Mahindra
TUV300
More
revealing images of the Mahindra TUV300 have emerged on Anything-On-Wheels
blog.
Inspired
in design by a battle tank, the TUV300 has an upright front end with a boxy
silhouette. Up front, the seven-slat grille takes its place between a pair of
functionally designed headlamps. Mahindra said at the brand announcement that
it consulted Italian design firm Pininfarina for the TUV300.
The
spied variant could be the base model, evident from the black bumpers and door
handles, and steel wheels. The D-Pillar, like other Mahindras, wears a glossy
black applique to give the ‘floating roof’ impression. The plainly designed
taillights are stacked vertically, and like the Quanto the exposed spare wheel
is mounted at the rear.
What
appears to be a covered jump seat appears behind the rear windshield, hinting
that certain TUV300 variants could be seven-seaters.
The
TUV300 is based on a new rugged hydroformed ladder frame chassis and measures
under 4 meters long. It is powered a three-cylinder ‘mHawk80′ diesel engine,
and while not official, should make about 80 bhp and 240 Nm. Mahindra said the
engine would have better NVH and performance levels compared to the current
1.5-liter. It will be paired with a five-speed manual transmission, while an
AMT would be an option, tell spyshots.
While
the TUV300 may look like an SUV (or a mini version of a Hummer or a Toyota FJ
Cruiser) it certainly won’t be able to do any off-roading as Mahindra has ruled
out a 4WD system due to lack of demand, but said it would spawn a LHD variant
for exports.
The
Indian market launch of the TUV300 is confirmed for mid-September, and Mahindra
is expected to price it between INR 6.5 – 9 lakhs. Sri Lanka,
Nepal South Africa, Philippines, Tunisia and Chile are some of the markets
where Mahindra could export the car to, a year after its launch.
Source
: indianautosblog.com
