, high ground clearance, clamshell bonnet, square wheel arches, minimal overhangs, and an exposed spare-wheel mounted on the tailgate.
“In our ongoing automotive journey, we identified a need for a tough, bold and masculine SUV,” said Pawan Goenka, executive director at M&M. “I am confident that the Mahindra TUV300 will follow in the footsteps of its illustrious predecessors to evolve into an iconic brand for Mahindra.”
The ‘tough design’ which is said to have taken inspiration from battle tanks, was developed at the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai with certain design inputs from Italian design firm Pinninfarina.
The TUV3OO is built on a brand new platform, measuring less than four metres in length. While the platform is capable to conjure a 4WD(4 Wheel Drive) system, it won’t be offered at the launch. Mahindra also confirmed that it is additionally working on a left hand drive version of the TUV300, aimed at overseas markets.
The vehicle will be powered by a new-generation diesel engine tagged as ‘mHawk80′. No further details were revealed on engine except that it will have a superior NVH levels and performance than the current 1.5-liter engine used on the Quanto. However, expect the engine to displace just under 1500cc to help the TUV300 qualify as a small car and correspondingly, a lower rate of excise duty.
Mahindra TUV300 will be produced at company’s Chakan facility, near Pune which presently makes the acclaimed XUV500.
