Revealed: 5 things about Mahindra TUV300 you didn't know

Mahindra’s TUV300 is officially set to arrive on September 10 and as the launch date draws closer, more and more details continue to surface. Over the last couple of days, our sources have brought us several spy shots and a whole new load of information relating to the much-awaited TUV300. With that, here we take a look at things you probably didn’t know about the Mahindra TUV300.

AMT gearbox 

Following the all-new Scorpio and the refreshed XUV 500, Mahindra is looking to add to the brand’s success story with the TUV300. And to do that, Mahindra is going all out to appeal to a wide spectrum of buyers in the utility vehicle segment. In fact, the brand will be launching the TUV300 with the option of an AMT gearbox. 

The addition of an AMT gearbox will not only make the drivability of the TUV300 considerably easier, but also attract a sizeable chunk of small car buyers looking for the convenience of an automatic gearbox. In all probability, this will be the same AMT option that featured in the Quanto show car at the 2014 Auto Expo.       

Body on ladder frame

Contrary to the previous reports indicating that the TUV300 is based on the old Quanto platform, it has come to our notice that Mahindra is using a shortened version of the all-new Scorpio’s body on ladder frame. Although this platform is not entirely new, Mahindra has put in a lot of effort to make it stiffer, stronger and lighter than the older Scorpio chassis. 

The TUV300, then, will benefit from all of these improvements in the form of a shortened version of the structurally enhanced body on ladder frame of the new Scorpio. Mahindra is also expected to make use of more durable polyurethane bushes instead of rubber mountings used in their old products. 

5+2 Seating

Being a Mahindra, the TUV300 is all about utility and practicality. As a result, the vehicle is expected to boast of a fairly spacious cabin for its size. Adding to the overall utility quotient of the TUV300 will be its 5+2 seating arrangement previously seen in the Quanto although that necessarily wouldn’t come across as a good thing. The side facing seats in the Quanto are hardly comfortable and we have our doubts if they will be any more comfortable in the TUV300.

No decked up version

When Mahindra released the first sketch of the TUV300, the vehicle created quite a stir online thanks to all the garnish it was bestowed with.  A stack of roof-mounted spot lights, a massive bull bar upfront featuring a winch, equally big alloy wheels and tough-looking side plates – our first look of the TUV300 had it all. 

However, now that we have seen the real thing, we aren’t very convinced. Sure, the production-spec TUV300 features some of the concept’s design elements like the rising beltline and the squared wheel arches but the rest of the package is pretty much mundane. 

Rear-wheel drive

The TUV300 will be powered by Mahindra’s mHawk 80 series 1.5-litre diesel engine from the Quanto. This three-cylinder engine will produce close to 100bhp and 240Nm of torque and transfer all of it on to the road via a rear-wheel drive configuration, thanks to the Scorpio-derived body on ladder frame.

Click here to see our exclusive spy shots of the undisguised Mahindra TUV300.